Posted 11 years ago
hulalady56
(56 items)
I love digging through junk...okay this couple is about 2 3/4 inches high ...1 1/2 inches wide. Found them in a box with alot of broken pieces, I hope it was worth the cut on my finger.
Occupied Japan... | ||
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You do not have a fortune here but people do collect them. They are an inexpensive easy to collect item. Check eBay to see what they are selling for and if there are people bidding on them. eBay IS NOT a good place to value an item but it IS a good place to see if people are buying the item.
thanks fhrjr2...
fhrjr2-- why would you say "ebay is not a good place to value an item"?
To the contrary, I think that ebay has become the market for antiques and collectibles. Where else can you find multiple ACTUAL SALES of a given item and establish WHAT PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY WILLING TO PAY for said item? Many appraisers now use ebay sales as a key source in establishing values.
There are pitfalls with using ebay-- many folks look at "buy it now" offers (unsold) and come up unrealistic values. And of course there are always "low price sales"-- the result of poor descriptions or poor timing.
Those who understand HOW to use ebay make it an integral part of the valuation process.
scott
Scott, Brad...luv you guys, and I welcome any and all opinions good or bad. I myself do ebay and I understand how some items can be so overpriced. Infact I have a couple of other items on there that I am watching to see how tey sell before I put my similiar items on. I also try to look at other website to try to get a ballpark figure (etsy, the find, etc). I know alot of people that selling on ebay is their life and main income. I myself do it for fun, if I sell an item cool, if not no big deal and it sits on my shelf and looks pretty (and dusty). For me the excitment is finding something unusal, researching the item, and maybe, just maybe finding a tresure...okay enough rambling, got to get ready to pack for a mini vacation...luv you all and behave till I get back or no dessert for a week (lol)
Scottvez - I have been selling on eBay for a dozen years or more and use it frequently just for seeing what is selling and for research. I would never use eBay to set a price on an item. The range of prices on eBay vary so much it isn't a good indication of an items actual value. As an example, when people get their tax returns they spend more than they would otherwise often paying more than they should. There is also so much fraud on there you may get the real deal or may not. The person selling an item on eBay frequently has not taken the time to research the item and has no idea of the actual real world value. If an appraiser told me they based their value on eBay prices, I would walk away. I know many jewelers, dealers and collectors who frequent eBay but I know of none who base a value on what they see on eBay. I am sure many people rely on eBay as a source to value items, I just happen to not be one of them. Neither would I rely on any one source of information to value an item. I am a firm believer of a second, third and forth opinion.
We disagree.
What sources do you use to establish values?
I am a firm believer that the value of any object is what people are willing to pay.
With THOUSANDS of objects selling EVERY DAY-- ebay shows what people are willing to pay.
As such it is A KEY SOURCE (not the sole or only source) in establishing values.
The argument against using ebay can be made with ANY sale mode: aren't folks just as likely to pay more at their hometown auction after getting a tax return? In fact, the heat of a hometown auction is more likely to cause excessive bidding-- prodding by the auctioneer and crowd/ desire to win/ ONLY seeing one of the object available.
scott
BRAVO GENTLEMEN!!! How much I love a good debate...you both have good points and one point I do agree with is some people will pay a little more for an item if they have a little more in their pockets. But with everything being said I think the bottom line is, is that if more people would take the time to do the research, check many sites to see what the item is selling for and mind you I look at at least 4 - 6 sites. Other factors are the condition, availability, but most important profit margin(which I love). But admit it guys the majority of us collect because we love the thrill of it, why it can be almost as good as...well you know
Debate is always fun as is the profit margin. I should have included that when attempting to establish a value for an item it also depends on the item. You would hardly look for the value of a coin on a site geared toward farm equipment. In my world research is the only answer. I once had over 600 databases and web sites bookmarked. I am now eliminating them and ready to be done with it. I'll keep my favorites for research but no more collecting. Time to pass the torch and get ready to move on. Best part is.....you are never to old to give an opinion.