You Know You're A Collector Part III
So, now you have decided to catalogue your collection. You have lovingly glanced over each item one at a time and relived each purchasing moment. You describe your Roy Rogers gun as "Roy Rogers gun, 1940's. Pearl Handle, scratch on right handle, dent on barrel. Black mark on end from caps. Still smells like caps. My toy. Value?"
How do we ascribe value to our collections?
There are many catalogues you can purchase at your local big box book store (check out all of those b's). As I said last column, Kovels, and a variety of others publish good books that give a guideline for value. You can purchase specialized price guides if you look hard enough for them. There are yo-yo, Coke Bottle, Roy Rogers, Lone Ranger, China, Pog, Pokemon, Paperbacks, Comic Books, Artwork, Toys, and so many more. They are good, but they will never do what a motivated buyer can for value. IF you want something badly enough, the dollars don't matter. All you see is the item.
So, how do we value items?
Sentimentality has a lot to do with value. If we appreciate something or someone, the value is high. If it has no meaning to us, the value is low, and can be sold or traded. However, the best insurance company in the world can not replace a personal momento from a celebrity you met in person, or talked to on the phone.
So, if we go mainly on market value. We feel cheated. I sold a whole bunch of comics one day, and got 20% of cover. Real value was 5 times cover, but I had to settle for 1/25th! That hurt, but it taught me a lesson.
Our assigned values for collectibles must be realistic. Take the market value, check ebay out, average them., then go on. The task must be done and it must be done quickly, or else you may as well take a pillow and blanket down into your secret room., but don't forget the snacks.
How can we sell our toys?
As I have previously stated, Ebay is good place. If you are going to sell on Ebay (www.ebay.com) try looking up what you have to sell in past completed auctions. Obtain the past bidders email addresses, then contact them. You many get lucky and sell your item at a great price without the wait that normally accompanies Ebay sales. Specialized auction houses can work, as can personal web pages if you have the time and resources to do so. Wholesale dispensation of collectibles often brings only a small percentage of their real value.
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