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What Are My Antiques Worth?

September 20, 2009 | view archive

Good question! We answer this question in one way or another many times each day. Determining value can be tricky. First let's discuss the subtle difference between "Antiques" and "Collectibles".

Many items are really collectibles. A collectible item was usually mass produced or at least produced in a limited series- Hummels, Barbies, prints, etc. Collectibles are usually easier to determine value since there are more of them in the marketplace and you can easily find similar items that have sold recently. So let's address how to determine the value of your collectibles.

The best place to research the value of collectibles is completed item search on eBay. This will only show you the last 2 weeks of results but often will give you a good snapshot of your collectible's value. In order to view eBay's completed items you need to be signed up as a member. This is free to do. Once you are signed up you can use ebay to research completed items. Make sure to check the "completed items" option before hitting go!

Not all collectibles are going to be easy to value this way. Some collectibles are really rare, vintage Japanese tin toys for example, and the condition of the collectible can be a serious factor in determining marketing value. So unless you really know your collectible market and how to compare your item with what you are seeing online you may find completed items on eBay misleading.

So collectibles can be hard to value. Antiques are even harder to value since they can be one-of-a-kind pieces- paintings, pottery, art glass, etc. This is where we come in. We offer, via this website, literally 10s of thousands of items that we have sold over the last 7 years. You can use this archive as a valuable research database when you are trying to get a ballpark value for your item. Try it now!

But this resource, as large as it is, will probably still only get you part of the way there. What if your item is a little different? What if the market for your item has changed recently? Since this is often the case we offer a service via our website that let's you take valuing your antiques and collectibles a step further.

Use our Free Appraisal Form to send us information and pictures of your items. We will do research, using subscription research databases (meaning we pay a lot of money to use them!), and our experience seeing antiques and collectibles every day and get back to you with what we find. It's completely free!

Try our Free Appraisal Form now!