Seven Points To Consider Selling Big Ticket Collectibles In Online Auctions
If you are a kind of collector with very expensive tastes for used big ticket merchandise, costly collectibles which are well worth keeping free of dust and encased in reinforced, you most likely will not appreciate what I offer here. But if you are an individual who enjoys supplying such precious keepsakes to the first of individual, then these seven suggestions for selling expensive collectible merchandise, like threads from Michael Jackson’s first glove, splinters from Babe Ruth’s first bat or clippings from Liz Taylor’s first pedicure, could be your piece of cake, your cup of tea and right up your alley.
It cannot be denied that the guidelines for selling expensive keepsakes on an online auction website like eBay maybe, or preferably Big Ticket Depot, are identical even if you’re moving something totally different from those three [spinitems|collectibles|examples[/spin], whether it is a conceptually cool curio like one or more of only six documents containing William Shakespeare’s signature, which would sell for about $3 million, for the Joyce junkies, or an orangish-pinkly-purpled natural Sri Lankan oval mixed cut padparadscha sapphire going for around $13,000 for the gem junkies.
But it actually doesn’t matter at all the thing to harbor in your arbor being sold.
Before we get into these seven points to keep in mind when selling expensive collectibles online in an auction, there is an aspect about this which it is imperative that you really ought to concentrate on, and that is — pictures are essential to the process of listing these babies regardless of how unique and rare and expensive the merchandise is or isn’t. This is never NOT true. Don’t forget it. Do not neglect it. Images sell. And on top of that actually rather obvious point, costly collectibles provide both opportunity as well as precautionary tales of a sort.
Number One — [Does anybody actually want this thing?|Is there a demand for this item?[/spin] Yeah? Okay then, do this: set the price ridiculously low, like one Indonesian rupiah. If the rupiah is not a convenient currency to employ, then just use the ole the US dollar for now, but still keep the opening bid price in the absolutely cheap range. You may balk at a suggestion of one USD, you may feel offended; then just bump it up to, oh, I don’t know . . . okay, let’s get serious about this. If you actually want, oh, $1500 for that adorable piece of Popeye poster art from before WWII, begin the bidding at around $10 or $15. This is a risk-free scenario in that you will not have to sell it it at that price unless you suddenly turn into a philanthropist. A low price like this for such a cute little expensive keepsake is just to draw in buyers that would otherwise refrain from looking at your offer. Setting the opening bidding price for the amount that you want to sell this thing at is not the way to go, and this can be seen from stats on this kind of blooper [spinon|in[/spin] eBay. This piece of thruthiness may make your teeth grind at night, but an opening bid of $25K will not bring you so many interested potential buyers as one Indonesian rupiah, or failing that, twenty-five greenbacks.
Number Two — Receiving a package in the mail that shakes and rattles, that does little to reassure the individual who gets said package that nothing is broken inside. So make sure that you explain most clearly in the listing for your lovely collectible that it will be packaged most carefully prior to shipping, cushioned as securely as a baby in its mother’s womb. Be totally clear for your potential buyer that the item purchased is guaranteed safe passage. This is of critical importance in that nearly every buyer will feel a bit of paranoia about getting a package that rattles when it’s shaken, and the upset feelings involved in trying to get a refund or a replacement for a broken Barbie doll could stop the individual from giving you your money. That Barbie buyer will, at least unconsciously, appreciate the reassuring words from you that there is nothing to worry about.
Number Three — Insisting the customer pay for some insurance for the item purchased is a must. Both of you will feel a lot more protected if you know that Hello Kitty figurine with ruby eyeballs and an opal nose (Hello Kitty has no mouth, and so consequently, no diamond teeth) is protected with insurance. This is not to be an option. The proper insurance will protect not only Hello Kitty but the buyer and seller as well, so you, as the seller, have to be quite firm on this point. I mean, who wants to be liable for a busted up Hello Kitty collectible; that’s a pretty quick way to become a social pariah, people casting askance glances your way when you enter a room, the sudden and embarrassing silence. Nosireebob, nobody wants to hurt Hello Kitty, not to mention the innocent eager to collect that doll. And a person that might refrain from paying this insurance is probably not such a serious collector anyway and not somebody to do business with. A true collector would be very happy to add to a collection and would want that it protected by insurance.
Number Four — Fraud is and always has been rampant in the human arena, both on and offline. Caveat emptor, baby, caveat emptor. {spin]Therefore|So[/spin], to help avoid your being labeled a shyster, it is good to spend time providing proof of your honesty and the authenticity of your collectible item. Using the the original container if it’s available or having some special marking on the item will help, so take a picture of it and display that info on the listing page. Is there a label that you can also post a photo of? Then by all means, use it. A certificate of authenticity? An appraisal by a recognized? Definitely display a pictures in order to emphasize your own reliability as a seller..
Number Five — Be careful about offering more than just a very basic guarantee. Basically, merely indicate you are speaking truthfully about the collectible for sale. There should actually be very little concern on your part that your customer would return the item because most of the people buying such things online will be knowledgeable about what they are doing in the first place. If some sourpuss of an unhappy camper mails your item back to you, it is most likely going to be broken. You do not bother trying to collect on broken merchandise or putting yourself into a [s[in]lawsuit|litigious[/spin] situation with someone who refuses to believe that the collectible was broken via return shipping. You do not want to have to take a loss on your eBay fees either, which could be substantial if the price is high.
Number Six — With a really expensive piece of memorabilia, always give the idea of using of an escrow service — at the customer’s expense, of course. They may not take this service, but make certain they have the choice. You, of course, know that your merchandise is okay, but the buyer may not be as certain. eBay recommends an escrow service that is available for its members.
Number Seven — If you choose to ship anywhere on the planet, you need to take special steps to protect yourself. In the US we have AVS (Address Verification System) which offers some protection. A very large amount of the fraud suffered by buyers takes place outside the United States, and you really should consider protecting yourself. Losing the purchase price on a $5 item isn’t such a big deal – but a $1,000 collectible absolutely does matter. Your bank can advise you on the time it will take to verify foreign funds. Be certain to let any potential customer know in your auction that there will be a delay if they are outside of your country. Do not let your merchandise out of your hands until you are sure!
If you follow these rules, the possibility that you will sell your expensive collectibles at the best prices will be much more likely.
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