Times For Tips – Daryle Lambert's Antiques and Collectibles Blog – Christmas Sales.

Tips For Today - Thanks to Technospot.net

We are getting close to Christmas so what should you be doing? Well, everyone knows that if you can't sell it for Christmas it probably isn't going to sell. In fact, retail stores do 80% of their business as Christmas sales.

For many years I started calling all the collectors on my list about the first of December if I had anything that I figured they would be interested in. There was one gentleman that always bought his wife a painting from me as a Christmas present but over the last couple of years I haven't succeeded in selling him anything. I must have filled up all the wall space in their home so maybe it is time to switch him to art glass or pottery.

We are late in the season but there are still some tips that I can pass on to you so that those late shoppers can still get that special present for a loved one. First, if you are listing on eBay, it is time to shorten your auctions from seven days to three or less. Second, you should begin to list your items at prices that will assure you of sales. Maybe you would have liked to receive $1000 for your painting but $750 would still double your money. Then it is time to be realistic and start the auction at $750. Third, this is a great time to put small ads in the newspaper, especially on weekends. These ads will not only attract collectors but also dealers that have customers for what you are selling. You still have one week to utilize the Thrifty Nickel or Penny Savers with your ads that may attract buyers.

We are now well into the Christmas season but even with just a few days left, these days are still your best chance to find a buyer for your items. One way is to find the buyers that have purchased items on eBay that are similar to what you have for sale and offer them a great deal as a Christmas special.

So often I hear my friends say that it is too late to sell anything after the first of December but I can assure you nothing is further from the truth. By really trying every way to sell your items now, don't be surprised if before the end of the year, but after Christmas, someone contacts you about an item that you had offered for Christmas. Today, the favorite gift is cash and don't you think that if a collector receives cash, he isn't going to spend it by adding to his collection? You bet he is. You have what he is looking for and you are ahead of the dealer that starts advertising after Christmas.

I have found that I am more successful when I work my hardest as others rest and then when other dealers are trying to sell their goods during tax time is when I rest. It must just be me because that is the same way I trade the stock market, opposite everyone else. Remember I will see you at the finish line.

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