How To Sell Your Antique, Collectible & Fine Art Items To Quickly Turn Your Money

I received an email from Michael B., a member of the 31 Club, thanking me for all the information provided by the blog, however, he asked for more information on selling the items purchased. But Well, Michael B., your request is my honor to answer.

Selling is the last piece of the puzzle to fall into place. However, it is the one part of the puzzle that requires the least amount of time and research. You might be surprised by that statement. I am often asked, “I know I can buy the item, but what’s my guarantee I can sell it?” When I’m asked that, I tell them they’re on the wrong side of the dog. Why?

When you buy any antique, collectible or piece of fine art following the rules for buying I wrote about in 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, customers will be lined up at your door. I don’t say this to minimize the importance of selling, rather to stress the importance of buying. If an items is purchased right, according to the criteria I’ve set up in my book, selling doesn’t become a big issue. I can tell you in just a few paragraphs how to sell. But, making good buys is something you’ll be learning for the rest of your life and is the far more important component. With that said, let’s set some rules for selling so we can get the biggest bang for our buck.

Working From a Collectors List is Essential For Your Success

If you’ve sold items before and haven’t kept a list of who you’ve sold to and what they bought or what they buy, begin assembling this Collectors List now.

When you attend local auctions and house sales, notice who purchases rare items or shows an interest in rare and collectible items. Engage them in conversation and introduce yourself. Remember, I’ve said in the past that this business is about relationships. When you take the time to learn about other people, you’ll be able to add them to your list of collectors. This is so important, because this list will provide you the best market for selling your items you’ll ever find, and it will be right at your fingertips. Private Sales between you and a collector is the ideal way to sell your items, however, it you might not know someone for every item you come across. Then, you’ll need to consider other means of selling.

An Auction House List Helps Make You Make Knowledeable

Note what auction companies set high records and keep a list of those companies. One of the things I do is cut out articles from AntiqueWeek, Maine Antique Digest, and Antique Trader about items that have set high records, making a note of the auction company who made the sale. I then put it in a clip file that my 9-year-old son, Joshua helps to maintain. This way, if I come across a similar item, this company will be a possible place to consider selling through.

The Necessity of Trade Subscriptions

Antique Week, Maine Antique Digest and Antique Trader all carry articles about auction results, so I’d get a subscription. I follow auction results of some of the larger specialty auction houses like Treadway Galleries, Rago Arts & Auction Center & Cincinnati Art Galleries for pottery and glass. Find the specialty auction houses for the items that interest you, as well. I also start a file on Doll Auctions, Toy Auctions and so on. This way, I won't have to search long for the right place to sell my items.

Deciding Where to Sell Your Antique & Collectible Item

If you don’t have a collector on your list for your particular item, you can research collectors on the Internet and contact them. If you don’t come up with a collector for your piece, now deciding where to sell your item requires you ask this question: Is this item rare enough to place it in a standard auction, a specialty auction house, or something like eBay.

Major auction houses today are only looking for an item $20,000 and over. So, where does your item fall? With these houses charging 25 % commission and as high as 25 % buyers premium, before you go this route your item had better be very special. If you are fortunate enough to find an item in this price range, specialty auction houses are very appealing.

For example, I found the Rookwood lamp recently, and had to decide where I’d sell it. I decided it would go to the Cincinnati Art Galleries for their November auction because I know they have set all the auction records on Rookwood pieces.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Blog. We’ll be studying other ways to profit from all our hard work.

More and more members are sending in their stories to me, and I will publish them as fast as I can. If you haven’t sent in yours, why not do that today?

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your antique & collectible treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership.

The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

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Today's Links:

31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles
Insider Secrets to Sucessfully Working in Antique, Collectible and Fine Art Markets


Trade Magazines:

Antique Trader
Antique Trade Gazette (U.K.)
Antique Week
Maine Antique Digest

Antiques Looking Too Good Mean Caution Necessary before Buying

After a period of dedicated time spent working on our 31 Club website and attending to other club business, it was a great treat to be able to get back in the game this past weekend.

After church on Sunday, I spent part of the day with Cindy and Marsha back at the estate sale I went to on Saturday, but I ended up with as much money in my pocket as when I began the day. However, with the Saturday’s purchase of the Rookwood lamp, I have to confess that it was a pretty good weekend.

I’ve noticed that there are items entering the market that are just too good, and I want to warn you about some of them, as well as the reason you need to be very careful. At this weekend’s estate sale, there was a Cushman Scooter that had been customized by converting it into an ice cream vendor cart-scooter, similar to the old bicycle-vendor carts. Was it a vintage? It appeared in mint condition in every detail, even down to the Cushman emblems. However, upon further inspection, several clues didn’t add up. I could see the work that had been done on it. No doubt the skeleton and the engine were old, but I have doubts about the rest of the cart. Why?

First, it was held together by Phillips head screws. These type of screws were not available when this piece was originally made. Second, the heads of the nuts that were used to bolt the bumpers and other attachments were not old. I continued to inspect and came to the conclusion that most of this piece was newly fabricated and therefore, had very little antique value. However, this didn’t deter the seller from asking $10,000 for the cart.

Remember, when you are buying something for its antique value, the more of the original condition that has been maintained, the better the piece and the higher the value will be when it’s sold. Any alteration will take away value. If the piece is over-restored, it becomes a novelty item, not an antique. And novelty items are less valuable.

This becomes very important in other areas such as antique banks. If you find an antique bank in mint condition, with the paint as fresh as it had been done yesterday, it’s most likely a reproduction. Older paint will have a patina on it that will look soft and mellowed, while new paint will appear start and harsh. An old bank could also have been restored by repainting, and if that’s the case, its value can be reduced up to 75%.

When you find anything that should have antique value, leave it as found and buy it accordingly. My rule is that if I can't wash off the dirt with water and a mild detergent then I let the new buyer decide. In this way, the buyer will decide if he or she wants to take the chance of fully devaluing the item. New is new, and even if the con artists have come up with some of the most ingenious ways to age certain pieces, there are still telltale signs that will give them away. Any time you have a question regarding these matters, be sure to contact me either by email or phone. Happy Hunting.

P. S. Please comment on the website changes we are making. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. --- Daryle

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

Take a look at our Gallery of Fine Art Paintings by Listed Artists, here.

McCoy Pottery Teaches 31 Club Member the Power of Showing Up

Vintage McCoy Pottery Vase with Leaves recently sold on eBay for $43.99. There were 7 bids.

It does my heart good when I see something I have taught come true with my own eyes. In this case, finding treasure where other people dare not to trod makes a great subject for today’s blog.

Two days ago, Marsha, a 31 Club Member, called and asked if I would go with her to see some pottery that someone had placed a classified ad about. The vision of Teco, Grueby and Newcomb began dancing through my head. I could see that one special piece just waiting for us. Instead, Marsha told me the ad in the paper said 100 pieces of McCoy pottery, a lower end pottery, and the asking price was $500. Needless to say, my balloon was deflated rather quickly, but I agreed to go with her if she would pick me up.

She arrived within the hour, and we began our journey together. When we arrived at the location, I perked up when I saw it was familiar to me. I had attended many calls from this particular neighborhood, and most of them had been very profitable.

We were greeted warmly and invited in. McCoy Pottery was everywhere and the better pieces McCoy produced dominated every room of this gentleman’s home. In the basement there were over a hundred pieces of McCoy, perhaps ten pieces of Shawnee Pottery, and one oyster plate. These were the items he was interested in selling.

He told us what some of the better pieces would bring on eBay, and he was correct. This man knew his pottery. When I calculated the total, I could see the overall value could easily bring about $2,000. He knew this, too, but said he simply didn’t want to bother with them. He was so right on the money that I felt strange in asking if he would take less than the $500 he was asking -- but you know my rule. Thankfully, he supplied the courage for me when he mentioned that he hadn’t had any other visitors. I offered him $400. What a fantastic gentleman. He said if we agreed to take them all, he’d let them go for $400. Marsha had herself a deal.

Marsha and I headed back to the car to get some packing materials, and I asked her what she thought the profit on the pieces would be after she had sold them all.
“Maybe a thousand dollars,” she said. I asked her how she arrived at that figure. “I think I should get a least $10 a piece for them, don’t you think?” I didn’t want her to get too excited, so I told her that with the Shawnee pieces, it will probably be closer to $20 a piece. She was thrilled. Then I asked her, “What about the oyster plate?” She asked me what I meant. “The oyster plate will bring you more than you paid for all the other pieces,” I told her. She looked like a deer in the head lights. I can’t wait to see her final total after selling them all.

The ad for this pottery was in a public paper, but no one answered it. Why? I’ll take an educated guess and say that people saw the word “McCoy” and figured it wasn’t worth much. That was my initial response. Boy, were they wrong. This is an example of what I meant when I’ve told you never miss an opportunity to visit someone’s house. Many times when I’ve gone on a call, I didn’t end up purchasing the items I went to see, but walked out with some of the greatest treasures I have ever purchased. When you go on a call where there is no competition, you can take your time looking, and this is where your skills and knowledge come into play. You see, I immediately spotted the oyster plate and knew that we were going to make the deal.

It took Marsha a couple of trips to pack up all the items, but she got them all. I wish her well in selling them and advancing up the 31 Steps.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

Visit our Website, here.>

Buying and Selling Skillfully in Today's Antique, Collectible & Art Markets

Cecil's Carnival Horse Medallion Bowl currently available on eBay. It previously had 23 bids but did not reach the reserve price.

Timing is everything, and right now the time is right to be buying at bargain prices. At times like these, when people are stricken with fear, we'll be able to make our best purchases. Barry Bond’s last home run ball just sold for under $400,000. What a bargain, considering the record setting ball brought over $1,000,000. The one who bought Bond’s ball in this cautious market will be smiling all the way to the bank in a very short period of time.

Our 31 Club Member, Cecil, listed a Carnival Glass Bowl and it did not meet its reserve although it was a rare pattern with horse heads. It should have found a buyer. He also has a Weller vase listed presently for $2,700 which might be worth $4,000 to $5,000. This is the time to make money by knowing what is worth the money and what isn’t.

When negotiating on price with a seller, you can back down on price now by saying the market is soft, knowing that the best is still the best and will bring top dollar regardless of the times. Yes, the market is fluctuating, but that is what we need to be successful. A constant market eventually works against us. If the market is stagnant, the seller will want too much and the buyers will want to wait for a better price.

Over the next few months, you should be able to complete several steps in your race to the millions, because out of fear, people will likely to be selling their better items. You’ll be able to buy at prices that can make you fat and sassy. Buy where there is little interest, and then sell in the right selling venue.

In my book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, I spoke about taking time to consider where to sell each item. In our marketplace today, this will be a very important decision to make. Remember, where you sell your items can likely make the difference in the level of profit you’ll see. Sell at places that specialize in what you are offering. Rookwood might bring a huge price at the Cincinnati Art Galleries Auction, but you might find it priced reasonably during these times in Texas. California Art might be bringing record prices in California, but what kind of prices would it get in Kentucky? So, keep your eyes out for items that seem out of place. You might be able to cash in on this. The 31 Gang did this very thing when we spent $240 to purchase a Harvey Joiner painting that hadn’t sold at auction from an east coast auction house. We later sold it at an Indiana auction house close to the Kentucky border for about $3,700. Why there? Harvey Joiner is one of the most collected artists in Kentucky.

Ebay might not be the best place to sell at the present time. The problem with eBay is that it is very impersonal, while an auction house can have the feel of being a part of the family. In hard times, that is often what we search for. Early’s Auction is an auction house that doesn’t do online auctions. They had their spring art glass sale this past weekend, and I understand prices were very firm. Considering that almost all plane traffic to Cincinnati was cancelled, they still had excellent results. Now when you consider they don’t do online auctions, this makes their sales success even that much greater.

This is the time to know your markets, act on them, and carefully consider the selling platform that might get you the biggest bang. When you do that the big money will come your way. Remember, collectors are a special breed, and they often won't buy a piece from a shop at almost any price. But let them get involved in bidding at an auction who represents what they collect, and it often seems the sky’s the limit. In the Antique Trader, Antique Weekly and The Maine Antique Digest, you will find a list of specialty auctions. If you have items that fit theircategorizes, do yourself a favor and list them there.

Buy, Buy, Buy. This may be the chance that won't come along for the next ten years. In these markets is when the easy money is made. Jjust be sure you have the knowledge to take advantage of it.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members. Turbo charge your treasure hunting. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to build a bank account to last a lifetime, buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

Visit our Website, here.

Vaseline Glass - Secret Test

Yesterday, I visited a friend from church to help her appraise some of her mother's items. Her mother's house was filled with items she had collected over a lifetime, and now it was my friend's time to make some decisions about these things.

The first thing I did was to begin separating items that were truly collectible from those that could be sold in a garage sale. I spotted a pair of beautiful Vaseline Glass candle holders. The design resembled a plate with the back edge pulled up, and in the center, was the spot for the candle. They didn't know anything about them, so I explained to them that these candle holders were special. I went on to tell them the greenish-yellow color of Vaseline Glass is very eye pleasing, and some serious collectors would even call it magical. Some will even choose a particular shade of this glass to collect.

You see, Vaseline Glass contained uranium and was made mostly before World War II. I went on to tell them that the government stopped the sale of uranium when the war broke out, and that because these pieces contained uranium, its color would change when lit under a black light.

"I have a black light," my friend said. Her father had been a stamp collector and often used a black light for his stamps. I felt this was a challenge to prove my statement. I explained that to use the light correctly, it must be totally dark for the best effect, so I asked if there was a place we could go and look at these pieces in the dark. She thought the front room coat closet would be best. Then, she excused herself to retrieve her father's small 6 inch black light from his old study.

The closet was packed full when I opened the door. We moved away what seemed to be an endless stream of coats as best we could. Then, I entered the closet. The ladies followed right behind me. closing the door behind us. Crammed into this small dark closet, we put the candle holders to the test. I turned on the black light, and the closet came alive with this beautiful florescent color. We all broke out in laughter, feeling like a bunch of kids, sneaking something our parents didn't want us to have or know about.

As you know, when I talk about the 31 Club, I always talks about it being an opportunity to have fun and also make a profit. I can assure you that I had fun yesterday, and so did my friend. I'm sure this story will be repeated many times. God planned for us to spend one lifetime here on earth, and if it isn't fun, then what's the purpose?

At most of the shows I attend, I usually find at least one dealer that features Vaseline Glass. This glass is displayed in a showcase with black lighting, and the pieces glow in the most beautiful greenish-yellow color. The effect is amazing.


A few hundred dollars or less will buy most Vaseline Glass pieces, and in my opinion, it is one of the most undervalued items I come across. This might be something worth your time to watch for, because the better pieces will sell very quickly, and that is what we like. Some glass being made today resembles Vaseline glass, but when you put it to the test, it fails.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members. Turbo charge your treasure hunting. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to build a bank account that last a lifetime with your profits. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

See the fine paintings we have listed in our gallery like the Texas Bluebonnet painting by William A. Slaughter. Works from Robert Woods, William Horton, Tom Darro and more. Our Hannah Barlow decorated Doulton Lambeth Vase is superb. Take a look here.

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