Daryle Lambert: EBay Alternatives for Antique & Collectible Dealers

Roseville Falline Vase in Excellent Condition is Available at SeeAuctions.com


Markets always correct themselves. I’ve been writing about this subject on my blogs and in articles months before others were even thinking eBay might be in trouble.* And, it’s not only eBay who will be in trouble. Auction Houses, including online auctions, have surpassed what the market is willing to pay for their services, and a change has been emerging in response. People have had enough of being squeezed for fees and more fees. We see the affect greed has had as new auction alternatives continue to pop up everywhere, and new and exciting opportunities are unveiled. Today, there are some great alternatives to eBay, as well as the traditional auction houses.

Two visionary men have come with an idea that I think will change the way Antique and Collectible dealers do business today. While I’ve written previously about OnlineAuction.com for a while now on earlier posts, Seeauctions.com, the new kid on the block, has really knocked it out of the park completely.

I’ve spoken extensively with Seeauctions and boy – how I wish I had the foresight this owner has. People who are trying their best to make a living in the Antique & Collectible industry will find that Seeauctions.com is helping this industry in an unbelievable way. You see, for the next two years, dealers who use seesauctions will have the opportunity to sell their valuable items totally free of charge.

He has the same vision that I have, and that is to help people to make money now, and accept the pay off for the effort later. When I created my marketplace at 31corp.com, that’s what I had in mind.

When nothing else seemed to be working for me, I decided to try out seesauctions.com and listed some of my own marketplace items on it – almost $200,000 worth of items. To my delight, I’m beginning to get bids on items I hadn’t been able to previously drum up interest on.

To our 31 Club Members I’d say – open an account with Seeauctions, and dual list them on both our site and seesauctions. If you’re item sells at either site, make sure you de-list your item on the site where it didn’t sell. You might be surprised that I say this but know that my recommendation is just another way I show you that I have our members’ interests at the center of all we do. When I published my book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, my motivation was to help others learn how to make money in this business and learn to effectively grow the profits. It’s my personal desire to see everyone who joins our unique antique business club succeed.

To Seeauctions, I say a heartfelt thank you. You will never fully realize how much you’re appreciated by those of us looking for a good alternative.

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Know Your Customer -- The Collector and The Advanced Collector

Pauline Pottery, 10" tall, sold at Craftsman's Auction March 2006 for $2,880.

Often the one thing that makes a collectible so valuable is that there was enough production by the company so that anyone can find pieces to start a collection Usually a budding collector starts with a less valuable item and then works his or her way up to the more expensive pieces.

Let’s take Rookwood for an example. If you're collecting, you might make your first purchase of Rookwood in the commercial wares area of their production. A simple vase might fit the bill. But, as you advance in the collection, the artist signed pieces will become more appealing to you. Yes, they will be far more expensive, but over time you will have become more knowledgeable and realize that this is where the true investment will be. This is true of Roseville, Weller, Van Briggle, Teco and many other pottery companies whose production was expansive, and is a great way for the novice to learn as their collections grow without making too many mistakes.

But why is this important to us? We want to buy and sell, right? Yes, but unless we can get into the mind of the collectors -- our customers -- our buying will be more about ourselves and not about the ones we want to sell our treasures to.

There is an exception to this type collecting. There are some collectors who buy the rare items from companies who had only a limited production. In the industry, we refer to this type of collector “the advanced collector.” Pauline Pottery, produced right here in Chicago and then later in Wisconsin, is an example of an item an advanced collector might look for.

The Pauline Company was in business for only 10 years from 1883 until 1893. This lets you know that the number of pieces they produced would be very limited, and I doubt you will find many people that have a large collection of their pottery. However, this is where the advanced collector steps in. He wants one of the better pieces from the Pauline kilns to show the diversity of his collection. The pitcher that sold on ebay brought over $500, and even though it did nothing for me personally, I can see why a collector would want it in their collection.

The main problem with purchasing this type of merchandise is that there will always be a limited market for the company’s wares unless the item is exceptional. Don't get stuck with common pieces by unknown companies because they will be yours forever. If you do see an exceptional item, but don't recognize the mark, this is a time to get very stingy with your money. This is also an excellent way to find a Treasure while taking very little risk.

In the case of Pauline, the mark is a very indistinct crown with no writing but perhaps the artist’s initials. Their second mark just says “Pauline Pottery.” I suggest you keep your eyes out for very large and decorative pieces by this company, but leave the lesser ones alone. If you find that special piece of Pauline, I think that you should be able to buy it very reasonably. Therefore, your profit should meet our goals of at least doubling our money on our purchases.

Remember to tune into the AuctionWally BlogTalk Radio program on Monday. I am Auctionwally's special guest and you can call in your questions. I hope I hear from you.

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.

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