Sell and Buy Vintage Antiques

An Antique Brass Oil Lamp is a Classic and Great Piece

GuestPoster — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:30:16 +0000

Antique brass oil lamps are some of the most sought after collector's items. They are valued for both their beauty and functionality. The lamp has a small tank for holding the oil and a wick that is lit to provide continuous light. The wick travels down to the small oil tank so it is always soaked with the flammable fuel. Apart from garage sales and estate sales, these items can be acquired through online auction sites. The cost of buying these antiques has risen dramatically in recent times due to their increased popularity.

Everyday Antiques For Every Room of Your Home
US $1.24

Best Wishes Always Signet Eclipse
US $1.24

19thC Old HINKS DUPLEX Antique VICTORIAN BRISTOL Art GLASS Old PARLOR Oil LAMP
US $1.29

Oil Lamp WICK for Nutmeg Acorn burner Replacement
US $1.49

This price increase has led manufacturers to produce electric lamps that look very similar to an antique brass oil lamp. By buying such lamps the consumer is able to enjoy the benefits of modern technology and at the same time attain a retro look. However, some manufacturers have refurbished actual antique brass oil lamps and wired them to an electric power source for illumination. These modified antique lamps are attractive to those who appreciate authentic antiques but do not want to deal with flammable liquids are flames that may cause destructive fires.

The miner's lamp is another collector's item that is equally sought after by enthusiasts. While the lamp may be less ornate that other lamp designs, they are loved by nautical enthusiasts. The lamp has a clear glass enclosure through which the flame can shine. It is also furnished with an attractive brass finish. These lamps come with a handle from which it can be hung from a hook or held by a person. These oil lamps are sometimes referred to as ship's lanterns and can use any type of lantern oil to light. While these antiques are very rare, there are designers who produce replicas that closely resembles the actual antiques. As with every other antique, a brass oil lamp costs a lot of money but is worth it.

The Collectible Antique Armchair

Mike — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 20:45:07 +0000

Antique Armchairs

Adding an antique armchair to your living room can be just the finishing touch you need. It is amazing that something as simple as a chair can have such a fabulous history. In the long span of historical epochs, furniture pieces have evolved. From the simple and utilitarian, they have been adorned with the most intricate of details and enhanced by flamboyant silhouettes and rich, heavily patterned fabrics. The wooden klismos chair of ancient Egypt was adapted by the French Regency period into a dainty upholstered chair. Fast forward to the 21st century, the well-known klismos chair took on a contemporary form with fully upholstered seat and sleek bended wood backrest however, innovations didn’t stop there, an entire chair made of mirror polished stainless steel was designed. Modern designs should be adored for their creative adaptation of the classic styles of long ago. The original designs however, should be revered for their excellent representations of significant and unforgettable eras of the past.

It is marvelous to travel through time and experience what people before us have touched, tasted, smelled, heard and saw. The sight of a magnificent Victorian balloon armchair in front of the fireplace in your living room at night sparks nostalgic emotions and remembrance of the past that fascinated your interest. Furniture pieces that we consider antiques today have enjoyed a vivid presence at the time when they were first made. That is not to say that they haven’t been bequeathed similar adorations from people today, but they have a completely different appeal now. A new aura has enveloped their repeated emergence in our abodes and in our lives. We have welcomed antique armchairs into our contemporary living rooms and bedrooms as guests who have outstanding and highly noticeable appearances.

The most recognizable antique armchairs have found their way in collectors’ homes and even in ordinary people’s houses wherein the owners have the penchant for all things old and grandiose. Some of these armchairs are too difficult to come by especially if you have set your eyes on the rare ones. You can source through antique shops in your neighborhood or browse for them on furniture websites on the internet. Perhaps, the missing piece to your elegant living room is the presence of a classic fully-upholstered neoclassic armchair with regal architectural columnar legs or it could be one of the historical antique armchairs defined below.

Pr Vintage 1975 Charles Polluck Knoll Leather Swivel Armchair Office Chairs
US $5.50

Vintage Nursery Chairs Matching Pair Art Deco Childs Club Chairs SHABBY CHIC
US $16.59

1960s Colonial Gothic Upholstered Arm Chair Vintage
US $29.00

Antique Plank Seat Spindle Back Arm ChairPainted Decor
US $29.99

Rococo
The graceful bergeres of the Rococo period are great finds for a contemporary living room with a classic touch. They have feminine carved frame and legs with light colored upholstery fabric that have a posh and classy appearance. Rococo bergeres have close armrest while their fauteuil counterpart have open and exposed arms that are usually padded with the same upholstery fabric as the seat and back cushion. What makes Rococo armchairs successfully adapt with interiors of the present is their subtle floral and abstract patterned upholstery, sinuous feminine carvings and their accommodating seat shape that can embrace the body with utmost comfort and ease. Their refined appearance brings a romantic charisma to a simple and modern interior space.

Queen Anne
The distinguishing design of Queen Anne armchairs is the slat back style of the backrest. They can be horizontal slats but the most common ones have one vertical slat in the middle with a vase-shaped form. These armchairs can be used in the dining room as functional dining chairs or they can be placed in the living room as accents and corner armchairs. The famous Queen Anne wing chair with fully upholstered seats and cabriole legs that have ball-and-claw foot design is a comfortable and luxurious piece suitable for the living room or the library.

The appearance of Windsor chairs also happened during the Queen Anne period. These armchairs are made from wood and their seats are shaped like saddles. The legs have turning designs and they are positioned in such a way that they slant outwards for better stability. You cannot mistake them for any other furniture type because of their identifiable turned spindle designs that line their back up to their armrests. They are suitable for country style kitchens and dining areas.

Victorian
The characteristics of Victorian chairs are best depicted in their balloon-shaped backs and curvilinear legs. They have elaborate carvings and full and overstuffed upholstery that are comforting and sinfully luxurious to lounge in. Victorian armchairs are sought after for their soft velvet upholstery, strategically tufted cushions and regally feminine appearance. Their fabrics possess the most vibrant of colors with royal purple, deep red, and dark brown. They are beautiful accent pieces in living rooms and functional lounge chairs in private libraries and bedrooms.

Chippendale
The armchairs of the Chippendale period have Chinese, Rococo and Gothic elements combined. They have fretworks and Chinese motifs such as pagoda, scrolls, monkeys and dragons in their backs and legs. The Gothic influences were carved motifs such as rosettes, flowers and arches. The prominent designs for the backs are splat, ribbon patterns and tracery. The fabrics used in upholstery included leather, velvet and brocade. These Chippendale armchair designs being the result of cultural fusions will lend a unique appeal to any interior that will be their home.

Adam, Hepplewhite and Sheraton
The three types of furniture pieces were named after their respective designers. They were designed during the Late Georgian period following Chippendale. Adam armchairs tended to be based on Classical Italian designs with festoons, honeysuckle and fret adornments on the back of the chairs. The chair legs were slender and they had the famous spade design for the feet. The Hepplewhite armchairs were smaller versions of the Adam’s and they have shield, interlacing heart, camel and oval backs. For the Sheraton chairs, straight lines were enforced on the legs and back but they were made with intricate motifs such as swags, vases, and urns. The backs can be distinguished from Adam and Hepplewhite creations because they were straight and rectangular. The legs had fluted vertical lines with round turned feet. The fabric used in Sheraton armchairs was commonly striped damask in subdued colors.

The Antique Desk

Mike — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:15:35 +0000

What could an Antique Desk Tell Us?

When I see an antique desk, I wonder who sat at it and what they wrote. Did Royalty plan a ball at that Victorian antique desk? Was part of our constitution written here on this mahogany antique writing desk? Was it a treasured addition to the room when they brought home the walnut antique roll top desk? When it arrived at a new home, was it welcomed for the value it would bring? How many children learned their lessons at the antique school desks? Did any famous authors sit there at the antique school desks?

The antique secretary desk became popular in the Eighteenth Century. These were a chest of drawers. The top drawer was quite deep. It would pull out half way and the front would fold down to make a flat writing surface. Inside there was a wonderful assortment of small drawers, pigeon holes, and cupboards. This antique secretary desk was placed in a gentleman's room. This gave the gentleman a writing desk where he could store all the supplies and have privacy when he did his correspondence. Underneath the top drawer, he could store his personal belongings.

Vintage 1930s Valentine Card Germany Glossy Die Cut Teacher PIG Old School Desk
US $5.50

LARGE 5 CIVIL WAR TINTYPE PHOTO ROLL TOP DESK BOY MAN
US $7.50

Antique elementry school students row type desk seat bench Cast iron and wood
US $9.99

Antique elementry school student row type desk seat bench Cast iron and wood
US $9.99

The American style of antique desk featured different materials at different times. Oak was popular from 1540 to 1660. Then walnut became the wood of choice from 1660 until 1730. The years from 1730 to 1840 were the mahogany time. The Victorian era ran from 1830 to 1901. During this time, the antique desk chair matched the antique desk with both wood and style. Usually, the chair was made from solid wood. Occasionally, caning was used in the center of the back of the chair for accent.

In Europe there were many, many different styles of the antique desk during the last 400 years. The antique Chippendale desks were made of mahogany and featured the Chinese motifs, scrolls and claws. William and Mary antiques had a distinctive style with woodcarvings with high relief made from maple, walnut or pine. Their period was relatively short, only from 1700 to 1730.

Over the centuries the different antique desk could be very ornate and inlaid with other woods to create decorations. Some had beautiful hand carved wooden designs, delicate legs, and a variety of woods, including Burr walnut.

Antique desks for sale draw interest from around the world. These are very popular with collectors and interior decorators who are looking for that special antique to finish a room. Many antique buffs compete to find a special mahogany roll top desk to put in the library or an antique desk chair to complete the study.

Vintage Figurines

Mike — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:28:51 +0000

A very popular collectible that I see for sale a lot is filling up shelf space in almost every home I've ever visited. I'm talking about vintage figurines. You know, the old Precious Moments or Snowbabies ones that are often being sold at the front of bigger greeting card and collectibles stores.

Of course the ones you see on sale there are the current ones. What I look for when I go out hitting estate sales, and what many people are now focusing on collecting are the vintage statues. These are often retired by the companies that make them. Unlike so many other collectibles, these usually really do stay retired and often, they are retired before hundreds of millions of them are produced. For collectors who did not get their hands on them during the original run, this can mean paying some premium prices for the sake of completing a collection.

Decorative small porcelain china oriental eastern style colored ELEPHANT
US $.01

Decorative small eco pure wooden CAT with black eyes
US $.01

Collectible vintage cabinet brass lock and key fish figurine
US $.01

Erphila Figurine Of a Man Playing The Fiddle Made in Germany
US $.01

The good news for collectors of vintage figurines is that you can often get your hands on these for a fair price on eBay if you keep your eyes open and are diligent about checking every week or so. This can happen when there are not too many other interested buyers at the time you check.

Of course, not all figurines are created equal and not all of them are in demand. Right now, popular searches for vintage figurines include clowns and dogs made by Lladro, Pendelfin figures (include bunnies or rabbits in your search), Goebel figurines, Snowbabies, and a very wide variety of Willow Tree Collectibles.

Not all of these popular brands are actually old enough to be considered true vintage, but often, people list anything retired with that label attached. You never really know what someone selling one of these items will list it as if they are not an experienced seller. For that reason, it can be a good practice to run a couple of searches, including the term "retired figurine" in one of them.

If you are a person looking to buy these up in bulk at estate sales, educate yourself first. There are a couple of ways that these sales sometimes go. One is when sellers just want to get things moved along to clear an estate or prepare for a move. These folks will sometimes be happy to cut a deal to get everything moved out at once. The other side of the coin is people who are probably having second thoughts about selling the collection at all. They often will price things rather high to begin with and then not even be willing to strike a bargain for buying in quantity. It would probably be best to just walk away from that situation unless you know that there are some really valuable pieces included in the lot.

Some people really go all out with their collectible figurines. Here is a great video that shows how someone did more than just store their collectibles on a shelf. It's beautiful!

Masonic Pocket Watches

Mike — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:14:45 +0000

The Masonic order is a fraternal organization that is shrouded in mystery. Urban legends always seem to place them square in the middle of all kinds of conspiracy theories. It seems that they just can't get a break in the popular media.

I don't know a lot about them in particular. I tend to mind my own business and never would even think about them if they did not catch my attention by some other means. In this case, I noticed them because Masonic items are quite popular on eBay and they generally sell quite well. Vintage Masonic items in particular are much sought after collectibles.

Over 100 Banned Controversial Forbidden Books on DVD
US $.01

ANTIQUE BARGAIN ALICES ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND from BOOKS INCwater damageylw
US $.01

How To Win Any Lawsuit Secrets Revealed Legal Guide
US $.44

1922 ELGIN 15J 12S MASONIC SIDEWINDER POCKET WATCH ULTRA NICE DIAL AND CASE
US $.99

What caught my eye this week was a Masonic pocket watch that popped up in my searching of collectibles. Any watch that pulls fifteen bids and ends at a price of over $4000 will get my attention. Masonic pocket watches just got added to my list of things to look for at estate sales!

I should say that just finding one of these will not guarantee a huge selling price. This one was extremely rare. It was one of only 1500 fourteen kt gold watches made in the series produced by the Dudley company back in the 1920s. A good thing for potential buyers and sellers to note was that this watch was in an unreconditioned state and was not even running. A lot of times, sellers at estate sales will let non-functioning items go at a deep discount, even if they know it is very old. Although a professional seller might know the value of this watch, if you find something like this at an estate sale being run by non-professionals, you might be able to pick up a nice deal. Whether your consience will allow you to do that or not is up to you.

Vintage pocket watches in general are pretty popular. I wouldn't spend too much without researching them a bit though. Not every old pocket watch will sell like this one did. In fact, this one stood out as a clear exception and was much higher than the nearest pocket watch that sold. That watch, also Masonic, sold for about $1,250. Still nothing to sneeze at, but prices dropped off sharply after that.

If you are going to buy one of these on speculation, always get as many details as you can before buying. Also, don't pick such items up and recklessly start moving and twisting parts around. You may find yourself paying for something that you managed to break. Some of them can be very delicate or might have already experienced some type of prior damage. Ask the seller to demonstrate what the watch can still do.

If you are a fan of antique pocket watches, you will enjoy this pocket watch video. It is quite a collection!

Antique Wall Clocks

Mike — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:55:53 +0000

Antique Wall Clock

The first time I realized how valuable and expensive an antique wall clock could be, was at an estate sale that I visited. I think the gentleman who owned the estate had been some type of top level executive in a major national corporation. The house was beautiful. It was filled with unbelievable hand carved wood everywhere. It looked as though he was a serious art collector as well. Rooms were just overflowing with what looked like museum pieces as they tried to show off every item to possible buyers. I could tell just by looking around that prices were going to be out of my league.

There were actually two antique wall clocks that hung in separate rooms. They were both beautiful, but they were noticeably different in style. One was much bigger than the other, both were made of wood and we're very well maintained. I asked the gentleman who seemed to be in charge to tell me about the large antique wall clock. He gave me many details, but to be honest most of them went right past me because I am not any kind of serious clock collector. I just liked the clock. He explained that it was an antique German wall clock and that it had been made sometime around 1890. He said it would most likely sell for at least $1500. Without my asking, he went on to tell me that the other clock I had seen was actually older. It was a Seth Thomas regulator made from walnut. I only remember that because I had heard of Seth Thomas clocks before and the "Regulator" name stuck in my head. The gentleman predicted that the Seth Thomas wall clock would sell for slightly less than the other one. I just nodded and grinned because I knew that I could not afford either one of them, but they sure were nice looking clocks.

Antique beautiful Dutch Sallander clock TEMPUS FUGIT Special and big 28
US $.99

Antique Wall Clock Regulator 1870Th Century
US $.99

Antique Wall Clock Regulator 1880Th Century Thomas Ernst Haller Schwenningen
US $1.04

Old Wall Clock ZAANSE CLOCK Of Holland WUBA
US $1.25

As it turns out, antique wall clocks are pretty good sellers on eBay as well as at estate sales. And as I looked through the wall clocks for sale on eBay, I could not help but think that if I had actually had enough money to work with, I probably could have resold those clocks for a very quick profit. To be honest though, I would imagine that I probably would have had to pay for those clocks to be professionally packed to avoid any possible damage. That is a bit inconvenient, but I suppose for that kind of money, it would be worth paying for to ensure the clock's safety. I should also mention at this point that not all of the antique wall clocks offered up for sale on eBay are as expensive as the ones I mentioned. There are many that cost much less. The cost is related to the age, condition, and of course the maker of the clock. These are obviously things you should be able to learn from any decent auction listing.

Checking out the completed listings on eBay for these old clocks was really interesting. I found that there was a large regulator wall clock from Czechoslovakia that sold for $10,000 recently. That is one heck of a clock! I really only expected to see clocks made from wood when I started my search, but I found that there were also several antique French wall clocks made from bronze. They also seem to be quite popular.

If you are in the market to buy an antique wall clock, the prices were at least comparable to what I came across at the estate sale I mentioned. It would definitely be worth your time to take a look. My advice would be to contact the seller so that you can be certain about the shipping method that will be used and what precautions will be taken to make sure that the clock arrives at your home safely. You may want to note that eBay now has a policy, if I'm not mistaken, that puts the responsibility for insurance on the seller's shoulders. Be sure to ask about that.

If you are looking to sell an antique wall clock, do your research. Include as many details as possible about the clock and its history. If you know the year that it was produced, include that in your auction listing. People may be spending a lot of money on the clock you're selling and it is your responsibility to provide them with as many truthful details as possible. As I mentioned in the last paragraph, as the seller of such a valuable piece of merchandise, you will need to make sure that it arrives safely at its destination. Before I ever listed it for sale, I would talk to local clock makers as well as a professional packing service to find out what requirements would be necessary to keep the antique wall clock safe and sound on the trip to its new owner.

I found this video of an antique wall clock and thought I would include it here. It was shot specifically to show off an eBay listing. The clock is probably long since sold, but it brings up the fact that with digital video so readily available today, many sellers would be wise to include a short video with their auctions. Especially when moving parts are involved, it can be really make or break a deal. If you are a buyer, consider asking the seller to post a video if they haven't thought of it on their own.

Vintage Wedding Dresses

Mike — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:05:39 +0000

Wedding

Both the bride and groom want their wedding day to be perfect, but I think most people would agree that the bride spends a lot more time thinking about that as she is growing up. Many women picture that day from the time they are little girls. Some women have very specific visions of how their special day will be including the flowers, the music and of course the wedding dress. There are a lot of ladies today who are choosing to wear vintage wedding dresses on their big day.

1900s Large Sheer Victorian Romantic Wedding Dress
US $95.00

Classic 1930s Bias Cut Vintage Organza Wedding Dress
US $40.00

1950s Lorrie Deb San Francisco Wedding Gown Veil Vintage Antique Fabric
US $49.99

FAB 1930s Full Train Sheer Chiffon Gore Insets Wedding Gown w Satin Slip
US $65.00

If you aren't familiar with the word, "vintage" just means that the dress has been around for at least 30 years. Now, most people do a pretty good job of taking care of a wedding dress after the big day, so you know that most of these are probably in nice shape. Really, they get worn once in most cases, and then they are put away in storage. Many times being professionally dry cleaned and packed away to boot! Why do women want to wear a dress that is vintage? Well, I do not know for sure. I would imagine it might have to do with liking the old styles, enjoying having something that is just a little bit different than everybody else, or maybe just because that dress fits the image that has been there since the bride was a little girl. There is also an economics factor that might come into play as well. They are usually much less expensive than brand new wedding dresses. For some women, that might not be a factor. I know that there are women who say they would never have anything but a brand new dress and the best of everything on their big day. That's fine if you can afford it, but I can talk from the other side of the coin. When we got married, we did not have any financial backing to speak of. We drove around on the Monday after our wedding paying off the caterer, the hall owners and anyone else we owed money to by using part of the money we received as gifts for our wedding. That, by the way, was without having an extremely expensive dress involved.

When I look for items that catch my attention on eBay, I do not look for reasons why people buy those things. The fact is, vintage wedding dresses sell pretty well on eBay. Vintage wedding gowns can also be found at specialized outlets as well, but you will probably see prices that are higher than you will find on eBay. I think the problem that most women have with those outlets, is that the prices can be very high and the selection is often quite limited. Once again, with eBay you have the chance to explore an amazingly vast list of possibilities. Any retail outlet would be very hard pressed to provide the selection available on such a huge site where individuals can list their own vintage items for sale.

Vintage wedding dresses are actually one of the smaller groups of listings that have caught my attention. I heard some people talking about them the other day and thought I would look them up on the site. At the time of this writing, there are currently 682 vintage wedding dresses listed for sale. Although this is a relatively small number of items for eBay, it is still a much larger selection then you would find almost anywhere else.

For as beautiful and elegant as these vintage dresses are, they are surprisingly affordable. I think that might be what surprised me the most. Many of the dresses, which were absolutely beautiful, are sold for $300 or less. What was even more surprising, maybe even stunning, was the number of beautiful wedding gowns that sold for prices well under $100. I've got to say that actually shocked me.

For brides-to-be a who may be working on a tighter budget, I can not imagine at least looking at what is available for sale on eBay. I suppose that some of these are dresses being put up for sale by ladies who either do not want to store the dresses any longer or whose marriages may not have ended up quite the way they had expected. As I said, I do not know. Sometimes people include stories with their auctions, you could certainly check those out as you look through the vintage wedding dresses for sale. They are definitely worth checking out.

Vintage Men’s Shoes

Mike — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 02:06:01 +0000

Where Can I Buy Vintage Men's Shoes?

Vintage men's shoes are one of those items that I never really would have expected to be such hot sellers. I guess I am a pretty low maintenance person and although a lot of people are very concerned with having the proper footwear, well, I've never thought about it all that much. There are people who are a lot more particular than me. And some people really like vintage shoes more than the shoes for sale today. Honestly, I can't think of anyplace that could possibly compare with eBay for having a choice of the vintage shoes that interest you. I've visited a lot of different types of sales over the years, and old shoes are one item that just does not show up very much. At least not in decent condition. eBay is the place to find vintage shoes that still have the original tags or show very little wear.

MENS VINTAGE 1970S THREE TONE LEATHER MAN MADE OXFORD SHOES SIZE 8D STACKS
US $.99

NIKE AIR VINTAGE OG ASICS FLIGHT TURF AGASSI JORDAN YOTD DS XI FOAMPOSITE LOT
US $.99

adidas Mens Vespa PK Mid Black Red Sneakers Original Leather Shoes Size 7
US $119.95

MENS NIKE AIR VENGEANCE GREY BLACK SZ 10 retro mercer max vtg jd trainer eu 1985
US $4.25

I learned about the popularity of vintage men's shoes totally by accident. I had gone to a church flea market and saw a pair of shoes that looked like they were brand new but they were too small for me. I thought a friend of mine might want them, so I picked them up (they were only a dollar). It turned out that they were too small for him too.

Not wanting to waste a perfectly good pair of shoes, I figured I'd put them on eBay. They were not really very old at all. They were Nikes that I guess some teenager had outgrown in a hurry. I wasn't expecting much and I didn't even watch the auction that closely because it was the only thing I had going that week. I remembered on Sunday night that they were ending, so I logged on and was shocked to see that they had sold for $57! Not a bad return on my one dollar investment.

Seeing my success with selling a pair of shoes, I started looking around the eBay completed listings and that's when I discovered how popular vintage shoes really were. Men, in particular, seem to really enjoy them. I don't know if it is a connection with the shoes of their youth, or the fact that they fit them better, but something keeps them coming back for those old wheels.

The best sellers by far seem to be vintage Adidas shoes. When I was a kid, I went through tons of them. That was back before almost everything in the way of athletic shoes was made of leather. There were pretty comfortable, but I really tore through those things.

Anyway, finding vintage Adidas shoes is pretty rare offline from what I've seen. My experience has been that the people who get these types of items are often professional estate clearing companies who get a job to clear out what used to be a store. I once dealt with a guy who did this and he had a large building full of what is known as deadstock merchandise. That is vintage clothing that was never sold for one reason or another. It may have been pulled for a seasonal change or the store may have closed, but it ends up in long term storage and then the only place to move it is the vintage market. Lucky for these guys that the vintage market has some very healthy little niches right now. Vintage shoes fill one of these niches.

Other popular vintage men's shoes include:

Air Jordan shoes. The best sellers are from the mid 1980s. In good shape you might get (or pay) $500 for these. Other Air Jordans also sell well, but a lot depends on how many bidders happen to like the pair being offered on any particular day.

Vintage Men's Boots. These sell well if they are in decent shape. Some exotic animal skin boots seem to do particulary well and can pull some hefty prices. Harley Davidson and Lucchese seem to do very well.

As you move down the list of ending prices on auctions, a very broad mix appears in vintage shoes for men. It really starts to turn in to a situation where whatever happens to catch someone's eye at the moment, just might sell. If you are a buyer, that means it is almost always worth a look to see if the vintage shoes you want are listed. For sellers, this means it is probably worth a shot to put any vintage shoes you might have up for auction. There is a good chance someone will be interested in them as long as you don't get greedy and price yourself out of the market with an outrageously high opening bid amount.

What Sells Well on eBay?

Mike — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:21:48 +0000

People who are just starting to get the itch to sell some of their stuff, usually all have the same question. What sells well on eBay? Well, that is one of the reasons for this website. Answering this question is not just a simple listing of fifteen or twenty items. It is sort of like asking what sells well at Walmart? Except eBay has more stuff!

Most people asking this question are looking for a way to earn extra income or make a transition that will allow them to work from home. There are plenty of people who make a decent living selling on eBay, but you would be wise to do a bit of research before you quit your day job and buy a truck load of overstocked merchandise from someone.

What Sells?

Of course, I think the easiest place to start is with selling vintage and antique items. You don't have to be an expert, but you should be willing to do some research. In fact, checking out this website or looking up older eBay auctions on your own can save you a considerable amount of time, money and wasted storage space. Back when I first started getting into selling on eBay, I purchased almost anything that I thought looked "vintage" and I ended up with a lot of unsellable junk. The estate sale people loved it when they saw me coming.

There are not that many categories on eBay where you will hit a home run every time you list. In fact, I doubt that such a category truly exists unless you have a limitless supply of very high quality items that you can provide for a price which sells but still makes you some money. There are people who go the route of using dropshippers, but that means that you are pretty much guaranteed a heavy dose of competition which in turn will drive your profits down. At least by selling vintage and antique items, you know that they are not being churned out by the thousands every day by a company in China.

So where to start? Well, a very general place to get things started is your own home. If you have built up collections of anything, old or otherwise, you can often sell them as a lot (together) or split them up individually. Media collections like CDs and DVDs are an example of this, but so are things like old pins or buttons! If you have any type of memorabilia, it is usually worth checking out on eBay as well.

One word of warning for you. Don't judge whether or not what you have is worth anything simply by looking up people or companies who act as eBay listing agents. They act as middle men for people who want to sell their things on eBay but don't want to do the listings themselves. These companies make their money by listing other people's items for them and then keeping a commission. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but because of the nature of eBay selling, they usually only will accept things that they know will end up making it worth their time invested. That means if they think they can't get at least a hundred bucks or so out of the auction, they won't even take your item. I don't know about you, but if I'm selling something on my own, I'm fine with a $75 profit for each item. Even less than that to be honest. They often have a long list of things that the won't accept for sale. These lists often include a lot of items that actually will sell on eBay, but not for hundreds of dollars.

Here is a real life example for you. I saw on one of these lists that the re-sellers would not accept anything related to NASCAR. Not sure why, but probably because they assumed the market was flooded with low priced merchandise. It just so happens that I picked up a 100% leather NASCAR jacket at a yard sale a couple of years ago for five or ten bucks. I believe it ended up selling for somewhere around ninety dollars. If they don't want to be bothered with selling something like that, I'll do it all day long! It took me about fifteen minutes to take a photo and put up a listing. Seriously!

Take a look around your house and make a list of things you would be willing to part with as you start your eBay adventure. Next, sign up for eBay (you need an account for the next step). Finally, type the items on your list into the search box and check out the completed listing. Those are the auctions that have ended. If you find that your item sells well, but a check mark next to it. If everything went unsold, maybe you should use an "X" instead. This is a good starting place for anyone thinking about earning some extra money and it will give you a little bit of an idea about what sells well on eBay.

I'll keep writing more about this and other eBay related topics as the site grows. This is just some general information get you started. Go ahead and get started. You might be surprised to find that you have some pretty valuable stuff just sitting around!

Vintage Lunch Boxes

Mike — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:06:40 +0000

Finding Collections of Vintage Lunch Boxes

One of the neatest vintage items I ended up coming across in my adventures in eBay selling was the vintage lunch box. Collectors of vintage lunch boxes are often quite serious about their hobby. The way I found out about it was by almost making a purchase on a whim at a moving sale that an older couple was having in my area. Yes, I said almost. Let me explain...

There was a bit of a sad feel to the tiny house as I entered it. The moving sale was being held by an elderly couple who moving in with the family of one of their six children and they seemed a bit upset by the idea. They started talking to me about how they hated to sell off everything, but that the move was necessary and they felt that they had little choice. Most of what they had on display was common household stuff and some knick knacks that had filled the shelves of their home. There were a few things that qualified as vintage, but nothing they had for sale was an actual antique. I suppose they probably had packed away most of what they considered valuable already for the move. It really didn't look too promising.

I would have left in about two minutes after doing a courtesy walk through, but the couple seemed quite happy to have someone listening to them and we ended up talking for a little while. When I mentioned that I was looking for older items from the 80s or earlier, the old man's eyes lit up. He got himself up from his chair and told me to follow him as he moved slowly down the hall, leaning on an old wooden walking stick. He made me nervous as he went down the creaky old steps to the basement, but he assured me that he was fine and that he had something he thought I'd get a kick out of.

I silently was hoping that whatever he wanted to show me was something that I would be able to act excited about. There have been many times when people thought they had some unbelievably rare collectible to show me which then turned out to be a pretty common find. I liked this elderly gentleman already and I didn't want to show any disappointment if what he had, fell into this category.

As it turned out, I didn't really need to worry about that. When we got to the bottom of the steps, he pointed to three home made shelves he had mounted on the paneled wall. They were filled with old school items from when his children had attended school. Some of it was rather common. There were a few vintage yearbooks, a row of trophies and some school pennants (which might have actually been worth a bit of money), but what caught my eye were the old lunch boxes that stood next to each other in a row. He asked me to take them down so that we could look at them more closely, so I did. There were eight vintage lunch boxes in all. I set the lot of lunch boxes down on a worn out formica card table and we each took a seat to check them out.

I could tell right away that someone had taken a lot better care of their lunch boxes than I ever had as a kid. I wasn't a bad kid, but I do remember kicking my metal lunch boxes around once in a while during the walk home from school. Why? I don't know. I just did. My mom never mentioned it, but must have wondered how I managed to scratch them up so badly.

These collectible lunch boxes showed some light wear but were in very nice condition overall. Like I said, at that point I had never researched how much they were worth, but I had enough experience to know that they looked like a sure seller to me. The collection he had was a mix of old plastic lunch boxes and what I figured were tin lunch boxes. I didn't know for sure what the metal boxes were actually made of at that point.

I asked him how much he wanted for them and he asked me what I thought would be a fair price. I had taken wild guesses many times before and burned myself. My garage full of junk was proof of that. I asked him if I could get back to him later in the day about them and he was fine with that. I wasn't really worried about him selling them to someone else because the sale was about over and I just had a gut feeling that he did not really think that they were very valuable. I left and went home to check out how these things sold on eBay.

If you are reading this, you surely know what I found out. Some lunch boxes are very valuable. Antique lunch boxes and vintage lunch boxes command some pretty high prices. It may or may not have been the intelligent thing to do, but I printed out the prices I found for items that were similar to what the old couple had and I went back to their house. I know that I probably could have purchased the entire lot for fifty dollars from them. They probably would have wondered why I was giving them so much. When the old man showed the boxes to me, I know that he wasn't thinking that I was reselling them on eBay. He assumed that I collected old stuff.

Anyway, I showed the couple how much the vintage lunch box collection was actually worth and told them that they should probably let their kids know about it. They were shocked to say the least. I left the printouts with them and drove home. To be honest, I wrestled with whether or not I did the right thing for days on that one. I really could have made some money, but it just didn't feel right.

I don't remember exactly what all was in the lot now, but I do remember that there were a couple of dome lunch boxes. I think that one of them had the Jetsons on it. There were also a couple with different popular characters that I only sort of recognized. I remember looking up "horse lunch boxes", so there was a horse on at least one of them. There were also two Mickey Mouse lunch boxes, and some others. I definitely remember that there was one with the rock band KISS on it. That one sticks in my mind because I really liked that band.

So, if you are a collector of vintage lunch boxes, you probably haven't really learned anything new here today. I apologize for that. If you just stumbled across this site looking for information about vintage and antique collectibles that sell on eBay, well, now you have something else to keep your eyes open for when you hit the sales.

Here are a few of the vintage lunch boxes currently selling on eBay. I don't find these too often at any of the sales I frequent. I've never seen a collection like the one that couple had unless it was being sold by someone who realized their value. Most times, what they were asking was way out of my price range. I don't collect them myself, so I really only want to buy them now if I can turn a profit on them by selling them to someone else.

Vintage Lunch Boxes for Sale

Here are a few of the popular vintage lunch boxes selling on eBay right now.

Vintage 1977 Star Wars metal Thermos brand lunch box no thermos
US $.01

Vintage Hugga Bunch Plastic Lunchbox Thermos NO RESERVE
US $.99

STAR WARS Vintage Plastic Thermos Lunchbox
US $.99

Vintage Cello Thermoware Lunchbox Hot Food Soup Container Looks Unused VGC
US $.99

Here are a couple of videos showing off some vintage lunch box collections.

These are vintage 70's lunch boxes

Here is a video showing off vintage 60s lunch boxes...

You can also find a lot of really interesting information about old lunch boxes by clicking here.

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Here are a couple of videos showing off some vintage lunch box collections.

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Here is a video showing off vintage 60s lunch boxes...

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