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.

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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

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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!

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.

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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

Illinois Pocket Watch Size 16 from 1902 Era Gold Filled BB Royal 20 Years Case    US $.95

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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 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.

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

Antique 19th C German Regulator Wall Clock Gustav Becker NO RESERVE    US $.99

Antique Wall Clock Regulator 1870Th Century    US $.99

Antique JEWEL regulator WALL CLOCK GIANT JUNGHANSc1920 1940vintage    US $1.00

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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.

As collectibles go, these vintage and antique salt shakers are quite popular.  They are certainly a very convenient size for collectors who like to display their treasures.  They also lend themselves nicely to following particular themes.  If you are using them as a decorative display in your kitchen, finding several sets to match your decor is a piece of cake in most cases.

Other people go for a more eclectic mix of vintage salt and pepper shakers when they build their collection.  They may be more interested in purchasing items that come from some particular period of history or which commemorate something that is important to them.

Mammy salt shakers show up a lot on eBay and they are sometimes bid to amounts that are quite impressive by Black Americana collectors.  I see these a lot at garage sales and estate sales, but word must be out that they are collectible, because they usually seem to have a price tag that is noticeably higher than other shakers being sold.

Others still, may collect by a particular maker.  Some names that sold well during a recent check of eBay listings were Steuben, Lefton, Stieff, Tiffany and Cartier.  This is definitely not an exhaustive list though.  You also shouldn't assume that just because an old set of shakers carries one of these names that they are worth substantial money.  Much depends on the particular set you are looking at and its rarity.

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VINTAGE MILKSHAKE SALT AND PEPPER SHAKER SET    US $.99

Cute Vintage Allard Wiener Dog Salt Shaker Collectible    US $.99

Vintage AVON Cape Cod Ruby Red Single Glass Salt or Pepper Shaker Individual    US $.99

Vintage Aunt Jemima Plastic Sale Shaker 1 Only FF Mold Die Works    US $.99

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Before buying any antique or vintage shakers, always examine them closely.  These are one of those items that often get a quick repair during their lifetimes.  Sometimes they get pressed right back into service.  Look for hairline cracks that indicate repairs or small chips that may have been colored in by the original owners.  This isn't to suggest that they are trying to pull a fast one.  They may have just been trying to keep a favorite set of shakers from the trash heap.  If you are a regular at low priced selling events like garage sales, you can often walk away with a great instant collection of vintage salt and pepper shakers!