posted on November 16, 2001 09:13:53 AM new
Ok, everyone I am going to a large auction this weekend and I need some motivation to get me pumped. So what's your best find ever? I have said this before...I think my best find was with my sister. We got a 95 piece set of Noritake Primastone for $95. Sold the set on Ebay for $408. Yeah, it's times like that that make Ebay so much fun. So come on, let's hear your great find stories!
[ edited by cartoonglassfreak on Nov 16, 2001 09:14 AM ]
posted on November 16, 2001 10:16:22 AM new
Went to an auction and bought a box of old magazines for $35. Most weren't worth much, but I sold the ads in them. In the bottom were two old books about model t fords and I got over $100 for each after listing them for $1.00 starting bid. That was a couple of years ago and now everything at our auctions goes for more than Ebayers will pay so had to give them up.
I miss the fun of going through everything and wish you lots of good luck!
posted on November 16, 2001 10:38:35 AM new
lindajean, you're right about auctions -- they've become way too pricy. I don't know what people are thinking because once I started seeing things routinely going above prices that could be realized on ebay or in antique shops, that's when I dropped them. Now I've been doing my buying at yard sales, flea markets, and thrift shops. With the economy going south I might try auctions again to see if prices have gotten any more realistic.
That said, one of my favorite auction purchases was a stack of original Raggedy Ann books in amazing condition. The auctioneer didn't even bother mentioning them in his listing. Unfortunately there were some doll collectors who knew the value, so I ended up paying about $135 for the lot. I eventually sold them individually for a total of $485. That includes three that I sold to a collector-friend at a cut-rate price, so it could have been considerably higher.
Another favorite was a Peanuts nodder doll from the 1950s. I paid $25 for it and was hesitant to pay that much because it had a couple serious cracks. I sold that one over the summer for $225.
My best auction find as far as being most lucrative (and cartoonglassfreak may appreciate this), was an end-of-auction box of promo glasses for $8 that came to about 25 cents per glass. One of them sold for $395, after holding off several "end your auction early" requests.
posted on November 16, 2001 11:13:23 AM new
i bought an old radio that they said did not work. I got it for $10.00. My son looked it over and found a switch inside that said distance on one end and local on the other. when we switched it to local it played great. it sold for $200.00
bought a box full of stuff and found a leather holster in the bottom. $3.00 for the box, so far I have made over $100., $71.00 just for the holster.
End of auction are the best buys. or if you have a local auction house, see when the regular household sales are, great deals can still be found.
posted on November 16, 2001 01:18:41 PM new
I bought a set of 6 small TV Trivia books, each one about a show like the Honeymooners, Dick Van Dyke Show, etc. Paid $3.00 for the lot. Sold each one separately for an average of $40. Wish I had more. At first I was embarrassed about getting such a price for old small paperbacks, but I got over it.
posted on November 16, 2001 02:56:57 PM new
Holdenrex...I am very, very curious! What glass was it that fetched you $325? Was it an old Disney glass perhaps? Please do tell!
posted on November 16, 2001 04:33:27 PM new
Found at a garage sale...a small little book written by comedian Eddie Cantor. He had written a gift inscription on the title page. I paid ten cents for it and it closed after a very heated bidding war for $196.00.
I almost had an orgasm over that auction!
posted on November 16, 2001 04:41:26 PM new
This is my favorite because I purchased it and sold it on eBay. It was listed in tools as a folding drill bit. I purchased it after asking a few questions because the photo was horible for $5.00 It was a corkscrew and when I recieved it and cleaned it I found an 1860s date and MFG.name on it.
I put it back on eBay under corkscrews and sold it for $227.00
