Wags wrote:I'm interested in a what you all think about current prices for TSR and Adventure/Wargame collectibles in general. Are they staying about the same? Is there a trend downward? Do you think the release of 4th edition will spark another wave of collecting as people seek nostalgia and/or discover or re-discover the hobby?
I'm interested because I have roughly 8,000 items I want to sell off within the next year and I want to try and pick the best time and means of doing so. My plan is two fold. First I'm going to open an Ebay store for the choice items and run auctions for the less choice items. Whatever is left in August 2008 I'm going to haul roughly 1040 miles to Gencon Indy and start everything in their world renowned auction for $1.00 per item or lot.
I would love to take the entire collection to Gencon Indy, if only I lived closer!
Thoughts?
Wags
Wags;
Steps I'd take:
1. List your more unusual, interesting or unique items here at the Acaeum classifieds...you're probably going to end up selling them to someone here anyway, and you cut on the middleman (Ebay) so you save yourself listing and selling fees, as well as the time to make up a listing. Plus you are generally dealing with people you can trust to complete a transaction with no problems.
2. It's very important you get your stuff up by Christmas, if you plan to sell on Ebay. The biggest months of the year, sale-wise, are November through March. If you wait until the end of Feb, you are going to be entering a slow stretch of the selling year (tax time) and generally won't get as much for your items as you wish. And honestly, I'd reverse your plan...I'd auction the more choice items, and put the less choice items in your ebay store. You'll get more for both types that way.
3. Gencon is a good idea, but having gone to my first one last year, realize that unless your item is exceptional, unique, rare, shrinkwrapped, etc, it will probably not go for much. I saw a few eyebrowraising items that I consider common go for far more than they were worth, but more often than not they didn't.
IMO you would be better off gathering what you didn't sell into a gigantic lot, lising all the items on Ebay, and taking a nice lump sum sale..right before Gencon, so you will have money to spend there! Separate out the exceptional items and take THEM to Gencon, and get rid of the commons in one giant lot.
Hope this helps!!!
Mike B.
