If you have been into collectibles for any amount of time, you probably have a few that you think could be valuable. While few people get into collectibles just for the money, it is still quite common for someone to make some profit when they resell their items. However, maybe you have had a collectible for some time now and you aren’t really sure how much it is worth. For that matter, you aren’t really sure if you want to sell it or not. Well, fortunately it is possible to find out the value of an item without committing to sell it. If you want to find out what you can fetch for your item, you should follow some of the guidelines that I am about to go over. They are very useful in getting an accurate quote.
First of all you need to have a good idea of what exactly it is that you have. A brand and model is not quite enough. There might be small variances that set it apart from the rest. You should also consider the condition. Ideally, the collectible is completely new in the box, having never been opened or damaged in any way. However, this is not always the case, and the other possibilities have a huge range. Compile all of the information that you can about the item and its condition before you start on the rest of the process. This will act as a helpful reference as you compare your item to the rest that are on the market, and determine if it has any value or if it is worthless.
Next, you will want to check online auction sites, mainly eBay, for your item. Finding your item might be a difficult task since there are literally millions of items on there, but it is possible if you are attentive to the categories that you are searching in. EBay has entire sections devoted to collectibles, and if you look you will probably be able to find the category that yours belongs in. You can search for the brand and model of your item right off the bat, but if you narrow down the category first then your results will be much more specific. After you have found results, check the little box on the left that says “Show completed listings only.” If you look at listings that are still open, you won’t get a good idea of the price, since it could still go up with more bids. Completed listings will show the final value that you can expect.
As you look at the finished prices, you should try to gauge the prices in relation to the condition. Abbreviations like “NIB” and “NRFB” mean that the item is new in its box, and has never been removed. Has your item been removed from its box before? If that is the case, then you shouldn’t expect as much money as the NRFB auctions get. Just use your common sense to judge what your item will get. After you see all of the items on eBay, you should at least be able to get a ball park estimate. However, eBay isn’t the only online sale site that you should check. You can find price quotes and auctions all over the internet, especially if you are dealing with a collectible that is in a particularly popular group.
If you can’t find a good quote using these techniques, then you should consider getting your item appraised by an expert. This is always the best way to find out its real value according to its condition. You can also talk directly to a buyer to see if you can get a decent offer. Just try all of the techniques that have been mentioned so far, and you are sure to find out what your collectible item is worth to buyers.
