How to Haggle the Price of a Collectible Today for Higher Resale Tomorrow

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If you’re interested in acquiring items that are collectible today with the intent to resell them later for a healthy profit, this article is for you.

Has the Antique Collectible Bug Bitten You?

If you have an insatiable need to acquire more and more collectibles you’ve probably been bitten by the antique collectible bug. For most people, the actual purchase of items isn’t what satisfies their hunger for collectibles. Those with a true addiction are hooked on one of the following:

• The excitement of the chase – rummaging around a flea market, garage sale, or bazaar; checking the local thrift store or out-of-the-way collectible shop in pursuit of an attic treasure or special investment opportunity.
• The adventure of discovery – learning what to look for; whether collectible toy or a porcelain collectible. Which type items hold more worth than others, and which do not. Stumbling breathlessly upon a unique find when least expected.
• The sheer thrill of the sale – twice over! Haggling with the seller to purchase the item at the best price possible. And then later negotiating your resell price with an equally enthusiastic buyer; still making a healthy return on investment.

Be forewarned. No one is immune to the collectible bug. If you’ve already been bitten, one thing is certain. Once you’ve started your “career” in collectibles – whether hobby or business – you’ll be hooked for life!

Seek and Ye Shall Find

Antique values and wholesale collectible items are there for the finding. All you have to do is discover where and how to ferret them out. Obvious places you won’t find them at the best possible price include collectible and antique dealer shops. Persons selling collectibles from these type places are privy to the item’s worth, and prices will be set accordingly.

Your best bet is to frequent such places as your local Goodwill thrift store. More than one piece of donated antique furniture or jewelry has been recognized by a sharp-eyed collector; purchased for under $20, polished up, and resold later for $200 or more.

Besides Goodwill shopping, weekend yard sale hopping can turn up fantastic finds. Standard yard sale pricing – already low – is often further whittled down when the buyer purchases multiple items and asks for a volume discount. A high yield investment opportunity; one that makes learning the fine art of negotiating and haggling well worth the effort.

This author chanced upon such an occasion recently. At a local yard sale I noticed a 1947 iron made by General Mills. Who for a short period of time expanded cereal production to include American made household items shortly after World War II. It came complete with an attachment that turned it into a steam iron, and was an absolute steal at just $1. That price was further lowered when purchased with several other items and overall cost for all discounted. The iron can easily be resold for $35 or more to a collector of vintage irons, or those who collect vintage General Mills items.

Yard sales, an antique auction, collectible auction, a vintage thrift store, Salvation Army thrift store, or a thrift and consignment store are other places that can yield hidden treasures for observant hunters of collectibles.

Tips for Collectible Hunting and Purchasing Success

Follow the helpful tips below to increase your chances of collectible finds at the best prices:

• When shopping rummage, garage and yard sales, arrive early in the morning before items have been picked over. It’s true your likelihood to effectively haggle prices down is less than it would be later on in the day, when sellers are more eager to get rid of “stuff.” However, good finds can still be had for cents on the dollar simply because the seller is not aware that the item is a collectible, and has value.
• Learn effective negotiating skills. One negotiating skill worth learning is that price haggling should be conducted in such a way that buyer and seller leave the bargaining table satisfied. Both parties feeling they got what they wanted. Another tip for effective negotiating is to be willing to meet the seller halfway. In other words, by remaining willing to give and take you can still come out a winner.
• Yard sale tip – if there is a certain yard sale item you want, the seller isn’t in the mood to bargain, and you are unwilling to pay the going price, try this. Ask if you come back later in the day if they would be willing to lower the price if the item still hasn’t sold. Most of the time, the seller will readily agree.
• Learn your stuff; know what to look for in collectibles. Know what type flaws greatly affect the item’s worth, and which do not. Surprisingly, there are types of flaws and repairs that will not adversely affect the value of some collectibles. Use this knowledge to your advantage when haggling over the price of an item. Point out any flaws – whether or not they affect the item’s worth – to help bring down the asking price.
• Know the difference between a collectible and an antique. An antique must meet certain criteria to be truly antique. For instance, one criterion is that it must be at least a century old. A collectible may be an item that does not yet meet that antique’s standard; or it may be an item that would not normally be considered an antique regardless of age. This might include such things as baseball cards, fishing lures, and movie posters.

Collectibles are items of interest; they are compelling items with high appeal for those who collect them. And because persons find them desirable and interesting, it gives them worth.

Collectibles are more affordable than antiques. But valuable to the collector, who might be willing to pay a very high price in order to obtain the item; either to add to or complete their collection.

This might include such objects as era or party-specific political campaign buttons and other memorabilia, movie collectibles, collectible sport paraphernalia, porcelain figurines, or even a vintage guitar price guide.

Know What to Look For

The following tips and advice will help you sort through the fake antique and collectible “stuff,” and focus in on what types of collectible items will offer you the best return on investment:

• Many manufacturers of modern day items such as dolls, figurines, china, etc. market their product as collectibles. This does not make the item a true collectible, even when advertised as a “limited edition,” or when touted that the original mold was destroyed after a specific number of items were manufactured. Be prudent when considering making such purchases with the hopes of reselling the item later for a profit. Vintage collectibles are always your best bet.
• Generally speaking, experts in the field of collectibles agree that 25-years is a good “test of time” standard for a collectible, in order to “prove itself” in the marketplace. Items before 1982, therefore, are “safer bets” when deciding which collectible pieces to focus on. If the collectible today item has been popular for that long of a period of time, chances are its desirability will prove lasting in the world of collectibles.
• The value of a collectible is gauged by many factors, which complicates how to know for sure what to expect in the way of resale value. The sentimental worth of the item to a particular buyer can send the profit margin skyrocketing, as can the item’s historical value to a history buff. Aesthetic value, type of material used, celebrity value, and even cultural significance to certain individuals all affect the value of a collectible item. This gives an item more worth to one potential buyer than to another. When it comes to collectibles, the item’s resale value is more about what the buyer is willing to pay in order to acquire it, than on a pre-established worth of the object itself.
• When it comes to determining what pieces of heirloom china to focus on, learn to identify the various patterns. Look for the manufacturer’s label, pattern name and number on the bottom of pieces. If it lacks this information, a china-matching company can help. They can usually tell when the pattern was made and even provide historical background on the manufacturer when provided with a color photograph or photocopy of the piece in question. A service usually provided free of charge. Research online to locate china-matching services; antique and interior design magazines are other possible resources.
• When going over your stockpile of collectibles to resell, cull from the bottom first. This means after obtaining collectible pieces over a period of years – say 3 to 7 or more – get rid of the bottom 10% of your collection. Marketing the items you’ve held on to the longest; reselling at a time when they are most in demand.
• Glass collectibles are popular. Damage such as cracks and chips obviously reduce the value of pieces. Another “turnoff” to potential buyers that can hurt resale price is what is known as “sick glass.” Cloudiness in the glass; a condition caused by mineral residue in water that usually affects bowls, drinking glasses, and vases. Sometimes the cloudiness can be completely removed; other times made less severe. A mixture of warm water and vinegar will help clean up light mineral deposits. If the cloudiness is more than mild, try toothpaste or denture whitener. This remedy can also remove tar deposits left on vintage glass ashtrays. More extreme cases of sick glass can be “cured” using tub and tile cleaners, as well as those formulated to remove calcium deposits – the predominant mineral deposit culprit. Follow each procedure by immediately rinsing thoroughly with lukewarm water; wipe using a clean dishtowel. Notes: never use extreme temperatures when cleaning vintage glass or you risk cracking. These type home remedies are especially effective on crystal.
• When making purchases, Antiques Roadshow appraiser David Rago offers the following advice: be cautious when buying ceramic collectibles from dealers you are unfamiliar with. “…request a written description of the piece you have just bought listing its age, condition, factory, and artist’s name (where applicable). Pay by check, and the moment you get home wipe the entire piece with acetone.” Acetone, a colorless, flammable liquid most familiarly known as the active ingredient used in nail polish remover, will not hurt the original ceramic finish. It will, however, dissolve paint touch-ups and reveal repairs instantly.
• Certain collectible items are in higher demand than others. This increases their market value, as well as your chance of reselling the item for a healthy profit later, simply because more persons will be interested in the item.

Sculptures by a particular artist who gained popularity in the 1930s, for instance, might be a high-in-demand collectible item. A particular baseball player who gained fame for hallmarking the sport is another example; whether by exceptional feats played during a specific game or throughout their career. Or, a specific style instead of the item itself might be what catches the attention of collectors.

Consider Art Deco design, for instance, which revolutionized the Western style from the mid-1920s until World War II. Turning it away from the trend toward fussy, highly ornamental designs once so renowned for.

The clean lines and ultra modern style of Art Deco collectibles fits in well with today’s home décor, and are coveted by many collectors; regardless of type of item. Whether jewelry, paintings, ceramics, clocks, or even powder compacts.

Buy Cheap – Sell for Profit!

When all is said and done, when you collect collectibles for resale investment the name of the game is to buy as cheaply as possible and to sell for as much profit as you can. Selling opportunities include participation in a well-advertised collectible auction or collectible auction online, advertising your collectibles in newspaper classifieds, or advertise on the web. Establishing an Ebay store or becoming an eBay seller are other options.

Millions of Americans are collectors of twentieth-century collectibles; some destined to become tomorrow’s antiques of even greater value. Offering persons who want to make a business of buying a collectible today for higher resale tomorrow a great opportunity.

One with few risks. As long as they do their homework, research their items of choice, and knows what is currently hot under the collectible auctioneer’s gavel.