Help with Listing Postcards Please!

[cheryljr_1]

I'm trying to help a lovely couple in a real financial bind by listing some of their postcards. They have thousands of postcards, but which ones do I list? What's a fair price? If someone would kindly point me in the right direction, I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks in advance for your time!

[elephant*patch]

Hi Cheryl, There are some folks with good experience in this group and I know they've been very helpful to me. The two things that I have learned in the short time that I've been selling is to do your research and list everything. You never know who'll be interested in what. It's very fun. Becky

[cheryljr_1]

Thanks so much Becky! I was surprised with what has and hasn't gotten a bid, and I guess it's a little like selling my fabric! I certainly appreciate your help. Cheryl

[dmhcollectibles]

Cheryl, I completely agree with what Becky said. You just never know. Some things you think will sell for high $ die a lonely, miserable death, but others you think won't sell at all sell for big bucks. Do your research, keep your fingers crossed, and good luck! Diane

[david4988]

Diane (or anyone who wishes to respond), In my on-going quest to organize the inherited PCs, I've separated them into 2 piles...color and B&W. Then I separated the color by state or overseas. This took all of 8 or 9 hours sitting on my butt in the middle of my living room with 3 cats trying to distract me for attention! By the way, if you're over 50, don't try sitting on the floor cross-legged for more then 15 minutes at a time! Why? You might not get up again. As my questions relate to Cheryls post (and most that don't), I thought I'd ask for a follow-up. Have you found that listing US cards AND foreigns world-wide eBay is beneficial? You say..."Do your research." but where do I find what I'm looking for if I don't even know what it is I'm looking for? Is there a reference source for PCs regardless of age or location or is this impossible, as I suspect? It's almost as if I need to show someone every PC I've got and let them sort them by saleable and junk! Where's a newbie to start? The last thing I want to do is list PCs that may be more valuable then I know and lose out on their relative value. I've read most of the threads concerning what to look for and what may carry value but it still seems like a cr*p shoot or is that what it really is?!?!?! Argh! Thanks for any help! David

[cheryljr_1]

I went through a fraction of this couples' post card collection, and thought the oldest would be the big sellers. Now, I'm in the process of trying the humorous ones. I hate to keep running them as auctions because of the expense, but I don't know what is a fair fixed price. Since I'm selling these to help out the couple who has the collection, I'd hate to give away their stuff. I looked around the internet, and even made a trip to Barnes & Noble. Trying to identify the unused cards is a challenge, and placing a value even more so! Certainly appreciate all the insight. Thanks so much!!!

[phoenixantiques-petworth]

Hi David & Cheryl Being a postcard dealer is not an exact science, and is a very long, facinating and frustrating learning curve. I learn something new every day - which is what makes it so much fun - nor are the prices you may find on ebay always an indication of the true value of a card (The Mark Twain thread is an excellent example of this) - it very much depends on who is looking and when, where, what,condition, date and even to whom the card was sent in some cases. I know how much I paid for each card I have, so anything over and above is a profit (taking into account fees, packaging time etc)I research as much as I can, and then I list and let the people of ebay make the final desision. I sell worldwide as this gives me the widest possible audience. After time you get a feel for the valuable cards, and having a variety of reference books, as well as web sites and ebay completed items helps with a starting price. It is impossible to say which cards are "junk" and which are not, as there is no rhyme nor reason to why people buy the cards that they do. (I personally do not upset my cards by accusing them of being junk, and give them all a fighting chance!) Fortunately for us die hard dealers that spend much of our time up to our eyes in books etc, it isn't a simple case of this card is worth X amount - as otherwise everybody would be doing it! Have fun, and enjoy the cards. Sometimes the suprises make the research worth every hour, and even if the card dosn't sell - think of the knowledge you have gained! I hope I have been of some help, and wish you both well with your new ventures.

[dmhcollectibles]

David, Cheryl, and Sara- I couldn't have said it better than Sara (Juniorsmum) just did. It is NOT a science. You do get a feel (after a while) for what's good and what's not, but there's always the oddball one that surprises you. I am always VERY reluctant to sell a postcard for a fixed price because one person might be willing to pay $1 for a card, yet another person might be willing to pay $50 for the same card, for his or her own, unknown reasons. eBay is a good venue to sell cards on because the market is worldwide, your customers come from the widest base possible (not limited to those attending a postcard show, or those who drop into your brick & mortar shop, etc) and the market itself fixes the price (the final auction price). For example, I've sold cards for well over $100 to a European or Asian that if I were to try to sell them here in the US at a postcard show or other local venue, wouldn't have even sold for 50 cents. And that in a nutshell is why I don't sell cards with a BIN or a fixed price on eBay. Diane

[cheryljr_1]

I am overwhelmed by the generosity of you all for taking the time to enlighten me on post cards. I am sincerely grateful for your insights, and appreciate your time answering my question. It's been an enormous help! Kind Regards, Cheryl Texas

[meduza23]

Sara (& anyone else), Thanks for your insights! A few Qs: QUESTION 1: How do you research "ebay completed items"? Is there any direct way, besides bookmarking them or putting them on your Watchlist BEFORE they are completed? Clearly, seeing final win prices is a great help, but it seems very hard to do. QUESTION 2: If you have some idea of a card's worth, how do you decide the STARTING bid price? (Say the worth is ca. $10. Where do you set start price?) QUESTION 3: If you DO go to shows, and have some idea of prices the dealers there are asking, how does that inform the prices you set on ebay? The show prices seem in general much higher than ebay. Which is fair, considering the extensive inventory, show & travel costs etc that "in-person" dealers must pay. QUESTION 4 about RP (Real Photo) view cards: They often have high starting prices, regardless of where the place is. The more obscure, the higher the price, it seems. Is this your experience? I am only a PC buyer so far, but I have a lot I want to sell -- from 30 years of collecting + an inherited collection -- once I figure out how! Marilyn meduza23

[dmhcollectibles]

Hi Marilyn, I'm not Sara, but I'll try to answer your questions. 1. The way I look up ebay completed items is to type in a couple of keywords from the title or subject, and then scroll down on the left side of the search page, and click "completed items". It'll come up with those items that have sold - and not sold - in the last 30 days, and show you what they sold for. 2. Where you set the starting price is completely up to your "gut". 3. I've found that prices at postcard shows are often higher, but also even more often many times lower than what they sell for on eBay. Accordingly, I don't use postcard show values at all in setting my starting bid. 4. You're probably correct on the values of RPPCs. Hope that helps, Diane

[dmhcollectibles]

Cheryl, no prob - that's what we're here for! Diane

[phoenixantiques-petworth]

Hi Marylyn Basically what Diane said! But: Q1: If I have a particularily rare or unusual card I will also set up a search for it, so I get a broader idea of what the ebay going rate is. Q2: I set my start price above what I paid for the card (including a percentage for my costs) and below the value that I have found through various areas of research, and my gut. (we rely alot on our guts here - fortunately mine is rather large - scared to diet as it may send my gut feelings a bit awry!) Q3 Selling on ebay can in fact incur more costs than doing shows. Many prices set by dealers at shows are not necessarily "fair", but based on their customer base, and some sellers are quite frankly a bit out of touch - all present company excluded!). Q4 topographical Real photo cards will always demand a higher premium due to their rarity, and will also depend on the publisher/photographer, and the obscurity of an area. Like anything though - If no one wants your postcard then it is worth diddly squat (for that week at least anyway) Cheryl - as Diane said that's what we are here for! Cheers chaps Sara

[scwpc]

Hi postcarders! I can't believe that no one has mentioned the importance of using keywords in the description so searches for your card will come up. For example perhaps your card has a cute child on it but it will do no good for collectors of children's cards if you just list it as a greeting card. Also look for signed artists even though this may or may not make a card more valuable many of us older collectors do collect by artist. Also any series numbers or titles should be noted. Real photos should either so the address side and stamp box or at least mention the photographic paper type although sometimes the stamp covers this information if the card has been posted. Hope some of this helps.

[dmhcollectibles]

Sorry, I just assumed that people would know to use keywords & artists names in their titles & descriptions. Same for paper type for RPPCS. Although sometimes it can be very difficult to fit all that in a title, it can always be in the description.