Celebrity memorabilia

[downtoniantreasures]

A friend was a significant other of a semi famous Hollywood actress in the 60s and 70s. The actress, who died in 1972, left all her memorabilia to my friend, who is now elderly and needing money and wants to sell all the memorabilia. She’s asked me to do so on eBay. She feels an auction house would charge too much.  Has anyone used eBay to sell the  memorabilia of a famous person? Would I need an eBay store? Would eBay be able to publicize the sale?

[simba6]

You don't need a store. eBay does not publicize sales.  Writing listings, taking photos, packing and shipping is a fair amount of work.

[dirk12955]

Do a search.     Search the name of the celebrity active listings and Sold listings.

Takes 30 seconds.     Easy Peasy.

[a_c_green]

---

@downtoniantreasures wrote:

A friend was a significant other of a semi famous Hollywood actress in the 60s and 70s. The actress, who died in 1972, left all her memorabilia to my friend, who is now elderly and needing money and wants to sell all the memorabilia. She’s asked me to do so on eBay. She feels an auction house would charge too much.  Has anyone used eBay to sell the  memorabilia of a famous person? Would I need an eBay store? Would eBay be able to publicize the sale?

---

Easy answers first: you don't need a store, and eBay would not publicize the auction(s). Closest you could get would be to pay them extra for Promoted Listings, although my take on that is that it's probably more successful if you're trying to flog some item that has hundreds of rival sellers, whereas your items probably would have more people looking to buy them than already selling them.

As above: do your research to see what similar items of your actress have sold for in the past. Start with a search for whatever is listed now, then find the checkbox on the left side of the screen for Sold items, and check those as well. 

I would not suggest Fixed Price for your listings unless there's some generally known value for them (such as publicity photos and such). Items of unusual interest or one-of-a-kind should be auctioned, with your opening price set to be whatever you would genuinely accept to sell it for if you only ever got one bid.

I don't have a lot of experience selling celebrity items. My next-door neighbor once sold a gas-station receipt autographed by Steve McQueen when the two of them met by chance at a California gas station way the heck back in the 1960s.

Unfortunately, the buyer claimed it was a fake (which of course it wasn't). My neighbor refused to take it back for a refund, thinking that eBay would see it his way, but they didn't, so the buyer got refunded and got to keep the item as well. If he'd asked me for advice, I would have told him to take it back before refunding, but of course hindsight is always 20/20.

[m60driver]

It really depends on how you define "semi famous".  An auction house specializing in Hollywood memorabilia might charge a bit more than Ebay, but they can also get higher bids as they do publicize such auctions to dedicated collectors.  It would not cost much to make a call to such an auction house to see if there is any interest.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Also keep in mind that consigning  for friends will go to your total sales and be reported to the IRS if you pass over $600/yr.

[maxine*j]

So she expects you to do this for free?  Because if she gives you anything like fair compensation for your time, effort, and risk she will not save anything over using an auction house.

If there is any interest in this actress and in her memorabilia, an auction house like Heritage is the right place for this.  They know how to advertise and promote such sales. 

I would be very leery of this, if I were you.  If you do anything, do it only with a written contract.

Your friend's friend likely has unrealistic expectations of value.  She likely has no idea of the costs you will incur and the risks you will take.  Buyers can file INADs and always win.  Buyers can make chargebacks up to 6 months after they'be bought something, and they always win.  Where is the money going to come from for such refunds?  Who eats it if a buyer returns something broken or damaged, or a box of rocks?

I'm not trying to be Debbie Downer.  I'm trying to help you see what deep waters you're getting into.

-

[onefootflipper]

I have had a little experience selling memorabilia a little on my account and quite a bit for a former employer.

There are two things you want to make sure to do. 

#1. List the provenance of the item. Such as this item is from the personal collection of Barbie Backcock, lifelong friend of Taylor Swift who inherited it when Taylor passed away..

#2. I always guarantee the item will pass authentication with whatever specific services authenticate such things (often PSA) with the promise of a 100 percent refund if the item fails the check from one of those specific services. 

The two of those go a very long way to assure your buyers that what they are buying is genuine. 

If you have a whole bunch of stuff from the same person and that person isn't the biggest person in the whole world then you need to trickle the stuff into the marketplace. If you have 200 things from Judy Garland, sure, put them all up. But if it is someone without a current cult following then you need to drip that stuff in there to keep you from competing against yourself.

I wouldn't auction any of it unless it is indeed someone with a current cult following. Use fixed prices otherwise.

[caldreamer]

It is not necessary to have an EBAY store but it would be helpful because customers can click on "see other items" (to view the entire collection).

Also, bear in mind that all tax liability will go to you (because EBAY account is under your social security#).  You need to consult with CPA on how to show that those items were sold "on consignment".

[simply-the-best-for-you]

---

@caldreamer wrote:

It is not necessary to have an EBAY store but it would be helpful because customers can click on "see other items" (to view the entire collection).

---

You don't need a store to do that.   Lots of good comments & I personally wouldn't do it for someone, way to much risk & effort.  Too hard to prove provenance & like Maxine said, chargebacks for up to 6 mos, but it's really much longer than that b/c CC chargebacks can go as long as 2 years depending on the company.

Ebay actually DOES sometimes advertise auctions like this, but they are usually more charity based or super famous people.  They just did one with famous guitars awhile back.  I have no idea how you get the attn of the right people though to have them involved.  Also, I think the person would have to be VERY famous.

[amricons]

First find out what the value of thje collection might be. Is significant enough for the time and expense, go to an auction house as they will handle everything for you including giving you an advance if collection is significant enough. Read the boards on here ans ask yourself, if you are ready to handle this site and its issues given your own age and inexperience.   Time is a resource always underestimated in value with knowledge 2nd

[7606dennis]

Keep in mind that if you're acting as a agent for the owner of the property, you may need the same licensing as any other auction business if you sell at auction.  This would depend upon the auction laws of your state.  I would advise checking with your state's auction regulating authority before proceeding.

By the way, while it is true that auction houses can add costs to a sale, the services that they offer in the way of promotion and organization can be well worth that cost.  

[amricons]

Follow up:  Years ago, we had a collection of Modern Fine Art. (80-90 pieces) We used an art auction house for a quick sale. They gave us an advance payment, did the sale, handled the delivery and gave us a final payment. Done. No buyers, shipping, returns. scam etc.

[onefootflipper]

The way you have the question worded has me trying to figure out who the actress was.

Was it Janet Munro?

[1786davycrockett]

What all others have said previously, but also this:  It sounds as if this collection may primarily be of interest to "baby boomers;" but our numbers are decreasing drastically on a daily basis.  Don't count on too many younger people having much interest in the former belongings of "a semi famous Hollywood actress in the 60s and 70s," with whom they may be wholly unfamiliar.  

If you can do a quick consignment to an auction house, or a "celebrity-themed" antique store (there are several in Palm Springs, CA, and no doubt even more in the rest of Southern California), then I would suggest that as your route, rather than what might turn out to be a very l-o-n-g stretch of "no sales" or "low sales" on eBay.

Good luck!