Pricing Items

[jdbelt1960]

I bought an item for $90 and sold it for $128. Now today I see a like item on sale for $425. The one I sold was 87/1000 created and this one is 444/1000. The earliest numbered the more valuable.  Not saying it will sell for that much but just pointing out how difficult it is pricing rare collectibles and the prices vary.

[simba6]

Yes prices in venues vary as the crow flies.   Like that with collectables too. One day they don't sell and the next they go for big prices.   You never know what you will find.

[bonanza125]

It could take months to really figure out how much an item is truly worth other than if you put it up for auction and whatever it sells for is what its worth to that individual or if say someone makes you an offer and that's the best offer you get over a period of time.  As you experience with your example sellers do overprice there items a lot and guess what they don't sell. Which then they come into this community and complain lack of sales. 

[albertabrightalberta]

If you bought your item for $90, did you calculate your time and expenses before listing/selling it for $128? It doesn't sound like there's much profit in that sale. 

[yeswayrecords]

The open market usually determines how much something is really worth, but worth can also be subjective.

Just because an item is rare, doesn't necessarily mean there is someone who wants to purchase it.

Conversely, if someone is looking for a specific rare item, they may be willing to pay quite a bit for it.

[inhawaii]

If you bought something for $90 and sold it for $128 you're doing something wrong. Not enough profit there.

[caldreamer]

Just because another Seller is asking $425, does not mean it will sell at that price.   

[onefootflipper]

Yours is the most one of those has ever sold for on ebay.  I don't think serial numbers are all that important on little statues unless you happen to get number 0001. In fact many of them never even finish out their supposed limited run, or don't always start with number 1, often easy to see when that happens because the item will say it is limited to 5,000 but every one that shows up for sale has a serial number between 100 and 700. When I did arcade games that was a certain rare circuit board of which every known copy had a serial number over 300 but less than 400. They obviously actually started the counting at 300, although in that case it was probably because some game operators didn't trust boards with low serial numbers thinking that they might have undiscovered defects.

Most hobby sellers literally guess all their prices and they think that their items are somehow better than identical items from other sellers. 

[pickapaper]

It looks like three of that particular figurine sold, yours for $128, and another seller sold two of them , one for $100 and one for $150; it doesn't say he relisted so not sure if he actually had two or just resold one.   There are two still listed, one for $295 and one for $425.  Unfortunately, figurines such as this do not have as much interest as they used to and those sellers will probably not sell those figurines unless they lower their prices considerably, but who knows. 

I notice you only charged $4.50 for GA shipping, which I'm sure cost you quite a bit more than that.  That and your fees probably ate up most of your profit.  But, sometimes I buy things that I wish I hadn't and I'm just happy to get my money back and break even.

[jdbelt1960]

Actually the discounted shipping cost I charge works nicely. I eat a portion of the cost yes. I would rather do it this way than charge $5 on an item with $12 shipping costs. It is much better to have $12 with $4.50 shipping. As most of my items are not heavy my average shipping cost is about $6. That particular item I believe was about $8-$9. Customers I think do not like paying extra on shipping to compensate for a low price.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

If it is the capodimonte figure, you did not include the edition size or the item number in your listing. 

Therefore it was not considered by the buyer.

Often for items which were produced as multiples, the items will peak at some value, and it will be a long time without any being offered before it reaches that price again.

The sale at a peak price will draw more of the item from attics, garages and basements and the prices will drop.

I set a new Ebay terapeak record with an item I sold recently. Others have arrived and the prices they are yielding have been dropping. I thought the previous terapeak price was outrageous, but decided to offer it as an auction listing because I thought there was a small chance I might get that price. My starting bid was half that price and I would have been pleased with it. My buying strategy allows me to treat my cost of goods sold as zero when I price, because I buy in lots which I can recover the cost of quickly.

As for shipping costs, shipping is not a profit center for me, but it is not a source of significant loss either. My buyers are capable of adding and make decisions on the basis of cost plus shipping. Depending on the number of other offers, they might consider sales tax as well. But most of what I sell has few competitive offers.

A $12 item does not deserve a lot of thought or time in pricing. Another reason I can waste my time on this forum.

[lacemaker3]

@jdbelt1960 

To be perfectly honest with you, 1,000 items is NOT a "limited edition". A limit that high is completely arbitrary.  The artist himself/herself does not have anything to do with the production of that many pieces. So the number within the "limited edition" has no influence on the value of the item. Absolutely none.

When you are talking about Capodimonte pieces, this is especially true. They are not really "limited edition", it's just a marketing tactic. They are all the same. Earlier numbers are not more valuable than later numbers. It's irrelevent. 

I don't see any other sales of this piece in the last 3 years. Maybe this new listing, that is asking more money, will pay off for the seller. It's leading into the Christmas Selling Market. If someone wants to fulfill someone's wishlist, then it might sell for a higher price.  That's how the free market works.

[jdbelt1960]

Look up Luigi Fabris, Sandro Maggioni and Capodimonte. Then get back to me. 1000 items in a population of 100's of millions in the US and probably that many in European nations is not a lot. What if Hot Wheel cars or any other collectible only had 1000 of a certain item. They would be valuable. These items are all signed by famed artists. Not in pen and ink but engraved. As tobacco said although he saw other Liberty Mode 1920 figurines not all of them were endorsed by Fabris and created by Maggioni although they may be Capodimonte. The signatures are key to the value and history of a piece.

[jdbelt1960]

Another example one may find an original Rembrandt or VanGogh print. It will be numbered. That would be a very valuable piece.

[yeswayrecords]

It just takes one person who has been looking for it forever to purchase a rare item.

This is a big part of the fun of ebay - you never know what unique find is going to pop up for sale, or what a rare item is worth!

If you have patience and creativity, you can really enjoy selling here.