Selling off?

[fentonacres]

I haven't been here FOREVER. But since I am stuck inside, not gardening, due to wildfire smoke in the PNW, I am considering spending some time preparing to sell my collection. Kills me to have them just idle in a storage box when collectors would love to have some of my beauties. Since I don't have my photography website anymore, I will likely use a public FB page initially for pics. 

My QUESTION is... what do you think is the best way to market and sell? Ebay? The collection is too large to probably sell as one lot, even though that would be a great way to get er done.

Any input would be appreciated.

[Al Oregon]

eBay is still a good way if you have good pics.  There are several FB pages for specific companies and some seem pretty active on sales.  Dani sells quite a few that way.  With good marbles, I'd do individual or small groups of same marbles.

[Berryb]

Once, long ago, I thought of selling my collection.  The woman who was going to buy it wanted it sorted and identified. By the time I was half way thru the process I decided maybe I didn't want to part with it after all.

So, go thru your collection and sort how you want to. If you still want to sell then come up with a price for the whole pile.  Don't forget to save out a small display of your favorites. Then divide the collection up into manageable groups- all the Akro, all the slags, all the contemporaries, etc. However you want to divide them up, and set prices for each sub-group. Then figure out how to sell.  I personally would use E-bay or social media only as a last resort. Find collectors in your area to sell to or put you in contact with buyers and sell that way. Then take all the leftovers to a reputable antiques dealer and sell the pile. They will divvy those up into several small jars for 20 to 30 bucks apiece. That's how I would do it. Thanks

Bruce

 

[Steph]

Hi Caroline. 

Yes, ebay is good.  Last time I checked you could post a large number of lots per month without paying fees unless you sold.  Make a few listings to get your feet wet, and then make a few more.   You can have some marbles for auction and some for buy-it-now.   

If you mix it up and sell some small lots, some medium lots, and maybe some individuals, you can probably get quite a few people checking on auctions and trying to win several of them to take advantage of combined shipping.   The last time I sold was almost four years ago now but I set a modest goal for myself of listing one or two new groups a day and I was able to keep pretty busy with sales.  
 

That won't get you as much money for them as a longtime seller with great marble knowledge and a lot of longtime customers might get for selling the marbles one at a time, but it's a way to get a pretty good amount of money.    Pretty sure you would get more that way than if you tried to sell it all as a big lot.    You'll get a lot more potential buyers if off the lots in affordable quantities. Could be a long wait to find a buyer with deep enough pockets to make you willing to part with the whole collection in one lot. 





But now that I mention longtime sellers -- and Al mentions Dani -- Dani has been known to sell on consignment.   So that's another option you might looking into.    Al, do you know if Dani still does that?
 

[schmoozer]

Interested, also located in the Seattle area. Happy to take a look-see at what you have.

Brad

[Al Oregon]

Yes, Dani does still sell on consignment.