Pottery Elf

2 Feb, 2009 in art pottery by admin

Pottery Elf

Yes, in Antiques & Collectibles, Too: it is the Economy, Stupid!

San Francisco, California – February 7, 2008 – Marks4antique.com releases info on surviving an economic downturn if your business is selling antiques and collectibles. It is often said that the business of Antiques & Collectibles is economy-proof. This is based on the conventional wisdom that when people are in a financial bind they sell their stuff quickly and cheaply, which creates opportunities for Dealers (“Buyers Market”). On the reverse, when money is abundant, people buy more and are willing to pay higher prices (“Sellers Market”). If you are a Dealer or an Auctioneer, and are involved in both sides of this equation, either swing in the economy is good news for you.

However, this does not translate very well to online Sales. Online sellers on eBay, RubyLane etc, when there is a downturn in the economy, find themselves holding Inventory for longer periods of time and often have to

lower prices to compete with other sellers. This is particularly true for items that are not absolutely unique, such as a one-of signed Baseball or a numbered Bronze. In fact, most items sold online are Ceramics, Pottery,

Silver, Decorative Porcelain Figurines, China or Dinnerware Sets, Jewelry etc. Most of these are usually manufactured in large numbers, which creates heavy competition amongst Sellers and tends to drive prices down, especially in a bad economy.

Therefore, it is important that a Seller uses all possible means to prop-up an item when selling online. Here are some useful tips that are effective when selling Antiques & Collectibles online:

1) Add a personal dimension to your item: For example, if a Dinner Set you are selling online was previously used by a prestigious family, let’s say the Governor of a US State or Country, make sure you mention it in the

description. This is called “provenance” and it appeals to many Collectors. If an item is of such high caliber that a similar one is on display at some well-known Museum or some famous Public or Private Collection, include this

information to give it an “endorsement”. You can find some of this information by searching on Google or your favorite search engine. The same is true if this item was inherited from a distinguished relative, like “This

[item] was handed down to my family from my grandfather who was an Admiral in the US Navy ca 1880s – 1930”. This shows that the item has good “pedigree”.

2) Describe your item with accuracy: This is super important. Most items sold online are found by a prospective Buyer searching on Google or eBay and other such sites. Most of these searches use “keywords” like the specific maker or its style. If your item is described accurately and includes the maker, style, and period, buyers are more likely to find it and bid or purchase it online. If you do not know, use resources like books or online

websites that provide such information. For example, an easy and quick online identification guide is available at www.Marks4Antiques.com

3) Price your items reasonably: Pricing is important but should not be overestimated. There are times that an item, if priced very low, creates suspicions, like something may be wrong with it. In this competitive market, it is unusual that an online Seller cannot find comparable items to value an item. The good-old days of bargains due to lack of knowledge by the seller are extremely rare or perhaps limited to a genuine Flea-Market, but even there, this is less and less of an option nowadays. Instead, if the market is depressed, try to offer a price that is just slightly less than the competition, but do not overdo it. Pricing is truly a balancing act and you must treat it as such. There are several great sites such as www.Values4Antiques.com, online Appraisers and good-ole eBay.

4) Use sharp and inviting photos: I am sure that I am not alone in having had the experience of finding an Antique or Collectible for sale online that is described exactly as what I’m looking for, but the photos are blurry or

out-of-focus. Another issue is when there is only one very generic photo with no close-ups to highlight the item’s features, such as the hand-painted decoration on a Porcelain Urn or Vase, or the minute details that exemplify

the workmanship on a Porcelain Figurine such as the hands, face etc. The same goes for Silver or Jewelry, which often have exceptional details that literally “sell” the item. Also, do not forget that when you edit your

photos, make sure that the color that shows up is true to the original. It is also useful to include a close up of any maker’s marks as these indicate authenticity. Use a good camera and a popular or proven Photo Editor, such

as Adobe etc.

5) Be “polite” - not suspicious: For most people, it is a turn-off when a listing on eBay or other online venue, has a couple of lines of dry and generic information on the item and about 5 paragraphs on what will happen to me if I don’t pay quickly or am dissatisfied with the item or how patient I need to be on receiving it. Tone it down! I agree that there is a 5% of people out there that do not follow up on their obligations after bidding, perhaps more so in this unpredictable economy. But I assure you, the vast majority of Buyers are good people. If necessary, include this information on your checkout message, do not overemphasize your previous bad experiences with the very few when you should spend more time describing your item and compel the Buyer why this is THE item for them. Find sellers on eBay that have a successful track record and good feedback and borrow some of these “presentation” techniques. Make it pleasant!

Accredited media interested in discussing this press release in more detail are encouraged to schedule an interview by sending a request to Contact@Marks4Antiques.com or visit their Web site at Marks4Antique.com

About Marks4Antiques.com

Marks4Antiques.com was created to help Collectors and Dealers to research Antiques & Collectibles. The successful launch of Marks4Ceramics.com in 2004 was quickly followed by Marks4Silver.com in 2006 and then Values4Antiques.com this year. All websites were designed for use online in order to accommodate the growing number of mobile Antiques and Collectibles Dealers that roam the country to different Auctions or Shows and those that sell or buy online (eBay etc). Subscribing to any of the websites provides easy and fast pictorial methods of identifying and elf-appraising items. An active member can also contact the experts of each website for personal assistance when a mark is not already in the database at no additional cost. To facilitate an unbiased Antiques Research & Evaluation environment, no Trade (buying or selling) of items is allowed through these sites as they are totally dedicated to Research. All staff are avid Collectors, Appraisers and professional Dealers. The company is owned and operated in the State of California, USA.

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