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I can sell the heck out of anything 'Mid Century'. Lenox items generally don't have much resale value but these were pink!

We usually don't get much value out of old books but these were in really nice condition and full of fun

I had been holding out for more but I eventually got tired of tripping over it. I'm guilty of overvaluing things because I like them just like many people

Everyone knows I like old toys and games as they generally sell fast and for good prices. This set was like the Holy Grail to some collector's and I thought we were going to get a couple thousand dollars for it. After fishing for a couple months and getting a second opinion, I settled for about as good as I was going to get.

This was a neat find. A portfolio journal featuring over 50 photos documenting the construction of the Eagle Silk Mill in Shamokin Pennsylvania from 1916 and the addition from 1924. I knew it was a good historical piece and asked for a high price but I got lucky and got just one bid.

I think we've mentioned that old lunchboxes have some value but condition is key and this one was near mint.

Everyone knows I like old lighting as it generally sells fairly quickly and for good prices. The buyer is putting this in a period house in Hollywood CA!

This was just a basic department store sweater from the 1940s but what made it extra special was that it had the WWII Allied shield designs AND the fact that it was in such good condition. I'm slightly annoyed that the lady who bought it plans to wear it as it's a really rare item but it's her money I guess. Dry clean only my dear!

I love selling stuff that is actually old and not a reproduction

Another neat old piece we rescued ....

Here's another example of something that just doesn't sell very well anymore. I had evidence that this little set might be worth $100 or more but after several months, this was the best price I could get.

Another example of turning items that really weren't worth much individually into a respectable sale. It took several months for someone to buy these as most collectors just want to buy one item but we found them a good home eventually as a 'group lot'.

Nothing tells a story like a picture and this was a neat old lot full of history. Many of these cards were from the very early 1900s and were in great condition so it's no surprise they sold for a nice price. If I were so inclined, I probably could have spent many hours doing research and sold them individually for a greater total amount over time, but knowing when to balance the labor factor is a big part of our business. 

Here is yet another old Chinese piece that went back to China for a nice price.

I don't see many 'ancient' items and those that I do the value can be hit or miss. The question is, how would I even know if something is 500 years old or not? For some items that we suspect are very special, we usually get an expert opinion to give us provenance which in turn helps us sell it.

Old costume jewelry always has some appeal

We were told these came from the Capitol building which may have helped sell them but in general old architectural bits are usually in demand

These are usually a dime a dozen but having the handle made them worth a bit more

I am so happy when really cool old things that are not much in demand anymore sell for a good fair price in a timely manner. Getting 'top dollar' for a given item is almost always a waiting game which is why most of our customers take our best cash offer today and let us sit it out.

When I find things that are not very common, I research the potential value. In cases where I see only a few examples where someone just picked a price that they were willing to sell something for I ask myself could the item have had more potential and what does the current market look like, etc. In this case, I just let people bid on it and it sold for like five times what the last one sold for. That's pulling a rabbit out of a hat!

I love vintage toys and games and obscure stuff like this always has at least some potential to sell well!

We always have so many items to try and sell that I don't often post lower value items on eBay as it's a lot of work. I do make exceptions for some things that are easy to ship and actually have a good chance of selling in a timely manner. I would have felt like an @ss if I had thrown away $25!

Funny story; I saved these from our last job as I knew they were old but without a makers mark, I could not prove that they had any value and I did not want to spend hours Googleing ceramic dog images. We had just put them in the donation box when later that night I was browsing one of my many antique and collectible information books and there they were. The exact pair on page 23 of Victorian Treasures. They were made by Staffordshire around the turn of the century.

I'm sure I've posted one of these sets before but here is another. Every house we visit usually has 'moms old vanity set'. When they are monogrammed and a little beat up like this, most silver pieces we find generally only sell for about the cost of scrap metal.

It's that spooky time of year again! We recently came into a collection of monster stuff but most of it is newer stuff like this mask that was mass produced in China. This piece shocked us back to life with a monstrously big sale price!