I would also be following eBay- especially at this time of year- to find prices for thimbles of similar subject matter and quality. See what the trending prices are and get some idea of what you’ve got. You can begin to sort the thimbles a bit from this- I would pick three catagories for ease: common, middle of the road, and rare. Think of potential ways to group the thimbles that make sense for easier selling. The prviewing of eBay should give you ideas on how this seems to work.

If you have not sold on eBay before, I would not not start. I would first consider selling thru collector groups that are out there- many offer free posting when you join the group. Otherwise, I would definately consider going to a consignment seller. But you really need to be armed with the knowledge of what prics you can expect- otherwise, they can be just as clueless. Discuss your findings from eBay and the collector groups you’ve been viewing- they might have more information to offer into the mix.

I am just SO thankful that my Mom took it upon herself a few years back to unload the extensive puzzle collection she had. When all was said and done, she sold over 500 puzzles (mostly Springbok) and has had the enjoyment of the extra money for herself. There is no way I would have had the knowledge to sell them and get top dollar like she did. Since it was something nearer and dearer to her, she knew the price ranges for each and every puzzle.

It probably is, but when we go, our kids will probably end up paying somebody to get rid of it, or using it in lieu of firewood. If he can’t be bothered to sell his own precious stamp collection, I’m sure our kids won’t be either. It’s not even classified, it’s all in boxes, but there’s tons of it.

Has anybody ever had any experience with this? I’d appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!

Since hundreds (or thousands) of individual buyers are also at these shows, dealers also get many “want list” requests at the show, so there’s a good chance one or more dealers might have an immediate need for the item(s) you’re trying to sell.

The only downside to trying this is that you usually need to have a pretty good idea (research!) how much your collectible is worth. With coins (and probably with other collectibles), the seller is expected to name the offering price, which the buyer (dealer in this case) can accept, reject, or counteroffer. So if you don’t know what your collectible is worth, using this method you might wind up selling your item for far less than you could have gotten, or dealers will think you’re expecting the moon or you’re nuts. You might try going around the room, starting with the highest price you hope to get, and adjusting downward as you go along.

With most of the more popular collectibles, most people will find a show within a two-hour drive every three months or so, or once a year at worst.

With thimbles, I have no idea, but I’m guessing there’s a national event every year, probably 2,000 miles away.

One more thing, there is also a seasonal factor in these shows, so if you live in a warm-weather area, you can expect more, bigger, and better shows in the winter and fewer in the summer. If you live in a cold-weather area, expect fewer and smaller shows in the winter.

Individual grading standards (especially among inexperienced graders, such as those whg inherit a collection), so a text-only description isn’t very helpful when selling. There are also individual biases in grading, and the “fair” (i.e. really beat up) comic book you are considering buying, might be offered by someone trying to pass it off as a “near mint” copy, so buyers will discount text-only descriptions offered by a seller.

Contact a couple of dealers and get estimates for how much they think they can sell the collection for, and how much of a commission they would want…

I think that it really takes someone who knows a lot about the items to show you the real value of the collection and I think the advice in this article is very good. This is often why items on ebay with no reserve price sell for do high amounts – there are people out there who know what it is worth.

What are your thoughts on collections? – should the money you spend be viewed as “hobby” money or “investment” money, or a little of both?

The advantage of an auction house is that they’ll be realistic about value. You could then put the collection on eBay at a rational price.

There might be such a service where you are.