Vintage Atomic Bomb Games

One thing to be on the lookout for to sell are Vintage Atomic Bomb games. Made by AC Gilbert in New Haven there are a number of variations and few have survived. The one below which I have recently listed is pretty rare. It already has a bid and numerous watchers and sometimes these can fetch some pretty good money... http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-ATOMIC-BOMB-DEXTERITY-GAME-AC-GILBERT-NEW-HAVEN-WORLD-WAR-II-/251982960118

Vintage Pal-Bell Brass Metalware Made in Israel

Keep an eye out for these high quality brass items made in Israel  in the 1950s and 1960s or so. They will be identified by the name Pal-Bell . Their collectible value has been increasing in recent years. The ones I found were a set of 4 with only one being used. Identifying info is usually on the back within a square box and they are usually made of brass with green aging looking paint /patina. Here is a link to my current listing and some pictures .. http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-1950S-PAL-BEL-ASHTRAY-LOT-OF-4-MADE-IN-ISRAEL-BRASS-JUDAICA-TOBACCIANA-/371215014571?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item566e239aab

Carved Wood Sculpture Bamboo Twirlers of Sangley Point Naval Station Republic of the Philippines

Just listed this interesting item on Ebay.
Had to do quite a bit of research on it!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BAMBOO-TWIRLERS-SANGLEY-POINT-NAVAL-STATION-DANCE-SQUARE-DANCING-WOOD-SCULPTURE-/371214361675?ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

12 inch tall 4 inch wide WOOD CARVED SCULPTURE
Subject : Beautiful Filipino Woman
Most likely dates from the 1960s (references in early 1960s Square Dance Publication called "Sets in Order")
Sculpture has three drilled holes in bottom possibly were used to stand it on something or connect to something unknown.
Metal tag on side appears to say:
Adelaide -Sangley Pt, R.P (Republic of the Philippines)
Cool item with a bit of history!
This is an interesting piece which took me some time to research. Apparently, the Bamboo Twirlers were some kind of dance group in the Philippines in or around the Naval Base there at Sangley Point. A US Navy pilot named Bill Locke stationed there (and from Texas) was the "caller" of this group. This the term used for the person that directs the dance. Apparently this was a big deal as people from the dance group visited after Bill died in a plane crash there. You can find various tidbits on the internet about the Bamboo Twirlers and Bill Locke.
Some tidbits from the internet possibly regarding this item or for background purposes :
"A hand carved plaque was delivered to the Monday Nighters Dance Club yesterday from its sister-city club, the Bamboo Twirler Dance Club of Luzon"
(The Monday Nighters Dance Club was in Texas)
ALSO:
"Luzon, P 1 Kalaayan Jr.-Sr. High School at Subic Bay Naval Station, Luzon, Republic
of the Philippines was the site of the first joint
meeting of all five square dance groups in the
Philippines. On December 3 about 80 people
assembled, including members of the Jeans 'n'
Janes of Clark AFB; the Bamboo Twirlers of
Sangley Point Naval Station; groups from the
San Miguel Naval Facility and the U.S. Embassy
in Manila and the host Bataan Twirlers
of Subic Bay and Cubi Point. A varied program
of squares and rounds was presented by
callers Mrs. Madge Gordon, Chuck Merritt and
Walt Jessup. "Guest callers" on tape and record
added a stateside touch. An impromptu meeting
was conducted by President Jerry Myers
of the host club to discuss future meetings.
—Bill Locke"

Selling Art Books - THE SOLITUDE OF RAVENS MASAHISA FUKASE

In recent years I have had more luck selling ART books on ebay. These are books about artists  compilations or exhibition guides to their work or books about collections of art. It is really hard to relay what to look for but I have moved more towards more modern artists, photographers etc. I also look for things which look interesting and have a following but aren't overloaded with supply of them on Ebay. Cost of books is generally from FREE to about 2 dollars. I rarely go over this level. One of the most interesting books I have found is the Solitude of Ravens by Masahisa Fukase. He was a Japanese photographer who slipped into a coma after creating this amazingly dark book of photos that somehow just grabs you from the minute you open it. This work is extremely rare. Copies on the popular booksite Abebooks for for 500-900 dollars. There is on on ebay for $1200 or so, but one recently sold at 399.00. I priced mine at $349 and it is accumulating watchers. I usually don't price things this high but I am the lowest copy out there and I can always reduce it later. It is a great book and I feel confident it will get exposure at that price! Here is the link to my listing but also some pictures below .. http://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-SOLITUDE-OF-RAVENS-MASAHISA-FUKASE-FIRST-US-EDITION-BEDFORD-ARTS-/371202627429?ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

 

 

 

Tavern on the the Green - New York City - Central Park Ornaments

Well there is some good news! The amazing Tavern on the Green, a New York City landmark in Central Park has re-opened! The prior operators had gone under a number of years ago. A client of mine made their Christmas ornaments and when they closed was stuck with a small stock of them! Luckily he gave them to me to sell on Ebay :) They are pretty cool looking! I have to admit I love Central Park and the whole Tavern thing. I also love the chess boards made of concrete outside in the park and the music. Such a special place! Here are some pics and the listing for the ornaments I have for sale http://www.ebay.com/itm/TAVERN-ON-THE-GREEN-NEW-YORK-CITY-NYC-RARE-CHRISTMAS-ORNAMENT-LOT-HORSE-CARRIAGE-/251662404362

KUBASTA POP-UP BOOKS

It has been way too long since I posted to this blog! I just approved some comments that were waiting and appreciate the people that took the time to leave one! I had to post this one however as I acquired a great lot of Pop-Up books called THE FLEET OF COLUMBUS . The illustrations are done by the famous Czech artist  Vojtech  Kubasta. He passed away in 1992 and these books are just awesome. The one I have might be the last one published as it was published in the year he died. Ill post some picture and a link to the my ebay listing where I am selling them! This is such a nice item! 
Kubasta Fleet of Columbus

Austin Productions Sculptures sell very well on Ebay . This one is "VOGUE"

Sometimes you just have to go with your gut on things. I found this sculpture at a thrift store and wasn't sure on whether or not to pick it up since it is large and larger items are harder to ship. There seems to be an active market in these sculptures from the 1970s and 1980s on Ebay though. Prices are all over the place but generally pretty good on most items. Many sellers mistakenly call their items "Austin Products" as productions is often abbreviated on the statues themselves. There are numerous good sellers by Austin Productions (and the man called Fisher Austin that created them). Most are figural, showing people, some with hands. All larger than most decorative items. This one I am selling is called VOGUE . It is no longer in production and as I type this has 6 bids and is up to $35. I have seen these sell up to $100 or even higher on websites. If you search Austin Productions Vogue on Ebay you will see my item (if you search in the next 3 days it has left LOL). Keep your eye out for these. They are generally heavier, high quality items!

Antique La Belle turkey platter plates flow blue Wheeling Pottery c.1893

A good friend of mine does a lot more "high end" estate sale picking than I do. She picked up and listed this AMAZING set of turkey plates that she currently has for sale on Ruby Lane, a high end antiques site. So if you have been looking for this set (which is very rare and hard to come by in this condition). Please check them out at the link below!

http://www.rubylane.com/item/463593-RL-3604/Antique-LaBelle-turkey-platter-plates

Selling into the Vintage Typewriter Craze on Ebay

It seems as though old typewriters are the rage on Ebay these days! Interestingly while they have always had some value, it seems this demand for these is way up recently. For example. I will show a picture of a Smith Corona Golden Shield Typewriter below. I paid 2.99 for this years ago. I saved it because every time I researched it it looked like it was worth 20-30 dollars. I didn't feel like packing and shipping it for that much at the time. This year when I researched it it looked like prices rose to about $70 so I listed it. I listed it and allowed international buyers to bid. I started it at 1 cent (penny auction). It sold for $152.50. The key is to research before buying. Manual typewriters (as I call the non-electrics) are still worth more than electric ones although there might be exceptions. Generally you want to pick these up under $10. Typewriters older than the one I sold are also collectible for the keys which people sometimes remove and make jewelry out of . Definitely worth taking a look at .. here are some pics

Selling M&Ms collectibles on Ebay

It seems like items from popular culture are taking off lately on Ebay. This little M&M guy called Redbert Einstein was something I had never seen before so I picked him up while out thrift shopping. He just sold today for $63.50!

There are a lot of M&M items out there. Look for the dispensers, umbrellas , kites and other rare items you don't see every day. In general you never want to pay too much for items you buy at thrift shops, tag sales etc. Stay in the 3 buck and under range.

BOSTON Pencil Sharpeners

Do you remember these? Most of us grew up with them in school. They worked great, much better than the modern electric ones. Well in general you should always look for things you remember from years ago, especially if made in the USA and something that worked great. These can usually be found from FREE to a few bucks and sell up to $40 on Ebay :) Here is one I sold..

NAEF Swiss Wood Products

Sometimes, while out thrifting you just come across interesting looking things. I picked up this NAEF (made by Kurt Naef) wood soccer player guy called "Penalty" . It is currently listed on auction and up to 3 times what I paid for it with 18 watchers. NAEF products generally sell very well on ebay so keep a look out for them. They made wood rubiks like cubes, puzzle type wood figures and some pretty creative things.

Rocket Banks from the 50s Strato Bank and Astro Manufacturing

These banks ALWAYS sell on Ebay. But do not pay too much to aquire them. Prices have recently been very good (and rising). Generally, on coin bank items I break my rule of thumb and can pay up to 5-10 dollars each for them. In this case I bought 2 for about 10 bucks. I usually try to stick to my under $2.00 acquisition price but you wont find these that cheap.

The two banks pictured are the Astro Manufacturing Rocket Bank and the Strato Bank. Both are from the mid to late 50s. I listed them on auction starting at 1 cent and in the first day they shot up to 17 bucks with 8 watchers. Keep in mind most things "rocket, space, NASA, etc" have a market on ebay. It should be one of your top areas to look for things in.

UPDATE - Auction just closed - Sold for $111.00   :)

Selling Space, Rocket , Sci-fi stuff.. on ebay

I have never had any space item NOT SELL!!!! This is in 7 years of selling on ebay! My most recent addition is this album of photos I picked up cheap at a junk market while at the beach this summer. It didnt look like much at first, but when I saw pictures of rockets I was interested. With a little research and help from friends we were able to determine these pictures were most likely of a post ww2 V-2 rocket. The US grabbed this technology after the war and tested it at White Sands and other places. There were American Military jeep pics, pictures of soldiers firing guns and rocket pics. Had to have this. Currently this item is up to $31 (started at 9.99) and has 12 watchers, it ends tomorrow!

As for space stuff. Older Star trek, star wars and older sci-fi in general is a good bet. I have sold some of all this stuff. Keep an eye out for older space themed books with old prints and illustrations in them also!

Selling lots of Postage Stamps as a Non-Expert on Ebay

It has been a while since I posted to this blog which is now in its 7th year! Tonight's post is on selling postage stamps. While I had an awesome stamp collection growing up (which is now my daughters) and at that time we sought out mint unhinged near perfect stamps, the ebay market is probably not the place to get top dollar for high quality stamps and I am not an expert on grading. However, for the casual seller, who occasionally runs into all kinds of things.. keep your eye out for lots of used stamps when you can find them cheaply at flea markets, tag sales etc. I just made had an auction for a bag of used stamps which started on auction for 1 cent sell for $41. A really nice profit on this item! People use stamps for all kinds of things including even scrapbooking these days. Take some pics, start the listing low, use the words HUGE LOT if they apply and start the bidding!

Rozane Ware Pottery (Roseville, Ohio)

Happy New Year! Im now in the 6th year of this ebay blog!

At times you find things that are just so good looking you want to keep them! Of course you know those are the ones that will sell LOL. I didnt know what Rozane Ware was but found this candle holder. It was made in the early 1900s and is pretty rare. It sold for almost $100 , 40x what I paid for it. The finish was so shiny, the relief on the flower/plants so real looking. I have to say it is one of the best pieces of pottery I have ever seen. So if you see something with ROZANE on the bottom, pick it up, if its cheap enough :)

Vintage Reel to Reel Tapes, Super 8mm movies, hot now on Ebay!

After saving some lots of movies and reel to reel tapes I had for a while, I decided to check out pricing by researching them on Ebay. I was surprised to see there seemed to be more interest lately so I listed two huge lots. One lot of reel to reel 4 track tapes, another of Super 8mm movies. There is early and active bidding. You can check them out and my other items at
http://stores.ebay.com/Once-Upon-A-Bid

Just some listing hints. I have always found the best way to get active bids is to list HUGE LOTS . This attracts big collectors and even resellers . It also saves on listing costs and usually gets the sale done quickly. In my Super 8 movie lot I have Marilyn Monroe in Gentleman Prefer Blondes, Born Free and Wizard of Oz. I confirmed most of the movies by holding the film leader up to the light where you will see an etching of the movie name (in most cases). The reel to reel tapes are appreciated by vintage movie lovers and I am also selling a HUGE LOT of those. Always be on the lookout for vintage film items. 8mm , Super 8 and even slide collections from peoples personal photos. On Music items, look for quadraphonic tapes (look like 8tracks) and reel to reel tapes.

Vintage Paint by Number Paintings Almost always sell!

One item I almost always have good luck with are Vintage Paint by Number paintings. I am not sure why people collect them but they do. These are the paintings you might have done as a kid with numbers for what color to paint in. Painted ones sell best (those completed). I just recently sold the two featured in pictures here for a 10x profit over what I paid. Generally you want to pick these up for 3 to 4 dollars or less with sales prices from 15-30 dollars. Those featuring animals (horses, dogs etc) are usually more worthwhile listing.

Leather Folio Given by Shah of Iran's Wife -Flea Market Find

I have to admit, I loved this item from the minute I found it at a local flea market. It appeared to be just a leather folder, folio whatever you call it! LOL But it had some cool designs on it. I didnt really look it over well enough to see the inscription inside that said it was given by the Shabanou (Shah of Iran's Wife) and Empress of Iran. It might have been a gift given to visitors or something developed for sale there during their reign in the 70s. I paid about 3.00 for it and sold it for $50!! You really never know what you will find when you are out hunting. Keep in mind some basic things... If its unusual , different looking.. has some age to it (usually pre 1980) and especially if you have never seen anything like it or heard of it before, it is usually worth buying (for a low price , keep aquisition costs low less risk of loss on items). This item was old looking, a little dusty perhaps and needed care. I dont often touch items but had some Kenneth Cole Leather cleaner around and it worked wonderfully! I highly recommend it! IT looks like suntan lotion and I just used a little and cleaned it up safely! Take a look at the pics!

Defunct Sports Teams.. Especially hockey teams. AHL

People always think that the more popular a sports team is the more valuable an item might be. For example lots of people love the Yankee or the Red Sox or for that matter in hockey the New York Rangers. However usually big name teams have TONS and I mean TONS of merchandise available from many sources. Its in chain stores, its in sports stores, its at games, its everywhere! The best sports items to sell are often items from now defunct (no longer in business) sports teams, especially hockey teams which seem to have developed a rabid following in their day. AHL (American Hockey League) teams are especially good since the AHL served as the proving ground for many NHL players. The fans were very loyal. In New Haven , CT we had a team called the New Haven Nighthawks and there are some crazy collectors and even though they havent been around for many years people still buy their stuff. I just listed a pair of unused season tickets from 1981 which already have a bid (pictured here). I still miss going to the games myself. I have some the most highly sought after New Haven Nighthawk items including one of the only sets of all the programs from when they played the Russian Red Army team before the fall of the Soviet Union. So think SPORTS, think DEFUNCT, think AHL and especially New Haven!