As the only child of only children, all the family heirlooms have passed down to me, and I'm buried. I want to list items on eBay, but I'm concerned about knowing the value of an item before I set a starting bid or reserve for any of it.
A great deal of it is porcelain figurines and china, not stoneware, real china. What sources can I refer to to make sure I'm in the ballpark? Most particularly, is there a really big book of porcelain and china marks that will let me look things up easily?
Hi - you can go to eBay help center or site map and go to the discussion boards. They will let you post pictures in different categories and experts will tell you about it. You can get a lot of info.
Oh, there's lots of things you can do to find out what you have and its pricing in today's market value.
You can take it to a reputable antique dealer to have it appraised or browse through antique shops and see if there's anything like your china pieces. You can do your own internet research and check out library books on china. Usually if they don't have it on their shelves, you can request certain books. By doing the internet first, you can get some leads as to what books to look request or buy.
If there's a mark on the bottom of the porcelain or china, do research on such. Learn about marks and what they mean. This will help you find out the circa or period of manufacture. Browse antique websites for china too. Perhaps you'll come across the exact photo as your item is. I've done this and was very successful. Learn about "Occupied China" too. You may have some of that in your collection.
You may also want to ask some elderly people who have been glass collectors or know about time frames on some of your china. Don't sell until you are sure of its worth. Many people have let unknowingly expensive items slip out of their hands for little to nothing.
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