How exactly does one arrive at the value of an item? At Jewels on Hampton, buying and selling scrap gold, silver and loose gemstones is fairly straightforward. We offer a fair multiple of market prices. With collectibles, it requires research, experience and a keen eye for detail. Factors affecting the price include:
Market Price – Anything that is collectible will have a group of enthusiasts looking to collect that item. We call that a market. A market over time will set prices for items as people buy and sell those items, whether baseball cards, vintage stoneware, movie memorabilia ot any of the myriad things people collect. Our team will check online markets or confer with colleagues if we are not familiar with the latest market prices.
Condition – Collectors want to buy items in the best possible condition. For most collectibles, even small blemishes can have an enormous effect on the value. In coins and collectible currency, there are dozens of levels of condition that can be ascribed to any given item. Comic books are very similar. For other collectibles, like bronze statuary, a patina of age is desired, and attempts to restore an item can ruin value.
Authenticity – If there is a robust market for collectibles, there is a robust market for reproductions. Most reproductions are done for honest reasons – an interesting or desirable thing is no longer made, but there is a demand. Die cast coin banks are a good example. People have fond memories of them, so a supply developed of reproductions. However, these reproductions are worth only a fraction of an authentic item.
Trends – If a cultural event, such as a blockbuster movie, occurs, sometimes collectibles associated with that cultural icon trend upward. SUperman collectibles will likely trend upward on value with the release of Man of Steel in the summer of 2013. Interest in pirate artifacts trended upward with the successful Pirates of the Caribbean series.
At Jewels on Hampton, we want to offer the fairest value for collectibles to our customers who bring items by. Please visit us with your collectible you are interested in selling, and if you are a collector, you will be amazed at what we carry, with inventory changing every day.
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