Five Low Cost Collectibles that Sell High on EBay

The people who host weekend house sales usually have home computers and more often than not, they run their best collectibles through eBay prior to the house sale. Many also have digital cameras and will themselves list their better stuff on line. Lacking digital capability, they can always take their best items to a local eBay trading Assistant

Research can be labor intensive and house sale hosts will usually only check collectibles with some age that the owner has an inkling about. It's in the gray area of post 1950's household items consigned to the house sale that experienced eBayers find a weekly stream of treasure. These barely vintage collectibles are the life blood of eBay Powersellers.

What follows is my list of five kinds of collectibles that can still be found weekly at a house sale, cost next to nothing, and will sell high on eBay. The list was compiled from house sale activity in the Philadelphia suburbs and may have to be modified for other areas.

1) MACKENZIE CHILDS ITEMS

Mackenzie -Childs is a New York manufacturer of handpainted modern majolica that is sought after and expensive. Although only in business since the 1980's, the company does not overproduce and discontinues patterns. Some early pieces are very difficult to find and can be considered vintage. Mackenzie is also an acquired taste and those in the know often give expensive pieces for gifts to friends who haven't a clue. Mackenzie canisters worth $400 have turned up in house sales for $20.00.

Mackenzie -Childs also manufactures other collectibles. They are often collectibles that have little value when issued by other companies but are quite pricey in Mackenzie-Childs patterns. For instance, eucalyptus cork backed Pimpernel placemats usually only resell for $10.00 a set but with Mackenzie Childs patterns, the placemats bring $100.00 a set. It's not even necessary to have a complete set. One placemat in a Mackenzie Childs pattern is saleable. Fancy little tassels for drawer knobs cost only a dollar or two at house sales and won't do much better on line. But if they are Mackeanzie Childs tassels, the price can easily go over $100.00 a piece on eBay.

2) BETTY CROCKER NEW PICTURE COOK BOOKS

Cook books in general are collectibles that have seen better days but certain classics endure. The Betty Crocker New Picture Cook Books are classics that seem to show up at every other house sale. Betty Crocker's microwave, international, children's recipes and baking books are worthless. Even the nice looking 1950's Betty Crocker cookbook with the red & white marbelized cover doesn't bring much. To have value, it must be the New Picture Cookbook with a pictorial circle on the cover cut into pie shape wedges. It can be either spiral bound or hardback and the cover can be red or blue & pink pastel but it must have the pie cut circle on the front cover.

These books can almost always be had for a dollar or two and they rountinely sell for $40 to $75 on eBay. In the weeks prior to Christmas and Mother's Day, Betty Crocker new Picture Cook Books often climb to over $100.00. The spiral bound ones have a slight edge but the printing doesn't matter as much as the condition. A pristine 12th printing from 1972 will go higher than a 1961 first edition with a few stains. Condition is important but even a book with a few issues should sell well.

3) TRENTON POTTERY VASES

These are the substantial looking vases that always get sandwiched in with the Telaflora stuff at the house sale. This low regard for placement probably has something to do with the fact that Trenton Pottery looks as if it could have been molded from a toilet bowl. Not surprising, since Trenton Pottery was a sanitary
stoneware companythat manufactured bathroom and kitchen fixtures. From the 1930's to the 1960's, the company also made vases which on closer examination have wonderful deco lines.

House sale hosts never tag Trenton pottery for more than a dollar or two. A good vase on eBay will go for $40-$50 and a great one with stylized deco lines can bring several hundred dollars. The vases come in a variety of bathroom colors such as peach and green but the most desired are the kitchen sink white ones.

If you don't need the inventory, it might be wise to sit on any Trenton Pottery pieces that you find at house sales. This is a collectible that now has a book and it is being sold in upscale modern galleries. Trenton Pottery could be the next hot collectible but for now it's still a house sale collectible.

4) 1970'S SCANDANAVIAN ENAMELWARE

Here is a collectible that is almost a staple on the house sale circuit. It has many incarnations such as the Dansk Koben style cookware that sells for four or five times what you will get it for at a weekend house sale. There are also a some nice Catherine Holm of Norway Lotus bowls out there. These usually cost no more than a dollar on weekends and sell for $20 - $80.00 a bowl on line. Sets are at a premium and bring $100 - $150.00. Some of the rarer color combinations can sell for $100 per bowl.

The star of the Nordic enamelware collectibles is the small percolator coffee pot designed by Ulla Procope for Arabia of Finland. This is the grail. It rarely runs over 12.00 at weekend sales and can be sold on eBay in an hour with a Buy It Now for $250. Invariably the buyer wll be Asian. Japan is driving the market for this collectible.

Condition is important for all enamelware so check it carefully. If it has been badly chipped or has serious utensil scratches, you may want to pass it up. It will still sell but Spending $2.00 to make $10.00 is not the idea here.

5) ROSENTHAL DESIGNER VASES

These are quite nice modern post eames era collectibles but they tend to get passed over because of their small size. They are usually no more than 3" - 6" high and get classified as bric-a- brac or knick-knack. The best are the ones with the soft whimsical designs by Bjorn Winblad or Peynet. Again, they go for only a few dollars ($5 -$12 depending on size) a a weekend house sale but will bring $70.00 to $170.00 on eBay. More likely than not, you will be selling these to Europeans so make sure you indicate you will ship world wide if you list one of these on eBay.

This is a list of house sale collectibles that are relatively easy to find in my area. The list may have to be altered according to your geographical location but there are good house sale collectibles for everywhere. An eBayer in California told me recently that old English majolica in good condition often shows up there and she is able to buy pieces for next to nothing. That sort of majolica is a catalogue auction collectible here in Pennsylvania where it sells a lot higher than it does it does on eBay.

This is a short list and you may want to make house sale collectibles list a bit longer but it should not be too long. You'll need to do some research and gain some expertise. You'll also need to keep your collectibles list cutting edge. The whole key is to stay one step ahead of the competition as well as the increasingly eBay savy yard sale hosts.