eBay and How to Tell If Your Product Is Valuable or Worthless Junk - By Avril Harper

When is a book not a book? When it’s autographed, for example, or in pristine condition despite being centuries old, and other factors that make it stand out from the crowd.

These are a few of many reasons an item – not just books by the way - may be worth nothing and another virtually priceless:

* Is it dated? Dated items are usually provenance proved, not subject to guesswork. But, consider: is it original or a reproduction or reprint? Be careful, if it’s dated, give the date, but don’t testify to age. For example, a book dated 1900 may indeed have been printed that year, and be 105 years old, or it could be a modern reprint. If you’re unsure you could say: ‘Dated 1900, in good condition’, but not ‘Dated 1900. A wonderful example at 105 years old’. Play it safe and on all your listings add: ‘All items described to the best of our knowledge and ability’. A satisfaction or money back guarantee also protects you against problems of innocently mis-describing items.

* Is there a signature? Did this otherwise ordinary item have a famous owner to increase its value? Is the signature genuine? Or a forgery? Is the signature original or printed into the book? If the signature is original, is it the hand of the famous person or an agent charged with signing on their behalf?

* Is it in good condition? Do you understand what ‘good condition’ means for this particular item? Many collectibles, such as books, postcards, stamps, have industry recognised grading standards to which you should also conform. For example, unused collectors’ stamps with hinge marks, are not mint, but can be described as unused or mounted, and other recognised descriptions.

* Is it rare? Or is it something quite common but new to you? What does rare really mean? Unless you are sure, describe it as ‘unusual’ or ‘uncommon’, not rare.

* It is antique? So many things described as antique are simply old, less than one hundred years to which the word antique really applies. So say ‘old’ or ‘vintage’, not ‘antique’, unless you’re sure of that 100 year rule.

* Was the item designed for heavy use, such as pots and pans, coins and banknotes, and unlikely to survive the decades intact? Was the item ephemeral, of limited shelf life, such as theatre tickets, newspapers, and typically used or given away in hours or days? If the item has survived decades, intact, it could be valuable, maybe very valuable.

* Does the item have ‘double appeal’? Might it attract bids from two or more different eBay categories and consequently multiple bids, such as a book on a popular theme, but a collectible author, with a famous previous owner. A plate I bought at the auction of Dame Catherine Cookson’s effects presented four collecting themes: as a plate in its own right (very popular collecting area), famous owner (well-known novelist), Ringtons design (advertising), area of manufacture (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Oh yes, it was also blue and white, another major collecting interest.

* Is the price too low for comfort? Is it a fake or reproduction? Broken? Even worse, stolen?

Check items thoroughly, ask for proof of previous ownership, buy from reputable sellers only, avoid itinerant sellers at flea markets and boot sales unless they provide receipts and contact details. Most boot sale and flea market sellers are very genuine and a majority of organisers now provide written details of traders at the event. Stolen items belong to their original owner, not the innocent buyer.

Avril Harper is a triple eBay PowerSeller and editor of eBay Confidential and webmaster of http://www.publishingcircles.com. She has produced a free guide - 103 POWERSELLER TIPS - which you can download with other freely distributable reports and ebooks at http://www.toppco.com

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