How to Get a Collector’s Eye

Ready to start collecting oak wood furniture, metal pans, comic books, or first edition books? You need a collector’s eye. You need something to tell you what is valuable, what will sell, and what is missing from your collection. If you are ready to take the collecting world on, a huge market, stop watching Antiques Roadshow, and start getting serious about what your eye sees and wants.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Go toward experience you have. The first rule is what makes it not as fun. Sometimes we have to choose exactly what field to specialize in. Used books or comic books, valuable metal pans, or even a Barbie Doll from the 1960s, they all provide a joy for the serious collector. If you are beginning, try to focus on one trade. This is not to say just collect this because you can make money. Do what you want. But try to build a good beginning to a profitable collection, while having fun in other fields. Notice on Antique’s Roadshow that each show expert specializes in a few fields like dolls or paintings? That’s because each field is huge. There are millions of first editions out there, the majority being worth less than a few bucks. There are millions of paintings, but few Picasso’s.

2. Use cell phones and online media to check authenticity of items. So maybe you are at a flea market or looking in a garage sale. You see something that looks good. Yes, the craftsmanship of the small bench looks good, or this may be the first edition of a Hemingway book. What’s next? Use something collectors a few centuries ago didn’t have, the internet and a cell phone. Some cell phones allow you to surf the internet; check the price of a valuable at a sale by doing this.

3. If you want the real value of an item, look to a pricing book, but more than that look to how they are selling in shows or on the internet. This gives you a clear idea of how popular the item is. Pricing books are still important, but you will need new ones every year or two.

4. Sell in the right market. Even Ebay isn’t the right venue for certain items. If you are selling things like antique furniture or old Raggedy Anne and Andy Dolls, you may want to think at the bottom line. There is always a possibility for more money if you know what you have.

5. Have fun with it. All this talk of making money collecting and maybe we forget it can be fun. Having a good collector’s eye isn’t something that comes overnight. Collecting takes time. What’s more enjoyable than finding something you bought for $1 sell for $200?

Tips & Warnings

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions to friends about the value of items, or the market for them.
• When a seller at a store says "This is a steal" never go right for it. Sometimes they are right, more often than not they just want to sell the item.
• There are thousands of negative stories on selling on the internet. Be weary. Sites like Ebay and Amazon are reputable, but even then you can buy a fake item. Always ask for documentation on your item if it is expensive.