Baseball Cards Price

Where can I get the real value of collectables?

Like autographs, rare books, rare memorabilia, sports cards, baseballs, mitts etc....

Public Comments

1. From antique appraisers, collectible price guides (books), and dealers. You can also check auction houses and Ebay listings and guides. There are a couple of rare booksellers on ebay. I'd do a google search for each collection or item and see what comes up. I'd check at least 3 sources for each item as opinions can vary. Another source may be Antique Roadshow. And Larry Fritsch cards and The Hagar Group for baseball cards. For autographs, try Autographs of America in Provo, Utah and Platt Autographs in Clermont Florida.
2. There are many excellent price guides, and the dealers in your area will be glad to make an estimate for you, for a small fee. However, none of these are anything more than an estimate. The only "real" value is what someone is willing to pay for it. If you get an appraisal for a coin, and you insure it for that amount, you might be very unhappy to find out that a buyer will not pay that much. In the long run, the buyer is the one who determines the value, not the seller. I see many different items offered on e-bay, or other online auction sites, but very few actually sell for any amount. This is because there are more collectable items available than there are buyers. To find the names of the best appraisers, type the name of the collectable into your search box and choose the one that is best for you.
3. Remember that all books etc are only a guide to prices. I would say that any collectable is worth what someone is wiling to pay for it on the day. I have done charity fundraising for several years now, and when auctioning autographed items I never cease to be surprised. Some Iitems I expect to get lots of interest end up selling for very little whilst some others raise lots of money. One good tip would be to go to eBay and do a search of closed auctions. This will show you what other sellers of similar items to your got for their items. Of course when selling at auction being eBay or any non on line auction housem remember there will be fees to sell plus commission on the final price. Very often the true value of an item is known only to the person who owns it, who knows what it means to them!