Month: August 2023

Great Ideas to invest some money in trying times?  Try silver coins

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Beginning to collect, CoinsLeave a comment

I have been collecting coins ever since I was a kid.  One of the first stories that I heard was that coin hoarding in the early 1800’s.

One of the reasons that led to this happening was the fact that the banking system was not the greatest.  There were plenty of banks that would open up for business and then be out of business within a couple of weeks or months.  Because of the very shaky ground that the banks were on, people were afraid that they would not get their initial deposits back (or anything at all for that matter).

Because of this, people started to hoard silver and gold coins (gold coins were in circulation until 1933 and they had a face value of $1, $2.50, $5, $10 and $20).  It got so bad at one point that the lowly little penny was even getting stockpiled.

The United States Mint (and mints from all around the world for that matter) still make pure silver coins, but they are geared more for collectors and investors alike.

With the price of silver going up, it only makes sense to set a few examples aside to watch them go up in value.  If you play your cards right, you can make a tidy profit on your original purchase price.

What are some of the different types of prices that you will you run across?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Selling tipsLeave a comment

When you make the plunge into the world of antiques and collectibles, you will be amazed at what you run across.

You will see anything from advertising items to musical instruments and even glassware and pottery items.  You will quickly find out that the one thing that will get the most attention is the price of an item.

Did you know that there are different types of prices in the world of antiques and collectibles?  Here are some of the more common types that you will run across:

Reserve price—this is the minimum price that a seller will accept as the winning bid at an auction.

Auction Price—this is the price that is paid when auctioneer’s hammer falls.  This price does not include the Buyer’s Premium—the Buyer’s Premium will be applied when the buyer pays for their items.  The auction price is also known as the hammer price.

Retail Price—this is for an item that is for sale in someone’s physical store or booth.

This is some of the different types of prices that you will run across.  What other types have you seen?

How much do you charge for shipping when selling online?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Selling tipsLeave a comment

This question stumped me when I first started selling items online.  Every time you list an item on an online site, the question on how much to charge on shipping always comes up.  So how do you know how much to charge on the item that you are selling?

After I get all the pictures taken of the item, I will get a start on the packing part for the item to be mailed.  The first step that I do is to find a box that the item fits in.  I will look for a box that is a little bigger than what I am packing so I can put some packing peanuts around it.

When I find a box that works, I go ahead and wrap the item in some bubble wrap it.  When I get the packing peanuts and the bubble wrap around the item in the box, I will weigh the box.

I know that this might be a little over kill, but the size of the box and how much it weighs are what you use to figure the price of the shipping.

When you know that, you can head on over to the USPS website.  There is a postage calculator on that website, and all you have to do is to plug in the weight and size of the box.  When you do, the calculator will give you an idea on how much it will cost on shipping.

One thing that I do after I do this is to write on the inside flap what is inside the box and set it aside—this way all I have do is to put a packing slip inside the box before I tape it closed and attach a shipping label.

This is one way to figure out how much to charge for shipping.  What do you do to figure this out?