Worth Point Review Update

Do you value your items based on Ebay closed auction prices? Worth Point does. I do and I don't and here's why.

Why I sometimes do:

If there are a lot of your type of item on Ebay in the SOLD auctions, you can generally take an average of the closed prices and that will give you a general "Ebay value" for your items. This is helpful if you are selling on Ebay or to a dealer or auction house. If there is only one of your item in closed auctions, you may have a better idea of retail value because collectors are willing to pay more if an item is harder to find, even on Ebay. If you are an average person looking to sell some of your items to dealers then Ebay may be a good reference point for you. As a dealer, you should expect to basically double to triple the auction price to find a true retail value.

Why I usually don't:

When finding the true value of an item, you should use as many sources that are available in helping you determine worth. Reliable sources include Etsy, Ruby Lane, Google Images (for a variety of web sources), and yes, Worthpoint to some degree.  Ruby Lane shows their sold items for a period of time on the last page of the listings. This can be a starting point to determine worth although sites like Ruby Lane are going to be, on average, lower than book value because it is a mall with many competing vendors.

Due to the fact that Worth Point seems to get most (maybe all - keep reading to find out why I'm not sure) of their values from Ebay, I think it is highly overpriced for what you get.

Here are their fees (taken directly from their website):

Basic $9.99 / Month 25 Worthopedia Price/Item Lookups per Month 5 Classified Ads Free Profile

Professional $24.99 / Month 75 Worthopedia Price/Item Lookups per Month 20 Classified Ads Premium Profile

Power $49.99 / Month Unlimited Worthopedia Price/Item Lookups per Month 40 Classified Ads Premium Profile

I signed up for Power with unlimited lookups. I looked up a few items (you get only 5 with your trial) and was cut off from using the system again during the 7 days of my free trial. I cancelled my subscription immediately. What I received for the trial was not even close to enough to be indicative of this service's value or to give me a true idea of how they work. This was enough to make me question their business and run for the hills (note the date of this article - 2012).

In closing, I just want to say, use the power of the internet. Do a bit of research to find out which sites are reliable for pricing and information. Combine that with resource books and experts in forums (if you have the time and desire to do so). My valuation of Worth Point is, for purely practical reasons, about a 5/10.

Worth Point Review

Worth Point (dot com) is a website that will apparently tell you what your vintage or antique item is worth. Recently, I am going through a shift in selling. I have an entire room full of vintage items that need to be cleared out from a recently deceased step father who loved to buy anything and everything he could at auction. My husband and I were looking for values of the first box of items: Franklin Mint series "Birds and Blossoms of the World". I signed up for the "free" trial on the Worth Point website which gives you a month of unlimited searching for items on the site for about $50.00 USD. Be careful if you do this! After the 7 days of trial, if you don't cancel, you will have to pay the money for the program you signed up for! After I signed up, it became apparent that the values for the items were based off Ebay auctions and various internet sites that have closed more than three years ago.

So, overall, I concluded that Worth Point is not worth your money for a number of reasons. First of all, Ebay auctions are not a reliable source for the valuation of your vintage items. Secondly, they base the worth of your item off one auction that closed (in my case) more that three years ago. This does not seem like a realistic valuation of my items. In looking further into Worth Point, it seems that what they do is pull values off different internet sites like Rubylane or Tias or Ebay. So if I have the same item that you have and I have no idea what it is actually worth and I price it at $25.00 on Rubylane or Tias, Worth Point will pick up the sale and state it as a value on their site with no extra valuation expertise or experience. I suggest instead, going directly to rubylane.com or tias.com or etsy.com to get the true internet value of your items. If you do the footwork yourself and take an average of the value of the items sold or listed that are like your item, you will get a better idea of value than if you went only to Worth Point. In addition, you should consider buying some of the many valuable resource books that are available to the general public on the topic of vintage collectibles.

These sites will give you a more realistic view, however, not the full retail value. That is because they are malls with many competing vendors. That is why the values at these sites should be consistently less than book value.

I will continue with my "free" trial and let you know how it plays out. Hopefully I will find some worth in Worth Point.

Unusual, Strange, Unique Vintage Jewelry and Value

Why Would You Wear That?!

There are many pieces of jewelry out there the average consumer would look at and think are too strange to wear.  Some might think they are just plain ugly!  But others look at them and appreciate their oddly unique appeal and collectability.

Collectability is individual and is about you, the buyer.  Don't ever let a guide book or dealer tell you the value of something.  You determine market value as a consumer. Only ever pay as much as the item is worth to you and don't buy something just because it has a high perceived market value.  These are some ways you can maintain the actual worth of your collection.

Sometimes, it's these distinct pieces that are worth the most money for a few reasons. First, they often have a strong emotive attachment, meaning that it stirs, in the potential buyer, a strong emotional reaction due to subject matter, uniqueness and/or unconventional beauty.  Also, jewelry that was produced in larger quantities was generally more streamlined, less interesting and easier to construct so unique pieces are harder to come by which increases market value. Sometimes, it takes a strong knowledge of art, design and construction to appreciate a piece so what the average person doesn't see in it, a trained eye might.

Having said that, just because something is bizarre or peculiar, doesn't mean it's worth anything.  There are other factors involved such as availability, designer, construction, condition and  theme. 

Here are some of the strange and unusual pieces I have had over the years.  Do they appeal to you?  Would you wear them? What kind of value would you expect them to have and why? What do you have in your collection that you think would fit in this discussion?  

Whimsical Bakelite Flower Earrings - click to see in store

Lucite bubble ring

Elzac Lucite face brooch

Coro snake and lampwork glass eggs brooch - click to see in store