posted on August 27, 2001 04:25:45 AM
I listed a piece of Weller Pottery that a friend of mine bought at an estate sale. We are by no means experts, but thought Weller Pottery was an excellant purchase and thought this auction would be FTW (fun to watch). It's hardly getting close to the reserve and now we're getting nervous for him. Can anyone who knows anything about Weller Pottery tell me why this is not doing what we thought it would? It's item #1267446409. I'm not sending you to the auction in hopes of a bid, I just really want to know if perhaps we should stop shopping for this type of piece.
Thanks
posted on August 27, 2001 05:22:16 AM
Pattern is Wild Rose, one of the least desirable Weller patterns. As with Roseville and other art pottery, the name alone does not make for value. Pattern is everything. This piece should sell for somewhere around $60. Would be surprised if it went any higher.
posted on August 27, 2001 06:58:20 AM
There's 2 Weller vases in this pattern under completed auctions. One finished at $36, the other at $79. The last piece in this pattern that I sold went for $60, but I only paid $1 for it.
Maybe your friend could use it as a Xmas present? Ouch!
posted on August 27, 2001 09:20:28 AM
I am sorry your friend won't realize any profit from the piece. I know it isn't any consolation but although a lot of people don't admit it, most of us have a box of "mistakes".
My best was something I bought on eBay. A tile that had a decent image and was classic Art Nouveau in color and design. The seller listed it as Art Nouveau tile. I felt like a idiot when it arrived and was signed by a 4th grader for her school project. The signature wasn't mentioned and the image was enhanced to obfuscate the signature and enhance the tile itself. I questioned the seller and he sent me a ridicules message about the only way to determine the age of ceramics is by carbon dating. He had cut and paste it from a science journal. I guess I was supposed to be impressed and or intimidated by his "knowledge". Anyway, I decided it wasn't worth arguing with this nitwit, so it went into the Boy Was That A Dumb Thing To Do box.
The moral of this story is research, research, research......... But a more than $200 flub is a big ouch.
posted on August 27, 2001 12:04:45 PM
This is exactly why I hate estate sales - I don't know enough about collectables, which seems to be what most things are at Estate sales. But why would whoever is running an estate sale price it so high? He talked them down from $300.00. I thought people who run Estate sales for a living are pretty knowledgable about most collectables, and would know better than to price it so high - unless they were looking for someone so gullable.
posted on August 27, 2001 01:02:47 PM
First, let me say that I really am sorry that it appears your friend will take a loss on his purchase. Like others have said, I've made my share of costly mistakes too. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing in the collectibles field and I've taken my share of hits along the way.
Yet, I think I've got to say a word here in defense of the Estate sale folks. It's not their job to educate potential sellers / collectors. Their job is to realize as much $$$ as possible for the heirs of the individual whose estate they are selling. Unless they deliberately misled your friend into thinking he was buying something other than what he actually purchased, I see nothing ethically wrong with trying to get as much money for something as one can. To do less in this case would be unprofessional of them.
It's up to the buyer to be aware of what he's buying. It's that caveat emptor thing again. I hope that anyone would do their homework before plunking down serious change for a collectible that they intend to re-sell. It ain't as easy as it looks!
Again, I'm sorry that your friend had an expensive lesson. Hopefully, it won't sour his outlook on collectibles, but rather convince him to stay within areas about which he has a bit more knowledge. Or, do like I do when confronted with an item I know very little about....I only spend as much as I am willing to lose.
posted on August 27, 2001 01:44:02 PM
Yes, we've all made mistakes, and we need to chalk that up in the expense column to "Ebay tuition."
There's a great guy on talk radio, Dave Ramsey, who gives wonderful financial advice. When he's talking with people who've made mistakes in their personal finances, he just calls it tuition and says they've now paid their "stupid tax." (No offense meant here!) I'm remembering those words.
The great world thinkers have said we need to look at experiences like this as just things that didn't work, not as horrible errors we should punish ourselves for.
Like Einstein--he probably erased a lot of equations on that blackboard before he came up with the E equals MC squared equation. He
found out lots of things that didn't work, and then one (but a big one) that did!
posted on August 27, 2001 02:26:35 PM
Mistakes like these are known in the business as attending "Antiques and Collectible College". You must pay the tuition, and sometimes you pass the course, sometimes you don't....though hopefully you will learn!!
posted on August 27, 2001 03:01:49 PM
In a business where we eat or starve based on the quality of our often-rushed buying decisions, the trite (but true) "knowledge is power" axiom is probably more applicable than any other.
Yes, the liquidator had a responsibility to secure the highest prices for her client, but chances are very good she didn't know the market value of that vase anymore than your friend did.
I say that based on years of earning a living by matching wits with liquidators, some of whom are *excellent* and encyclopedic in their knowledge of market values, but many of whom are devoid of even the slightest inkling and, worse yet, too lazy to conduct any research. The latter group either prices in the stratosphere or, lucky for us, tends to undervalue.
Sorry this happened to your friend. All I can suggest is "study, study, study"!!
