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1. Put the coaster in the correct category. I would recommend #565 if the coaster is beer related
Collectibles > Breweriana, Beer > Coasters (Category 565)
or
Collectibles > Barware > Coasters (Category 13907)
2. Utilize a Second Category if it is a cross-collectible (item applies to multiple and completely different collectibles). You might find two collecting groups bidding against each other.
Following are examples:
A. Bud football schedule coasters: Sport Mem. Cards & Fan Shop > Vintage Sports Memorabilia > Schedules
B. Narragansett brewing Dr Seuss coaster: Toy and Hobbies > TV, Movie, Character Toy > Dr. Seuss > Cat in the Hat
3. Do not over price your item. Let the buyers set the value. Just because it is old and very graphic, do not assume it is worth a lot of money. Some pre-prohibition coasters are very common and will sell for under $10 while others can sell for upwards of $1000
4. Do not under price your item. Some very rare coasters have sold for pennies on the dollar because they were in the wrong category, had a misleading Title, left out a valuable piece of information that collectors should know about or it was just the wrong time to sell the item. Use a starting bid that is under the retail value but do not give it away. There is always a chance your item could sell for the starting price
5. Use a Reserve Price if you think your item is very valuable but do not want to over price the starting bid. If your reserve is not met, you always have the option of selling or not selling it.
6. Use a Gallery Picture. Due to the volume of coasters added every day, a picture will help the buyers determine which auction they will look at. This is especially needed if your title does not reflect the accuracy or a good description of the coaster
7. Show both sides of the coaster especially if the designs are different on both sides. Coasters have a lot of variations that are highly desirable from a collecting stand point. The year a coaster was printed, whether or not a printers label is present, various phrases, sports schedules etc.
8. Many coasters come in sets and knowing which coaster in a set you are selling is very important information. If you are selling NY Giants Bud coaster keep in mind the Giants have been around for years and the collector might want to know what year the coaster represents. Not every year has a different front and reverse so showing just the front might not be good enough for the buyer
9. If there is a phrase or poem on the coaster the size of the picture is important so that the phrase can be seen and read. These could be part of a set and the buyer would be interested in this information
10. Use a descriptive that title that will catch the attention of the collector. Put in a the brewery, state, quantity and something descriptive about the coaster that would distinguish it from other coasters
11. Foreign to the USA coasters are not that valuable to most USA buyers. Even though your spouse collected hundreds of coasters throughout the years on his business travels from all over the world. They are not worth that much. Postage might be more expensive than the value of the coasters. Pre-WWII coasters do have value. Coasters from out of the way places are also valuable as there are a lot of collectors who want 1 coaster from every country
I will return most emails with a 4 or 5 hour timeframe so if you have question on a coaster, send me a scan and I will give you an approximate value or range. If it turns out to be a very rare coaster I will give you the low-end price because know one really knows how high some collectors will go. As a rule I usually will not make an offer on a coaster because if you end up selling it on eBay and my price was to low, you will get the impression I tried to cheat or low-ball you. Trust me, I would not ruin a good reputation for a piece of cardboard, thats all these are, nothing more. I will however tell you that I would offer 'X' but that depending on the circumstance you might or might not get more on eBay. Then it's your decision to sell it or not.
I have been collecting coasters for over 25 years and have a perfect eBay Rating. You can see a few of my better coasters here on eBay: About Me
Collectibles > Breweriana, Beer > Coasters (Category 565)
or
Collectibles > Barware > Coasters (Category 13907)
2. Utilize a Second Category if it is a cross-collectible (item applies to multiple and completely different collectibles). You might find two collecting groups bidding against each other.
Following are examples:
A. Bud football schedule coasters: Sport Mem. Cards & Fan Shop > Vintage Sports Memorabilia > Schedules
B. Narragansett brewing Dr Seuss coaster: Toy and Hobbies > TV, Movie, Character Toy > Dr. Seuss > Cat in the Hat
3. Do not over price your item. Let the buyers set the value. Just because it is old and very graphic, do not assume it is worth a lot of money. Some pre-prohibition coasters are very common and will sell for under $10 while others can sell for upwards of $1000
4. Do not under price your item. Some very rare coasters have sold for pennies on the dollar because they were in the wrong category, had a misleading Title, left out a valuable piece of information that collectors should know about or it was just the wrong time to sell the item. Use a starting bid that is under the retail value but do not give it away. There is always a chance your item could sell for the starting price
5. Use a Reserve Price if you think your item is very valuable but do not want to over price the starting bid. If your reserve is not met, you always have the option of selling or not selling it.
6. Use a Gallery Picture. Due to the volume of coasters added every day, a picture will help the buyers determine which auction they will look at. This is especially needed if your title does not reflect the accuracy or a good description of the coaster
7. Show both sides of the coaster especially if the designs are different on both sides. Coasters have a lot of variations that are highly desirable from a collecting stand point. The year a coaster was printed, whether or not a printers label is present, various phrases, sports schedules etc.
8. Many coasters come in sets and knowing which coaster in a set you are selling is very important information. If you are selling NY Giants Bud coaster keep in mind the Giants have been around for years and the collector might want to know what year the coaster represents. Not every year has a different front and reverse so showing just the front might not be good enough for the buyer
9. If there is a phrase or poem on the coaster the size of the picture is important so that the phrase can be seen and read. These could be part of a set and the buyer would be interested in this information
10. Use a descriptive that title that will catch the attention of the collector. Put in a the brewery, state, quantity and something descriptive about the coaster that would distinguish it from other coasters
11. Foreign to the USA coasters are not that valuable to most USA buyers. Even though your spouse collected hundreds of coasters throughout the years on his business travels from all over the world. They are not worth that much. Postage might be more expensive than the value of the coasters. Pre-WWII coasters do have value. Coasters from out of the way places are also valuable as there are a lot of collectors who want 1 coaster from every country
I will return most emails with a 4 or 5 hour timeframe so if you have question on a coaster, send me a scan and I will give you an approximate value or range. If it turns out to be a very rare coaster I will give you the low-end price because know one really knows how high some collectors will go. As a rule I usually will not make an offer on a coaster because if you end up selling it on eBay and my price was to low, you will get the impression I tried to cheat or low-ball you. Trust me, I would not ruin a good reputation for a piece of cardboard, thats all these are, nothing more. I will however tell you that I would offer 'X' but that depending on the circumstance you might or might not get more on eBay. Then it's your decision to sell it or not.
I have been collecting coasters for over 25 years and have a perfect eBay Rating. You can see a few of my better coasters here on eBay: About Me
Coaster of the Month!
eBay Selling Tips