Worthless collectibles before you go on that spending spree?

[Orchidflower]

I just inherited a bunch of Hummel figurines that are worthless--except they are cute. Since others here might be inheriting some "collectibles", maybe this article will help you, also?

5 Completely Worthless Collectibles - TheStreet

Disappointing, yes, but good to know anyway before you go on a spending spree with the money you imagine you will be getting for these worthless collectibles....
I'm glad my relative is dead and doesn't realize her Hummels are worth zip in today's market as it would have really bummed her out. But I'm glad she got so much pleasure out of collecting these items worthless or not.

Note how all these items are companies that actually manufacture the item and then affix a "value" to their item like the Franklin Plates ("Your item today is worth $39 but in 5 years they will be worth $159." It's all smoke and mirror selling.)

The other thing going on in this recession are artists that usually sell only thru galleries and have gone commercial due to lack of business in galleries right now. For instance, a number of well known living artists who sell their paintings for $9.000 in a gallery a few years ago are now selling on artist's websites to the public for $525 (for example).
Their argument is each painting is like a "thumbprint" and slightly different from the original.
If I were a purchaser of their art who paid $9,000 for the original, I would be mighty unhappy about this; and, I am going to assume that many of the artists who are doing this are going to have this practice bite them in the fanny once this recession is over. It has to ruin their reputation in the art world in the future.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I had to laugh at the Thomas Kinkade part of that story--DH's mom has begged us to buy her those prints and I just can't bring myself to pay good money for a "pitcher of light".

 

[REWahoo]

I have a nephew who spent thousands on Beanie Babies back in the day as an investment to put his two kids through college.

He's the same nephew who had some serious money in stock awards from his high tech company back in the late 90's and laughed at me when I suggested in 1999 that he should maybe sell some of them.

He's also the nephew who will be working as far into the future as his health will allow...

 

[jimnjana]

I just inherited a bunch of Hummel figurines that are worthless--except they are cute. Since others here might be inheriting some "collectibles", maybe this article will help you, also?

5 Completely Worthless Collectibles - TheStreet

Disappointing, yes, but good to know anyway before you go on a spending spree with the money you imagine you will be getting for these worthless collectibles....
I'm glad my relative is dead and doesn't realize her Hummels are worth zip in today's market as it would have really bummed her out. But I'm glad she got so much pleasure out of collecting these items worthless or not.

Note how all these items are companies that actually manufacture the item and then affix a "value" to their item like the Franklin Plates ("Your item today is worth $39 but in 5 years they will be worth $159." It's all smoke and mirror selling.)

The other thing going on in this recession are artists that usually sell only thru galleries and have gone commercial due to lack of business in galleries right now. For instance, a number of well known living artists who sell their paintings for $9.000 in a gallery a few years ago are now selling on artist's websites to the public for $525 (for example).
Their argument is each painting is like a "thumbprint" and slightly different from the original.
If I were a purchaser of their art who paid $9,000 for the original, I would be mighty unhappy about this; and, I am going to assume that many of the artists who are doing this are going to have this practice bite them in the fanny once this recession is over. It has to ruin their reputation in the art world in the future.

If you would like to get rid of your "worthless" hummel figures, let me know...my mom still likes those things and I will pay you a fair price for "worthless"...

 

[Rustic23]

We have a 'collection' of LLadros. We got four of five of them when we were in Europe, and I was making trips to Spain. Each has a sentimental value as it represents our kids, and such. However, DW's SIL passed away and we got about 20 or so more. They are nice, and we display them, but I have little doubt we could not sell them for what SIL paid for them. Our kids will sell them in an estate sale some day.

I do know of a couple that sank big bucks in to Hummels. I think they had over a 100. I ask him why, and he said his wife liked them and they were a 'good investment'. I pointed out he would have to sell his wife first, so they weren't a very liquid investment.

 

[Orchidflower]

I, too, got stuck with lots of Lladros as an inheritance. I agree with you, Rustic23, that I could never sell them for what they were purchased for. Again, they brought pleasure to this relative, and if she got some pleasure out of them I'm happy. I don't like them all that much myself.

Out of sentiment--and maybe revenge--I am just passing on the Hummels and Lladros to my son.

 

[W2R]

For some reason, I am not fond of Hummels - - - guess they just aren't my taste for some reason.

I love to shop for inexpensive art and figurines, but I assume that they are completely worthless to anyone but me. I would never want to part with any of them.

 

[Moemg]

I just inherited a bunch of Hummel figurines that are worthless--except they are cute. Since others here might be inheriting some "collectibles", maybe this article will help you, also?

.

I also inherited a few Hummel's and I sold them on ebay . They actually brought in more than I thought . The trick is when they were made . Their is a mark on the underside a bird and depending on those marks is how valuable they are . Their easy to research at the Hummel site . Their are a few rare ones so don't toss them before you check it out .

 

[Sarah in SC]

My collectible weakness is a complete collection of John D. MacDonald's pulp fiction from the 1950s through 1980s, most of which were only printed as paperbacks, fragile old things. I have paid some good prices for a few of the rarer ones and they'd probably be valuable to other JDM collectors, but I suspect we are few and far between.
I plan to leave them as a specific bequest so that they aren't dumped at the book exchange as soon as we die. What happens after that, who knows?

 

[Moemg]

A friend of mine asked me if I would sell something for her father . It was a bag of hologram belt buckle's with old rock bands names . I rolled my eyes when she gave them to me but those things sold within the first minute of listing and the one buyer contacted me and bought all the rest for double my asking price . I also sold a Kiss comic book that had belonged to one of my SO's sons for $150. I also had old chintz dishes that my MIL gave me . I really was not crazy about them so I sold them on ebay a few plates at a time netting over $2000. So do not be to quick to toss things unless they are beanie babies . They really are worthless !

 

[Orchidflower]

So do not be to quick to toss things unless they are beanie babies . They really are worthless !

And the company--like so many others like Franklin Plate--told folks they would escalate in value...even going so far as to print a pamphlet on their price today and what they would be worth X years from now. Too many of these companies today are doing this, and eventually folks will catch onto the marketing ploy I hope.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I liked buying a couple of Beanie Babies as toys, not as investments, for my kids--they're still cute and still cheap and the kids had fun with them (but didn't collect them). DD still has her college mascot Beanie Baby. I don't remember the company ever saying they were an investment that would go up in value (unlike the Franklin and Bradbury cos. which do hint strongly at that). I see the Sasha and Malia Beanie Babies are available on eBay for $849--now that might have been a good investment!

The hot kids collectible today are shaped rubber bands--get them while they're only 99 cents a dozen!

 

[SarahW]

I had to laugh at the Thomas Kinkade part of that story--DH's mom has begged us to buy her those prints and I just can't bring myself to pay good money for a "pitcher of light".

LOL, what a scam "artist." Plenty of people fell for it, too.

 

[SarahW]

I have a nephew who spent thousands on Beanie Babies back in the day as an investment to put his two kids through college.

He's the same nephew who had some serious money in stock awards from his high tech company back in the late 90's and laughed at me when I suggested in 1999 that he should maybe sell some of them.

He's also the nephew who will be working as far into the future as his health will allow...

My BIL/SIL were also "Beanie Baby Fanatics"...positive that they would be rich someday. What a pair of maroons. I'm glad I bought Exxon stock instead. Har, har.

 

[WhoDaresWins]

After my Dad died, my sister and I walked though the house and amiably divided up the stuff that we each wanted to keep. She then flew home to L.A., and I cleaned out the house for sale through various sources: an antiques auctioneer, a yard sale professional, Salvation Army, giving things to neighbors. I was stunned by how much he had accumulated after Mom died, especially Jim Beam bottles (still sealed), Toby mugs, Franklin Mint, netsukes and Chinese "antiques" sold in the 70's and early 80's in hotel banquet rooms. I shouldn't talk, however. I have gone potty for pots by which I mean American produced art pottery prior to 1960...Hull, Roseville, McCoy, etc. Yeah, my son will be cursing me someday

 

[Moemg]

I collect Little Souls Dolls . I had quite a few but I now only have my favorite three . They are 24" dolls that are dressed in vintage children's clothing . I did not do it for any value I just enjoy them. Each doll is different and they are numbered and signed by Gretchen Wilson .

 

[Brat]

My SIL collected Story Book Dolls as a child, she kept them in pristine condition and saved the boxes they came in. Now she is elderly and frail. While talking to my husband about the stuff she had in her basement and mentioned the dolls. He said, "I'll sell them on E-Bay for you!"

We spent a lot of time and effort writing descriptions and photographing the dolls. We had to be careful not to flood the market. She received several thousand dollars as a result. DH made a similar offer to his Aunt with a similar result.

Condition is critical.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

DW got caught up in the collector craze 30 years ago. Started out with plates, then wildlife prints, then "precious moment" figurines. Some of the prints actually grew in value but for the most part, all her collectable are worthless. Back in the day of plate collecting, I could actually see the store owner promoting this plate and that plate and why it was going to be worth so much money. I kept telling DW that if all that was true, the store owner would be stupid not to buy all he could get his hands on and just keep them for himself. She thought I was nuts. Good thing she never got into anything too expensive, like paintings.

 

[HFWR]

If you would like to get rid of your "worthless" hummel figures, let me know...my mom still likes those things and I will pay you a fair price for "worthless"...

In that case, I have a collection of priceless Hummels for sale...

 

[FIREd]

My grandfather collected silver coins. He had hundred of them. My dad gave the coins away before even trying to figure out their value...

I am not much of a collector myself but, like my grand-father, I enjoy stockpiling silver. It's unlikely my "collection" will ever become worthless.

 

[WhoDaresWins]

I kinda like some Hummels and used to have several. I saved "The Goose Girl" as my father gave it to me. The other Hummels were gifts to me from a teacher friend of my Mom's (they had classrooms next to each other for years). She was a very nice lady, worked hard and took care of her frail mother all her life. I loved her gifts and the thoughts behind them, but I got a little nervous about what my son might do with them at some point in the future (read thrift store or worse, trash). I gave them to a co-worker's little daughters, and she invited me to the house to see them in the curio cabinet where her girls keep their valued knick-knacks. I am relieved that this dear lady's gifts have found a good home. I did not want to sell them. I can remember this generous friend very well and often without the Hummels.

 

[Brat]

Well, I inherited "collectible" coins. Marketing them is a PITA. The only one, evidently, of interest to collectors is a $0.05 San Fran. All the rest are, even the 'graded' ones are face value.

I am so happy my parents aren't alive to see the result of those investments.

My peer group is in the 'downsizing' phase of life. One asked how others had handled that, the best response was the classmate who said he invited family and close friends to choose what he had to give away... now he visits his former belongings.

 

[powerplay]

A number of years ago when cleaning out my grandmothers house, my mom took several porcelain dolls in pieces found in the attic and got about $500-600 for them from an antique dealer who planned to restore them. My dad then wanted to know if there was any other sh*t in the attic that could fetch some money. We got a good laugh out of that comment and I still do.

I have some of the BB's that were sold by McDonalds that are the mini version. They are cute, but I never thought they would be worth more $$ as they aged. I actually had some craft plans for them and find my enthusiasm now waning. I may send them off to a deployed soldier requesting toys to hand out to local children at Books for Soldiers.

It was interesting to see the article feature the Norman Rockwell plates. I have quite a few of them from a relatives house I had to clean out and sell last year. They thought the plates were valuable!

I have some of the blue and white Christmas plates made by Bing & Grondahl and Royal Copenhagen. The prices seem to be much lower a year or so after a new plate is issued. The older and rare ones appear to still be for sale at some pretty high prices. One can only have and hold so many collectibles though. I'm not sure if I will pursue any additional plates or not right now. Too much stuff and not enough room for it all.

My mother loved to collect all kinds of plates and glassware. I have lots of odds and ends of her stuff. Yet again there is only so much room available to store it all. Some of it is green depression glass which I'm sort of neutral about. Maybe I can hold onto it and sell it off when (if) the collectible market recovers in the next 20-30 years.

I guess I have to have some boxes of fun stuff for my family to dig through when I'm gone. Although having gone through this process in the past couple years it gets old real fast.

 

[Martha]

In my early working years I went on a dishes binge and got quite a few different early and mid 20th century pieces. I have a bunch of Riviera ware (colorful like fiesta ware but less hefty). We used them as regular dishes for a long time. Then about 15 years ago I saw a Riviera mug for sale for $90 and quit using them. I just might pull out the set again as I like the dishes.

I also have a bunch of depression ware glass which probably doesn't keep up with inflation. My everyday dishes are an occupied Japan set. Pretty. Not worth a whole lot but beats Corelle.

 

[Emeritus]

On the 'high end" my FIL was sold gold coins issued by a con artists shop called the gold standard corporation. all the coins had an Ultra right wing economist's head on them. Most cost 10-15% more than the Krugerrand price. One was a massive 5 oz gold coin. FIL was absolutely convinced by the seller they would appreciate more than the gold value. We were relieved when we found out that they were in fact gold, but of course they sold for only the bullion melt price.