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Alien collectable star of auction

BBC NEWS | Entertainment
By Stephen Dowling
BBC News Online entertainment staff
Tuesday, 13 July, 2004

"The gruesome alien 'chest-burster' - an embryonic monster that emerges in bloody style from John Hurt's chest in Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi classic Alien, was among items up for auction in London on Tuesday.
The alien, which was eventually purchased by singer Chris de Burgh for just under �29,875, took pride of place among film and pop memorabilia items on show in Bonhams' auction rooms.
...Alongside 50s matinee idol posters and photographs, one of the most collectable areas has been the props, costumes and model monsters from modern movie-making's blockbuster phase."

Read the Full Story >>

Visit our Movie Poster - Vintage - Original - Reproduction Movie Posters Resource site for the latest trends and prices. Find original, vintage and reproduction Movie Posters.

Collectible - Vintage Collectibles and Hot Online Auction Trends

"Welcome to BidTrendz.com - Collectible News: the authoritative source on everything collectible and your eye on current trends and what's hot in the online auction world. The Ultimate Price Guide - What's Hot? Granted, it's hard to put a finger on everything hot in the collectibles and online auction markets, but we hope to open the window just a tad by aggregating content that we find interesting, and hopefully you might also...."

View the Collectible - Vintage Collectibles and Hot Online Auction Trends site >>

Reagan items hot on auction site
DailyBulletin.com - News
By LISA FRIEDMAN, Staff Writer

"WASHINGTON - Call it ghoulish. Call it tacky. Or call spending $2,300 for Ronald Reagan funeral memorabilia buying a slice of history, as Neil Funkhouser does."

Read the Full Story >>

Paint-by-numbers guru looks back on craze

Posted on Sat, Jul. 03, 2004
AP Wire | 07/03/2004 |
F.N. D'ALESSIO
Associated Press

"CHICAGO - Long before Elvis's face first hit black velvet, the guardians of all that is good and serious in American art had something else to bewail. This heresy was called paint-by-numbers, and Dan Robbins was its prophet.
...The once-mocked paintings are a hot collectible on eBay, and Robbins, now 79, had the satisfaction of seeing his artworks hanging in the Smithsonian in 2001 and 2002 - even if other people actually filled in the paint."

Read the Full Story >>

Stacked deck

al.com: Sports
Thursday, June 24, 2004
DENNIS VICTORY
For The Birmingham News
"Sports card collector and seller Rick Mirigian recognized the inherent risk when he purchased three packs of Upper Deck's Exquisite Collection of NBA basketball cards.
After all, he was forking over the all-time-high retail price of $500 per pack. "

Read the Full Story >>

Pocket bikes zipping into area traffic, but not without a bit of controversy

Record-Journal
By Rachel R. Makwana, Record-Journal staff
"MERIDEN - A new trend is flying out of stores and cruising downtown streets.
They are pocket bikes - miniature versions of motorcycles - powered by small one-cylinder motors. They aren't easily found in local motorcycle or performance shops, mainly because shop owners don't want the liability that comes with them.
EBay, the top online auction site, lists more than 1,900 pocket bikes. Most have attracted multiple bids."

Read the Full Story >>

The case of the missing scooter

TheStar.com
'You can import a Vespa that is more than 15 years old and put it on the road. Transport Canada says these old ones are collector's items. But surely the Ferrari scooter is 10 times more collectible. And surely a scooter made by Ferrari and Piaggi meets higher standards than some Vespa made 15 years ago.' He had a point."

Read the Full Story >>

Heroclix - Superheroes becoming super popular
Hendricks County Flyer
By Amber Riggin
Staff Writer

"CLERMONT -- Spider-Man, Wolverine, the Hulk, and Captain America are superheroes that have remained popular for decades, but creators are no longer limited to comic books and television shows. The new generation of the popular characters are now part of a team of superhero collectibles designed for strategy play."

Read the Full Story >>

10 Ways To Avoid Buying Fakes Online
The Web Is Swarming With Charlatans Trying To Sell Counterfeits. So, Arm Yourself With These Practical Tips For Safe Cyber-Shopping

TheBostonChannel.com - Money -

"No doubt, E-commerce is booming. Nearly 50% of Americans bought something online last year, according to market consultancy JupiterResearch. Unfortunately, as many as 10% of those consumers were fooled. Instead of buying what they thought were genuine products, they ended up with counterfeits."

Read the Full Story >>

eBay's Top Ten Comic Categories and Prices

From Barbara Crews,
Your Guide to Collectibles.

"Jun 22 2004
Top 10 Hot Categories - May 2004
Silver Age Iron Man
Silver Age Silver Surfer
Superman Graphic Novels, TPBs
Bronze Age X-Men
Silver Age Journey Into Mystery
Silver Age Daredevil
Original Comic Strip Art
Silver Age Spider-Man
Silver Age Avengers
Golden Age Superman"

Read the Full Story >>

Going Vintage

June 25, 2004
business-times.asia1.com

"What strikes the well-heeled when the collecting bug hits them?
GEOFFREY EU checks out the watches, pens and cars that catch their fancy, with focus on those from the vintage era.
WHAT makes a collector tick - or more precisely, what is it about the human condition that drives someone to possess an object of desire?"

Read the Full Story >>

Clinton memoir sparks on-line price war

By JACK KAPICA
Globe and Mail Update
Globetechnology

"Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is still a hot property, if Internet sales of his book are any indication.
Mr. Clinton's 957-page memoir, My Life, has an initial print run of 1.5 million copies and sells for a cover price of $33 in the United States. But signed copies have sold for as much as $499 (U.S.), reports on-line bookseller Abebooks.com of Victoria, B.C."

Read the Full Story >>

Eric Clapton Stratocaster "Blackie" Becomes Most Expensive Guitar Sold at Auction
June 25, 2004
by TOM WATSON

"Eric Clapton's prized Stratocaster, 'Blackie', brought $959,500 in the Christie's Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Auction, becoming the most expensive guitar ever to have been sold at auction. Stevie Ray Vaughan's Stratocaster, 'Lenny' received the second highest price ever paid for a Fender Stratocaster at auction, fetching $623,500. A new world record was also set for the sale of a Gibson guitar - Clapton's 1964 red Gibson ES-335 brought $847,500."

Read the Full Story >>

TOPPS READIES FOR HISTORIC AUCTION

Sportsology.Net - NON-Sports Card News

"On Saturday, June 26th, 2004, Topps will start one of its most anticipated auctions ever-The Wacky Packages Original Art Auction.
The auction, which will take place via the internet on www.TheToppsVault.com, will feature original Wacky Packages art (1967-2004) including 'Crust' Toothpaste (Valued $25,000 -$45,000-see attached), the all-new Martha Stewart spoof and many more."

Read the Full Story >>

Collector's Corner: Water Guns
By Michele Alice
AuctionBytes.com
June 20, 2004

"When I was growing up in Detroit, every kid in the neighborhood had a water gun. Of course, that was a long time ago, and our 'squirt guns' were pretty standard for the day: transparent plastic 'pistols' in bright colors that 'shot' a thin stream of water six or seven feet."

Read the Full Story >>

Some Recent Upper Deck Ken Griffy Jr. Rookie Card prices:

1989 UPPER DECK KEN GRIFFEY JR RC *PSA 10* - May 10, 2004 - 19 bids - $325.00

1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. RC BGS 9.5 10 Centering - May 13 - 28 bids - $510.00

Ken Griffey Jr 1989 Upper Deck rookie BGS 9.5 GEM MINT - May 19 - 15 bids - $416.11 (This seller stated: "This was a $2,500 card just a couple years ago..Get it now while it's still a bargain..Don't wait to grab these..This card is so tough to find in top condition due to rough cutting, and centering")

1989 UPPER DECK KEN GRIFFEY JR RC PSA 9 MINT - May 17 - 11 bids - $66.18

1989 UPPER DECK KEN GRIFFEY JR ROOKIE RC! MINT! NR! - May 8 - 11 bids - $33.00

1989 Upper Deck #1 Ken Griffey Jr. PSA 8 NM-MT - May 9 - 10 bids - $32.19

Looks like the top graded cards get the big money....

Griffey card still a hot item

1989 rookie card revolutionized collecting
By Mark Newman / MLB.com
Cincinnati Reds News

"It was card No. 1 in a set of 800, and there was something as different about that particular card as there was about its subject.
Ken Griffey Jr. became the player of the 1990s in Major League Baseball, and his 1989 Upper Deck rookie card became the card of the decade as well.
...The Card is not on a par with a Honus Wagner or a Mickey Mantle in terms of cash value. Generations from now, though, there is a good chance it will be remembered as a turning point in the world of trading cards."

Read the Full Story >>

EBay full time
www.tennessean.com
Sunday, 06/13/04

"Todd Benne's idea for a future career began several years ago when he saw a bunch of Christmas ornaments on sale at Wal-Mart for $1 each a few days after Christmas. Valuable stuff, right?
He took them home and put the first one on eBay New Year's Day. Amazingly, it sold for $24. What began as a $15 investment in some 15 ornaments turned into about $250 after the auctions were over."

Read the Full Story >>

eBay's Top Ten Collectibles -- May 2004
Decorative Collectibles
From Barbara Crews,
Your Guide to Collectibles.

Jun 21 2004
Top 10 Hot Categories
Hallmark Series Ornaments (Mary's Angels, Frosty Friends)
Longaberger Baskets & Dinnerware
Enesco This Little Piggy
Franklin Mint Collectibles
Josef Collectibles
ANRI Collectibles
All God's Children
Flambro
Margaret Furlong
Department 56 North Pole"

Read the Full Story >>

COLLECTORS' ITEMS - Dad rags

"Vintage Hawaiian shirts are treasured collectibles. They are now pop culture symbols, a bit of Americana.
Gary Moss, an optometrist from Westford, Mass., has vintage shirts dating back to the 1930s that are worth more than $1,000."

Read the Full Story >>

No buyer for Lennon's last sketch

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Music |
"Ted Owen, co-founder of the Cooper Owen auction house, said: 'The interesting thing about the auction is the intellectual copyright with the Prince tapes and Jimi Hendrix tapes, which is quite unusual.
'More and more, copyright is becoming one of the major collectibles: back catalogue and copyright seems to be high on the agenda as an investment.
'Both of the items you can reproduce in perpetuity and make money out of - and get your investment back.' "

Read the Full Story >>

Just a darn interesting story - and... "Were it legal to sell one, a one-gram moon pebble (less than 4/100ths of an ounce) would fetch $1 million or more":

In Malta, a moon-rock caper | csmonitor.com
By Mark Clayton | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
'I would not be surprised if half of those 135 moon rocks have been stolen, or lost, or are now in a position where they could be stolen.'- Joseph Gutheinz, retired NASA investigator.

Sam Spade unraveled the mystery of the Maltese Falcon. Now his nonfictional alter ego is snooping into a real treasure-gone-missing caper: the Maltese moon rock.
Only about the size of a pea, the dull-gray specimen was plucked from the lunar surface by Apollo astronauts, embedded in a clear acrylic ball, and given to Malta. Last month, the acrylic ball and rare rock inside it disappeared from its display in a Mdina museum."

Read the Full Story >>

Americana is as vast as the country it comes from
Antiques & collectibles: Lynn Hopper
June 12, 2004

"What do toys, advertisements and politics have in common? They are all part of a great (also as in 'vast') collecting area knows as 'Americana.' They are nostalgia, dreams and reality.
They're often the stuff that turns up in old button boxes, in the backs of drawers, stored away in attics.
And most important, they are often the stuff that collectors are crazy about."

Read the Full Story >>

Magazine's demise leaves a large void
Dwight Chapin Monday, June 14, 2004

"The list of publications catering to collectors of older sports memorabilia continues to shrink.
Beckett Sports Collectibles magazine, formerly Beckett Vintage Sports, threw in the towel with its June issue. "

Read the Full Story>>

Coin sellers can lose a mint
Traveling show offers to pay fraction of cash value set by two local dealers

Beacon Journal | 06/17/2004 |
By Betty Lin-Fisher
Beacon Journal business writer

"If you have some old coins or other collectibles lying around in your attic but don't know the value of them, don't be too quick to sell them.
Do some homework by getting multiple offers from dealers, or you might not get as much cash as you deserve."

Read the Full Story >>

Small sellers get the Amazon.com edge

The Seattle Times
Business & Technology
By Monica Soto Ouchi
Seattle Times technology reporter
"'You're going to pick up a book that's going for pennies at a resale shop and come to find out that it's worth $100,' he said. 'We call that the buried treasure and the gems. It's a lot like mining for gold.'
...Thrift Book's best-selling titles are "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey and "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" by John Gray. Both sell within 48 hours from the time they're listed.
The titles that sit on the shelves the longest: mass-market paperback books. Titles from authors such as John Grisham and Tom Clancy usually go for a penny."

Read the Full Story >>

Classic plastic

Thursday, June 03, 2004
Elisabeth Dunham
"Not so long ago, plastic was considered nothing more than a cheap alternative to wood and metal. Today, the same stuff that was meant to tide people over until they could afford the pricey stuff is the pricey stuff. And the prices just keep rising. Here's a look at some of the hottest vintage plastics on the collectibles market. "

Read the Full Story >>

Check Your Pocket Change for These Coins

Indiana Printing & Publishing Co
May 16, 2004

"Wondering if anything in your old piggy bank is worth something?
The best way to find out a coin's value is to have it appraised by an expert. But here are a few tips, provided by John Busovicki of the Indiana Coin Club, to help you identify collectible coins."

Read the Full Story >>

Collector's Corner: LaserDiscs

By Michele Alice
AuctionBytes.com
June 06, 2004
"Does obsolescence a collectible make?
That is the question surrounding the demise of the LaserDisc.
Brought to market in 1978, the MCA DiscoVision branded disc and its Magnavox Magnavision player represented a major advancement in consumer electronics...
...So, are the discs and their players collectible? You bet!
Videophiles who amassed huge disc collections are hurrying to complete their libraries."

Read the Full Story >>

Upper Deck selling sports cards for $500 a pack

SignOnSanDiego.com
UNION-TRIBUNE
June 11, 2004
By Jordan Robertson
"Upper Deck began selling the trading card industry's most expensive packs of cards yesterday, as the Carlsbad company launched its limited-edition 2004 NBA Exquisite series with wood-boxed packs that retail for $500.
...One card, which features NBA logos cut from game-worn jerseys of superstars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, hit $14,000 in an eBay auction in less than four hours. "

Read the Full Story >>

Don't Know Beans About the Latest Trading Card Game?
Genio Launches Mighty Beanz Trading Card Game Web Site

"NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 24, 2004--Genio Group, Inc. (OTCBB:GNOI.OB), a developer and marketer of innovative entertainment and leisure products, announced today the launch of its new web site - www.beanz-tcg.com - for its new collectible trading card game based on the popular children's collectible toy, Mighty Beanz (TM)."

Read the Press Release >>

'Wilcox Wiggler' lure becomes hot collectible

AP Wire | 06/05/2004 |
"Besides fixing teeth and making implants for false teeth, Wilcox liked to tinker, and he owned many patents, including one issued May 25, 1909, for a 'Wilcox Wiggler' fishing lure.
It has become a rare and desirable fishing lure among antique fishing tackle collectors. When a 'Wilcox Wiggler' surfaces at antique shows and auctions, it has sold for $8,000 to $9,000."

Read the Full Story >>

Hot Wheels designer has license to be a kid
By Zach Dunkin
zach.dunkin@indystar.com
June 11, 2004
"If California is America's Neverland, then Larry Wood is its Peter Pan.
The neatest thing about what I do is that I can be a kid forever," said Wood, grand marshal for this weekend's K&N Filters/Goodguys Hot Rod Nationals car show at Indianapolis Raceway Park in Clermont. "I can play with toys and get away with it."

...Although most collectibles range from $20 to $500, Wood says a hot-pink, Rear Loading Volkswagen Beachbomb bus was recently purchased by a commercial real estate agent in Washington, D.C., for $62,000. Revered as the top car among collectors, it sold for 59 cents in 1969."

Read the Full Story >>

Fans score all Lightning pucks within 2 hours
By MARK ALBRIGHT, Times Staff Writer
Published June 12, 2004

"Forget trying to order one of those $155 crystal hockey pucks commemorating the Tampa Bay Lightning's capture of the Stanley Cup.
Dillard's sold out of them in two hours.
'We could have sold probably 5,000 of them,' said Dawn Zachman..."

Read the Full Story >>

Reagan Memorabilia Floods EBay
Yahoo! News
Sat Jun 12, 7:38 AM ET
By RACHEL KONRAD, AP Technology Writer

"SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Great Communicator's popularity is evident on eBay, with more than 11,000 pieces of Ronald Reagan (news - web sites) memorabilia for sale at the online auction site - although it's likely some are not genuine. "

Read the Full Story>>

Hepburn Estate Auction Raises $5.8 Million
Yahoo! News
Sat Jun 12, 7:22 AM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A two-day auction of property belonging to actress Katharine Hepburn (news) brought in an unexpected $5.8 million, with many items selling for far above the estimated price, Sotheby's said on Friday.
The most sought after piece and the most expensive item was a bronze bust of Spencer Tracy... "

Read the Full Story >>

Donruss does the right thing

By BOB DIAMOND
bdiamond@herald.com
Herald.com | 05/12/2004 |

"In the past three years Donruss has cut up over 20,000 jerseys to embed into their trading cards. A couple of weeks ago company officials found a jersey that had been in their storage room since its acquisition after the 2000 NFL season -- Pat Tillman's 2000 Arizona Cardinals jersey.
Donruss officials were stunned to find the jersey in the exact same spot it had been for over three years.

But, as a tribute to what Tillman stood for, Donruss will donate the jersey to his family.

It may seem ironic for a company that purchased a Babe Ruth jersey for $264,210, then cut it up and inserted in packs last October. The Ruth cards have sold for over $1,000 on the secondary market."

Read the Full Story >>

Golf Collectibles: Hitting The Sweet Spot

Missy Sullivan, The Forbes Collector, 06.04.04, 2:47 PM ET
Forbes.com
"Up until about 15 years ago, this was a sleepy market. Says Ellis, 'When I started in the 1980s, I was picking cherries. There was no competition.' Then, between 1989 and 1991, Japanese collectors jumped in, driving prices skyward.

Since that bubble burst, according to Karen Bednarski, director of the Golf Collectors Society, the market has trended with the economy, quality merchandise has grown far scarcer, and Ebay (nasdaq: EBAY - news - people ) has created a glut of common material. The result? Pre-1960s items have gone up in price, while later stuff has dropped. We asked the hobby's top collectors and dealers to identify some of the game's most valuable and popular collectibles."

Read the Full Story >>

Gold In The Attic

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, Feb 1, 2004
Byline: Lauren Barack
"Magazine junkies, pay attention
That habit of cramming closets and attics full of old magazines could pay off. Disregard the pleadings of your spouse (or other co-dependents) to toss those dusty piles. Instead, look through them for buried treasure.
If you have a first edition of Playboy, featuring the world-famous nude of Marilyn Monroe, it's a prized collectible (one recently fetched $3,301 on eBay.) But you can get hundreds, sometimes thousands, for hard-to-find editions of obscure fashion, photography and design magazines. The premiere issue of Visionaire, a fashion mag from 1991, can command $2,000."

Read the Full Story >>

Reagan collectibles suddenly hot items
June 9, 2004
BY LUCIO GUERRERO
suntimes.com

"Two months ago, Paul Linke tried to auction off a 12-inch replica doll of Ronald Reagan. He had few takers.
The same doll is back on Internet auction site eBay, and the response has been much different."

Read the Full Story >>

Slugger's stock rising
There is optimism among fans that Griffey is all the way back
By Justin Fenton
The Cincinnati Enquirer

"Dan Dicke thumbed through the racks of jerseys at the Reds team store in the downtown Westin Hotel, bypassing Barry Larkin, Austin Kearns and Adam Dunn offerings and pulled out a bright red Ken Griffey Jr. jersey."

Read the Full Story >>

It all began with Burroughs
By SEAN HOSLEY
The Bryan-College Station Eagle
Special to The Eagle

"One of artist James Allen St. John's paintings was used for the Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan comic book series. St. John is responsible for illustrating more than half of Burroughs' books.

...You can become an expert at anything, if you put your mind to it, in 10 years.
Those words were the beginning of an odyssey that has lasted more than six decades.
That simple statement began a treasure hunt that continues to this day, having passed from one generation to the next, and which has led to the amassment of one of the finest art collections in the Brazos Valley."

Read the Full Story >>

Candy containers once meant to entertain now collector's items
www.herald-dispatch.com
Sunday, June 6, 2004
"They sold for pennies when they first arrived on the market; now they can sell for thousands.
Candy containers in a wide variety of shapes and made of glass were meant to entertain children long after the candy was gone. As it turned out, not only children enjoyed them but so did adults. "

Read the Full Story >>

Titanic Artifacts Set for Auction Block This Week
Brian Handwerk
for National Geographic News
June 7, 2004
"The ill-fated luxury liner R.M.S. Titanic never made it to New York. But on Thursday the largest ever selection of the ship's artifacts and memorabilia will go on the auction block the city's South Street Seaport Museum, just steps from the New York Titanic memorial. "

Read the Full Story >>

Top Ten Comic Prices on eBay
From Barbara Crews,
Your Guide to Collectibles
Collectibles Blog
"May 31, 2004
Top Ten Comic Prices on eBay
Would you believe over one auction lot consisted of over a MILLION individual comics? Don't think I want to pay the shipping costs for that auction! Find out more -- what are buyers searching for, what categories are most popular and the rest of the top ten list. . . ."

Read the Full Story >>

eBay Hot Items Report - May 2004 - Collectibles

Let's have a look at some of the Super Hot Categories in Collectibles:

Mars Attacks trading cards from 1962. Some recent prices:

46 Vintage 1962 Mars Attacks Trading Cards - 17 bids - $817.00

Complete Set of 55 Original 1962 Mars Attacks Cards - 14 bids - $760.00

1962 MARS ATTACKS Card # 1 EX - 17 bids - $300.00

Angel trading cards ranked above the Mars Attacks cards, but from the sell through rate and prices, I'm not really clear why. Congressional autographs ranked in the super hot category, while Magic the Gathering trading cards were very hot, along with Marlboro and Virginia Slims in Tobacciana, Cigarettes.

Also in the very hot category were decorative collectibles:
Villages from PartyLite, This Little Piggy from Enesco, Lucy and Me from Enesco, and Picturesque from Harmony Kingdom.

In entertainment memorabilia, press kits from 1970-79 in the movie memorabilia category and press kits in television memorabilia were super hot.

In Sports cards and memorabilia, soccer card singles were super hot, while MLB singles from 1940-49 were very hot followed by NHL rookie cards from pre 1980 and MLB rookies, 1980-89 in the hot category.

In Toys and Hobbies, McDonalds fast food toys were super hot, as well as Siku diecast cars and trucks. Digimon and Pokemon trading cards were very hot.

eBay Top Ten Collectible Auctions/Categories
From Barbara Crews,
Your Guide to Collectibles.
May 25 2004
April 2004 - Top 10 Hot Categories
Hallmark Mary's Angels Ornaments
Lladro Animal Figurines
Longaberger Dinnerware, Baskets & Fabric
PartyLite Villages & Candles
Enesco -- This Little Piggy
Josef
Rein Poortvliet
Wedgwood Bells
ANRI
Halcyon Days"

Read the Full Story >>

Cross market trends....
Vintage: is it getting old?
- Fashion - www.smh.com.au
"For hard-edged glamour, all manner of 80s relics are back. Hot items include Levi's 501s, quilted Chanel handbags, black denim and, for the sartorially brave, acid-washed jeans."

Read the Full Story >>

How to Bet Smarty
TIME.com:
May. 31, 2004
Savvy ways to wager — without getting burned — at the Belmont Stakes
"STUFF IT AWAY ...
Thanks to a healthy collectibles market, if Smarty Jones is the victor, your winning ticket may be worth more if you never cash it in. Here's why: a $2 bet on Smarty Jones probably won't pay off more than $1.50. But if you put the stub in your sock drawer, experts say it's probable you'll be able to sell it as a collector's item for hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in 10 or so years. Think that sounds crazy? Last week's winning eBay bid for an uncashed $2 Smarty Jones ticket from the Kentucky Derby: $167.50."

Read the Full Story >>

EU fines Topps over high Pokemon prices
Forbes.com
Reuters, 05.26.04, 5:35 AM ET
BRUSSELS, May 26 (Reuters) - "Topps Co. Inc (nasdaq: TOPP - news - people) was fined 1.6 million euros ($1.94 million) by the European Commission on Wednesday for keeping prices high on Pokemon collectibles for children by discouraging distributors from selling across borders."

Read the Full Story >>

COLLECTIBLES: New 'Garbage Pail' generation not just for kids
Pioneer Press | 05/26/2004 |
BY PHIL KLOER
Cox News Service
'Garbage Pail Kids,' those gross-out '80s stickers that once slimed their way into kids' hearts and parents' wrath, are back. And this time, they're working their maggoty magic on celebrities."

Read the Full Story >>

Rare Tiffany lamp up for auction
Friday, May 21, 2004
By Linda Bien
Home & Garden editor
"If there's a 'Holy Grail' of Tiffany lamps, auctioneer Timothy W. Conroy thinks he's found it. What's more, if your pockets are deep enough, you can buy it on May 29.
That's when Conroy, president of T.W. Conroy & Associates Inc., will conduct an auction that includes a rare Tiffany floor lamp that he estimates will sell for more than $100,000."

Read the Full Story >>

1913 nickel nets $3 million at auction
By Mary Foster
Associated Press
May 21, 2004
"NEW ORLEANS -- A 1913 Liberty Head nickel that was minted under mysterious circumstances, owned by royalty and celebrated in an episode of TV's 'Hawaii Five-O' was sold Thursday for $3 million."

Read the Full Story >>

Interest in Hawaiiana memorabilia spreading far beyond islands
LIFE |Sunday, May 23, 2004
herald-dispatch.com
"In the movie 'Space Cowboys,' there is a vintage Hula Girl Doll attached to the dash of the space shuttle for good luck. It is a keepsake from the character's earlier flying days. Stuck to the dashboard, the doll in the grass skirt bounces and dances with the movement of the shuttle. "

Read the Full Story >>

Yu-Gi-Oh!: Kids are crazy for card game
By Jake Grove
Independent-Mail
May 22, 2004
"...Once the equipment to protect the cards is put into play, many parents find themselves spending thousands of dollars on a game.
However, some cards can pay for themselves. The hard-to-get cards can be worth as much as several hundred dollars to collectors and dealers and many will trade for new decks or cash. Because of that, Mr. Lizza and others who run the tournaments suggest players and parents keep up on the current market through Web sites or price guides."

Read the Full Story >>

CARRELL WITTMAN: Yez, rare Pez may be valuable, she sez
ROMI CARRELL WITTMAN
Tucson Citizen
"It seems everyone is always looking for the get-rich-quick scheme that's going to make him or her a millionaire. Be it lottery tickets, real estate or some new invention, people are always looking to invest and make money. And so it's no surprise that collecting as a means of investment is the Hot New Thing.
Collecting, like investing, is a tricky business. Markets can be capricious"

Read the Full Story >>

Johnny Cash's Belongings to Be Auctioned
Yahoo! News
Fri May 21,12:53 PM ET
"NEW YORK - One piece at a time, Johnny Cash (news)'s guitars, banjos, handwritten lyrics, photographs, vintage black leather clothing, Grammy Awards and other belongings will be auctioned this fall by Sotheby's.
More than 650 pieces from the estate of the country music icon and his wife, June Carter Cash (news), will be offered Sept. 14 and 15, Sotheby's said Thursday."

Read the Full Story >>

Abebooks Reports Used-Book Sales Are Soaring
By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
May 18, 2004
"In response to three recent studies on the new and used book market, Abebooks said it can confirm that online sales for used books are reaching new heights and are in fact exceeding the growth reported in the reports. The three studies were conducted by Ipsos-Reid BookTrends, the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), and Book Hunter Press."

Read the Full Story >>

THERE'S GOLD IN THEM THAR' JEANS!
collectingnetwork.com

"Today's lesson is don't throw away that old pair of jeans in your attic. Beginning in the 1970's historic and popular interest gained considerable ground on artist merit concerning antiques. Today, a well-preserved, properly marketed 19th century pair of Levi's might fetch $50,000-$100,000. A 1940's Lee 'Cowboy' brand denim jacket will bring approximately $6,000. A Levi jacket of the same period will fetch $5,000. A pair of never-washed 1930's Levi jeans complete with a "buckleback" is worth around $2,000. A mint pair of vintage "Blue Bell" Wranglers made late as the 1960's is worth around $100."

Read the Full Story >>

Trash to Treasure
Centre Daily Times | 05/16/2004 |
From staff and wire reports
"Proving to be much more than a fad, eBay becomes cultural, economic force/
In 1993, Toby Scott found a 'squatty' perfume bottle with a big round top at a garage sale in State College. He shelled out $2 for it.
Nearly two years later, a bewildered Scott sold that clear bottle on eBay for $200."

Read the Full Story >>

Profiting From Online Auction Sites
October 06, 2003
By Corey Rudl
"You can create a bidding frenzy and sell more products on large online auction sites if you follow this eight-step plan from our Internet marketing expert.
What's all the hype about online auctions? Why are we hearing so much about them? Are they really profitable? And how can you get involved? "

Read the Full Story >>

Lost Conan Doyle archive sold at auction
20/05/2004
ABC News Online
"A collection of long-lost papers giving a rare glimpse into the private life of Sherlock Holmes's creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, has sold at auction in London for almost $US1.7 million."

Read the Full Story >>

Calling all rocker has-beens
Dave Simpson
Wednesday May 19, 2004
The Guardian

"Internet auction site eBay has a reputation as 'the world's online marketplace', but may soon be making a splash as a different kind of record label. The idea is the brainchild of KJ Kjelgaard, an eBay employee with experience in the music industry who realised that a lot of his favourite bands had no outlet for their music."

Read the Full Story >>

The same company cited in the previous article:
Seller beware
Collectibles road show comes with a price
DenverPost.com
By Jennifer Alsever Kristi Arellano and Christine Tatum
Denver Post Staff Writers
"Some people who hoped to get rich off old coin collections or diamond rings left disappointed Tuesday after attending a collectibles road show in Denver this week."

Read the Full Story >>

Market for coins not easy to predict
DenverPost.com
By Kristi Arellano Aldo Svaldi and Jennifer Alsever
Denver Post Staff Writers
"Buyers have snapped up coins and collectibles for the past several years, driving up prices. But experts are divided on whether those red hot markets are about to cool off."

Read the Full Story >>

Curators From the Cradle: Marbles, Bugs and Warhols
By RALPH GARDNER Jr.
The New York Times
Published: May 13, 2004
"PICASSO'S 'Boy With a Pipe (The Young Apprentice)' sold at Sotheby's last week for $104.1 million, setting a record for a painting purchased at auction. But another notable development came with the first lot of the sale, when a 13-year-old boy waged a spirited bidding war for a Degas horse drawing."

Read the Full Story >>

Entrepreneurs Make Living Through eBay
Hispanic Business
May 11, 2004
"Around the country, eBay entrepreneurs are shunning the 9-to-5 world and finding a 21st-century gold rush on the Internet."

Read the Full Story >>

Appreciating Picasso
Boston.com / News / Boston Globe / Opinion / Op-ed / Appreciating Picasso
By Bruce D. Taub | May 11, 2004
"PABLO PICASSO'S pink period masterwork, 'Garcon a la Pipe,' sold for $104 million last week, setting a record as the most expensive individual work of art ever sold at auction. How is it that a single painting can be valued comparably to the production cost of a Hollywood movie or the market value of some publicly traded companies?"

Well, here's how... Art as a commodity - Read the Full Story >>

...but IBM was a better buy

Picasso to Propel Sotheby's
Yahoo! News
Mon May 10, 3:39 PM ET
By Mark Mahorney
"If you look at the stock market over the last 10 years, it's plain to see that even bellwether stocks have been very volatile, to say the least. In the late '90s, everyone wanted to be in the markets and that was bad for the big-ticket auction houses, even as the bubble produced many new millionaires and billionaires."

Read the Full Story >>

Recent Tire Ashtray Prices from eBay:

Rare Vintage Tire Ashtray, Overman - April 4, 2004 - Bids: 13 - Final Price: $338.00
Early 60s Fisk Tire Ashtray - Never Used - April 11, 2004 - Bids: 16 - Final Price: $189.05
1934 Chicago Century of Progress Tire Ashtray with box - March 28, 2004 - Bids: 21 - Final Price: $152.50
First Choice of Farmers, Tire Ashtray - April 11, 2004 - Bids: 22 - Final Price: $129.49

Tire ashtrays hot collectible
AP Wire | 04/26/2004 | MEMBER EXCHANGE:

"But now, the quirky ashtray becomes the focus. For decades, those things were standard equipment in the Rubber City. You found them on Firestone Park coffee tables, in tire factory break rooms, on mahogany desks at the headquarters, on Goodyear Heights knickknack shelves.
Now? You find them on eBay, selling for hundreds of dollars apiece, sometimes for more than $1,000"

Read the Full Story >>

Denim faded, washed, torn and worn
The Daily Texan - Entertainment

"Wasaff said he has between 5000 and 1000 pairs of jeans in his collection, and he can tell the value of each just by looking for small markers.
One of those markers is a capital 'E' found on a tab on the back pocket of a select number of Levi's. According to the company's Web site, the big 'E' was replaced with a lowercase 'e' on Red Tab jeans in 1971.
This small change has made the big 'E' a hot commodity. According to Wasaff's price list, one pair of 501s with the capital letter on the tab is worth $150 to $250 wholesale."

Read the Full Story >>

ANTIQUES & COLLECTING/ By Ralph and Terry Kovel
Monterey County Herald | 05/08/2004
CURRENT PRICES

"Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

- Archie comic-strip paper dolls, Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Whitman, uncut, 1969, 6 pages, $30.
- Planters Peanuts bank, hat reads 'Mr. Peanut,' turn hat to open, plastic, 1950s, 8.5 x 3.5 inches, $75.
- Nickel-plated brass hand bell, embossed 'Schafferstown U.B. Church, 1851-1919,' 4 inches, $135.
- Olympic pin, 1956, Melbourne, Kenya team, multicolored, $300.
- Pennsylvania Chippendale chest of drawers, walnut, 4 cock-beaded dovetailed drawers, fluted columns, ogee bracket feet, 36 x 42 x 22 inches, $4,400.
- Spatterware waste bowl, red, Primrose pattern, flared edge, yellow center, purple flower, green leaves, 3 x 5.5 inches, $1,210.
- Lady's cream satin ball slippers, shaped covered medium heels, New England, 1750-1770, $2,500.
- Daum Nancy cameo glass boat-shaped compote, scalloped rim, blue, yellow and red, overlaid amethyst, yellow, red and orange fall scene, signed, 5 x 10 inches, $2,575."

Read the Full Story >>

BendEms posing as popular toys again
www.suntimes.com
May 7, 2004
FAVORITE THINGS BY DENISE I. O'NEAL
"Mighty Beanz have sprouted limbs and a licensee. Just Products Inc.'s Mighty Beanz BendEms has the distinction of being the first licensed product of Spin Master Toys' Mighty Beanz to hit the market.
...I followed the market and discovered that Mighty Beanz were hot. It was a perfect match," said Rigberg. He christened his new company Just Products Inc., and right out of the gate the company had a winning toy."

Read the Full Story >>

What an Old Sears Catalog Could Teach eBay Today
Digital Domain
The New York Times > Business > Your Money >
By RANDALL STROSS
Published: May 9, 2004

"In warning about the consequences of invading Iraq, Colin L. Powell offered what he called the Pottery Barn rule: You break it, you own it. If, in a civilian context, someone coined an eBay rule, it might be this: 'Satisfaction most emphatically not guaranteed. All sales final.' "

Read the Full Story >>

Disturbing Trends :

Internet sales driving Indian pottery looting
The Tucson Citizen
The Associated Press
"MESA - Looters are plucking more ancient Indian pottery from dwellings and graves across the Phoenix area and the state, encouraged by a growing market for the wares over the Internet.
'It opened up an opportunity for people who were selling - on this gray market at best - to people in Japan and anywhere else,' said Jerry Howard, curator of anthropology at the Mesa Southwest Museum. 'And because of that, we have seen a rise in the amount of vandalism and pot hunting."

Read the Full Story >>

No big surprise:
Firms jump on the eBay wagon
USATODAY.com
"EBay has become an immovable e-force in world business and culture. The value of items sold on eBay grew 60% last year and hit $24 billion - making it larger than the gross domestic products of Bulgaria or Jamaica. With that kind of commerce, it's no surprise that eBay is spawning schools of new companies that want to plug into it."

and I think I mentioned this at the start of this blog:

"Data miners.
Perhaps more than any company, eBay knows what stuff is worth. It has data on what G.I. Joe action figures were going for in 1998 and what they were going for an hour ago.
Now, other enterprising companies are realizing just how valuable that information is and are figuring out how to profit from it."

Read the Full Story >>

Stopping online auction of Tillman items is a hard sell
USATODAY.com
From staff and wire reports
"Pat Tillman memorabilia have become hot items on the online auction site eBay. Some are offended that sellers are trying to profit from the former NFL player who was killed April 22 in combat in Afghanistan."
Read the Full Story >>

Sports Cards and Collectibles:
'Mr. Mint' knows where to find good shows
By RUSS COHEN
phillyBurbs.com

"If Alan Rosen is at a card show, then you are at a really good show.
Otherwise known as 'Mr. Mint,' Rosen has been a staple at shows since 1975."
Read the Full Story >>

Auction zooms to top of charts
Kansas City Star | 05/04/2004 |
Online bids help make jukebox sale a record-setter
By DAVID HAYES
Columnist

"The Internet has changed lots of businesses, but perhaps none has changed as much as the auction biz.
...One bidder paid $79,750 for a 1915 Seeburg Orchestrion — a coin-operated music player; another paid $25,300 for a 1942 Rock-ola jukebox. Bidders broke other records paying $23,100 for a 1942 Wurlitzer jukebox, $24,200 for a 1940 Seeburg Concert Master jukebox, and $16,500 for a 1948 Rock-ola jukebox.
The world records were reported by Jukebox Collector magazine."

Read the Full Story >>

Sold to the highest bidder
By Ryan Herrington
Golf World
" ...golf-related items for sale on eBay, Yahoo!, Amazon, the GolfClubExchange or any of the other auction venues reveals the following eye-catching, head-scratching, idea-hatching discoveries:
1980 Masters-logoed ball marker. Final bid: $104.50
Ping golf ball, half gold, half blue. Final bid: $305
Scotty Cameron 1997 platinum putter headcover. Final bid: $455
Ford 1932 replica California roadster electric golf cart. Final bid: $4,050"
Read the Full Story >>

Top Ten Pottery/Glass Auctions
collectibles.about.com
May 02, 2004
Top Ten Pottery/Glass Auctions
"What's hot and what's not? In the pottery and glass categories highest price was $16,500 for a 1890 Majolica Jardiniere pedestal and urn. McCoy again was the top search term item. . . "
Read the Full Story >>

Alternatives to eBay, They Do Exist
Sunday 05.02.04 [6:17 pm]
by Genia V. Stevens
"There's no denying that eBay is the heavy weight champion of online auctions. Started in 1995 by Pierre Omidyar, eBay has become a publicly traded Fortune 500 company with reported profits of $200 million by the end of the first quarter in 2004. But all is not well at eBay."
Read the Full Story >>

Genio Secures $1.8 Million in Initial Orders for Its New Mighty Beanz Trading Card Game; Expected on U.S. Mass-Market Retailers Shelves Beginning April
"NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 8, 2004--Genio Group, Inc. (OTC BB: GNOI), a developer and marketer of innovative entertainment and leisure products, announced today that it has received approximately $1.8 million in initial purchase orders from domestic mass-market retailers for its new collectible trading card game based on the popular children's collectible toy, Mighty Beanz(TM).
Genio's CEO, Shai Bar-Lavi, stated, "Mighty Beanz are currently one of the 'hottest' and most popular children's collectibles in North America."
Read the Full Press Release >>

Royal coronation cup is reminder of Russian monarchy's tragic story
By Khristi Zimmeth / Special to The Detroit News
05/01/04
"Many collectors find researching the history of an object - known in antiques circles as its provenance - one of the best parts of caring for pieces from the past.
..."Anything from Czarist Russia is very collectible,” he says. “Royal memorabilia is a hot market."
Read the Full Story >>

An opportunity to purchase the Holy Grail of baseball bats
SportsBusinessNews.com
"The baseball bat used by New York Yankees Hall-of-Famer Joe DiMaggio when his record 56-game hitting streak ended in 1941 is returning to the city where it was made."
Read the Full Story >>

Lunchbox collectors anything but square
BY ANNIE GROER
Omaha.com
THE WASHINGTON POST
"Millennia have passed since early man hid and hauled grain and game in primitive carriers, most likely fashioned from grasses, leaves, animal hides or tree bark.
By the 20th century, that basic need to transport food was being met by . . . Hopalong Cassidy, the Jetsons and Barbie lunchboxes."
Read the Full Story >>

Sale of the Generation: Saiichi Sugiyama on the 1999 Eric Clapton Christie's Crossroads Auction
Strat Collector News Desk
April 22, 2004
"Editor's note: The June 24, 1999, Christie's auction of Eric Clapton's guitars was a highly significant event to collectors and began a new chapter in the history of guitar collecting. So significant that the auction catalog has become a collectible item in its own right. In his article, 'Sale of the Generation', singer, songwriter and guitarist Saiichi Sugiyama provides a very informative look at many of the instruments sold at the 1999 auction."
Read the Full Story >>

New Fraktur Record
Maine Antique Digest
by Lita Solis-Cohen
"'There are pieces that come along once in a generation, and this is the piece,' said Westborough, Massachusetts, dealer David Wheatcroft after he paid $366,750 (includes buyer's premium) at Freeman's in Philadelphia on Saturday, April 24, for a verse from a Hymn to the Nightingale, an ink and watercolor Pennsylvania German fraktur signed and dated 'Gr. Geistweit, 5 June 1801.'"
Read the Full Story >>

The 10 Most Expensive Living Artists
Tracking the highest prices paid for contemporary artworks
By Kelly Devine Thomas
"Who are the most expensive living artists?
To find out, ARTnews interviewed dealers in the United States and abroad, consulted auction specialists, and surveyed auction results. Artists were considered based on the sum paid for a single work of art - regardless of how many works have sold at that level, the production costs involved in creating the work, or how prices for new works measure up."
Read the Full Story >>

Fleeting moments of fame....
Wedding Dress Guy Breaks eBay Record with 6 Million Hits
By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
April 29, 2004
"A guitar player in a band called The Buzzcuts made eBay history this week when he auctioned his ex-wife's wedding dress. Larry Star, who said he had no idea his auction would get so much attention, started the bidding at $1. 'I'm selling it hoping to get enough money for maybe a couple of Mariners tickets and some beer,' he wrote in the auction, along with an offbeat tale that revealed bitter feelings toward his ex-wife."
Read the Full Story >>

Bill collecting: Decoys are all the rage in St. Charles
Chicago Sun-Times
April 28, 2004
"No sense ducking it. Sporting collectibles have reached the silly zone. The $4.3 million auction held Thursday and Friday at the National Antique Decoy and Sporting Collectibles Show at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles proved that. Guyette and Schmidt Inc. said the gross was the highest for a decoy auction outside of Sotheby's."
Read the Full Story >>

Buyers hope to get hands on cookie jars
semissourian.com
By Chris Pagano ~ Southeast Missourian
"Wanda Lorenz was fighting the urge to buy Saturday. The Jackson woman said she was window shopping at a pottery and cookie jar auction at the National Guard Armory but soon realized there were a lot of cookie jars on the auction block she did not have in her collection of about 40.
'This is too exciting. I hate to leave. I'm going to the bank,' she said."
Read the Full Story >>

From the art world:
Auction Market Down In 2003
Forbes.com
Georgina Adam for The Art Newspaper
"Once again the bean-counters have finished processing the prices made for art at auction over the last year. The results of their calculations are served up in the form of reports, which highlight the trends that may have emerged. None of these reports is perfect, and even though the figures come from the same raw data, their results are quite different, but they are the closest thing to an objective, statistical analysis of the art market."
Read the Full Story >>

TRI-CITY ENTREPRENEURS Old meets new in PoMo biz
By Diane Strandberg
The Tri-City News
"Clothes and regular dishes are out - give them to charity, she suggests. Furniture can be sold but it's expensive to ship and cuts into the profit. Specialty equipment for office or businesses, even if it's old, sells if it's in working order, as do musical instruments and even old video equipment and games. Vintage dishware and other collectibles also sell well, depending on what else is being sold online at the time and who is buying."
Read the Full Story >>

Navigating an eBay economy
Collectibles market changes, but not completely
By KATHLEEN GALLAGHER
kgallagher@journalsentinel.com
JS Online
Posted: April 27, 2004
"The online auction eBay moves stuff - vast quantities of stuff - every day.
But it doesn't seem to dramatically move the market for the stuff: That is, it doesn't seem to change the underlying pricing rationale for most categories of collectibles and antiques."
Read the Full Story >>

Heady days gone for can collectors
Beer: Serious collectors remain, but their ranks are dwindling and the hobby is changing.
baltimoresun.com
By Mike Bowler
"ST. LOUIS - Beer can collecting has gone stale.
Oh, there are still many serious collectors, people such as Jeff Lebo of York Haven, Pa., whose 50,000 cans (the world's second-largest collection) fill a two-story house."

although....

"...Like many collectors, Butterbaugh, 61, trades on eBay, where a Clipper pale ale from Santa Rosa, Calif., circa 1940, sold last year for a record $19,000 (only 12 are known to exist in good condition), and where five-figure sales are common."

Read the Full Story >>

Rarities hit records during online auction
By Kathryn Grondin Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted 4/24/2004
Daily Herald
"An unopened box of baseball cards has topped the winning bids in the latest online auction by a suburban firm.
MastroNet Inc. reported Friday that the box of 24 Topps 1952 wax packs, which could hold the 1952 Mickey Mantle card that's been valued at about $40,000, sold for a whopping $208,740 at 1 a.m. Friday after 32 bids."
Read the Full Story >>

Here's an auction that would have been great to attend (April 24, 2004):
Collector's 'obsession' included 10,000 toys
London Free Press
JOE MATYAS, Free Press Reporter
2004-04-23 03:06:20
"You could say William Robert Proud never met a toy he didn't like.
...The bulk of the toys are cars and trucks from the 1950s and '60s, some in pristine condition in their original boxes and others toys that have been used and will be sold in box lots. The toys include vintage farm and military vehicles and offerings from name brands such as Corgi, Matchbox, Tonka and Tootsie as well as more obscure toy makers. Proud also had a thing for trucks with such corporate names on them such as Canadian Tire, Irving Oil and Wal-Mart"
Read the Full Story >>

Posters show best of the reel world
By John Wilkens
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
April 23, 2004
"A shark's mouth and a swimmer. A light saber and a dark mask. A man in a tuxedo holding a gun.
Even before we saw the movies - 'Jaws,' 'Star Wars,' James Bond - we saw the posters."
Read the Full Story >>

Old lunchboxes fetch big dollars
By Annie Groer
The Washington Post
"By the 20th century, the basic need to transport food was being met by ... Hopalong Cassidy, the Jetsons and Barbie lunchboxes.
So deeply ingrained in the national psyche are these vividly branded repositories of sandwiches, cookies, apples and milk that the Smithsonian Institution is running dual lunchbox exhibits."
Read the Full Story >>

Vintage T-shirts find new fans
Newsday.com
BY WENDY NAVRATIL
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
April 12, 2004
"They don't really call him 'The Seeker' - to borrow a line from The Who - but he has been searching low and high.
With far less struggle, Jason Labrosse trafficked in vintage rock T-shirts before vintage rock T-shirts were cool.
Not so cool that prices had reached $250 for a peeling 1981 Rolling Stones concert tour T, anyway."
Read the Full Story >>

Fishing Lure's - Heddon Midget Digit
"Offering 2 Heddon Midget Digit Fishing Lures - each is in good condition, good color, 1 has green around the eyes, the other, red. 2 and 1/8' long."

4 days to go - 28 bids - $142.50

Liberty Promotions Hot Wheels KRUIZINWAGON VW BUS Set(Ends Apr-27-04 19:53:31 PDT) - :
"You are bidding on the Liberty Promotions KRIZINWAGON DOWNUNDER VW BUS DRAG SET, one with silver (metal finish) and one flat black. Both buses are mint. The Black Bus is 368 of 1000 & the Silver is 849 of 1000."
$218.05 with four days to go... let's see where it ends up....
Update - April 27, 2004: Final price US $223.49

Speedy Delivery: Elgin Bicycle Zips to $20,900 at Copake
Antiques and the Arts Online
COPAKE, N.Y. - "A 1937 Elgin bicycle propelled by a drive shaft, the best one of four known examples, sold for a record $20,900 on April 17 at Copake Auction. Of the four known examples, this is the only one in original finish."
Read the Full Story >>

Memorabilia of defunct federal agencies survive and even thrive
http://www.jewishworldreview.com
(KRT) "It's been more than a year since a massive federal merger swallowed up the Immigration and Naturalization Service, long the bureaucratic boogeyman among many immigrants, particularly those here illegally.
But the INS hasn't entirely disappeared.
On eBay, a commemorative INS Super Bowl pin is being peddled for $19.95. Some former INS administrators, eager to unload surplus goods, are giving away old INS pencils. Patches worn by INS officers have turned up in thrift stores.
...Collectors say they believe that old agency patches and insignia will become hot items, mostly with former law officers."
Read the Full Story >>

Marble Sells For $14,300 At Lancaster County Auction
TheWGALChannel.com
POSTED: 10:49 am EDT April 20, 2004
ADAMSTOWN, Pa. -- "A century-old, glass marble valued for its unusual size brought $14,300 at auction. That's believed to be a record for the category."
Read the Full Story >>

Collectors crave the nearly limitless shapes of salt, pepper shakers
East Valley Tribune Online
By Carrie White, Tribune
"If it had holes, shaker collector Tracy Nader bought it.
Now, the seasoned hobbyist from Apache Junction is more discriminatory in her purchasing of salt and pepper vessels."
Read the Full Story >>

Collectors' Corner: Duck Decoys
ABC7Chicago.com
April 20, 2004
"Duck decoys are an intriguing part of American folk art. They were originally constructed as a utilitarian tool of the nation's waterfowlers to attract wild ducks, geese, swans and shorebirds within shooting range. Decoys have long since become popular collectibles"
Read the Full Story >>

Strat Collector News Desk: State of the Vintage Strat 2004, Four U.S. Experts Share Their Opinions
February 14, 2004
by TOM WATSON
"While automobiles were designed to be driven, coins designed to be spent, and stamps designed for licking, such items have come to be valued and collected for reasons far beyond their original purpose.
So has the electric guitar.
The buying, selling and trading of vintage Fender Stratocasters is serious business, with many millions of dollars' worth of instruments changing hands every year."
Read the Full Story >>

The siren song of the cyber marketplace:
"With non-stop auction action and attics full of treasures, selling on eBay has become the pastime of choice for millions of Canadians
By CECILY ROSS
Globe and Mail Update

Debra Bashford is hooked on eBay. Three years of buying and selling on the popular Internet site have left her with her 2,000-square-foot house and her barn both packed to the rafters with stuff."
Read the Full Story >>

Donruss Baseball Classics -- 2004:
"Another Classic from Donruss, you say?
Well, I can vouch for that.
This year, however, Donruss has taken Classics to a whole new level with respect to game-used memorabilia cards and certified autographs with too many parallels and tiers to mention.
Don't get it twisted - that is definitely a good thing. As a matter of fact, one could argue that Donruss has single-handedly created the buzz surrounding serial-numbered memorabilia cards that has taken the hobby by storm over the past two years. "
Read the Full Story >>:

Antiques: How to find the right stuff:
Sunday, April 18, 2004
By Terri Finch Hamilton
The Grand Rapids Press

"...What people want now are things to decorate their house with," says Gollehon, 57, owner of Gollehon Books, a Grand Rapids publishing firm. "An old fire extinguisher. A butter churn. Railroad lanterns."
A recent article in Antique Trader reported 60 to 70 percent of the antiques market these days is not in collectibles, but in home furnishings.
...He knows railroad collectibles are hot, especially things from the Chessie system. The Chesapeake and Ohio railroad is by far the most collected, thanks to the cute sleeping kitten logo..
Milk bottles are hot," Gollehon notes. "People are paying premium prices because they can't find them at garage sales and old barn sales anymore.They've all been absorbed by the dealers.
What's hot right now?
"If I had to pick the biggies, I'd say Halloween, children's books, anything railroad -- even dining car china -- fishing tackle and sports," Gollehon says."
Read the Full Story >>:

What's Hot, What's Not?
Collectibles Blog
April 06, 2004
"The Top Ten in the Pottery and Glass categories on eBay for February 2004. Would you believe a $48,000 punch bowl -- well, maybe. But what about a $10,000 Fiesta sugar bowl?. . . ."
Read the Full Story >>

$1,368,505 Million Worth of TV and Movie Memorabilia Sold March 31 to Highest Bidders Through Joseph Maddalena's Company Profiles in History:
April 01, 2004 06:40 PM US Eastern Timezone
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 1, 2004--

"Audrey Hepburn's Dress from 'My Fair Lady' Sold at Auction for $118,000

More than $1,368,505 worth of original TV and movie memorabilia was auctioned yesterday, March 31, by Joseph Maddalena and his internationally famous company, Profiles in History, the number one company in the world for live and simultaneous Internet memorabilia auctions.

...The fascination and passion across the globe to collect TV and movie memorabilia gets stronger and increases each year at an astonishing pace," says Maddalena, who conducts four such auctions a year. "Not everyone wants to collect art, stamps and coins. Many want to own TV and film memories of their youth. It just makes them feel good."
Read the Full Story >>

From the Motley Fool:
Topps Continues to Flop
Tue Apr 6,12:50 PM ET
By Seth Jayson
"Ahh, spring. Time to oil up the old oven mitt, shove a ball inside, and stick it under the mattress every night. At least, that's what spring meant back when I was shorter, threw better, and had hair. Spring also meant trips to the corner store for dozens of packs of Topps (Nasdaq: TOPP) baseball cards."
Read the Full Story >>

Tolkien trilogy sold at auction
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Arts |
"A rare volume of JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy formed part of an extensive private book collection that has raised 150,000 pounds at auction.
The set of Tolkien books, including two signed second editions and an unsigned first edition, sold to an anonymous bidder for 2,100 pounds."
Read the full story >>

Hamlet fails to sell at auction
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Arts |
Auctioneers had estimated the edition to sell for $2m
"A rare copy of William Shakespeare's Hamlet has failed to sell at an auction in New York.
The edition, printed in 1611, had been expected to fetch up to $2m (1.09m pounds)."
Read the Full Story >>

Fraser's Autographs - 100 Index:
"Fraser's has analysed the top 100 most sought-after autographs and have compared their retail price in 1997 to today's market value. The resultant investment index gives an average of the percentage growth in value over the period, it also shows the range of themes which are popular collecting fields such as royalty, art, pop, sport, historic figures, film and space"

Google Answers has some interesting stuff on it:
Google Answers: sport and e-commerce:
"Incidentally, baseball is tops in the billion dollar Sports Memorabilia business, followed by basketball and hockey. Football is further down the list. Wrestling is small time compared to the major league sports."
Read 'Trading In Sosas And Alis,' by Missy Sullivan, Forbes.com, (12.26.01)

Sports Memorabilia Hobby...
Showing Steady Increase In Activity:
"The sports memorabilia hobby has had its share of ups and downs since the boom years of the 1980s. But recent indicators show a steady increase in hobby activity. Sixty percent of the sports hobby retailers recently surveyed by the trade journal Card Trade said their gross sales and net profits increased last year."
Read the Full Story >>:

From Beckett.com:
Sports Collecting Habits
"Sports collectibles other than cards
Other than sports cards, members of Beckett's total audience (print and online) are most likely to collect sports autographs (78%) and sports memorabilia (61%). "

A "stock exchange" for sports trading cards, with market stats and reports:
thePit.com - Market Snapshot:
Graded Card Exchange
Sunday, April 18, 2004
Trade over 250 of the hottest stars in sports today. All cards are graded by the top authenticaters in the industry.

Uncirculated Exchange
Sunday, April 18, 2004
Trade the hottest prospects and rookies. All cards are encased and sealed directly from the manufacturer.

Old Model Airplane Kits and the eBay Market
by David Hewett
Maine Antique Digest, April 2004
"If you're one of those gray-templed would-be aviators who remembers finding a model airplane kit under the tree on Christmas morning when you were a kid and wonder what's happened to it, just check out eBay some night. Be ready for a surprise.
They're back, and their prices are soaring."
Read the Full Story >>

Timing is everything with collectibles
Bob Young
The Heat Index
Apr. 16, 2004 12:00 AM
"Well, we didn't actually visit the land of fire and brimstone, but we got to thinking about Barry Bonds and his assault on the home run record book and how much those baseballs he's hitting into McCovey Cove are worth.

Who better to talk about such things than Todd McFarlane?"
Read the Full Story >>:

The Official Marx Toys site:
Marx Toys:
"And so the story of 'Marx Toys' continues....
What began as a fledgling enterprise in 1919 and grew to
become the world's largest manufacturer of toys in the
middle of the century, has since evolved into a 'classic'
toy staple of the 1990's."

Recent Prices - More Marx: Johnny West:
Marx Johnny West Sam Cobra NM Complete - 2004-03-06 - Bids: 11 - Price: $520.00
Marx Johnny West Fighting Eagle NM Complete - 2004-03-06 - Bids: 19 - Price: $418.99
Johnny West Buckboard with Thunderbolt MIB - 2004-03-13 - Bids: 12 - Price: $405.00
Marx Johnny West Collection 10 figures plus - 2004-03-09 - Bids: 27 - Price: $305.00
Marx Johnny West Figurine with Beard - 2004-03-17 - 2004-03-24 - Bids: 14 - Price: $302.07
1960's Marx Johnny West Ranch House & Corral playset, MIB - 2004-03-17 - Bids: 23 - Price: $280.00

Marx Toys Recent eBay Auction Prices:

1927 Marx Buck Rogers Rocket Ship NMIB - 2004-03-14 - Bids: 29 - Price: $2,567.00
1928 Marx New York Express Tin Wind Up Toy Train - 2004-03-23 - Bids: 22 - Price: $1,726.50
1930 Marx Amos n Andy Walkers - 2004-03-04 - Bids: 18 - Price: $1,336.99
1926 Marx Snoopy Gus Wild Fireman Tin Wind Up - 2004-03-01 - Bids: 17 - Price: $1,154.98

Interested in Marx toys? Check it out...
The Vintage Toy Room
Specializing in Marx Toys, Marx Action Figures, Johnny West, Louis Marx Toys from the 1960's and 1970's , GI Joe Stony Smith figures, Marx Best of The West Action Figures, knights Vikings, Playsets
"New updates for our Winter listings! Items include a nice boxed 1st issue Johnny West and 1st issue Chief Cherokee, Boxed Quick Draw Sam Cobra, Boxed Sheriff Garrett, Real Nice Boxed Buckboard, Camping set MIB, 2 great custom figures, a Chuck Connors Rifleman figure. Many more items added, loose figures, horses, and more loose accessory lots!"

Online auctions serve up hometown memorabilia:
News - Wilmette Life
"Created during the tech boom of the late 1990s, eBay's popularity has grown exponentially in recent years with shoppers from around the world hungrily bidding on thousands of items that run the gamut from kitsch to chic, prevalent to obscure. "
Read the Full Story >>

DFW Airport On-Line Auction Breaking Records - One Week to Go; Web Hits Break 1.5 Million Mark, Bids Exceed $200,000
Wednesday April 14, 12:51 pm ET
DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Texas, April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- "DFW Airport is entering the final week of the Airport's largest-ever all-Internet auction, and the Airport's numbers -- from web hits to bidders and their bids -- are well ahead of expectations."
Read the Full Story >>

A great "cult of eBay": story:
E-tail therapy:
Scotsman.com News - Features
"Jemima Khan unleashed a rather intriguing fashion statement recently, at the launch of her mother's book. You'll remember, of course, that this young woman is heir to Sir Jimmy Goldsmith's 1.4 billion pounds fortune, which suggests she ought to be able to shop wherever she likes. Even so, Mrs Khan was surprisingly proud to boast that she had bought her second-hand butterfly-motif frock on eBay."
Read the Full Story >>

Ebony Visions Investment Market Watch Report
Sunday, March 14, 2004 10:50 AM
"Welcome to the The Collection Shop's Ebony Visions Investment Market Watch(TM) provided as a service to our Ebony Visions collectors and investors in Thomas Blackshear's Art and Collectibles. If part of your interest in Ebony Visions is in selecting the best designs for investment purposes, this report provides valuable tips and information to help maximize your profits on the secondary market.
In general, the more limited an Ebony Visions piece is or the longer it has been retired, the more valuable it will be. The secondary market for collectibles is driven by supply and demand. That's why it's important to pay special attention to categories that are limited either by a specific edition size or time period because they will demand a higher market price and, therefore, a higher return on your investment."
Read the Full Report >>

Observations:
Great sell through rate on eBay. Recent prices:
"THE PROTECTOR" #37007 PORCELAIN FIGURINE - March 16, 2004 - $998.00 - 31 bids
"THE MADONNA" #37001 PORCELAIN FIGURINE - March 16, 2004 - $510.00 - 23 bids
"THE TENDER TOUCH" #37004 PORCELAIN FIGURINE - March 9, 2004 - $480.00 - 24 bids

ABADIE ADVERTISING POSTER by Eugene Oge (1904) Sells for $5,425
About Collectibles
Apr 13 2004
"An eBay Red Star* seller from Vienna, Austria recently listed a rare advertising poster on eBay. The auction began on February 10th with a $5.00 initial bid and ended ten days later with a final bid of $5,425.
This is a rare and intriguingly well-illustrated original advertising poster for ABADIE cigarette papers designed by the renowned commercial artist Eugene Oge (1861-1936) in 1904."
Read the Full Story >>

Novato man plans Titanic auction
By Con Garretson, IJ reporter
Marin Independent Journal - Marin
"He's not the king of the world, but when it comes to collecting Titanic remnants and memorabilia, Novato's Tony Probst is royalty.
But Probst plans to abdicate his title as owner of one of the planet's largest collection of items from the 'unsinkable' ocean liner by selling hundreds of items at auction this June."
Read the Full Story >>

From Australia:
Taking the shine off granny's silver
April 12, 2004
National - www.smh.com.au

"Ever wanted a Chinese tureen modelled as a crab? That'll set you back $380,000. Peter Fish reports on some outlandish trends in collectables.
Today's collectables buyers are taking a walk on the wild side, and on their shopping list are modernistic images and art that's striking - sometimes even grotesque. These days almost anything goes, as long as it's not what mum and dad like."
Read the Full Story >>

Cars That Rock, Even on a Smaller Scale
By PHIL PATTON
The New York Times
Published: March 8, 2004

"THE difference between men and boys, the saying goes, is the size of their toys. But considering the growing number of grown men - and women - obsessed with tiny cars, that may not be true.
Model cars are no longer just toys, nor are they designed for children. Increasingly they are aimed at adults and intended for collectors."

Read the Full Story >>

Play time
For adult collectors of figurines, they're art -- not toys
By Don Mayhew
The Fresno Bee
"It's a worldwide craze,' says Jason Pistoressi, owner of the specialty store Sugarhill in the Tower District. Pistoressi plans to open a second location in northwest Fresno chock full of toy lines with such odd names as Brooklyn Qee, Uglydoll, Spastik Plastik and Dunces."

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Greenwich Time - $$$ for toys: Toy Roadshow is looking for attic treasures:
By Barbara A. Heins
Staff Writer
April 8, 2004
"What's at the top of collectors' lists these days?

According to McCurley, it's pre-1970s trains, robots, windup toys and dolls (Barbie and GI Joe, not Cabbage Patch or Beanie Babies, which were all the rage in the 1980s and 1990s).

"Trains have been one of the hottest trends for the last five to eight months," especially the post-World War II Lionel trains in the 0 gauge and standard gauge, says McCurley."

Read the full story >>