Pfaltzgraff has a 200-year history of producing well-crafted ceramic pottery. Its reputation for beautiful, high-quality dinnerware, serving pieces and accessories has earned Pfaltzgraff a loyal following of collectors, many of whom appreciate Phaltzgraff for its utility as much as its aesthetics. They collect and use one or more specific patterns. Other collectors are interested primarily in Pfaltzgraff as folk art. In either case, collectors make an excellent target market for anyone attempting to sell their own stock of Pfaltzgraff dishes.
Organize your collection by pattern first, and then list the pieces you own in each pattern.
Research the value of your collection. View completed Internet auctions for the same items you own. Search for your items on a subscription-based website that has price guides for collectibles (see Resources). Looking up your pieces in a price-guide book. Check your library for price-guide books before you spend money on one.
Decide whether to sell your dishes individually or in one or more lots.
Photograph each item or lot. Light the dishes well and use a tripod to get clear, sharp photos.
Search the Internet for Pfaltzgraff collectors’ groups (see Resources). Join the groups devoted to your pattern and those that allow classified forum posts for any Pfaltzgraff pattern. Post for-sale messages, with photos, to the forums.
List your dishes for sale on free Internet classifieds sites. Include photos in your ads. Use as many relevant terms in your ad as possible—"Phaltzgraff," of course, as well as the pattern name and the specific pieces you have, like "dinner plate" or "fluted serving bowl."
List your dishes on an online auction site. Use relevant terms as described above. Consider shipping costs when setting your prices. Pull any other ads you’re running as soon as your auction has a bidder, as you’re obligated to sell to the highest bidder at the end of the auction.
Book a table at a flea market or rummage sale to sell the dishes directly to the public. Prepare to haggle over prices.
Tip
Learn as much as you can about the history of your patterns while you’re research values. Collectors are very well-informed, so you must be, too.
Warnings:
- Selling on Internet classified sites puts you at risk of being targeted by scam artists. Protect your privacy by electing to use an anonymized email address when presented with that option. If you’re at all in doubt about the legitimacy of someone’s offer to buy, demand cash and meet at a public location to finalize your sale.
Resources
Tips
- Learn as much as you can about the history of your patterns while you're research values. Collectors are very well-informed, so you must be, too.
Warnings
- Selling on Internet classified sites puts you at risk of being targeted by scam artists. Protect your privacy by electing to use an anonymized email address when presented with that option. If you're at all in doubt about the legitimacy of someone's offer to buy, demand cash and meet at a public location to finalize your sale.
Writer Bio
Daria Kelly Uhlig began writing professionally for websites in 2008. She is a licensed real-estate agent who specializes in resort real estate rentals in Ocean City, Md. Her real estate, business and finance articles have appeared on a number of sites, including Motley Fool, The Nest and more. Uhlig holds an associate degree in communications from Centenary College.
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