One of the things I do is look for items that are extremely hot sellers on eBay.  Some of these, like popular toys, people try their best to predict months in advance.  Others, like items related to celebrities, it can be tough to predict. 


Right now, putting up just about anything that includes a Michael Jackson autograph is going to get you plenty of interest and watchers.  If you can provide a COA (certificate of authenticity) you will most likely see major interest.

I have never had an autograph of anywhere near this magnitude to sell on the site.  Michael Jackson had millions of fans around the world.  Even though his popularity in recent years was nothing like it was during his explosion as the "King of Pop" during the 80's, he was still a major celebrity who never really left the spotlight.  I think that his unfortunate death came at a time when many of his original fans were also hitting a mid-life period that had them looking back at their own younger years with a bit of nostalgia.  His passing may have been a little poke at their own mortality.  Whatever the reason, they are fighting each other to grab up pieces of the memory.

If you are a collector of Michael Jackson autographs, dolls or other memorabilia, this certainly seems to be the time to take a look at eBay.  There is a ton of it getting listed every single day.  All of the sellers may actually manage to drive the prices down a bit because there is so much competition.  If you are looking to sell an item that includes a Michael Jackson autograph, you may want to carefully consider when you are going to list it for the same reason.  Do you go with the current frenzy of collectors or wait until the supply has thinned out a bit?  To be honest, I'm not really sure what I would do.  I do know that I would be watching the listings very carefully either way as this is a very hot collectible.  There is a danger of the whole thing going away in a hurry.  Many eBay sellers have taken a beating in the past when they got in too late with a popular item.  Once the buyers get their fill, sellers can end up with a lot of merchandise that they can't move.  Granted, there is not the same risk here for an over supply, but it does bear watching no matter what side of the potential transaction you fall on.