Second Hand Sale » EBay

German Helmets for Sale

Mike — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 01:23:35 +0000

Vintage militaria is a VERY popular collectible. Although people collect memorabilia from every war, World War II collectibles always seem to do well if they are authentic and original. If you happen to be out hitting the estate sales and happen to find some German helmets for sale, you would probably be wise to buy them if they are not too expensive. Collectors definitely have an interest in these pieces of history.

Helmet Sticker 524 WHO LIT THE STRING ON YOUR TAMPON
US $1.00

Helmet Sticker 057 I LOVE JESUS
US $1.00

Helmet Sticker 538 Old Skool old school sticker
US $1.00

Helmet Sticker 542 Im Not Going Gray Im Going CHROME
US $1.00

Second Hand

Now I'm certainly not telling you to stay away from helmets from other wars. As I was checking these out, some of the top selling helmets were actually from World War I. One was even from medieval times and went for around $3000.

People sometimes have very different interests and perspectives when it comes to collecting. Many people who enjoy military collectibles clearly demonstrate this. People focus on many different things. Some people enjoy collecting Airborne militaria. Others, like to collect items from something they or a loved one was part of.

I've noticed that German militaria is especially popular, with a particular focus on the helmets. If you are a seller, it might be wise to note that many helmets were listed for very high starting prices and did not sell. These seem to be a good candidate for spawning bidding wars among collectors. Many of the highest winning bids were over $1000 and most had at least 20 bids on the item.

If you are going to consider buying one of these, either for a collection or to resell, you should be particularly attentive to what you are bidding on. First off of course, be sure that it is authentic. If you are going to spend a considerable amount of money, you should see some type of certificate of authenticity while you are dealing. Ask questions about the condition of the helmet. Things like the amount of rust, if any, and markings that may be on the helmet could make a significant difference in an item's ending price. You should also ask (or check in person) if there is a liner inside the helmet. Find out what information is included on the liner. You also find original drawstrings or even stickers to take into consideration if you are looking at this as an investment.

Some helmets may have come from other collections. It is not unusual for entire collections to be sold off, sometimes by the piece, when a collector passes on. Try to ask the seller as many questions about what you are interested in as you can possibly think of. Even though eBay has a buyer protection plan, you probably do not want to have to use it. Finally, check out the seller's feedback score on eBay to see if they have been selling similar items. If they have, read what previous buyers had to say about their buying experience with that individual.

Finding Antique Mannequins for Sale

Mike — Sat, 08 May 2010 20:21:27 +0000

I'd really like to know how many people I know have an antique mannequin stashed away somewhere in their home. I think if I had one, I'd be tempted to keep it sitting on a couch in the living room. It would certainly be a good conversation starter!

I realize that sounds a little bit silly, but seriously, do you have one somewhere in your house? I once knew a girl whose mother was a pretty serious seamstress. They had two or three retired vintage mannequins in one of their upstairs rooms that they used as models. I seem to recall that they actually had given them names.

Antique Mannequins for Sale

Antique Mannequin dress form tailoring sewing
US $100.00

vintage antique mannequin head art deco retro industrial steam punk mid century
US $75.00

Rare antique advertising mannequin tubby trex chef baker 1900s counter display
US $75.00

VINTAGE FASHION TRESS HEAD WIG FORM MANNEQUIN 1960S
US $89.00

Second Hand

Once you have been to a few estate sales, you learn that people collect just about anything you can imagine, so I suppose I should not have really been so surprised at the idea that someone might have twenty or thirty old mannequins tucked away. You see, I recently attended a local estate sale that was just a little bit "different". I walked down the steps and into a large gameroom area expecting to see the usual spread of folding tables covered in bric-a-brac and maybe some piles of tools. Instead, what I found was a room filled with what had to be at least twenty old department store mannequins.

I don't know what the former owner did for a living or in their spare time, but whatever it was obviously involved these old human forms. They were in very nice condition, but I've got to admit that it was a little bit strange walking through the room with them staring at me. It was later in the day, so there were not a lot of people crowding through the place. One other lady came down the steps and seemed a little bit creeped out. She quickly turned around and retreated to the land of the living waiting at the top of the steps.

I had a feeling that second hand mannequins might be valuable, but honestly, I was not equipped that day to stock up on anything so large. It turns out that they probably would have been a pretty good purchase if they were available as a large lot. I checked eBay the next day and found that antique mannequins (and even those that are not actually antiques) are indeed, some pretty good sellers. Some were selling for hundreds of dollars each.

It turns out that these old mannequins are considered by many to be of higher quality than newer models. They are better crafted and made to last (obviously). Some folks just enjoy the older "vintage" look of them.

If you do happen to be one of those people who someone acquired a mannequin at some point during your life, it very well might be worth your time to list it on eBay. Even though a very well kept mannequin will bring top dollar, even portions of the old mannequin forms can draw bids. You may also be interested to know that people look for specific traits in their mannequins. Specialized forms include maternity, child size, baby size, hosiery legs (just the legs alone) and torso forms. Of course there are also mannequin heads that can be found selling on their own.

Older mannequins should be expected to show some signs of wear. They also should have a different look to them. Their features are not quite as detailed as more modern models. A quick test to test for age can be just checking what materials were used in the construction of the mannequin. Authentic forms are more likely to be constructed of plaster or even wood.

So anyway, unless you intend to open a store or museum, you might want to browse the listings to see what is for sale. If you are a collector, don't forget to try your luck at estate sales. Oh, also, if you ARE a collector, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear what these get used for when they get purchased (I think)!

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Beagle Club

Mike — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:13:43 +0000

I didn't even realize that there was such a thing as a Beagle Club until I found a bunch of neat old Beagle Club pins. I purchased an entire collection from an estate. Some of the ones I found dated all the way back to the 1950's.

Update: The pins I found did indeed sell very well. It seems that these old pins are pretty tough to find anywhere unless you just happen to luck into them like I did. I don't like to delete posts, so I'm leaving this here and if any Beagle Club items show up on eBay, you should see them pop up below. I haven't seen anyone list as many all at once as I did. That doesn't really have anything to do with me other than the fact that I happened to walk in to them!

If you like this type of old collectible and you can't seem to find it, even on eBay, I've found that sometimes running an ad in a local "Pennysaver" type of paper can bring results. There are a lot of older people who read those papers and pretty much study it. Many of them also never go near a computer or have any idea that someone might want such an old item. I once placed an ad looking for vintage clothing and I was still getting calls six months later from people who said they actually cut out the ad and stuck it to their refrigerator! It doesn't hurt to ask.

Man Ride Horse Beagle Forest Hunt Puppy Dog SINGLE Swap Playing Cards NOT DECK
US $3.96

VINTAGE Royal Horse Ride Beagle Dog Man Lady SINGLE Swap Playing Card NOT DECK
US $4.47

Snoopy and the Red Baron 1966 hardcover book vintage
US $4.98

Vintage Cortland County Beagle Club pinback badge Sportsmens plastics
US $4.99

Second Hand

Vintage McKeesport High School Yearbook

Mike — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:19:14 +0000

Second Hand Sale presents...

A very nice 1945 Vintage McKeesport High School Yearbook.

One of the things I enjoy finding at estate sales is old yearbooks. Looking at them is like looking back at life during another generation's glory days. All of the young faces filled with dreams of the future! I generally could have at least one of these listed every couple of weeks. One that was set to list but didn't due to technical difficulties this past week was a really nice McKeesport High School yearbook from 1926! I'll be getting that on soon.

The value of these is quite variable. If there is a reunion coming up and two people want the same book, the value goes up, obviously. I don't really worry about that at this point since I'm trying to make space. I just list them. The value of these increases DRAMATICALLY if someone famous is included in the student listings.

Update: This yearbook along with a couple of others from McKeesport have been sold. Until I get more listed, I'm going to leave some other McKeesport items showing for anyone who might be interested. McKeesport has a great history and used to be quite a thriving economic center.

TRAVIS McBRIDE 2006 Big 33 High School card PENN STATE McKeesport HS
US $.50

Four Wheeler April 2010 Toyota 4Runner
US $1.96

21 DIFF1930sBEER LABELS TUBE CITYGLEN ALE ETC
US $.99

McKeesport PA Police patch
US $3.99

Second Hand

Antique Stanley Planes|Hand Planes

Mike — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 03:31:03 +0000

One of the first "uncommon" items I found when I started looking for things to sell on eBay years ago, was antique Stanley planes. I learned about them because I had gone to an estate sale that featured many vintage and antique woodworking tools.

I had a hunch that these vintage tools would be worth something because there had been a lot of interest in my Dad's tools after he passed away years earlier. I knew that my Dad had liked Stanley tools, so I bought up pretty much everything I could find that was stamped "Stanley".

COLLECTIBLE OLD VTG STANLEY WOOD WORKING CARPENTRY PLANE220 ANTIQUE RARE TOOL
US $.90

Cocobolo Plane Handle for Stanley 2
US $.98

Rosewood Plane Handle for Stanley 34
US $.98

Jarrah Plane Handle for Stanley 34
US $.98

Second Hand

It turns out that woodworkers are a pretty wise lot. Rather than spend their money on junk, they would rather invest in old Stanley planes that they know are the highest quality. I knew that the planes I had purchased were pretty old and I was amazed at how well kept they were. I took them apart just to make sure that there were not any old wood shavings or dirt stuck inside the works and was struck by the fact that besides a bit of worn paint on the wooden parts, the planes were in excellent condition. I think that was a combination of quality tools and a woodworker who did a great job of caring for his tools.

The Stanley planes that I had purchased were not among the most collectible ones that are sold. They all did fairly well, but I noticed that there are many specific models that seem to be quite coveted among tool collectors. If you are not a collector, you might not realize just HOW coveted these planes can be. To give you an idea, here are some recent prices paid for some of the hardest to find Stanley planes:

Stanley No. 23 wood plane: $1,625
Stanley No. 1 plane: $847
Stanley No. 212 Scraper plane: $755

As you can see, people are willing to pay for the high quality tools they are looking for when they are able to find them. Antique Stanley planes and Stanley planes in general are a great find if you like to hit estate sales, and a great investment if you are in the market for high quality tools. They certainly seem to hold their value well.

eBay’s Strategy Pays Off

Mike — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:32:41 +0000

There was some interesting news for both buyers and sellers of merchandise on eBay recently. It was reported that eBay shares have risen dramatically recently. It is thought that this is due at least in part to eBay's latest strategy of showcasing the best rated sellers and working to make the overall shopping experience more pleasant for visitors.

In my opinion, this is great news. I've always enjoyed selling on eBay and also browsing to see what was up for sale. One problem though was having to be careful of the occasional less than steller seller who had little regard for the buyer. Those low rated sellers are now being bumped by the sellers who do their best to provide a quality product and superior service. It's great to see the people who do the best work being rewarded while at the same time making the buying experience that much better.

You can check out the story here.

Michael Jackson Autograph

Mike — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:16:47 +0000

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.

ORIANTHI 14 Drum Head Signed Autograph MICHAEL JACKSON
US $69.99

Queensryche band signed autograph photo auto
US $79.96

RARE Orianthi Panagaris Signed Michael Jackson This Is It DVD Proof JSA COA
US $125.00

Queensryche AUTOGRAPHED Promised Land game box 5 original members SEE PICS
US $125.00

Second Hand

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.

Vintage Cooper Tires Sign

Mike — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:07:25 +0000

People collect all kinds of things. Tires signs are quite popular, as are items related to gas and oil. I've found that people especially seem to like the Cooper signs for some reason. If there are any on eBay, they will show up here above the other signs.

There is an old gas station near me that has been closed for many years. In front of it are the now rusted shells of old pumps. They were abandoned with the bubbles on top and everything. I'm sure more than one collector has thought about how they could get their hands on them, but I imagine the owner is long gone by now.

Collectible items related to gas and oil have earned their own name. They are called "petroliana" and many of them are much sought after.

[nms:cooper tires sign,5]

Standard Oil Atlas Tires Truck Chevron Die Cast Metal Collectible
US $.99

VINTAGE 4x6 RED CROWN GASOLINE ATLAS TIRES photo b w
US $2.29

1966 1976 TEXACO CHICAGO VICINITY plus ILLINOIS BICENTENNIAL ROAD MAPS
US $4.44

THREE c1940s TIRE ADVERTISING MATCHBOOKS
US $7.95

Second Hand

Hess Toy Truck and Front Loader

Mike — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:45:45 +0000

These are very popular and thus, very hard to get your hands on without doing a bit of searching. The 2008 Hess Toy Truck and Front End Loader makes back up warning sounds along with having a working horn and lights. That was definitely a popular item late in 2008, when I first put up this listing.

It is a bit later now as I've come back to update this post. Vintage Hess trucks are now pulling a lot of bids on eBay as they are still just as collectible and available only in limited quantities. If you happen upon this post when it is NOT near Christmas, you probably will have a better chance of grabbing a good deal. The bidding really seems to pick up around the holidays and the prices go up accordingly.

Don't miss the VIDEO below...

Hess 2010 Limited Edition Toy Truck Great Find
US $10.00

NIB 1998 HESS MINIATURE TANKER TRUCK
US $10.49

Vintage 1984 Hess Toy Truck BANK
US $10.50

2 Hess Trucks 1999 Toy Truck and Space Shuttle 2001 Helicopter with Motorcycle
US $10.50

Second Hand

This is a commercial for Hess Trucks from 1985. Gotta love that price...

Vintage Railroad Maps|Railroad History

Mike — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 03:57:11 +0000

When I came across some vintage railroad maps, I was surprised at how huge they were (at least the ones I had).

I guess they'd make a pretty neat framed display in a train room. One buyer told me that he is actually using them to build true to life scale models of steel mills in the Pittsburgh area. I thought that was kind of a neat idea. I might have to ask him to send along some photos when his project is complete.

I've still got a few of these left as of right now and I'll be putting them up to sell either as a lot or as individual maps. Old railroad items are very collectible. If you are a collector, you know that already. If you are a person looking for tips on selling items on eBay, take note: Buy almost anything old and railroad related that is reasonably priced!

The railroads played an enormously important role in the development of the United States. The connected this vast land and opened up the west making it possible for just about anyone to take their shot at making their fortune by exploring the wide open spaces that called to them. Today railroads still play a big part in getting things around our country, but the romance of the past is what usually attracts people and keeps them collecting.

Honestly, my selling strategy on eBay is usually to start items very low and let the market decide what each thing is worth. I think that is the original auction spirit and it keeps things interesting. Of course, many people also offer a "buy it now" option. I do that a lot when I am in a major "clearing out" phase. If you are a potential buyer, keep an eye out for the listings where people just need to get things moved along fast for one reason or another. You can often grab up some great deals if you are the first one to see a low buy it now price!