Bargains?

They're Back for the Season. Now is the time to buy.

Picture is the interior of my favorite place to shop. The Richmond Hill, NY. Former RKO movie theater, Now closed. Serves as a bingo hall, and every Sunday Flea market. Lots of collectible dealers, not just made in China .99 cent junk.

Many vendors collect all winter and bring the best stuff out during April and May. Rare items and lots of odd-ball stuff.

What to look for: You'll be surprised to find lots of baby boomer stuff. Dolls, toys and hippie era items resell well on ebay. Tip: try to find items in the original retail box as this will double the value of the item. If it came with a manual its golden if if it still has it. Look for items in the entertainment field, Posters, Pictures and autographs sell very well. Make sure the pictures are originals. When buying lots of vintage photographs try to find some rock stars in concert or candid shots of celebrities. These are pure gold on ebay. Leave out NSYNC and Backstreet boys items. They don't sell. When buying old posters make sure they're the originals. On movie posters from the fifties look for b-movie or horror themed prints and Litho's as these are rare. Tin Toy's ..all types made in USA or japan resell at incredible prices.

In my own visits to flea markets I can find at least one item on each vender's table. The best flea markets are the once a year types. Church rummage sales are probably the best. Garage sales are ruff, sometimes the sellers think the items are worth too much. Sometimes they are just looking to get rid of old stuff, they are worth checking out. Look on Craigslist for garage sales in your area, it makes a nice outing on a weekend day.

Clothing, Authentic vintage brand name stuff is best found at church rummage sales, try to find hippie era stuff, old made in USA blue jeans and Down jackets.

Magazines: Stay away from Time, National Geographic, Life and Look mags, They sell poorly unless they are very old. Buy item specific mags like Ski, Sports, Movie Star, Film, and entertainment.

Musical Instruments: This is an easy one! Just make sure it's a brand name and works. Try to find them in the original case. Stay away from newer made in China instruments, They have very little value. Top names for guitars are Fender, And anything that's connected to Les Paul! Beware of items missing pieces, such as wind instruments missing the mouth piece, these pieces are very hard to replace.

Records, Recent interest in these has driven the resell market up, be sure to make sure the label is intact & unmarked with a sticker or pen/pencil. Look closely at the vinyl, scratched records are NOT collectible. Try to find original label rock from the late fifties, such as, Doo-Wop, The African American records from the sixties, referred to as soul do excellent on ebay!

Laserdisc: Collectors in the know have been collecting these heavily in the last few years, same conditions exist for these as do records, Make sure they are not scratched, look at the jackets for damage. Laserdisc will rot if left in a damp environment. You Must check them!

Vintage Glass: Pottery and Plates? The market is glutted, Plates with values of $30.00 in the guides are selling on ebay for .99 cents. Reason is that there's just too much stuff listed. If your interested in this field try to find ones created before 1950, make sure the bottom has a makers mark, an unidentified piece even if very beautiful won't sell well.

*Some dealers may hide a defect with a price sticker, try to see beneath it.

Comic Books and Baseball cards: One of the biggest collectible fields up until 1995, These items were over produced during the 80's and early 90s THEY DON'T SELL!, if your thinking of entering this field to buy lots for resale, stick with pre-1975 items. These are the only true collectibles in this genre. Unless they are big stars. Again check the conditions, To a collector grade of item is crucial. Due to market glut especially on ebay newer cards have bottomed out. Dealers are blowing them out like mad.

I'll update this guide soon for some idea's on tag sales.

Thanks for reading!