We Don't Need No Stinking Badges!!! - Wait!!  Yes we do!!  :-)

** UPDATED / PICS ADDED ** 7/27/2007  This guide will HOPEFULLY help you list, and sell, your Police Badges, and in fact, this primer will help you list and sell pretty much any Badge, or any other items that you might be selling, in the future.  While rather long, I think it may be worth your time to read it through..........it may provide you with some insight into how to better list your badge.

Of all the things I discuss below, GOOD PICTURES ranks up there at the top!  Below I have included a number of sample GOOD pictures, and NOT SO GOOD pictures, for you to see. Additionally, I always pay the little bit extra, so that my pictures can be supersized.  If you find this guide and/or the pictures HELPFUL, please give me your YES vote, and the end of the guide.  Now, enjoy the pictures, and the guide!

GOOD PICTURES:

NOT SO GOOD PICTURES:

Having been a member of eBay for over 8 years, I have seen the growth of both eBay and eBay members. 
Due to the phenomenal growth of eBay, we are all faced with a growning number of items listed for sale.
How then can we list an item such that it will receive maximum exposure, which is the same as asking
"How can I make sure that all the people who might want to buy my item ,SEE my item,
while minimizing the number of people who ARE NOT going to buy my item, at any price?"

So here is my THREE STEP PROCESS!

FIRST, we want to make sure we PROPERLY LIST our Police Badge.

SECOND, we want to make sure that our listing DOES EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to SELL our POLICE BADGE!

THIRD, we want to make sure that we make the PROCESS of DEALING with US as EASY and PLEASANT as POSSIBLE!

When listing a badge, choosing the PROPER CATEGORY or CATEGORIES is CRITICAL.  Make sure if you are listing an OLD OBSOLETE POLICE BADGE, you list it in the CATEGORY "BADGES: OBSOLETE".  If you are listing a PATCH, MINI-BADGE, PIN, BELT BUCKLE, SPURS, UNIFORMS, KEY CHAINS, and the like, DON'T LIST in the Badges: Obsolete category.....you will clog up the category, and potentially LOSE bidders who don't see your item, because it is in the WRONG category.....in an auction, lost bidders = LOST MONEY!! (at the end of this guide, I will post the categories for you, and include some examples of mis-categorized listings).

When CREATING your listing, silly as this may seem, SPELLING IS CRITICAL!!  Wrongly spelling a KEY WORD, or typographical errors can be the KISS OF DEATH for your auction!  If a BUYER cannot FIND your POLICE BADGE because you spelled it POLICE BAGDE, OR POILCE BADGE, then you lose that potential bidder......and potentially you lose MONEY!   Check your spelling CAREFULLY before you finalize your listing.

Also, when CREATING your listing, the words you place in the TITLE and SUBTITLE are CRITICALLY IMPORTANT! 

- If you are listing a BADGE, make sure you include the word BADGE in the title.
- If you are listing a PATCH, make sure you include the word PATCH in the title.
- So, whatever you are selling, use THAT WORD or WORDS in the title!
- If the item is POLICE related, use the word POLICE.
- If the item is a SHERIFF related, use the word SHERIFF.
- So, whatever you are selling, use the WORD or WORDS that describe that in the title!
- Note where the badge is FROM (Country if not the US, and if the US, State, County, or City)

Thus, if you are selling a "Los Angeles Police Series 2 Badge", that is what the title should say!  If you have room for more words, then add them, as they specifically relate to YOUR item - "Hallmarked" if hallmarked, "Sterling Silver" if Sterling Silver, "Fork Catch" if it has a Fork Catch.........and so on.

If you want to say more, use the SUBTITLE feature.

DON'T MISLEAD!!  EITHER DIRECTLY OR BY OMISSION!!!  BE POSITIVE!!!

- If you are selling a REPRODUCTION or REPLICA, say so, CLEARLY, in your TITLE or SUB-TITLE.....don't MISLEAD!!
- DON'T post a HUGE picture of a TINY badge, and conveniently leave out the dimensions......while not MIS-STATING FACT, you are MISREPRESENTING BY OMISSION!  Bad for you, bad for the buyer and BAD FOR THE HOBBY!!
- If you KNOW you are selling a BADGE that MANY PEOPLE believe is not authentic, but YOU BELIEVE IT IS AUTHENTIC, let the buyer know that some collectors are unsure about the badge, or that some controversy exists about the  badge, and then GUARANTEE IT'S AUTHENTICITY!!!  Let the potential buyers know that if they purchase the badge and are not happy with it, that you will take it back, and issue a FULL REFUND, without any problems.  That way, you eliminate the risk, and you eliminate the possibility that the buyer will think you are a CROOK!
- POST CLEAR, IN FOCUS CLOSE UP PHOTOS, (of the FRONT and BACK of the BADGE) and LIST DIMENSIONS in INCHES (not mm).  I have seen so many listings where a tiny badge is listed in mm.......big numbers, little badge - remember, DON"T MISREPRESENT thru SUBTERFUGE...........if it is a small badge, say so, and be HONEST!!  I have seen photos that look like they were taken from 10 feet away.......absurd!  I have seen auctions where the seller says, "I just can't take a good photo", or some similar statement.  Bottom line, if you want to GET THE MOST MONEY for your Badge, find a way to post GOOD PHOTOS!!!
- Don't be OVERLY NEGATIVE in your listing (I have seen listings where more words are used to tell you the RULES the seller has, and what he or she WON"T DO, or what YOU CAN"T DO, than in DESCRIBING THE ITEM), telling all what you won't do, what not to ask you, and the like.  I, personnally, stay away from auctions where the tone is aggressive or nasty....why would I want to even get involved with someone who seems to have a bad attitude, from the beginning.  I know one can have problems buying or selling, but keep it light....too much negativity drives away potential bidders.
- Don't overcharge for postage!  Charge actual cost of mailing, and don't charge a handling fee, to handle your own item........just turns off many potential bidders, and that plain just costs you money!! 

SOME THINGS NOT TO SAY IN YOUR LISTING! (ie., UNNECESSARY or MISLEADING)!
  (These are simply a few examples, and I'm sure each of you has seen more!)

- AUTHENTIC REPLICA (Are there "FAKE" replicas???)
- NEW ITEM (When you list the same things over and over again)
- DELUXE SIZE (Which means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING)
- NICE! (We can all assume that whatever is being sold if NICE, at least to someone)
- STAY AWAY FROM USING @, #, *, " IN YOUR TITLE, UNLESS YOU MAKE SURE THESE SYMBOLS ARE NOT TOUCHING ANY OF THE WORDS, OR THOSE WORDS MAY NOT SEARCH PROPERLY.
- AGAIN, SPELLCHECK ALL YOUR WORDS!!
- GOOD CONDITION (Condition can be discussed in the text of the description and does not need to be noted in the title, since we don't see too many where it says POOR Condition!)
- Don't say VINTAGE in the TITLE, when you are selling a REPRODUCTION, and state that, in your description.  You will just end up annoying a potential buyer, who you have TRICKED into look at your auction, thus wasting there time.  Potentially your auction can be ended, and you can be suspended from eBay for mis-use if KEY WORDS!

If you are wanting someone to bid high, then make it easy for the potential buyer to "want your badge"!  Clear, CLOSE UP PHOTOS give EVERYONE a HUGE LEVEL of COMFORT.  Make sure you clearly show all HALLMARKS, PIN and CATCH, ANY DAMAGE, and if you like, include a RULER in your pictures, so that size is easily seen.  GOOD QUALITY PHOTOS, and LOTS OF THEM, along with a GREAT, INFORMATIVE DESCRIPTION, will absolutely get you the most money, if you have done everything else I suggest.

Next you will find a category list, and after that, a sampling of mis-categorized auctions I found on just the first few pages of Badges: Obsolete, the other day. 

IF YOU FIND THIS GUIDE HELPFUL, PLEASE CLICK THE "YES" BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM, and thank you for reading this guide.......I hope it helps!!

Under the sub-category "Police" there EIGHTEEN (18) further sub-categories.  They are as follows:

Badges: Mini
Badges: Obsolete
Batls, Belt Buckles
Decals, Stickers
Handcuffs, Keys
Hats, Caps
Holsters
Keychains
Lights
Mugs, Cups
Patches
Photographs
Pins, Buttons
Posters
Shirts
Signs, Placques
Whistles
Other Police Items

Many buyers actually look thru the entire category, for what they want........by MIS-LISTING your item, in the WRONG CATEGORY, you may lose out on one or more potential bidders, who simply cannot find your item, ultimately costing YOU money.  Additionally, CLOGGING UP a category with items that belong in another category can be a source of AGGRAVATION for buyers, and I know some who JUST ON PRINCIPLE don't buy from sellers who continue to list in the wrong category.

This most often is seen by looking at the Badges: Obsolete category........Everything listed here was found in the Badges: Obsolete Category!  Items, such as:

PATCHES (should be listed under "Patches"), MINI BADGES (should be listed under "Badges: Mini"), COLLAR AND SHIRT INSIGNIA (should be listed under "Other Police Items"), LAPEL PINS (which are really mini badges), EPPAULETTES (which are really patches), HELMUT BADGES (which really belong in "Hats, Caps", but which could also be cross listed in "Badges: Obsolete"), COINS, CHALLENGE COINS (Should be listed in "Other Police Items"), BADGE HOLDERS (Should be listed in "Other Police Items", and could be cross listed in "Badges: Obsolete"), POLICE CAPE CLASP (should be listed under "Other Police Items"), CAMPAIGN STYLE CELLULOID STYLE BADGES (The one I saw was actually for a US Post Office Employee - totally NON Police Related - could potentially be listed under "Pins, Buttons" if one wants to have Police Collectors see it, but not as a Primary Listing Category), UNIFORM BUTTONS (Should be listed under "Pins, Buttons"), DOG COLLAR TAGS, DOG COLLARS (Should be listed under "Other Police Items"), BOOKS (Should be listed under "Other Police Items"), UNIFORMS, UNIFORM JACKETS, UNIFORM PANTS and the like (The most appropriate category available would be "Shirts"), PENDANTS (Should be listed under "Other Police Items"), BRIEFCASE (Should be listed under "Other Police Items"), STIRRUPS (Mispelled - Sturrips -- Should be listed under "Other Police Items" - We will discuss spelling later in this guide), KEY RINGS (Should be listed in "Other Police Items"), HATS )Should be listed under "Hats, Caps"), FACTORY WORKER EMPLOYEE ID TAG (Has no business being in a "Police" related category at all), CROSSING GUARD EQUIPMENT (Should be listed inder "Other Police Items"), THAI PARACHUTE JUMP WINGS (Clearly non POLICE related), QUALITY PHOTO/MEDAL FRAMES (Should be listed in "Other Police Items" if intended for framing of police related items),  "PUT-N-BAY OHIO VERY RARE OLD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1" (I have no idea what this means, or what is being sold, at all! And I doubt it will come up in very many searches), TIE TACS (Should be listed in "Pins, Buttons"),

Again, IF YOU FIND THIS GUIDE HELPFUL, PLEASE CLICK THE "YES" BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM, and thank you for reading this guide.......I hope it helps!!