The price is great!  However, if the box is missing or the card (COA) is missing
or it doesn't have the right packing or if there are defects to the piece or if one
or all of the pieces to the package are incorrect then the price isn't very good.

Just because it's cheap doesn't make it a bargain.  The value guide says that it
is worth $100 and you can buy it for $15.  Wow, what a bargain!  You buy it.
When it arrives in the mail you find that it doesn't have the box, card or packing
that it's supposed to have;  it's dusty and dirty;  and it has some nicks and chips.
Even after you clean it up and put it on the shelf, it is not up to standard and
you are never going to be truly happy with this purchase.  If your purchase does
not meet your expectations then it isn't a bargain.

I am the owner/author of the Website TheBearCollector.com which specializes
in Boyds Bearstones(R).  Our site is a Reference / Value Guide & Secondary
Market Resource for Boyds Bearstones(R).  We have been highlighted in the
Resin Tracker as one of the top sites on the Internet for Boyds(R).  We have
participated in several events at Clarion, Iowa and have been one of the resin
experts at the FoB Jamboree at Gettysburg (2005 & 2007).  I am the author of
the Worldwide Exclusive, "The Collector's Handbook."  This Handbook delineates
in great detail almost all there is to know about Bearstones(R).

We receive Emails from around the world, sometimes asking if a particular
purchase is a good deal or not. While it is difficult to be exact in these situations
we attempt to give some general guidelines that will direct the collector to finding
their own answer.  After all collecting is a personal preference activity.

This Guide is intended to do for all who are interested, what we do for those
who Email us -- provide some general guidelines that will lead the collector
to the correct answer for them.  So let's get started.

The question you really want answered is "Is this a good deal or not?" or
"How do I know if I am getting ripped off?" or "Is this the best deal I can find?"
These kinds of questions are summed up under the guideline:  "When to buy
and when not to buy"  Now, so you don't have to read any further, here is the
answer that will apply to any situation in which you are considering a purchase.

Given that the final cost is within your expectations, "You buy when the Open
Market Value of the item exceeds the anticipated final cost."

There are two things here that probably need further explanation - anticipated
final cost and Open Market Value.  Very simply, anticipated final cost = what you
are willing to pay including shipping, handling and insurance costs.  Here's an
example.  There is an item for sale that you would like to have.  Your gut tells
you that you can afford $50.  Shipping and all of that other stuff is going to cost
about $8.  You can offer up to $42 for this item because your anticipated final
cost is $50.

Easy stuff.  Now all we need to know is the Open Market Value of the item.
Knowing that, then we can tell if the item is a bargain or not.  Example:  if
the Open Market Value of the item is $51 or higher then it is a good deal.

And so we come to Open Market Value.  What is it and how does one go
about determining it?  First, what is Open Market Value?  Just so you know
here is the comprehensive explanation of Open Market Value.  ...Open Market
Value is the dollar (or other currency) value that one can buy/sell the Bearstone(R)
for on the open Secondary Market. Many things can affect Open Market Value.
The buy/sell value or price of any given Bearstone(R) will be affected by such
things as demand, availability, condition of the stone, edition type, edition number,
does it have the correct box, does it have the correct packing, does it have the
correct card, the date of issue, whether it is a variation from original issue, is it
the original issue and the initial retail price.  There are other more subtle factors
affecting value in the Open Market, such as time of day, day of the week, day
of the month, current dollar valuation (if you deal internationally), trust in the
dealer, has it ever been displayed, guarantees, auction costs, commissions, ...etc.
Now that is a lot of stuff to remember.  However, you can break it down into
a few steps and come up with a reasonable Open Market Value.

In order to determine a reasonable Open Market Value one most often will
begin with a Value Guide value.  So, you determine the piece identity, the
edition if applicable, if it is a variation from the original or original release
and look up the value in a guide.  Now this value should be considered an
insurance value--the value you would present to a claim.  If you deduct about
15% to 20% of this value you will have adjusted the value closer to the Open
Market value.  But you must understand that the adjusted value is for a piece
that is called "Mint-In-Box" sometimes expressed as MIB.  Value Guides
always give you a value that assumes MIB.  Therefore, the possibility exists
that the piece you are interested in is not mint.  You must have information
about the piece to make this determination.  What information do you need?

Begin with a definition of "Mint-In-Box".  It goes like this:   Mint-In-Box means
a stone (resin piece) without defects such as excessive nicks, chips or other
detractive elements with all of the correct peripherals (box, card and packing)
in excellent condition and no substantial defects.  Anything less than the above
definition is not mint.  Further, anything less than the above definition does not
have the same value as those values listed in a value guide.  Anything less than
the above definition has a lesser Insurance Value.  Anything less than the above
definition must be devalued based on the nature of the deficiency for sale in the
Open Market.  Anything less than the above definition should not be advertised
as mint.

Now armed with a standard of mint and an adjusted value for mint one can
proceed to the next step of acquiring information about an item available in
the Open Market.  Let's assume that the seller is honest.  Why not, for the very
great majority the sellers are honest.  Yes there are a few.... who, how shall we
say it, just want the money regardless.  But, most of the time if you write and
ask the correct questions you will ferret out the shady little gray areas of the
seller.  There is an old saying, "Locks keep honest people honest."  Here, asking
the correct questions is like having a lock.  So now you just have to avoid the
overtly bold faced liars.  Fortunately these sellers do not last long.  Point:
always ask the correct questions.

This brings up an interesting point, "What are the correct questions?"
The correct questions are those that give you definitive information about
the factors that determine the value of the item you are considering.
For instance a plush piece, one might ask "Does it have the hang tags?
Tush tags?  Box (if it originally came in one)?  These answers tell you
the condition of the item and hence the value of the item.

What are the definitive factors that determine the value of a resin piece?
You already have part of this information when you looked up the item
in the guide.  So now you are considering those factors that may make
the piece or item less than mint.  For a resin piece one would want information
about - (1) the condition of the stone itself (nicks, chips, breaks, repair, touch up,
coloring, etc); (2) does it have the correct box and its condition;  (3) does it have
the correct packing and the condition; and (4) does it have the correct card and
the condition.

The correct questions then are those that are based on the preceeding factors.
The answers to these questions will tell you the condition of the piece and hence
the value of the piece.  We would say it like this:  Is it pristine?  Are all of the
peripherals present, correct and in excellent condition?  If the stone is not pristine
and/or the stone's package is not complete, correct or in excellent condition then
one must begin to determine a lesser price (value).

Let's do an example of how all of this works.  You are interested in a resin piece
called "A."  The seller has it listed at $50.  "A" is a second edition, regular issue,
and it has no variations.  We go to the value guide and find that this little piece is
worth $75.  We now adjust this value by 20% to $60.  We are now ready to
write and ask questions about this piece "A."  We ask at minimum four questions,
remembering that if the piece is MIB and we are comfortable with $50 this is so
far a good deal.  Now the seller writes back and tells us the stone is mint, but there
is no box, card or packing.  Bummer!  The Open Market Value in this case is only
about $30.  The piece is not worth the $50.

There are all kinds of scenarios here with the answers to the questions.  Without
information about cards, boxes and packing and the defects of the stone it is very
hard to evaluate the relative value of the piece.  There are places to get this
information, but in the meantime here is an "off the cuff" method of deciding value
from the answers to your questions.

First one must answer the question, "Why am I purchasing this item?"  Is it for
investment or is it just for my collection?  If it is just for your collection then you
can put up with a lot less than mint.  Just where you draw the line is something
each collector must decide on their own.  We will caution you, even if it is just
for your collection most collectors will want to have the highest value within
their budget.  Use your common sense with the answers to the questions--
don't buy a stone that is seriously defective (unless you have a specific use).
Always try to have the right box because you can make packing to ship or
pack with.  The Certificate of Authenticity is just part of the package, but if
they don't have it, it is not the end of the world.  But don't pay for it in the
price.

If you are purchasing for investment purposes then it is imperative that you know
exactly what you are getting.  An investment is an investment.  If you don't know
then don't buy!

To summarize:  The best advise is: for the buyer - "Caveat Emptor," Let the
buyer beware; and for the seller - honesty.  In the end the real question is
"When to buy and when not to buy."  The answer is, (given that the final
cost is within your expectations) "You buy when the Open Market Value
of the item exceeds the anticipated final cost."