TIP TOP A Pre-Listing Guide for all Sellers of Vintage Collectibles, Glass & Figurines

A 5 Step Program designed to help sellers inspect their collectibles and list the items more accurately.

Most sellers have listed an item that we thought was perfect, only to find it was not. You look it over, you take pictures and still it happens and it always will. It is the nature of the business. The hard part is that it can be very heartbreaking for the buyer to receive a piece they thought was perfect or as described only to find something was missed. It can be very costly for the seller when you get the email or phone call that the item is not right. Buyers can not pick up the item and inspect for themselves, they rely on us, the sellers to be as accurate as possible.

Here is a Lefton figurine that I thought was perfect. Can you see what I missed? (Answer at the end of the guide)        

Here are 5 simple tips to do before you list your item. I call it TIP TOP and now incorporate the 5 steps before listing every item.

T - Touch your item as if you were reading in braille. Feel every edge and every surface. Did you notice anything rough? Did you fingernail catch on any surface? Does one side feel different from the other? If yes, you could have a chip, a glaze chip, a crack, a repair, or a missing piece.

I - Inspect your item. Really take the time to look over the piece in good light. Are all the fingers there. Look at the figurine’s delicate features such as ears, necks, fingers, legs, applied flowers, anything that would be most vulnerable to breaks and repairs. Use a magnifier or loop to check these areas closely. Many quality repairs are difficult to see with the naked eye. Many people use a black light for a thorough inspection. A black light will show repairs, age of glass and paper ephemera, antique painted cast iron pieces and more. Information can be found on the web about inspecting antiques with black light.

P - Photos. Take photos from all angles - front, side, back, side, bottom and top. Take closeups of delicate features. Even if you are not going to use all in your listing, your bidders may request more photos and it is nice to have them ready. Additionally, if you shoot them all at once you will not have to handle the piece as often and risk damage. Look carefully at all of your photos. I have found more repairs from looking at my photos - things I never saw on visual inspection.

T - Time. You’ve finished your inspection, taken the photos, written your listing and have it ready to post - DON’T. Take a vacation from the piece. You have just spent an hour or more photographing, inspecting and writting and you are too closely attached to view the item objectively. Give yourself a break - 15 minutes or better yet, wait until the next day and then do another thorough inspection in different light to see if you’ve missed something. This time talk yourself through the entire piece. Ask yourself "She is wearing a hat, is anything missing from the hat? Are the proportions right?"

O - Oversight. I love this word because of it's dual meaning:

1. An unintentional omission or mistake.
2. Watchful care or management; supervision.

By observing the second definition we avoid the first definition. So, take the time and try to look at the piece and your listing with a buyers eye.

Ask yourself before posting the listing - "Have I overlooked anything?" Have you noted all the features and flaws of the piece? Does it have chips? Is the glazed cracked - in all colors or just some? How is the paint?

Be sure to point out the special features - a painted face, delicate fingers or holding a parasol. Have you noted all the maker's marks and photographed them. Be sure to describe the mark or marks. Is it stamped, paper or foil? What color is it? Many of these tips help a collector date a piece even if we could not find it in researching the piece.

Most importantly, have you been honest, to your best ability, about your item? I know most of us are very honest and I encourage sellers to be very straight forward. Don't try to pull one over on your buyers, it will backfire. I have gotten many emails thanking me for being so thorough in my listings, especially about any flaws. Best of all, the items still sold for good money. If you aren't sure about something, just admit you aren't an expert, but this is what you think or were told. Don't make claims without doing the research and even then be careful.

P- Pleased Customer. Isn’t that what we all want? Always remember that your bidders can not pick the item up and inspect it for themselves. It is our job as good eBay sellers to make them feel as if they were holding the item and ultimately seeing that they do get to hold the item and it is exactly as described. Remember, mistakes are costly - in both time and goods. Better to take the time before listing then to have to issue a refund.

I can’t tell you the number of sad stories I’ve heard from customers about items from other sellers with breaks, repairs and other things that weren’t listed. The bidder who bought my Lefton Lady figurine called to let me know it wasn’t perfect and she was fully refunded, but, she had received 3 other items that were also not as perfect as the sellers claimed. I felt so bad because I could hear the disappointment and her frustration in her voice. I swore I would try to help change things.

Have you figured out what I missed on the figurine? She is carrying a parasol and the handle should have come up over the top her hand - the bottom to the umbrella handle was broken off. It’s obvious once it is pointed out.

Coming soon: Guide on How to Pack Breakable Items Securely, and Checklist for Buyers at Auctions or Auction Self-Control.