How do you keep in touch with today's marketplace for collectibles & antiques? If you're like most & want to check a price on an item you've seen, you type it in on eBay to see if there are any listed. If it's common, you'll probably find plenty- either on current or completed auctions, & at prices much lower than you thought. But if your widget happens to be a real find, it may not appear on eBay at all- especially since you're only able to check about 3 weeks of auctions- 1 week current & 2 weeks of completed. The answer is to get yourself educated on what you collect or have an interest in. And this means cracking the books.

In-print price guides have really improved since online auctions have stirred up the pot. Many new scarce items have surfaced, & along with them, of course, many fakes. These guides can keep you informed of those seldom-seen items, along with pictures to aid in identifying them. They can also help you in spotting the bogus pieces.

A good place to start your hunt for price & identification guides is ACGuides.com. Besides showing 3 dozen of the very latest price & identification guides to hit the market, they also have a categorized listing of many, many others.

Check 'em out!

Tom

Labels: antique, collectible, guide, price