Marla's CeramicsFrom clay to art

Where is the best place to sell a collection of Bing & Grondahl Christmas plates?

I have recently inherited a collection of 40 some Bing & Grondahl chirstmas plates, years 1969-current…how much are they worth and where can I sell them? Would it be best to sell the whole collection together or split it up? All are in mint condition, still in the original boxes.

Usually, collections are worth more broken up and sold as individual pieces. This is more time consuming, and time is money, so the extra you get is not always worth it. That is why you do see collections sold intact, it’s just easier to get it over with.

These are not expensive pieces. Plates from the early 1960s and before bring better money (at least on eBay, the best place to see what things are actually selling for), but late 1960s and forward, prices for individual plates, including postage, is $10 to $20 per plate, with the many of the newer plates not drawing any bids.

The problem with ebay is the shipping is a killer. Someone may be willing to spend $15 for a plate, but at an average shipping cost of $8, it leaves them only $7 to give the seller. There are several recently sold plates for $3 -$4 (’66, ‘67, ‘69, ‘72, ‘80) plus postage of $10. So buyers are paying $13 for those plates, but the sellers are getting about $2 after fees. Hardly worth it.

That’s why it might be better selling it as one collection. You might get only $5 or $6 per plate, times 40, but that’s better than $3 times 40. The buyer is saving a ton on shipping. It may cost them $60 – $80 for postage because it’ll take several large boxes plus padding, but that’s only $2 per plate instead of $8 – $10. It will most likely be a dealer looking for store or flea market inventory they can sell to buyers directly with no shipping expense. Most collectors buy only the pieces they need.

This is probably not what you wanted to hear, but keep in mind the following:

1. Modern collectibles seldom sell in the aftermarket for anywhere near the original cost. Some do appreciate, the vast majority go the other way.

2. You inherited these. This is found money. Don’t spend a lot of time and effort trying to get top dollar.

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