Author Topic: Value difference in Locations  (Read 1406 times)

ironlord1963

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Value difference in Locations
« on: March 26, 2009, 11:32:16 pm »
      O.K. anyone have the formula for value of items between East, central and west coast.   I have seen many items such as a nice Reed and Barton tea set.  Online asking price is well above what I see in local Consignment and Antique shops.  For example the Reed and Barton "Nobel" set in a earlier thread the online set was asking $2100.00,  I have seen some nice old and semi rare to rare sets for 500 to 1000 big ones.  I live in the NW, Seattle to be exact and it was suggested we have Cheaper prices then the east coast.  Not sure I believe this, think being a newer part of the country, items would be harder to find and more expensive, supply and demand principle.  Anyone have thoughts on the price difference of Antiques between the various locations.

cogar

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Re: Value difference in Locations
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2009, 02:33:33 am »
 
Quote
Anyone have thoughts on the price difference of Antiques between the various locations.

Yes, there is a big difference in prices. The primary one being "supply and demand", meaning the greater number of an item in a particular area/region, the less the price will be.   

An item that has historical significance to a particular area will command a greater price in that area because of collectors of local memorabilia. Meaning, an authenic Boston Bean Pot is worth more in Boston.

And Period Furnishings probably have the biggest price difference and decorators/home owners will pay the price when renovating/refurbishing a home to a specific period, circa, year built.

For instance, walnut and cherry were the primary furniture woods on the East coast until the late 1800's and then oak furniture began being massed produced. But in say Texas and the Southwest, since they were settled later and had no walnut and cherry, oak was the wood of choice. So, oak furniture sells well in the Southwest.

I imagine if one ran statistics on E-Bay sales that the results would show "buyer hotspots" for specific items. And I will tell you an example of said.

A friend of mine and his wife sells a lot of small "cheapy" collectible items on E-bay and never sets the starting price at over 2 bucks. Well now, about 4 years ago they bought a box of "junk" for $2 or $3 and it contained a small slender brass vase of about 12" in height. It was nothing spectactular but maybe worth $5 to someone so they listed it on E-bay at a starting bid of $2. Well now, when the smoke cleared and the bidding ceased it sold for something like $1,700.

Turned out it was a unique piece made by a specific artist of the Arts n' Craft Era and collectors of his works were bidding furiously for ownership.

I love good "sleeper" stories.

 

railman44

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Re: Value difference in Locations
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2009, 05:13:28 am »
Price has always resided where supply and demand meet.  However, I think the current economy has some play in this equation too.  With less dollars available for hobbies and collecting, prices tend to come down.  This remains true for everything except the truly rare exceptional items. 

In my neck of the woods, online auctions such as eBay has made what seemed 'rare' much more common.  Since eBay's onset, some prices have plummeted on items we used to think in my area as rare.  Heavy items such as furniture, etc. seemed to have escaped eBay's curse (or blessing) because of shipping/handling costs. 

Different locales do make a difference in values but, as Sam Colt did for men yesteryear, eBay too leveled the playing field.  I have found items on eBay I would have never found in my local antique stores and at prices I could live with.

Texasbadger

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Re: Value difference in Locations
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2009, 08:32:09 am »
I deal in antique firearms and militaria primarily, and have found that antique Winchester lever action rifles and Colt single action revolvers bring a premium on the east coast, which makes sense as there are less to be had in that area.