The ups and downs of listening to others !

[kingsley]

I have decided to part with my TA badges after 40 years (including some very nice ones) bur have a problem selling rare badges on the Forum. I understand that it is not good form to ask Forum members their current value.
If I can't put a value on them (neither too high or too low) it means Ebay or nothing.

[billy]

Just ask the Forum true value of your badges Kingsly and take off the 20-25% Ebay charge on what concensus is, you get a proper value some may sell those that don't can go to SMM or Ebay but with correct price range in your mind! And Forum members pick up a nice badge at a reasonable price and you are no worse off from fees?
Am on the side of enjoying the badges and dread having to get rid as has been mentioned we are old! collectors and no new blood comming through and in truth they have mortages and girls on there mind! Lucky little so & so, s
All the best billy

[kingsley]

Thanks Billy, it sounds like a good idea but I understand that it is not considered 'good form' to ask Forum members for values, even though there is a difference between a dealer looking for a fast buck and a long-time collector like myself.
It would certainly benefit Forum members not to have to pay Ebay's extra 20% or more.

[2747andy]

Kingsley,
although some may disagree, I CANNOT see anything wrong in asking here on the Forum for values! As long as you clearly state from the start that your intentions are to sell them! Perhaps opening them up to members for reasonable offers here before listing elsewhere?

I think what riles folk is when someone posts;

"Hi What are these worth"???

To then see them listed on eBay without a thank you for your help (Cheers Easy!).

Andy

[Alan O]

Ask away. It is only when there is subterfuge about people's motives that members get annoyed. Take some photos and post them up and then that will get you a realistic value. Pricing them is up to you but as ebay charge listing and sellers fees it is a gamble whether to send them to auction or set the price on the forum at a lower level so they sell.

[mac mcconnell]

I have been collecting for a short period of time about two years many of you gentlemen were collecting before I could walk.
I collect not for reward but for the love of my Regiment and its history.
The one thing that has been drilled into me is research before buying fools rush in as they say.

Funny when it comes to selling we often let things go that arnt that important to us anymore and there fore we let them go a little cheaper or as here on the forum we don't like to look greedy so hope people pay a fair price.

However with social media everyone wants a deal and everyone's an expert good conduct seems to have been passed by for profit.

I have purchased things from Rob, Alan, Andy, and other and have always been happy I have been watched over by the above on more than one occasion and others like Griff, Phil ,Malcom, Tony.

Last time I went to sell stuff I phoned one of the above as I had no idea of worth. They put me right.

I thank those who have watched over me these first tentative years and those who sold me items a little cheaper as I was and still are very much a new boy.

[Eddie Parks]

Absolutely, ask away, there's nothing at all wrong with asking what something is worth, but if you are planning to sell it say so!

There are of course other forums where they absolutely ban any discussion of value.

Eddie

[Tigerlily]

Ditto Mac, as a new collector I have relied heavily on the expertise and very much been on the receiving end of the generosity of others. I have had a brilliant teacher and have a little posse of lovely, patient people I go to when I need some advice.

As far as pricing goes, as has been touched on before it varies from dealer to dealer, a badge I am watching at the moment with three different dealers varies incrementally between the three by £5 each, if I have a relationship with the dealer then I have no problem paying a little more rather than just going for the cheaper option.

If I am desperate for a particular badge as was the case with something I had been after for a while recently, I barely blinked at the price, I had a ballpark figure in mind and it was within that, I grabbed it because I know how badly I wanted it. The same with a cap I bought yesterday, a good £20 over what I would normally pay for a cap, but I wanted it badly enough to chuck what others might call silly money at it.

When it comes to making offers as a couple of forum members can verify, I absolutely die! I hate it, it’s the worst. I can’t haggle, I can’t make offers, unless I am completely confident of something’s worth I always worry I’ve gone in too low. I hate it, honestly, it does my head in!

Dave I am a huge fan of your badges as you know and I don’t think you overcharge, if you’d had a visitor counter on SMM when you had your, what I call “grenade porn” listing last month the counter would have gone through the roof, I did buy a couple and as always you were very generous, I really liked that RF belt buckle(I think?) you had listed as well but I have to reign myself in or me and the badge collection would be homeless. So what I’m trying to say the long way round is, it’s not that I’m desperate for a bargain or that you in any way overcharge, I just need to be mindful of not spending every penny I have on badges that are priced exactly as they should be but are beyond what I should spend.

[Mike_2817]

Originally Posted by kingsley

It would certainly benefit Forum members not to have to pay Ebay's extra 20% or more.

Where do you get 20% or more from?

You can list 20 items a month for free, after which its .35p per listing

Final Value Fee is 10% per listing and postage (which is unfair)

PayPal Fee is 3.4% plus 20p per item

or i'm I missing something?

[davec2]

Hello Alli,

Thanks for your kind words !

A point I should raise is that I have never listed a belt buckle, the badge I listed was actually a belt badge which can command more than ten times the cost of a buckle.

Hey ho, that is one of the badges I am referring to, it cost me in excess of £300.00p from a very well respected dealer and you can believe me or not but I would rather cut the badge in half than give it away !

Let's have a bit of fun, a cloth RSM's arm badge I believe it is for no2 and working dress ? I bought this off a forum member/dealer, how much did I pay and what's it worth ???

Secondly three really nice badges, two X belt badges ( one is a RF Alli ) and the smallest is a pouch badge, these were all bought from a highly respected dealer while I was at Stratford, how much do you think I paid and what do you value them at.

Everyone join in, I would love to see the results ??

Dave.

PS The RSM's badge has been on ebay, SMM and this forum, I started trying to sell it for the price I paid, I am now asking slightly more than half that amount and I wouldn't turn a hair at cutting this one up either. ??

Dave.

[Chipper]

Originally Posted by Tigerlily

Ditto Mac, as a new collector I have relied heavily on the expertise and very much been on the receiving end of the generosity of others. I have had a brilliant teacher and have a little posse of lovely, patient people I go to when I need some advice.

As far as pricing goes, as has been touched on before it varies from dealer to dealer, a badge I am watching at the moment with three different dealers varies incrementally between the three by £5 each, if I have a relationship with the dealer then I have no problem paying a little more rather than just going for the cheaper option.

If I am desperate for a particular badge as was the case with something I had been after for a while recently, I barely blinked at the price, I had a ballpark figure in mind and it was within that, I grabbed it because I know how badly I wanted it. The same with a cap I bought yesterday, a good £20 over what I would normally pay for a cap, but I wanted it badly enough to chuck what others might call silly money at it.

When it comes to making offers as a couple of forum members can verify, I absolutely die! I hate it, it’s the worst. I can’t haggle, I can’t make offers, unless I am completely confident of something’s worth I always worry I’ve gone in too low. I hate it, honestly, it does my head in!

Dave I am a huge fan of your badges as you know and I don’t think you overcharge, if you’d had a visitor counter on SMM when you had your, what I call “grenade porn” listing last month the counter would have gone through the roof, I did buy a couple and as always you were very generous, I really liked that RF belt buckle(I think?) you had listed as well but I have to reign myself in or me and the badge collection would be homeless. So what I’m trying to say the long way round is, it’s not that I’m desperate for a bargain or that you in any way overcharge, I just need to be mindful of not spending every penny I have on badges that are priced exactly as they should be but are beyond what I should spend.

Couldn't have put it any better. For me, as has been gone over ad-nauseam, a badge is worth what someone is prepared to pay for it - and that amount varies depending on many things. Capacity to pay, irrationally competing against someone in an auction (my specialty), finishing a collection, or simply too much wine while on the internet; there are dozens of variables. The level to buy and sell is such a personal thing, and I don't think there should be any dispersions cast for trying to get the best price as a seller, nor ridicule for paying 'too much'. As a community, we should be supporting members and the decisions they make.

There are such a wonderful bunch of people here, and like Mac and Alli, I have been overwhelmed at the generosity and freely given advice I have directly benefitted from.

Long may it continue

Cheers, Tim

[Tigerlily]

Dave yep belt badge, that's the one I was talking about!
That was the one listed on SMM and that's the badge I kept going back for a look at? Have you till got it on ebay?(lead me not into temptation ....)

As for valuing the rest, I'll just sit back and watch, I've had a bit of a shock with the value of one of my badges this morning so I'm not even going there

[Tigerlily]

Originally Posted by Chipper

Couldn't have put it any better. For me, as has been gone over ad-nauseam, a badge is worth what someone is prepared to pay for it - and that amount varies depending on many things. Capacity to pay, irrationally competing against someone in an auction (my specialty), finishing a collection, or simply too much wine while on the internet; there are dozens of variables. The level to buy and sell is such a personal thing, and I don't think there should be any dispersions cast for trying to get the best price as a seller, nor ridicule for paying 'too much'. As a community, we should be supporting members and the decisions they make.

There are such a wonderful bunch of people here, and like Mac and Alli, I have been overwhelmed at the generosity and freely given advice I have directly benefitted from.

Long may it continue

Cheers, Tim

Oh and Tim, wine, competitiveness and ebay, my specialties too (replace wine with bourbon) lethal combo, "bourbon badge buys": 2 identical Blackwatch badges same night different dealers, complete set of Guards badges, Para beret for £90(dutch courage reqd) 2X Coldstream Guards caps and randomly a Leicester Tigers t shirt, "A Bridge Too Far" and moth repellent spray for my caps I need handcuffing after a drink to keep me off the internet

[Chipper]

Originally Posted by Tigerlily

Oh and Tim, wine, competitiveness and ebay, my specialties too (replace wine with bourbon) lethal combo, "bourbon badge buys": 2 identical Blackwatch badges same night different dealers, complete set of Guards badges, Para beret for £90(dutch courage reqd) 2X Coldstream Guards caps and randomly a Leicester Tigers t shirt, "A Bridge Too Far" and moth repellent spray for my caps I need handcuffing after a drink to keep me off the internet

LOL, you have just described me. Give me bottle of Rosé and no badge is safe....

[manchesters]

Dave,

AS for the large Guards RSM badge, I sold an original one, just the same, for £16 on ebay in January this year so as far as I am concerned thats what its worth.

As to what you paid, I have no idea.

regards