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I have been slacking a lot on new listings lately, so only 15 sales last week. But a lot of them were interesting, weird items!
My second Rowan knitting magazine sale in two weeks — a fairly quick process to turn $4 into $50. Definitely keep your eye out for these.
A pair of Willie Mosconi authenticated signed pool balls to the same buyer — these sold within a day of listing. Most difficult part of the sale was figuring out how to take the photos before the ball rolled around!
I have a few others which sold this weekend and ship tomorrow, so I’ll hold off on them until next week’s thread.
What did you sell this week?
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Motorola DYNA TAC 8000S Vintage Brick Cell Phone UNTESTED
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266139500629
These kinda items are what keeps ebay selling interesting! I happily took an offer of $300. Paid $5 at an awesome former antique store estate sale. Initial research showed I’d get $30-50. I actually waffled on getting this as it didn’t really meet my purchasing matrix. I finally just said “when am I ever gonna find another one of these brick phones? Just get it.” Boy am I glad I went with my gut!!! Once I researched the actual model number, I was floored. I knew I’d get $250 easy but I wanted to hold out for at least $300. Took just under 2 months to sell.
Why is it worth this much? Who knows. Some people must collect them.
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Why is it worth this much? Who knows.
Maybe because that model was the very first commercial handheld cell phone. There was a very interesting article in this weekend’s Wall Street Journal interviewing the guy who invented that phone in 1973. His crew at Motorola considered several different several variations – flip phone, a folding book phone, a sliding phone, a capsule phone – before settling on the 2½-pound block they called the “shoe phone” in homage to the 1960s sitcom Get Smart. They decided on all one piece so there wasn’t the chance that it might break in the middle of a demonstration. The way it used a cell network was an innovation as well since the existing huge brick car phones were more like taxi radios, using specific radio channels. It took them 10 years to get it to the market and it cost $4,000 at retail.
If anyone wants to read the article it’s firewalled but supposedly this is a free link:
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Nothing earth shattering this week. Was tempted to keep this item. Found at the bottom of the junky household light switch covers, random garage junk drawer stuff at a Goodwill https://www.ebay.com/itm/334770682624
I have also found vintage bakelite handles that sold for almost $200 in that area before so it’s always worth a peek in the catch all bin folks.
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My sale of the week was this SEAL admiral’s challenge coin on consignment that went for $95 plus shipping on a best offer. It feels like prices are getting soft on challenge coins, as this one should have been a relatively quick sale closer to my asking price of $145 but the offer was from a repeat buyer who purchased two other items along with the coin this time so I won’t quibble. https://www.ebay.com/itm/275709631262
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So I am shying away from purchasing challenge coins unless I source them in person at estate sales etc.
@BigSally yes, that is a wise practice. Many fakes and cheap copies out there. I get mine from fellow vets as well as estate sales. I’ll occasionally try and buy lots online if they look right, there are enough indicators of authenticity, and the price is right, but I usually get outbid.
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