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I currently source from thrift stores and I end up with a lot of random stuff. Usually I can just put something up that is generic, but I have had several things that I have purchased recently that you would think should have some information on. One is a cookware set called Microwise Triple Quik Cooker. It’s in the box and has a cookbook with it. The only thing I can find is a patent request from ’98. Then I have a set of Maxwell House Coffee Cups that you would think would be easy to find, but no. Nothing. I have googled my little heart out and went on WorthPoint etc. It’s like they never existed. So now I am not sure if I should list them and just guess at a price or not. I’m worried they might even be recalled and that’s why I can’t find them. I’m just not sure where to go at this point. What does everyone else do?
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Trust your gut. Is it truly something cool and valuable? or just some junk. Often if an item has no history, then no one cares.
Or it may be worth a million bucks!
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Crossing my fingers for the million bucks, but hopefully I will just break even and a positive rating.
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Unless our gut says its a super valuable item, we usually do some research and then just price based on our experience. An item like that is not worth hours of research IHMO.
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Sometimes you can’t find something because it was not a readily available item, and so very few are left. Looks like the Microwise cooker was an “as seen on TV” item. Did you find this:
https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/microwise-cookware-system-78-c-6e348c184dCan’t say about the Maxwell house mugs. Perhaps the company sold them directly if you sent in labels, so they weren’t sold in stores. Might make them a bit more valuable. I’ve had a set listed for a year or so:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/183698946174-
I did not see that before, which is funny because I swear I searched the whole internet. Probably just had myself running in circles. I will post them and see what happens. I’m not expecting much, it’s just frustrating when you think “oh this won’t be hard to research at all” and you are very wrong. Thank You.
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I didn’t see it in my initial search results, but I clicked on images.
I think that you can sign in for a free account, and then you can see what it sold for.
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So I went ahead and checked it out and it sold for…wait for it….$5! Hey that is $3 more than I paid for it, so it looks like I will at least get my money back….maybe….
I will list it whenever I get to it and I’m not wasting any more time. This is certainly a good lesson learned, at least it wasn’t the hard way!
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If I find something unique, I price crazy high for a week and see what happens. You may have something someone has been looking for or years. That one buyer in a million might have been desperately waiting for you to post an egg timer they saw at 3am on USA up all Night in 1994.
You can always lower the price.
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For the Microwise, I found this website offering it at $32 plus shipping.
They’re on the Amazon UK site, but with no price as currently unavailable, but there are reviews and keyword options
On eBay UK I found this set in the Solds, and a steamer, a fish steaming dish, a cupcake baking dish, and a chicken roaster in the for sale section. Prices are all over, but I hope that helps you. Should give you some keywords, anyway. I note that a lot of them have Microwise at the end of the title, not the beginning.
For the Maxwell House coffee cups, I found 351 listings. I don’t know what yours look like, so didn’t drill down for more information. Link to my search page, hope that helps.
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I did go through the mugs and tried some other combos and still didn’t find them. I don’t think these are that rare. I’m wondering if they are just some reproduction that a dollar store made or something.
Here is a quick photo of one of the cups.
If anything I think it looks pretty cool and will probably go for a few bucks.
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Is there anything on the bottom? Sometimes that will give you the manufacturer and quality and an idea of the age.
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Nothing on the bottom. I usually stay away from things that don’t have markings unless I am absolutely sure I know what I am looking at. This time the cups just looked too interesting to pass up. I only spent $2.50 on all 4 so I know I will make my money back either way.
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I am currently (and sporadically) researching a drawing of a prominent figure in the history of medicine. They have a museum dedicated solely to them. I contacted the curator regarding this drawing, and I got the distinct impression of a lack of curiousity…
Just mentioning this, because I feel that insatiable curiousity builds knowledge (conscious or unconscious). Unless you’re a cat; if you are, please take care 🙂
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Antique Frog – you are so funny!
Thanks for making me remember this awesome safety pamphlet we got as kids in the 1970s – second photo of this etsy listing:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/725861102/vintage-soil-conservation-pamphletsFor some reason the middle pictures of the page on the top right have always stuck with me. Probably b/c they were cool but never made sense to me – there’s no way I would get zapped if I did that with the vacuum cleaner cord (for some reason it was always specifically the vacuum cleaner cord that I imagined). I think they should have colored the cord black (as in the uninsulated section of cord in the 1st picture) instead of pink, which would have avoided much wasted energy thinking about this periodically over the years. I wonder if the illustrator ever imagined his/her work would have such a long-lasting impact on someone. (OK, this paragraph is an example of someone working ebay alone and not having anybody to talk to!).
I second the motion on over-researching being okay at times – you learn stuff you can use later. At least some of it, anyway. Plus it’s fun!
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Now I’m wondering about that cat! Seems to be getting a buzz out of the zapping.
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Antique Frog,
That’s a good point (and pun)! I don’t remember the pamphlet showing a dead cat anywhere, so for some people, reading it might have the opposite of the intended effect. 🙂I must not have learned my lesson, b/c about a few years later, I got zapped when trying to fix a curling iron while it was plugged in. D’oh!
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I had this happen with a tea kettle I bought. It looks like a brand that I could identify (Kamenstein), but a make/model which simply did not seem to exist. I put it up for a really high price and if that doesn’t work I guess I’ll know its not special. To my mind that is all you can do. 2 possibilities– there is no info because nobody cares about it, or there is no info because its rare and valuable. If it is not the second one, it is probably the first.
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Okay – Very late update! So the cups were just knock off replicas, but I threw them on as decorative for $10. I paid $3 for all 4 so I will still make some profit.
Microwise – I decided to put it up for $10 and figured it would probably sit. I don’t know exactly how long it was on but I sold it for that price and received the feedback “excited to find this vintage piece” Kinda wished I had put it for a few more $$$ but I would not say I am disappointed by far! Anytime I make a few $$$ I am thrilled.
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If I went back to price it, I would do the same price. In the long run I am happier with a sale at a lower price vs waiting forever to possibly make a sale at a higher price. The longer it sits the less inventory I can buy. In turn that means I am losing the chance on possibly finding a great item.
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