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JMiller and Sharyn:
Tell me more about MaxSold. I have been registered on there site and verified as a bidder-buyer a good time ago but never participated. There seem to be a few auctions within a reasonable driving distance from us.
Would you guys mind filling us in on the pros and cons, what you like or dislike about MaxSold, merchandise, quality, pitfalls, etc., etc.
We have been hesitate due to not being able to preview and also if we bid on multiple items but end up with winning only one small, low cost item, then having to drive a long distance to pick it up. But intriguing.Thanks in advance for any info. on your experiences with them.
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art
JMiller:
Howdy.. We lived a ltttle west of Kennet Square in a small town called Chatham. Yep mushroom houses all over. Boy what a smell when they open them up and rotate that dirt. UUggh!We have 2 Kennett Square coffee mugs that we still drink out of a few times a week. I worked in New Castle, DE. It was about a 12 mile shot almost straight down from where we lived. I should have stayed up there at that job. A move to northern, KY turned out to be a bad decision.
Also Amish country up in Lancaster was always fun to visit.
Just thought I would say, Howdy.
Mike at MDCGFA in Atlanta
03/10/2019 at 9:28 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 401: You Don’t Have To Quit Your Job To Sell On eBay #58391Yes Retro: Elmer’s is a poly vinyl and does bond well in certain cases. I use Elmer’s Professional Super Bond wood glue on all my stretcher bars I make for paintings [mitered corners] and for the outer frames as well. The thicker viscosity of the polyvinyl products does well to fill in the gaps and spaces on porus materials, like the end grain in wood. I use a cyanoacrylate based product [i.e. the thicker gel and thinner types on “super Glues”] on the more non-porus surfaces depending on if there are wide gaps or not.
Here is a rough guide to go by:
Super glue (cyanoacrylate) is very strong on surfaces whose chemistry and structure don’t lend themselves to other glues—plastics, glass and metals are frequently bonded by cyanoacrylate.White glue and wood glue aren’t inherently different: they are both polyvinyl-acetate. Some manufacturers tweak their PVA to have different traits—some dry faster or slower, are sandable, or have yellow dye. (The wood glue we use in the art studio is mostly the pro wood glue which has a little dye in it and is slightly yellow) (Note that Elmer’s School Glue is not a PVA based glue.)
I sort of think this way:
* If the product is wood, a glue labeled as being for wood will be strongest
* If the product is subject to peel or vibration/shock, cyanoacrylate is not the way to go unless it’s chemically toughened. The Super glues “cure” brittle. More crystalline and thus can break apart as they age. The PVA based stay more flexible [rubbery] and retain their bonding. So Yep, your school project’s ceramic pieces probably had some porosity at both ends and the PVA base glue did well to seep into those cracks and crevices and “ooze-bond” them together.
* If gluing plastic or metal, go with cyanoacrylate (or acrylic, or epoxy)
* If the gap is larger than 0.3mm, don’t use thin runny cyanoacrylate. PVA/epoxy/thickened cyanoacrylate [GEL Super Glue] would be better.
* For glass, don’t use cyanoacrylate unless it’s specifically formulated for glass. Silicone is best, but acrylic, epoxy, rubber cement, and construction adhesive will all bond. Rubber cement being my art school go to. Put t on one surface wet and it is peelable later. Put two coats [one on each surface] and blow dry, then when the two surfaces are put together they form a permanent bond. Holds much better. The old school technique used to install formica laminate counter tops.
The lacquer based rubber cement products though are strong but the fumes are pretty tough, they also make a water based product but not as good.Just some art school thoughts on the glues we use, why and when.
Glad your art project has survived this long. Cool.
Mike at MDCGFA
03/10/2019 at 6:15 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 401: You Don’t Have To Quit Your Job To Sell On eBay #58386@speckled Goat:
That’s a nice Murano Tree art glass piece. Decal looks good. Many times they are not complete, torn in half or heavily scratched up. Good pricing on it.And good pricing. Without the small flaws you point out they show about $195 to $225. So at $169 and you can also take a reasonable offer and you are still in a good pricing range.But as we all know, the profit is in the buying.
BTW: We don’t have a lot of very expensive items listed. Our avg. selling range is like many SL members, in the $40 to $50 range mostly +/-. A $169 item is no small potatoes. That will be a good sale if the purchase price was right.
Glass pieces are slow to move, even if it is a Murano, Fenton, Royal Doulton, Waterford, etc. so just wait it out. But colored glass and embedded glass will move. Clear glass is the slowest. Not in fashion much any more. I told Susan she may be shot if she raises her hand at auction on anymore clear glass!!! even if she says “It’s Cute!” LOL 🙂
mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art.
Ryanne what is on the back of those plates? Get a close up [detailed] if there is a chop mark and i will see what I can find out in the databases we use.
mike at MDCGFA
03/07/2019 at 9:39 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 401: You Don’t Have To Quit Your Job To Sell On eBay #58285Hi again Sharyn:
Here is very good article about Roseville and some good color photos. Worth taking a look. It is short but still brings back some of the reasons we really like to look at Roseville. Just too bad the chinese have ruined almost every market for American – Made in America items.
Jay is not a big fan of, as he calls it “Chinese Crap” [CC] as he has mentioned numerous times before, Tin Junk, etc. LOL 🙂
We have more fun with Roseville than Fenton most of the time.
https://www.realorrepro.com/article/Many-Roseville-Patterns-Reproduced
mike at MDCGFA
03/07/2019 at 8:59 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 401: You Don’t Have To Quit Your Job To Sell On eBay #58283Howdy Sharyn: Good try. As Willy Wonka said, “no, reverse that”. Going back a long way on my memeory and that research but “debossed” [pressed into it is the real 1930’s artisan Guild made Roseville pieces made at the original factory by at the time, the guild cratfsman working in the various studios from original moulds.
The thinking if I recall was this, in order to create a debossed image into the clay the mould had to have a “raised” [male] image and be created in a “reverse mirror image”, so that the final pice would come out of the mould correct reading. The raised image reproductions were created by actually debossed the MOULD, just like using a branding iron down into the mould and where the piece was poured the logo came out correct reading but raised. The process of creating the original logo was more time consuming and many of those moulds got destroyed through the years either by contract with the artisan or by trying to limit re-releasing a ceratin design. Also many of the Guild Artist reated their own glaze formulas and those colors and formulas either went with the cratfsman when they left or have been lost.
The raised letter ones were easier to create for reproduction purposes and you will find, wide swings in the colors of the glaze. Also raised letter ones may not be fake as much as reproductions or re-runs of original designs. Those wrong, reading raised letters down inside the moulds also were damaged or broke off eaisly and insome cases were re-worked by having the “negative space” [debossed letters in the bottom by inserting a thing layer of material into the bottom of the original mould to build it up some the new version of the wrong reading debossed logo could be inserted back into the bottom of the mould.
So another way to tell the original production runs from the later altered ones is in the height when you compare them.
But all of this is from reading research from long ago and not sure if I am spot on or not.
I think I brought this up in a SL Episode, maybe 105?? And it was a question to Jay about having two, supposedly identical Roseville vases but they varied drastically in color though of the same shape and design. I asked should I list as 2 available, or two separate listing at the same time.
Jays answer was list and sell one at a time. Wait until one sold, then re-do the listing and just insert the new photos of the darker off color one. He also said to make sure I mentioned they both were “reproductions” in the listing. But that goes back years ago. So all of this may be a little fuzzy.
The smaller Roseville, Hull, and McCoys don’t go for much anymore, but the larger 8 to 10″ and up do sell. Think we sold a large 12″ jardiniere a year or so ago for about $250 that we got for $40 [with a small chip on the bottom base rim]. But most sell for about $40 or so,
What we love about the Roseville colors [glazes] is there beautiful matte, satin finish. Smooth as a baby’s bottom but with a slight shine to it and all very muted tones. Unlike the Wedgwood pices of the totally dull, matte finish with an almost gritty, textured feel to the pice.
I would rather hunt art objects like these than blue jeans and clothes any day of the week. Clothes and Jeans you wear them to see them, or put them away in a closet or drawer. Art objects can be displayed like sculpture and seen everyday you walk past them in your room[s}. Visitors see them, they start conversations about them and how you got them. No blue jeans i ever wore got that type of notice.
Sorry clothes, sellers. No offense meant.
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atlanta
03/07/2019 at 8:11 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 401: You Don’t Have To Quit Your Job To Sell On eBay #58280Hi TSG: We do get labels about to fall off or partially folded back at times. We use the thin version of super glue combined with either the tip of a toothpick, on of our metal dental tools or Exacto blades both a no. 7 and 11 blade shapes.
How we do it is if the label is just slightly folded back, we squirk one drop of the thin superglue out on a piece of paer, use the toothpick tip, dip it into the drop to get just the smallest dap of glue on the tip, then apply it in several dots on the folded back label inside, then take a #7 Exacto blade [in it’s handle] and fold the loose label pice back over and into place.
If the whole label is off we start the same, but with maybe 2 drops of the thin SG and use the #7 blade to pick up a wider bead of glue and then spread it on the back of the label, using the blade tip like a painting pallette knife. This spreads the glue in a thinnest of thin layer. Then using stamp thongs we pick up the label, and place back into position, trying to match the area where it originally was.
The reason we use Super Glue is that it’s chemical compound will stick to almost any surface, especially glass, ceramics, wood, plastics, resins, cloth, etc., etc. whereas the polymer based glues like elmers does not in most cases.
Hope this helps..
Mike at MDC Concepts, Inc – MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atl.
03/07/2019 at 8:01 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 401: You Don’t Have To Quit Your Job To Sell On eBay #58279It is part of how we train our two helpers. They laern more and faster than by asking us questions and waiting for answers. Also they can then croos search Wiki for definitions of terms they don’t know. Remeber our discussion of Kaolin clay and the original origins and now where all it is found? Well that information was added to our helpers knowledge base and Worthpoint combined with Wiki is a great teacher as long as too much time isn’t lost.
Besides, it frees Susan and I up to do other things rather than explain details about objects, trends, materials, etc. One of our helpers on her own did a quick research the other day when we were out of the office. She did a quick look at Worthpoint to find a glass piece. When we got home she informed us that she never knew the difference between press glass, moulded, glass, crystal and what a pontile mark was. Yes Wiki gave her all the details, she started the research by seeing pontile in one Worthpoint listing and moulded glass in another Worthpoint listing. That was what started her search. After that she already had her keywords found and put into the listing without asking us. Artist made, hand made and blown,made by artisan – craftsman vs. factory made, mould seamed, depression glass, hallmarked IG [Indiana Glass Co.], etc.
Worthpoint can be a combination of keyword finder, description maker, knowledge of object or subject provider and of course prices and price comparisons. You can tell fairly quickly which color of Fiesta water pitchers have more value than other colors. Then when you go to auction you know which ones to bid on. We take our helpers to auctions with us occassionaly and they see that knowledge in action. Lisa went with us last Saturday night and we asked her during preview which milk glass pieces had a value. She nailed the Indiana Glass ones right away, then said uggh, the others she wouldn’t buy. She was spot on and that is some of the things Worthpoint listings can help you with.
We were grand fathered in at $14.99 per month.
Also Worthpoint has a hallmark directory and research identification guide with the upper level subscriptions just like Kovels does.
Here is one for you.. if you find a Roseville vase that has the name in the bottom what does it tell you if the Roseville name is done in raised letters [embossed] or pressed in letters [debossed]. Well, you can find the answer in several Worthpoint listings, in a Kovels annual published guide and on Wiki. But would you know to look that up and or use what you find in either your title, item specifics or description area or all of those?
Kovels has been the go to reference books, published annually for half a century. We have seen dealers who had 25 years worth of Kovels guide on the office book shelves behind them. We now have an online subscription and use the built in search function.
It is just like those dealers that buy and sell Baseball cards, most of them subscribe to the Beckett’s Guide or if you sell stamps, a subscription to the Scott’s catalog. Look those up. Most pro sellers use them all the time for the current market prices and for what to pay and especially for things that need grading. Being in the printing business for over 40 years combined with my art background I can grade stamps and sports cards very well.
So these subscription databases are not only for pricing but for knowledge, identification and listing building. I think of them as professional tools for the professional seller.
Just another… HHhhmmm moment!
Mike Collins at MDC Concepts, Inc. – MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atlanta, GA.
03/06/2019 at 6:13 pm in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 401: You Don’t Have To Quit Your Job To Sell On eBay #58250Terrapeak was only one back when we tried it and then Worthpoint picked up at the 2nd year mark and goes way back.
Even if items on Worthpoint are “old” as you say Jay, then forget the prices, one our type of unusual, older items we find tons of key words, who manufactured items, who importers are, tons of stuf about Murano, Roseville, Hull pottery, the Gillesville jugs. Between Worthpoint and Kovels you get an education about the stuff we sell. Then to know historical prices is just gravy.
Terrapeak, had lots of graphs showing the trending items, key word searches, price fluctuation charts but always seemed to us to be targeted at the currently manufactured items and their trends.
02/28/2019 at 7:58 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 400: Tax Season Advice for Newbies from Strangers On The Internet #57826So Cal Joe: Very good tip. I have a device that has a cigarette lighter plug and a large block that has 4 regular power cord plugs ins, I just have forgotten about it. I think it is in one of the car’s arm rest. In an emrgency I could plug a laptop in and a portable printer and be back in business. Then using my phone as a hot spot, I would have the internet and there we go.
02/28/2019 at 6:12 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 400: Tax Season Advice for Newbies from Strangers On The Internet #57822T-Satt I would be all over having you do either a live chat demo or a video demo on how to use your spread sheet and to do the forecasting.
But so much on my plate. I have got to get through our Sub S Corp. taxes and then personal [since the Sub-S Corp is a pass through], then get on with the transition from WonderLister to SixBit, then also doing some Shopify University training, and with the 4 houses being built, time is at a premium.
Something I have thought about lately and that is also how much time Scavengerlife can eat up. With the growth in SL membership, the amount of posts are growing and with it comes expanded amount of questions, comments and just no time to chime in and help.
By Wed. of this week I had 225 unread emails from Scavengerlife in response to this weeks podcast by Jay and Ryann. It takes time to read those and then if I wish to reply, well you can see the time this is posted and I have been up for 4 hours [4:00am EST].
So point being anything you set up as far as a demo to help expedite the use of the forecasting spread sheet and the use of it also for the others numbers would be great.AND… if you did a demo on the use of SixBit and your process, i bet that John and the gang over at SixBit may be interested in using it on their site.
For general knowledge SixBit does have a lot of demos and they are very good. Much better than anything WonderLister has.
Mike Collins at MDC Concepts, Inc. – MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atlanta
Yep.. got the email about the update also. Skimmed through the outline but have not read it word for word yet. But I will as soon as I get a break. Still doing taxes and reports and processing new inventory.
mike at MDCGFA
02/27/2019 at 12:22 pm in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 400: Tax Season Advice for Newbies from Strangers On The Internet #57787RTWV: We were just talking about this with one of our helpers and the phone hot spot came up. She said she uses it all the time and works great. But if the power goes out and it is wide spread, then at some point a cell phone’s battery will dwindle also. We have a super fast hand held recharger that would be good for an additional one or two charges before it also would die off. We use it when we are out scavenging. Quick, fast, easy charge right from my coat pocket.
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art
Brian: This may be of interest to you and-or others. It just so happened I started to list 3 items that were easily under one lb. roughly 4 ozs. So I placed 6 ozs. in my listing in the “ounce” box and did a verification and it did not verify. [I use WonderLister] so may be different if you are listing directly into the Ebay form or on your phone. But WL will always tell you something is wrong during the verification process.
Well after the item did not verify, which means I had to make corrections to the listing before it would submit to Ebay. The nice thing about WL and possibly SixBit is that it will tell you what is wrong. Turns out that all I had to do was “ADD a Zero into the Lb. field. Once I input 0 then 6 ozs. it verified and uploaded.
So maybe Ebay now wants sellers to into a zero in the pound field then the ounces into that field.
Give it a try on one listing, add the zero and see if it works.
Guess Ebay again has changed something without telling any of the sellers.
mike
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