If there’s one thing people like, it’s collecting something they like. From a young age, we are naturally drawn to certain items – and lots of them. From records to comic books to dolls to buttons, what we collect is only limited by our imagination and budget. As time goes on, however, many collectors reach a point in life where they must evaluate their collections and decide whether to store or sell them. Given the collectibles market was valued at $402 billion in 2021, this may happen more often than you think.
If you’re in the midst of evaluating your possessions and wondering both how to sell and how to store collectibles, you’re in the right spot. We’ll take a look at some popular items people collect, discuss how to have them evaluated, as well as how to store and even how to sell your antiques and collectibles.
Doll Collection: Store or Sell?
According to DOLLS Magazine, doll collecting is one of the largest hobby groups in the world, involving more than 70 million participants. While there is always an interest in one-of-a-kind or antique dolls, more modern ones can also sell quickly. eBay lists American Girl, Barbie, Bratz, Groovy Girls, and Cabbage Patch and Baby dolls as the hottest selling brands at the moment. If you’ve got any of those in their original packaging – even better.
If you’re unsure of the value of your doll collection, start your research online to see how much comparable collections (or single items) are selling for. On eBay, for instance, you can check “completed sales” for the specific doll you’re selling. Next, you’ll likely want to have your collection appraised. Appraisers will assign value, and also let you know what, if anything, might bring the value down. While no one can predict the market, appraisers might also be able to tell you when they think you should sell for maximum profit.
After your collection has been appraised, you’ve got a tough decision to make: sell the dolls today or store them for a greater payoff down the road? This choice really depends on the situation you’re in, and whether or not you still enjoy admiring and displaying your collection. If you’re sick of holding on to them, the answer is clear. If the appraiser tells you they might appreciate, but you’ve got no room at home for them, you may look into renting a climate-controlled storage unit until the market conditions improve.
Vintage Fashion Collection: Store or Sell?
When it comes to vintage fashion, it seems we’re often given two opposite types of advice: 1. Get rid of everything you don’t wear and 2. Save everything because your kids might want it.
To help us get to the bottom of the store vs. sell dilemma, we asked Denver stylist Castle Searcy for her top tips. She told us in no uncertain terms to “keep any one-of-a-kind or irreplaceable vintage items, especially if they’re designer or couture.” In terms of storage, she recommends to “organize them by season and trend (think colors, lengths, etc.) and rotate them through your closet.”
If you’ve got lots of “fast fashion” pieces clogging up your closet, however, it’s best to donate or sell them as they are definitely not made to last. You can list them yourself on sites like Poshmark, or send in a bunch at one time to ThredUp or a similar organization, which will market and sell them (but take a nice percentage of the profit while they’re at it).
Baseball Card Collection: Store or Sell?
If you took our advice on how to organize your baseball cards to heart, you might now be wondering how to sell your baseball card collection. After all, once you’ve got them tidied up and filed away, you or a card grader can better estimate how much they’re worth. The value typically comes down to how rare the card is and how popular the player was. Of course, if you’ve got a rookie card for Mickey Mantle, Roberto Clemente or Babe Ruth, you probably already know you’re sitting on a goldmine. The rest of them? You might be in for a surprise, one way or another.
If you decide the time is right to sell, you can list them on eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace or sell them directly to a dealer. If you want to store them in the hope they continue to gain in value or that a future child or grandchild will discover a passion, you should always choose climate-controlled storage rather than your garage, cellar or shed.
Need climate-controlled storage? Find it Near You
Record Collection: Store or Sell
The market for used vinyl seems to be ever growing. If you’re curious about whether or not your vinyl collection will garner any interest, first start by examining the condition of your records and the record covers. Obviously, the better the condition – the better your chances are of selling it for top dollar.
After you’ve got a good understanding of the strengths and limitations of your collection, head over to Popsike to look up auction history for each album individually. Whether you find you’re the proud owner of some original pressings or that your collection hasn’t appreciated much since it was purchased, you’ll have a good understanding of how to set prices online or with a local dealer or record shop.
If you decide to store your record collection, you’ll want to pack them away in vertical archival boxes. Storing records horizontally can cause damage. As with everything else on this page, you’ll also want to choose climate-controlled storage. A record can start warping at 140 degrees F and can be irreparably damaged by humidity or sunlight exposure. Taking good care of your records, however, means they’ll continue to provide and hold value for generations to come.
