Signatures first. This autumn we listed a framed Red Sox panorama with a row of player signatures across it. They were printed as part of the poster, and the listing says so. A framed coaching piece carried twenty-two real ink signatures, plus one famous name printed into the artwork itself. That goes in the first line of the listing, because the buyer will find it anyway and the rest of the piece is still worth selling.
Figurines are read from the base. On a Hummel, the stamp dates the piece: a U.S. Zone Germany mark places it in the post-war occupation years, and the mold number and size mark say which version it is. Royal Doulton, Lladró and other porcelain makers are identified the same way, from the marks rather than the look.
Video games and toys sell on completeness. We are selling an Atari collection that went together at the owner's request: twenty-five boxed cartridges with the console and controllers. A boxed game with its manual and inserts typically sells for well over the same cartridge loose, so we never separate a box from its contents to make a listing tidier.
Some collectibles are not worth the listing. Most mass-produced pieces from the 1980s and 1990s, such as limited-edition plates and plush toys made in their millions, sell for very little. We say so at the walkthrough and lot them, donate them, or leave them with you.
We do not authenticate autographs. When a signature would be valuable if genuine, we will tell you, and third-party authentication from a service such as PSA or JSA before the sale is often worth it. Until then the listing describes what is physically there, nothing more.
What the family receives.
- ✓A free walkthrough, or a first look from photos
- ✓A written quote before any work starts
- ✓Marks, stamps and signatures examined and photographed piece by piece
- ✓Prices researched against sold results for the same item, version and condition
- ✓Individual listings for the pieces that justify them, sensible lots for the rest
- ✓A plain answer on which signed pieces are worth sending for authentication
- ✓A written record of what sold and for how much
Why VaultXL.
Printed is called printed
A facsimile signature in the first line of a listing loses a few buyers. Missing it loses the sale, the feedback and the next buyer's trust.
Boxes stay with their contents
Boxes, manuals, inserts and certificates often carry a large share of the value. We keep sets together unless splitting them clearly pays more.
Marks before looks
Figurines, steins and toys are identified from stamps and mold numbers, so two that look alike are not priced alike by accident.
We will say when it is not worth listing
Plenty of collectibles matter to a family and do not sell for much. Hearing that at the walkthrough is better than learning it after months online.
Where we serve.
Charlotte · Myers Park · SouthPark · Dilworth · Plaza Midwood · NoDa · Ballantyne · University City · Huntersville · Cornelius · Davidson · Matthews · Mint Hill · Concord · Gastonia · Fort Mill · Rock Hill
Start with a walkthrough.
A free walkthrough in your home, then a written quote before any work starts.
Frequently asked.
Look closely at the ink. A real signature sits on the surface, often with slight pressure marks and variation in the line. A printed one is flat and, under magnification, may show a dot pattern. That tells you whether it is ink, not whose ink it is; only an authentication service can give an opinion on that.
Yes. For video games, toys, figurines and die-cast, the original box, manual and inserts are often a large part of what a buyer pays. Do not throw any packaging away until it has been looked at.
Yes. A handful of pieces can be quoted from photos. If you do have an entire collection of one kind, such as coins, records or comics, see our page on selling a whole collection.
Most mass-produced pieces from that era sell for little, because so many were made and kept in perfect condition. There are exceptions, usually early runs or errors, and checking sold results for the exact piece is the only way to know.
Every project is quoted in writing after a free walkthrough: a non-refundable setup fee set in your quote, and 15% of what sells after marketplace fees. You keep 85%.
