What value could I expect for 30000 postcards?

Hi this is a tough question. I have been collecting boxfuls for a number of years. I live in the UK. These have often cost me up to £100 a box.

There are all world and many UK from early 1900s-2000

What could I expect to ask for such a large mixed lot early to modern of around 30000??

There are quite a few foreign 1960+ moderns but even these often sell for a few pounds. I am sure the stockvalue must be £££££

Maybe I am better just selling a box at a time but what would a dealer typically pay for such a collection?

Thoughts please? It is just they are taking up so much space and would be nice to see my spare room again!

There are obviously many common cards but also many bargains I must have picked up along the way. As with postcards the more you buy the more likely you are to find something special.

I do enjoy selling cards but sometimes you just need the space.

I may just plough on and sell slowly where value is gradually realised but if it was theoretically possible a dealer/collector might pay a decent sum which might be better for to clear the space?

It is a very big undertaking to send all the cards off for appraisal and I would be very disappointed if offered in the hundreds of pounds so I don't know if that is an option...

For the timebeing I am still selling on delcampe so buyers please do not be put off!!



Thanks Postcardshop

That is impossible to tell without seeing what's in the boxes.
The last auction I went to, I got one shoebox full for about £40. I bid up to £160 for another shoebox and that sold for £420.

If you want to pack it in, you must have a rough idea of valuable/rarer cards in those boxes and the best thing to do is probably take them to an auction house and put a reserve on them. If you decide to go that route, I recommend that you sell them in several lots, rather then one single lot of 30000.

Les informations ne sont plus disponibles car le compte de cet utilisateur est supprimé (Règlement RGPD)

Les informations ne sont plus disponibles car le compte de cet utilisateur est supprimé (Règlement RGPD)

Just to say maybe I was a bit naive as I realise postcards take such a lot of sorting. A bit like how long is a piece of string question!

Maybe I was hoping some dealer would say x without seeing them which I know some do for a low amount say a few pence a card.

I just need some extra funds. What I might do is continue as I am. I tend to buy a lot keep a few bits for myself, sell others and hoard away.

I have a load of stamps I never hardly look at so may sell them instead. Selling the things you no longer collect I think is a much better idea.

I would mention that I never seem to sell 1 in 7 items say in a month or is that yearly? But on Delcampe I do sometimes get better prices than I do on that other site because there are specialists here that all looking for that special postmark or destination.

Also the fee structure is so much kinder on Delcampe and more payment options are encouraged.

So for now I am going to plug away at listing what I think I can sell. The auctions should be my last resort if times get tough and space disapears!

I think I have about 50/50 UK and foreign. So for now I am sorting into UK and mixed foreign lots to break down. If they don't sell I may up ending putting in auction or selling online. Some part of me thinks unless material is rarer you get a better price on online auction sites for bulk mixed lots???

Postcardshop

Les informations ne sont plus disponibles car le compte de cet utilisateur est supprimé (Règlement RGPD)

Thanks for taking the time to post.

You are right sorted does make sense as it saves the buyer time to sort themselves and they know kind of what they are getting.

From a different point of view if you get only a few scans shown you still might turn up some suprises. I remember once I bought one 'mystery' lot of world and there were about 10 x £25 cards which more than paid for the whole box.

Sometimes for the buyer it is nice to have suprises!

I will get sorting as this does seem to lift the price. Organization pays!

Postcardshop

Les informations ne sont plus disponibles car le compte de cet utilisateur est supprimé (Règlement RGPD)

Maybe a tad strong calling someone a fool for paying 1p+ a card or thinking that you might get more than 1p when selling on modern/common groups. I know many people pay more like up to 10p a card even for more modern groups.I have seen it happen at real auctions. You pay what you think something is worth at the time and only you know what you are bidding on!

It is easy to get carried away though and I admit I have paid well over the odds and have been stung a few times. However as someone here pointed out the common cards do sell if you list them albeit a lower price. So still profit to be made.

Thanks for all your advice and I will try and be more focused. I find myself paying much more than 1p if I am to be honest .Fortunately this is not my livelihood an enjoyable pastime.

Postcardshop