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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 American Silver before sterling
 'Rare'
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| Author | Topic: 'Rare' |
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argentum1 Posts: 602 |
posted 06-21-2008 01:54 PM
  
Just read the new 'Maine Antiques Digest' and not a single use of the word 'rare' was to be found. Contrast that with that west coast internet auction site sellers descriptions. I suggested to one dealer(?) that he/she should consult Websters Dictionary; excuse me for living. As much as these 'things' irritate me; that west coast internet auction site still has nice/affordable items in early American silver every now and then. O'my gosh did I just say something nice about them. IP: Logged |
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Marc Posts: 414 |
posted 06-21-2008 02:51 PM
Hi there argentum1, Concerning the west coast auction site: The use of "rare" means that the seller only owns three of them. "Unique", means the seller only owns two of them... And yes, there are bargains to be had. Marc IP: Logged |
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Clive E Taylor Posts: 450 |
posted 06-21-2008 08:09 PM
I have even seen the term "very unique" for an item. It wasn't even "very", let alone "unique". Baffles me as to why the vendors waste their allowance of words on the title to their lot that no-one is going to use in their searchs anyway. IP: Logged |
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jersey Posts: 1203 |
posted 06-21-2008 08:45 PM
Hello! Interesting post. I suspect they are trying by key words to draw attention to their items. Little do they know or perhaps they do that the word rare is no longer rare in the title. HTF is another. Can anyone suggest better key words........when there are multiple similar items offered? One needs a catch word or phrase, and yes I know that a good item should be found on it's own, but not necessarily so. Have a go at it for great lead off words, that separates your item from someone elses, or whatever! Jersey IP: Logged |
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Marc Posts: 414 |
posted 06-21-2008 09:37 PM
Hi there Jersey, et al, Does htf = hard to find? When I list items for sale and there is a restriction to the # of characters that can be used, I find that the best "add on", if I have room, is 'NR' for No Reserve. I dislike reserve auctions as I think it wastes my time. If you want to sell something, put a starting price on it and let it go. The second thing I do, and it has been a while, is to use 'L@@K'. It's cute, and a little fun, but it takes up 4 spaces that can be used for more important descriptors like spelling "Silver" out completely. I have been seeing something of late that looks like it has a following... That is to use a capital "E" to represent the word Estate. I use the word "old" or "original", which does take up more space, but when I am selling old, used silver not reproduction or new silver, how does one convey this to the buying public efficiently? Marc IP: Logged |
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Clive E Taylor Posts: 450 |
posted 06-23-2008 06:26 AM
I have a personal view that the Title heading for the item makes people FIND the listing, and then the picture at the side makes them look at the item. Anything else on the Title like "absolutely wonderfull L@@K WOW !!!" is totally useless and , certainly tells me more about the person listing the article than the article itself. This may not be true to for all people, or for different varieties of items, but on the serious stuff - like good silver -I think it probably holds true in 90% of cases. Whether to start low with a higher reserve , or put the initial price to the minimum acceptable is very debatable. The listing fee is the same, but I have noticed in the past that items with a low start price do attract more bids, and normally they finish up with higher final bids fron the first bidders. Personally again I find it very difficult to see why anyone should wish to bid before the last possible moment. Early bidding just encourages people to spend more than they originally intended and puts the price up! [This message has been edited by Clive E Taylor (edited 06-23-2008).] IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 06-23-2008 09:10 PM
I too think making sure you've correctly identified--and correctly spelled!--the item you're trying to sell is a far more effective selling technique than cluttering up the listing with a lot of WOWs. But the WOWs are sometimes helpful in EXCLUDING stuff. If there's a seller who's cluttered up the Victorian jewelry category, say, with a lot of brand new garbage, I look for idiosyncratic superlatives and include them with a minus sign in my search, thus: -"superspecial unique" That way you get to see the category without having to wade through the garbage from that particular seller. Oh, and Clive, if you don't like getting up at odd hours to bid on auctions, you might want to try one of the sniping websites, such as esnipe or auctionsniper. For a small fee, they place a bid for you during the last few seconds of the auction. It makes the auction less dramatic and exciting, but you're less likely to get carried away and bid over your limit, and nobody has time to nibble your bid up past its maximum. IP: Logged |
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Clive E Taylor Posts: 450 |
posted 06-24-2008 11:32 AM
Thanks Polly for the suggestion of auction sniper sites. I did consider it but decided that giving my Ebay password to an unknown party was not for me. I bring to all my activities the skills and attitudes of a life of being a qualified accountant. Meanness, Suspicion, Distrust, and petty attention to detail ! And these are my good points. IP: Logged |
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jersey Posts: 1203 |
posted 06-24-2008 06:57 PM
Hi Clive! From what I know of friends using such sites no one has ever said they want your password. I think that would be verboten! Jersey IP: Logged |
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Clive E Taylor Posts: 450 |
posted 06-25-2008 04:57 AM
I tried one site - they did ask for password- quite logical as otherwise how can they bid on your account with the letter in bewteen "D" and "F" bay ? Certainly they did not require your paypal details though. IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 06-25-2008 01:11 PM
As Clive says, no one can bid without being signed in as a member, which requires a password. They also want a credit card on file, since they charge a percentage of the winning bid for their service. IP: Logged |
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vathek Posts: 966 |
posted 06-26-2008 08:31 AM
I've gotten curious after reading the above thread to know what a good definition of 'rare' would be given the changes that online auctions have made to perceived quantities. IP: Logged |
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Clive E Taylor Posts: 450 |
posted 06-26-2008 09:25 AM
A Dictionary of Antique Terms Rare - Word used by vendors if they think this item will sell better if so described. Unusual - Hideous Full of Charm and Character - Vendors term for what a Buyer would called serious wear. Potential - Vendors term for item that needs considerable work on it Full of Potential - a total wreck A/F - As found, but probably best left. see Full of Potential above. Georgian - an item made anytime between 1714 and 1901. Early - item older than the Vendor. Early evening - anytime between 1714 and 1901. Art Deco - any article with straight and/or curved lines. Not to be confused with Art Nouveaux which is an article with curved lines. Arts and Crafts Movement - Very badly made factory produced article with curved lines. To be confused with Art Nouveaux. Signed by - Has a readable factory stamp. Limited Edition - article whose production is very strictly limited to the number that can be sold. Art Nouveaux - Midlands English spelling of Art Nouveau [This message has been edited by Clive E Taylor (edited 06-26-2008).] IP: Logged |
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jersey Posts: 1203 |
posted 06-26-2008 09:55 AM
Clive What wonderful definitions! Another term is Important! Important to who? The big auction houses use this all the time. Jersey IP: Logged |
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FWG Posts: 845 |
posted 06-26-2008 11:04 AM
a true descendant of Ambrose Bierce.... IP: Logged |
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Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 |
posted 06-26-2008 12:21 PM
However there are plenty of reliable dealers who use those terms properly. IP: Logged |
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jersey Posts: 1203 |
posted 06-26-2008 09:27 PM
Paul! And properly means? Jersey IP: Logged |
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