Peanuts Collectibles

My original catalog. Printed spreadsheets from excel divided much like the current website. The photos are all numbered for easy reference.

Being organized is more than making sure your collectibles are in neat rows. Knowing what you have and where it is can be important for redecorating your Snoopy Corner, selling pieces, or even insurance claims. Cataloging your pieces and storing them properly ensures that you will maximize your investment.

CATALOGING

If you become a serious collector, you’ll want to start taking inventory of what you have. Having a handy list to reference saves you from buying doubles. When should you start? If you’re having trouble remembering everything you own, it’s time. If you’re considering collecting as a regular hobby, start the cataloging early. You’ll thank me!

The method for cataloging is up to you. You can go low tech and use a notebook, or go electronic for easy backups. A text listing can be complemented by photos and/or videos of your pieces. Cataloging your collection can take a lot of time, so frequently save multiple backups: one on your computer and one on a USB drive, external hard drive, or online hard drive.

In the past, I have used Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to easily organize data. Afterwards, I moved to Microsoft Access database which allowed me to import photos to associate with the entry, but it would frequently become corrupted. Currently, this website is my catalog. I use WordPress as a content management system, but all the entries are just basic html code. It is automatically backed-up, offsite and accessible from any computer. Plus, if I ever get a smart phone, always at my fingertips.

The setup of a catalog can vary based on the collection. You can save as much info as you want and specialize it to your specific area of interest. Depending on the number of items you have, you may want to break up your list based on type of object or manufacturer. Here is a listing of some of the basic info:

1. Detailed Description
2. Type of Object
3. Manufacturer
4. Year Made
5. Condition
6. Price Paid
7. Where Acquired
8. Material
9. Dimensions

Dot labels in our collectibles books prevent us from buying doubles.

Too much work? If you collect vintage pieces, try marking which items you have in a collector’s guide. Our family uses dot stickers from Avery to mark which collectibles we have. The dots are removable and quickly allow us to see what items we have. This is a great help to us while shopping, since we sometimes reference the books anyway for pricing info. For additional information, the occasional small post-it note is added. While this doesn’t cover everything, it does the trick for most items.

INVENTORY NUMBERS

One collection I bought had inventory numbers on all the items. Doing this is up to you. Personally, I don’t because it’s too time consuming for my large collection. Another big reason is the stickers can ruin the collectibles. The glue can dry out and be hard to get off a collectible. The ink may bleed through over time, leaving permanent marks. Using pencil would solve the bleeding problem, but it can be rubbed off and dirty collectibles, too. I can see where they are convenient when searching in a large catalog. Make sure if you’re using stickers they are in VERY inconspicuous places. Organizing is meant to preserve collectibles, not ruin them.

Snoopy shows off this short, but descriptive box label.

STORAGE

Once you’ve collected a while, you may not have everything out on display. Some items will need to sit in storage until you rotate your display. Proper storage is important to prevent breakage, melting, leaking, molding and even bug infestations. Believe me, that last one is the WORST (and it wasn’t something I packed.)

Location, Location, Location! Hot attics and damp basements are not the best places for your precious collectibles. Certain items can be stored in those areas, such as glassware. Always consider the location where you’ll have to store things. If space is limited, prioritize what items need to use the premium, temperature controlled environment. Candles, snow globes and other collectibles that cannot withstand extreme temperatures should be given special consideration. Perishable items, such as food and dog biscuits, may not be good candidates for storage where bugs or critters may invade.

Boxes and packing material are essential to storing collectibles. Whether you’re buying plastic storage bins or reusing old boxes, make sure your container will keep out dust and debris while keeping your collectibles safe. Use packing material that won’t damage the collectibles. Wrap collectibles in a plastic bag if using newspaper and avoid colored tissue paper. Shelving may also be necessary. Make sure the units are secure and won’t tip if you’re in an earthquake prone area.

Labeling your boxes is a great way to locate collectibles when you want them. To make things a little easier for myself, I try and theme a box whenever possible: all music boxes or misc office supplies. On each box I write out a label of what’s inside. If you want to get more detailed or can’t do themed-boxes, consider putting a box number for each box and then referencing that number in your catalog. Also, a group photograph of everything in the box attached to the box is a great reference tool.

INSURANCE

Protecting your investment is a must! Talk to your insurance agent about insuring your collection and what is needed to make a claim. Some of the collection may be covered by your homeowner’s insurance. Collections can usually be insured up to a certain amount without an inventory of the collection. Larger collections may need an inventory to be fully insured. Your inventory listing should be backed up offsite or online, just in case both your collection and computer are destroyed. Photographs can prove your ownership of the items if the item is destroyed or stolen. A professional appraisal of high-ticket items may be needed for certain items, especially if they are one-of-a-kind.

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You’ve been a customer, now it’s time to turn the tables and become a seller. Use your experience as a customer to write great descriptions, take great photos and be a great salesperson! Here are some tips to get you started on listing your collectible on an online marketplace.

CHOOSING A MARKETPLACE

Different sites cater to different needs. A few of the different sites I’ve tried are eBay, Etsy, Bonanza, Yardsellr and Craigslist. For me, they just didn’t fit my needs, but remember, I am a professional web designer. An online marketplace will remove the time consuming site maintenance so you can concentrate on selling. If you’re unsure on top prices or want to sell quickly, consider eBay. For a set prices, consider a site like Etsy. For local only purchases, then a site like Craigslist is your best bet. Try a few items out on your top three and see how things go. Start small and learn how things work. Once you find your marketplace, you can scale up the number of listed items. Warning! Don’t over-do it and suddenly have 100 items to ship in one day!

BACKGROUND INFO & DESCRIPTION

Your first task is to identify what the item is. Most items have some sort of markings to tell you who made it. Most collectors identify items by the company that made them. This can give you further clues as to when it was made and how valuable it is. Warning! The dates on your Peanuts items may not be true indicators of the age of a piece. For more information, read Peanuts Collecting 101 – Dating an Item

Depending on your online marketplace, you might easily get lost in a sea of Snoopy items. It’s not just a “Snoopy bank”. Instead, give it a descriptive title like “Snoopy on his Doghouse Peanuts Bank by Determined Productions, 1969″. Why does it matter? If a customer is looking for a Snoopy bank, it might take too much time or willpower to go through 10 pages of listings. If the customer is looking for something specific, such as Determined Productions Banks, you want the customer to find your listing easily.

Once you’ve gained the customer’s attention, you will want to tell all the specifics of a piece. Keep your content easy to read, to the point, spell-checked, and not in all caps. Write a longer description of the specifics of a piece such as date, edition number, materials, size, etc. Tell any relevant history you might have. Finally, include any condition issues such as damage, flaws and missing pieces.

Are you getting lots of questions on your piece? Use your customer feedback to enhance your description. Anticipate what people need to know.

PRICE & CONDITION

The price is always the big question. The price will depend on the background research, market research and the condition of the collectible. For more information, read these articles:
Pricing Your Collectible
Condition, Part 1
What makes an item valuable?

Which photo appeals to you as a buyer? Which image tells the real story of this bank? Take photos that leave no surprises for internet buyers.

PHOTOS

Put down the cellphone! I know, it’s a quick and simple way to take a photo. But your picture speaks a thousand words about you as a seller and about the piece. Buy a decent digital camera, especially if you’re going to be selling a lot of items. A $100 investment will pay off in the long run.

Think about how you shop online. What grabs your attention? Dark shots? Fuzzy images? NO! Crisp, clean, well-lit shots. Customers won’t be expecting masterpieces of composition and perfect tonality. The photos will be the replacement for actually being able to pick up and feel the item. Keep that in mind when taking your shots. Use basic backgrounds, such as white tag board, that will complement the item.

Next, learn how to use the camera. It’s time to pick up the manual or download one off the internet. The most important button you want to find – the macro shot. The button usually looks like a flower. In the macro mode, you’ll be able to take close-up shots. If your item is small, if your item has condition issues, if your item has a label – you’ll need this! I use it for most of my shots because it scales back the flash to compensate for how close you are to the object. Practice makes perfect! Load your test shots into your computer and take a look. See what’s working and what isn’t.

For great detail shots, find the “flower” button for macro shots. (Circled in Red)

Once you’ve gotten a feel for the camera, it’s time to take your final shots. Yes, multiple shots! Digital film has no limitations, make use of that. Use the highest resolution, so you can crop later and still have a nice sized image. Take multiple shots trying out different angles. Take shots of any flaws, interesting features, etc. You have the collectible out, might as well get in all the shots you could ever need. It saves time in the long run!

Finally, once you have the photos on the computer, pick your best ones for use on your listing. If your listing isn’t selling, switch up the main image. Try a close-up or detail shot to attract your customers. Remember your item is listed with lots of other items, what can you do to make it stand out from the crowd?

Taking it to the next level? Etsy.com has some great product photography to browse and tutorials to use. There are a lot of free image editing software downloads out there, including Picasa, for basic image editing such as color-correcting, cropping and adding copy. Use these tools to enhance the selling points, not to touch up those flaws.

Be careful with those collectibles! Good packaging equals happy customers!

SHIPPING

If you’re selling online, you’ll have to jump through the hoops of shipping. Always get delivery confirmation. Always buy insurance on large orders and fragile items. You could skip these, but the savings isn’t worth it when you have an unhappy customer. Learn the standards for your shipper to make sure you can claim on insurance and what that process is BEFORE you run into that situation. Decide if you will ship International, which does take some extra steps and costs a lot more for the customer which varies by shipping destination.

Personally, I use USPS Priority because they have free boxes and free carrier pickup. Buying the postage online saves me a little bit on each package and has more than paid for my ten-pound postage scale. Plus, they’re the only shipper I’ve worked with that have paid out on insurance claims.

PAYMENT

My site uses Paypal for all transactions and I’ve never had any problems. For a small transaction fee, I can accept credit card payments without dealing with customer’s privileged information. If you’re going through a larger marketplace website, they may only take payments through certain gateways, such as Paypal or Google Checkout. With checks and money orders, be sure to wait for it to clear before sending the item to a customer and make sure the customer is aware of this waiting period ahead of time. For cash transactions, be sure to get payment up front and in person.

THE CUSTOMER

Working with customers involves building a relationship of trust. Respond to emails and questions quickly. Be up front and honest about your merchandise, your policies and any problems you might be experiencing. If you have returning customers or a large customer order, consider offering them a deal when appropriate. Keeping your promises and making sure you meet or exceed customer expectations is your business and can ensure your success.

Stay professional when transactions don’t go as planned.

POLICIES & CUSTOMER SERVICE

You can set up a shop without having any policies. However, when something happens, like a customer wants to make a return, it’s hard to say no when you weren’t up front about it. Once you decide on a marketplace, check out other shop owner’s policies. Shipping prices, turn-around time, international shipping, returns, guarantees and payment types are some of the major considerations. When a Customer is aware of your policies up front, the Customer can decide if they want to make a purchase from you. By making a purchase, the Customer will be agreeing to these terms. Your policies should be easily available to your customers.

The time will come when you need to handle some Customer Service. Packages can be lost, items broken, or just an unhappy customer has a concern. If the problem is your fault or the shippers, be sure to take care of it right away. If the problem seems to be on the customer end, be gracious, be calm, take 10 to breath and make sure you’re staying professional. Keep records of your exact listing copy and photos on hand to fully explain the situation to your customer, your payment company or your online marketplace if a problem arises. If your payment is stopped or held in question, you’ll want to make sure you’re seen as a professional who is fairly representing your merchandise.

ONLINE VS. OFFLINE SELLING

The biggest plus for Online selling is being able to reach the people who are looking for your product. The downside is the online world will never compare to the offline world of being able to pick up an item and examine it from all angles. Offline selling involves setting up a booth at an antique mall, flea market or collectibles show. These methods aren’t free, but you can deal directly with the customer and the customer knows what they are getting. Auction houses can sell your items quickly, but it may not be the best venue for most Peanuts Collectibles to realize their full value. Whether you’re pricing your goods for an antique booth or setting up an online listing, either way you have to factor the time, effort and expenses going into selling your Peanuts collectible.

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When it comes to finding new homes for your collectibles, the trickiest hurdle is always how much to sell your item for. Pricing a Peanuts collectible is an art, not a science. The value of collectibles is in a constant flux depending on lots of factors. What’s hot today may be in the bargain bin tomorrow. While most Peanuts items hold their value, it can be tricky to know where the market is at for certain items. Let’s go over some of the key areas to consider & research when pricing your collectible.

THE REALITY

You’re here because you need to make some money and/or clear out space. If this is your first time, it’s not going to be easy. First, evaluate how quickly you need to make your sale. Time is money. The more of it you have, the longer you can wait for the perfect buyer to maximize your profit. However, if you need a quick turn-around then you may have to sacrifice profit.

HIRE AN APPRAISER

If you have one-of-a-kind pieces, such as original, signed artwork by Schulz, then hire a certified appraiser. Information on hiring a certified appraiser can be found on appraisers.org, isa-appraisers.org or appraisersassoc.org. For mass-produced pieces, you would be better off just doing the research on your own.

THE VALUE OF YOUR PIECE

Your job as a seller is to give your item a critical look from your buyer’s perspective. What are they going to see that will turn them off? What will draw them to a piece? Pricing your item will be a balancing act between the pluses and minuses. Condition, subject matter and desirability are all key factors in how much a buyer is willing to spend. Read more on this topic: Collecting 101 – What makes an item valuable?

THE AGE OF YOUR PIECE

Factor in the age of your piece when pricing an item. Most collectors try to buy pieces they want when the piece is initially offered for sale. In this way, the collector can be selective and choose the best of the batch. If they didn’t buy it, then they probably didn’t think it was worth the original retail price. Items produced in the last 10 years or so may not be worth their original retail value, even in complete, like-new condition. Between re-sellers, overstock, re-issuing and regular second-hand market traffic, collectors are looking for bargains on newer items. This may not affect items that were scarce or limited quantity when they were first produced.

Just a few of the Peanuts-specific guidebooks available.

GUIDE BOOKS

Guide books are a good baseline and reference point for pricing your pre-1995 collectibles. Photos, descriptions and prices are sampled for thousands of common to rare Peanuts items by expert collectors. Though most of the Peanuts specialist guide books are over 10 years old, some of their pricing guidelines still hold true. Since they were written before the internet went mainstream, some of the influences of the online marketplace are not accounted for in the evaluations.

THE MARKET

Buyers and their wallets make up the Market. The more buyers, the better your chances are of getting a good price. Depending on the market, you may need to tailor your price and pitch to suit your potential customers. There are many types of buyers: the hard-core collector, the enthusiast collector, the cross-collector, the specific interest and the people pleaser.

Hard-Core Collector – they know the market well and have seen a lot. If the price is right, they may buy to resell or replace a piece in their collection.
What they want – Showpiece quality, complete pieces, rare items
What they’re paying – top dollar for rare items, reasonable prices for common pieces
Why they’re not buying – Prices too high, condition not collectible

Enthusiast Collector – they enjoy collecting their favorite characters, but don’t make a habit of it. Buying pieces is about things they really like and not completing sets.
What they want – Good quality or higher, complete pieces
What they’re paying – Reasonable prices
Why they’re not buying – Prices too high, not highly desirable

Cross-Collector – they don’t collect Peanuts items, but the collectible may fall into more than one collecting group. For instance, a Hallmark collector might be willing to pay more (or less) for an ornament than a Peanuts collector. Researching other markets might help in finding the right buyer.
What they want – Showpiece quality, complete pieces
What they’re paying – Reasonable prices
Why they’re not buying – Prices too high, condition not collectible

Specific Interest – they have a specific piece in mind because it reminds them of their childhood or corresponds to their current hobbies. They don’t know the market, but they know what they want.
What they want – their old toy they lost
What they’re paying – Top dollar dependent on desirability
Why they’re not buying – Condition, Price (Not everybody has lots of money to buy back their childhood)

People Pleaser – they’re just looking for the right gift or decoration, not for collecting value.
What they want – New looking items
What they’re paying – Reasonably priced, not too much more than buying a new item
Why they’re not buying – Condition not worth the Price

Currently, the market is flat. There are a lot of new Peanuts items available and collectors are dwindling. Luckily, enthusiasm for Peanuts is still high and buyers are still looking for great Peanuts items at reasonable prices. Since the economy is in a decline, collectors may be saving their pennies for that big find or favorite piece. Also, more collectibles are available for sale from sellers looking to relieve their financial burden.

Building a nest egg takes time. Be patient!

CURRENT MARKET VALUE

The market value is what collectors are actually spending on collectibles. This is completely different from asking prices. Asking prices can sometimes skew our view of how much collectibles are worth. Many items on sites such as eBay are listed far above their current market rate. These sellers are going for that big sale and don’t mind waiting for it.

However, if you need the sale to be quick, then take a look at what similar items are selling for. Online resources such as Worthpoint.com can help you quickly see how much items sold for at auction. If you have the time, keep an eye on similar auction listings to get a feel for the market.

SCHULZ’S PASSING

A lot of people think that because Charles Schulz is no longer with us, Peanuts collectibles in general have increased in value. In fact, this may have brought new collectibles to the marketplace because of perceived value. This only affects the price of genuine original drawings or signed pieces. If you have an original, I would recommend consulting a certified appraiser.

Keep your customers happy and they’ll keep coming back for more.

THE FINAL PRICE

You’ve done your research and now it’s time to decide on a price. By considering these factors in the beginning, you can be prepared to make a sale if a buyer offers you less.

1. How quickly do I need to sell the item? The lower the price, the quicker the item will sell.
2. How much do I need to make from the item? If you need to recoup your original investment, this can take time.
3. What are my top and bottom prices? When selling, sometimes it’s best to be optimistic about the value of an item then drop the price if the item isn’t drawing any interest.
4. What other factors contribute to the final price of the item? Shipping, handling, insurance and payment fees should be factored into how much you can get for an item. To a buyer, a $5 item might be a bargain, but add in $10 shipping and suddenly the item is overpriced. Make sure you and your customer are aware of any additional fees up front.
5. Who do I want to own this next? If you have an emotional attachment to something, consider who you’re selling it to. If it’s not about the money, then find your collectible a good home.

THE SALE

Be flexible. Be realistic. We collect because we enjoy it. Make sure the new owner enjoys it too!

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