People all over the internet are finding that it’s ultimately more profitable and much less work in the long run if they learn to market their products and services on their own websites. By building a trusted community of customers aka “friend marketing” it’s possible to avoid the tiresome wheel spinning activities and learning curves of the corporate online selling sites. Once you’ve built a good foundation, you’ll never have to worry about anyone upping fees or taking privileges away.

The first post here in this community will therefore contain the appropriate content “Steps to Selling on Your Own”.

I never consider ANYTHING to be the last word on a subject, and I welcome community members to weigh in with tips and suggestions to this and any post. Please note that as I myself think of more steps to apply here, I will edit the post and add them.

Here in no particular order are Steps to Selling on Your Own.

-If your on eBay already, take the best of what you’ve learned from the site and apply it in anyway you can to your own marketing system. Why try to reinvent the wheel?
- Again, if your already on eBay and you have a good feedback rating, get a screen capture of that rating so you’ll always have it to use as a reference no matter what happens. If you keep it active, a link to it can help lend credence to anything else you do.
- You MUST get your own website or a blog to market your own products.
- Keep and maintain a house list.
- Listen to podcasts and read blogs that keep current with subjects your interested in. It’s a free education.
- If you don’t already, look into getting an online shopping cart or storefront.
- Grow your community by commenting on blogs and podcasts. There is nothing that will get you quicker recognition than adding value to the conversation of a blog or podcast, it’s the lifeblood of those mediums.
- Focus on ONE THING ONLY, customer service. The reason your probably reading this is because your fed up with customer service at some corporate site with lousy customer support. In the online world, very happy customers become evangelists for your business.
- Get a Mentor or a few. A Mentor need not even know your their apprentice, but follow someone who is going along the path you want to go and learn from their shortcuts and mistakes. Just remember that it’s important to do it in your own style and flavor if you want to stand out.
- Be different, you must have a USP (Unique Selling Proposition)find something in your product or service that you do better than anyone else and make that the focus of your pitch.
- Find what your passionate about and work in that field, it’s what you’ll be the most successful at and you’ll enjoy doing it. There will still be hard times and obstacles along the way, but they’ll be much easier to overcome if you use this approach.
- Help others to be successful, this is and has always been the key to becoming very wealthy, and it gives you a nice warm fuzzy.
- Have fun, don’t take anything too seriously and come back here often!

Thanks for reading.
AW

You can also find me at www.auctionwally.com

In the Stone Age days before the Internet Revolution, you had to travel to auctions. Otherwise, you had to buy and sell locally. Long-distance communication within the art world depended on phones, letters and faxes, and information about upcoming auctions or one-of-a-kind items could be gleaned only through dealers, other collectors, trade publications and trade shows.

Ahh, the age of snail-mailing when you often missed superior art and collectibles because you found out too late they were available.

Now, thanks to the Internet, you can get the latest updates from a whole swath of auction houses, stumble across treasures you would never have encountered in your area and do business with anyone anywhere in the world. It is quick, cost effective and with search-engine researches, just a click away, satisfying.

Be cautious

As in the nonvirtual world, collectors should take precautions when making a purchase online. Use due diligence. Check the seller’s online reputation and record of previous and ongoing sales. Does he/she have plenty of positive feedback?

Research, research, then research some more

Research artwork and collectibles thoroughly. This can’t be said enough. Find out everything you can about the item—when and how it was made, what its past online or regular-sales history was, the background of the artist and his/her career. Consult art experts, art historians and art dealers before you buy.

Examine the photographs of the item and ask for closeups of details if necessary. Check signatures and labels.

Description once-over—better twice-over

Read the item’s description carefully. Is it an original work or a reproduction? Is there a clear mention of condition and of any repair or restoration work? If it is described as “original,” “antique” or “rare,” is this claim backed up by valid documentation—receipts, sales records, art catalogs, published news articles, etc—and by the opinion of reputed experts?

Always check where this documentation originated, and contact the experts personally to verify the claim. Ask the seller for names and addresses of previous owners, if any, and contact them to check on provenance.

Back up dealings with the seller

Get answers to any questions you have before you bid, and save all e-mail correspondence with the seller. Also keep a record of chats, phone calls, faxes, etc.

Make sure there is a written, money-back guarantee. If after you buy and get an expert appraisal, the work doesn’t measure up to the seller’s claims, you should be able to return it and get your money back.

And don’t forget shipping charges and policies.

Pay with a credit card. Then you can dispute the charge if you are not satisfied with the purchase.

Other things a buyer should know

Bidding at online auctions is fast. Many people engage in auction sniping, and the only way you can win against such bidders is setting up sniper software of your own.

If “exceptional” collectibles are bunched with ordinary ones that have similar descriptions or are offered at exceptionally low prices, either the seller is clueless or making inflated claims. Be cautious. Watch out, too, for low-priced “exceptional” items with few or no bids. Given the abundance of well-informed buyers, such works are usually inundated with bids.

Following this advice, you should be able to successfully buy and sell art and collectibles online.

WorthPoint—the premier Web site for art, antiques and collectibles

This first-of-its-kind centralized online media network will help companies, agencies and media buyers market to leading online art, antiques and collectibles Web sites through a single point of contact. Founding members WorthPoint, GoAntiques and TIAS.com believe that the AACMN will provide a unique way to target an upscale, hard-to-reach population with disposable income, as well as a wider middle-income demographic.

The AACMN currently reaches 1.5 million unique visitors per month and is expected to grow rapidly as other businesses join the network.

“The goal of WorthPoint is to help our customers make money,” said WorthPoint CEO Will Seippel. “The same is true for the AACMN. Our online network will help advertisers use existing resources to reach fans of art, antiques and collectibles. As our network expands, we anticipate the AACMN will deliver even more value through even greater economies of scale.”

“The average GoAntiques user is successful, well educated and has an appreciation for the arts,” said Jim Kamnikar, president of GoAntiques. “The AACMN will help advertisers target a highly valued audience.”

“Our new partnership with WorthPoint and GoAntiques creates an unprecedented opportunity for advertisers seeking to connect with high-end consumers,” said Phillip Davies, president of TIAS.com. “The AACMN does not only benefit merchants, auctioneers and show promoters. Advertisers such as automotive, insurance and pharmaceutical companies can cost effectively target this sought-after audience.”

For more information about the AACMN, send inquires to sales [at] worthpoint [dot] com

About WorthPoint

Atlanta-based WorthPoint Corp. (http://www.worthpoint.com) is an Internet-based data-and-media company that offers a vast database of sales records on art, antiques and collectibles. Founded in 2007, WorthPoint has quickly become the world’s largest social network for researching the worth of antiques and collectibles. WorthPoint helps collectors understand the worth of their items and provides expert advice from its team of Worthologists on how to preserve or sell antiques and collectibles.

About TIAS.com

TIAS serves approximately 160,000 unique customers a day. About 510 merchants sell through the TIAS system, listing well more than 600,000 items for sale online. The company has been building e-commerce systems for merchants who sell antiques and collectibles since 1995. Sites affiliated with TIAS.com include CollectorOnline.com, Curioscape.com, Earthling.com and AntiqueArts.com.

About GoAntiques

Founded in 1994, by Kathy Kamnikar as Antique Networking, GoAntiques is the oldest antiques and collectibles site on the Internet. It offers more than 600,000 items from more than 1,300 dealers in 31 countries and the world’s largest antiques-and-collectibles price guide, PriceMiner(R). GoAntiques logs nearly a million visits and thousands of transactions each month and has more than 350,000 registered members. WorthPoint recently announced plans to acquire GoAntiques.

News Contact:

WorthPoint Corporation
Steve Johnson
(877) 734-7735 x9019 (O)
(703) 798-5236 (C)
steve [dot] johnson [at] worthpoint [dot] com

Everybody loves the circus. That may sound like a cliché but, it’s a fact. If you’re interested in collecting circus memorabilia and learning more about the circus, look no further. Below is information from the websites of some of the better known organizations and links to their web sites. Have fun!

Circus Historical Society (CHS)

Founded in 1939, the Circus Historical Society, Inc. (CHS) is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit educational organization dedicated to recording the history of the American circus from the first one in Philadelphia during 1793 to today. Membership includes people from all walks of life including historians, scholars, circus personnel, memorabilia collectors, Americana specialists and just folks who share both a love of the circus and a desire to preserve and disseminate its great and interesting heritage.

As in most organizations that share a common interest, the CHS members gather at a different location annually in North America to hold a convention. Papers are given, films and slides are presented, meaty tidbits of circus history are exchanged, current circus executives set forth their views and challenges, friendships are renewed and new ones made, all in the interest of circus history preservation. These sessions represent the culmination of a focused year of circus research and writings on the part of many CHS members and are cherished visits to the circus past and present.

Bandwagon, the CHS’s bimonthly journal, publishes captivating articles relating to circus history. Articles have explored such far ranging topics such as the Forepaugh-Sells seasons 1910-1911, seal lion training, circus balloon ascensions, circus parades of the 1930′s and the Ringling Bros. winter quarters in the early 1900′s. Most issues cover a half dozen topics varying in length from a single page to fifteen pages

Circus Fans Association of America (CFA)

The CFA dates back to 1926 when the first annual convention was held in Washington, D.C. in conjunction with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. The purpose of the Circus Fans Association of America is:

Education & Understanding – To provide educational resources related the circus. To promote an understanding and appreciation of the art of the circus.

Communication – To be a point of contact between the people of the circus, artists or executives, and the outside world.

Support – To help insure the Circus will continue to exist among us as a social, educational and recreational art form. Visit our Calendar page to view support events..

Preservation- The National Circus Preservation Society (NCPS) is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization affiliated with CFA. Its main goal is to develop, promote, and advance information and knowledge for a better understanding of the American Circus, and to preserve the circus as part ofAmerican history.

Publishing – The White Tops is the official magazine of the Circus Fans Association of America. It began as a newsletter in May, 1927 and now is a color magazine that comes with the CFA membership six times a year.

Circus Model Builders (CMB)

Circus Model Builders are men and women, boys and girls who love the circus so much they want to have a show of their own. They know and are fascinated by the circus as a whole. They know the progress of a circus day from the minute the first train or truck pulls into sight until the fading lights in the distance tell them that the show is gone and that another circus day has become a memory. A Circus Model Builder’s goal is to own a show in miniature-down to the last performer, roustabout, bull, wagon, or prop. Whatever the size-one wagon or a complete show-you can be sure it is a true replica of this great institution.

The Little Circus Wagon is the official magazine of the Circus Model Builders, Inc. and is one of the many benefits of joining the CMB. It is published six times a year. This is the authority on Circus models and model building. In it’s pages you’ll find great articles, circus pictures, circus news, modeling plans and other things of interest to circus enthusiast, all contributed by members, for members

Windjammers Unlimited

Windjammers Unlimited is an historical music society that is dedicated to the preservation of traditional music of the circus. This music is kept alive via live performances and recording sessions at the annual convention and summer meetings.

Annual membership includes a subscription to the Circus Fanfare newsletter, the official publication of the Windjammers. The Circus Fanfare is published bi-monthly and is mailed to current members. It contains articles, reviews and information on Windjammer events.

Membership is open to all who share an interest in playing, hearing and preserving the traditional music of the circus.

Atlanta, Sept. 2, 2008—WorthPoint Corp., the premier Web site for art, antiques and collectibles, announced Tuesday that Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries, the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer and third-largest auction house, has selected WorthPoint as a data-publishing partner.

Under the new agreement, Heritage will provide WorthPoint with upcoming and historical auction data to be published on the WorthPoint Web site. With information provided by Heritage, WorthPoint is now able to provide more comprehensive data than ever.

“Heritage Auction Galleries is the undisputed Internet leader in its field,” said WorthPoint founder and CEO Will Seippel. “Heritage’s nearly 400,000 registered online bidder-members in 164 countries are a testament to the usefulness of its Web site, its reputation for professional business practices and its vast expertise in the field of art and collectibles.”

“WorthPoint’s cutting-edge technology, its visionary management team, its roster of “Worthologists”—men and women who share an expertise in and a passion for collectibles—and its planned acquisition of GoAntiques.com, make WorthPoint a perfect partner for us,” said Heritage Auction Galleries Co-Chairman Jim Halperin.

About WorthPoint

Atlanta-based WorthPoint Corp. is an Internet-based data and media company that offers a vast database of sales records on art, antiques and collectibles. Founded in 2007, WorthPoint has quickly become the world’s largest social network for researching the worth of antiques and collectibles. WorthPoint helps collectors understand the worth of their items and provides expert advice from its team of Worthologists on how to preserve or sell antiques and collectibles.

WorthPoint recently announced plans to acquire Dublin, Ohio-based GoAntiques, the oldest antiques-and-collectibles site on the Web. GoAntiques offers 600,000 items from more than 1,300 dealers in 31 countries and the world’s largest antiques and collectibles price guide, PriceMiner®. GoAntiques logs nearly a million visits and thousands of transactions each month and has more than 350,000 registered members.

About Heritage Auction Galleries

Heritage Auction Galleries, established in 1976, offers a wide range of U.S. and world coins, rare currency, fine and decorative art, Western art, illustration art, vintage comic books and comic art, movie posters, entertainment memorabilia, jewelry and timepieces, vintage and couture handbags, sports collectibles, stamps, historical and political memorabilia, rare books and manuscripts, American Indian art, air and space memorabilia, Civil War memorabilia, vintage and contemporary photography, natural history specimens and more.

Headquartered in Dallas, Heritage has representatives across the United States, as well as agents in France, the Netherlands and Italy.

WorthPoint—the premier Web site for art, antiques and collectibles

ATLANTA, GA, September 2, 2008 — WorthPoint Corporation, the premier website for art, antiques, and collectibles, announced on Tuesday that Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries, the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer and third largest auction house, has selected WorthPoint as a data publishing partner.

Under the new agreement, Heritage will provide WorthPoint with upcoming and historical auction data to be published on the WorthPoint website. With information provided by Heritage, WorthPoint is now able to provide more comprehensive data than ever.

“Heritage Auction Galleries is the undisputed Internet leader in its field,” said WorthPoint Founder and CEO Will Seippel. “Heritage’s nearly 400,000 registered online bidder-members in 164 countries are a testament to the usefulness of its website, its reputation for professional business practices and its vast expertise in the field of art and collectibles.”

“WorthPoint’s cutting-edge technology, its visionary management team, its roster of ‘Worthologists’ — men and women who share an expertise in and a passion for collectibles — and its planned acquisition of GoAntiques.com, make WorthPoint a perfect partner for us,” said Heritage Auction Galleries Co-Chairman Jim Halperin.

About WorthPoint

Atlanta-based WorthPoint Corporation (www.worthpoint.com) is an Internet-based data and media company that offers a vast database of sales records on art, antiques and collectibles. Founded in 2007, WorthPoint has quickly become the world’s largest social network for researching the worth of antiques and collectibles. WorthPoint helps collectors understand the worth of their items, and provides expert advice from its team of Worthologists on how to preserve or sell antiques and collectibles. WorthPoint recently announced plans to acquire Dublin, Ohio-based GoAntiques, the oldest antiques-and-collectibles site on the Web. GoAntiques offers 600,000 items from more than 1,300 dealers in 31 countries and the world’s largest antiques and collectibles price guide, PriceMiner(R). GoAntiques logs nearly a million visits and thousands of transactions each month and has more than 350,000 registered members.

About Heritage Auction Galleries

Heritage Auction Galleries (www.HA.com) , established in 1976, offers a wide range of U.S. & World Coins, Rare Currency, Fine & Decorative Art, Western Art, Illustration Art, Vintage Comic Books & Comic Art, Movie Posters, Entertainment Memorabilia, Jewelry & Timepieces, Vintage & Couture Handbags, Sports Collectibles, Stamps, Historical & Political Memorabilia, Rare Books & Manuscripts, American Indian Art, Air & Space Memorabilia, Civil War Memorabilia, Vintage & Contemporary Photography, Natural History Specimens and more. Headquartered in Dallas Texas, Heritage Auction Galleries has representatives across the United States, as well as agents around the world.

News Contact:

WorthPoint Corporation
Steve Johnson
(877) 734-7735 x9019 (O)
(703) 798-5236 (C)
steve [dot] johnson [at] worthpoint [dot] com

Your Worthpoint Page was developed when you registered with Worthpoint. You can use this page to organize your images, post blogs and navigate the site.

To post a question or comment in this community, you must first be a member of the community. At the lower right of the page you are reading now, you’ll find the “Join this Community” button. Click through, you will become a member automatically.

Next, choose “Write a Blog” from the options on the right side bar of either this community page or your Worthpoint page. Give the blog a title. Add “blog tags”. Blog tags are key words and can contain information that points to your discussion. Your keywords must be separated by commas.

Enter your comment in the “Post” box.

NEXT & VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure this community “Art Glass and Glassware” is checked under “Audience” at the bottom of the form. NOTE: if you have not joined the Art Glass and Glassware community, it will be available as an Audience. Only the communities you’ve joined will be available to select for your audience.

Although you have not uploaded your images YET, the next step is to “Preview” or “Submit”. In preview you can check your comment post and change the words if you want. Press “Submit” to post your comment. Your comment is now submitted and ready for image upload.

Look at the top left corner of your post and you will find three tabs. Click on the tab marked “Images”. Follow the prompts to add your image(s). To upload your images from your hard drive, simply press the browse buttom, follow the prompts, and double click on your saved image and it will auto input the correct address. Click “submit” at the bottom of the page again to view your comment with image included.

It’s easier than it sounds! You’ll only need to learn the process once.

Granted, there is an art and science to eliciting information. Reporters and detectives are specially trained. Still, it’s not rocket science. So let me give you a few tips on asking good, better, the best questions.

Simplifying the process

This takes a little more work on your end. You must look at the antique or collectible that you have a question about (and ultimately want to know the value of), and tell us what you see after using these simple steps.

One: Provide an image (aka a picture)

By sending an image with your question, our community and Worthologists have a visual picture from which to make identification along with a valuation of your item. Images are particularly helpful if you haven’t a clue what the item is. If it’s a piece of furniture, include images of the top, front, back and sides. And don’t forget the drawer construction. Slide out the drawer, paying close attention. Take closeups of to how the drawer is put together with closeups of the dovetailing (that’s where the sides are jointed to the front.)

Two: Provide information about the object

As Joe Friday of “Dragnet” fame used to say, what we need here is “just the facts, ma’am, just the facts.” By this, we don’t mean who owned it previously and for how long, although this can be useful information if we need to establish an historical timeline for the piece. More useful is what you see, feel, touch and smell. Identifying a piece brings all the senses into play.

Let me give you an example. A painted chest of drawers. You may have purchased it at a sleepy, rainy auction and got a great deal or got what you paid for. Provide us with dimensions—height, width and depth. Try if possible to identify the wood by looking inside, particularly at the underside of the top. Check the sides and back of the drawers to determine what they are made of. Most furniture has primary (the frame) and secondary (the sides and back of the drawers) wood. Finally, describe the back of the piece. Again, it helps tremendously if you include images with your description.

Three: Significant details: Becoming the detective

This is a grab-bag category with all sorts of cross references. Sticking with the chest of drawers, add details of the hardware (the drawer pulls or knobs) or escutcheons (decorative piece that fits around the keyhole). What are they made of—brass, glass, steel, wood? Are there castors on the feet—brass or porcelain wheels?

Are there any decorative details such as moldings or wooden trim that have been applied to the piece that would help us in the recognition/decision process? Are there any identification numbers, manufacturers’ labels or signatures either in chalk or pencil? Does the back have hand-cut nails (they look rectangular)?

Is the piece pegged (dowels that hold the piece together, usually found in the corners of the frame)? Is there any significant wear to the surface or structural damage to the piece? Do you suspect, upon close examination, that it has been significantly restored (new wood where old wood should be)?

So that’s it. You can apply these three steps—image, information and details—to all your questions whether they are about furniture, silver, porcelain, china or that telescope your great-uncle left you. The more concise, detailed information you provide, the better WorthPoint can evaluate your antiques and collectibles. In the details alone, there may be a real find.

Keep those questions coming in, and we’ll keep the answers going out.

With 100 million avid collectors around the world and the global collectibles market estimated at $150 billion a year, combining two of the premier Web sites for art, antiques and collectibles was just common sense for Will Seippel, Founder and CEO of WorthPoint Corporation and Jim Kamnikar, President and CEO of GoAntiques, Inc.

Founded in 2007, WorthPoint has quickly become the largest social network for researching the worth of antiques and collectibles. More than 50,000 people registered as WorthPoint members in the company’s first nine months.

WorthPoint offers a rich multimedia experience that helps collectors understand the worth of their items, and it provides expert advice from its team of Worthologists on how to preserve or sell antiques and collectibles. Members can also share their knowledge and create online collecting communities.

Founded in 1994, by Kathy Kamnikar, as Antique Networking, GoAntiques is the oldest Web antiques-and-collectibles site. It offers 600,000 items from more than 1,300 dealers in 31 countries and the world’s largest antiques and collectibles price guide, PriceMiner®. GoAntiques logs nearly a million visits and thousands of transactions each month and has more than 350,000 registered members.

“GoAntiques is a perfect fit for WorthPoint,” WorthPoint CEO Seippel said. “It is the longest-running and most experienced antiques-and-collectibles site on the Internet and has a great staff. Combined, we will have more than 1 million visitors a month to our Web pages.

“Our acquisition of GoAntiques will accelerate our growth by introducing the antique-dealer community to WorthPoint,” said Seippel. “More importantly, it will introduce thousands of antique dealers to the thousands of homeowners who come to the WorthPoint site daily looking to sell some of their possessions.”

GoAntiques’ Kathy Kamnikar said she is thrilled to be part of the WorthPoint team. “Fifteen years ago my dream was to serve the antiques market. With Jim as President we’ve come a long way and now with WorthPoint we can go even further.”

GoAntiques’ Jim Kamnikar said: “This is a good match. WorthPoint will give us the added resources we need to expand our marketplace and provide additional value to our buyers and sellers. The people looking for assistance with estates and collections, who come to our site, will benefit greatly from having access to WorthPoint’s rapidly expanding team of experts.”

“WorthPoint represents the future of collecting worldwide, and we are happy to be part of that exciting future.”

Steve Johnson, Corporate Communications, WorthPoint Corporation
Steve [dot] johnson [at] worthpoint [dot] com
(877) 734-7735 x9019
(703) 798-5236 (Cell)

WorthPoint announced Wednesday, August 20, 2008 that it has signed a letter of intent to acquire Dublin, Ohio-based GoAntiques, an online network for buying and selling antiques and collectibles.

GoAntiques, the oldest antiques-and-collectibles Web site, was founded in 1994, by Kathy Kamnikar, as Antique Networking. It offers 600,000 items from more than 1,300 dealers in 31 countries and the world’s largest antiques and collectibles price guide, PriceMiner ®. GoAntiques logs nearly a million visits and thousands of transactions each month and has more than 350,000 registered members.

“GoAntiques is a perfect fit for WorthPoint,” WorthPoint CEO Seippel said.

“It is the longest-running and most experienced antiques-and-collectibles site on the Internet and has a great staff. Combined, we will have more than 1 million visitors a month to our Web pages.

“Our acquisition of GoAntiques will accelerate our growth by introducing the antique-dealer community to WorthPoint,” said Seippel. “More importantly, it will introduce thousands of antique dealers to the thousands of homeowners who come to the WorthPoint site daily looking to sell some of their possessions.”

GoAntiques’ Kathy Kamnikar said she is thrilled to be part of the WorthPoint team. “Fifteen years ago my dream was to serve the antiques market. With Jim as President we’ve come a long way and now with WorthPoint we can go even further.”

GoAntiques’ Jim Kamnikar said: “This is a good match. WorthPoint will give us the added resources we need to expand our marketplace and provide additional value to our buyers and sellers.

“WorthPoint represents the future of collecting worldwide, and we are happy to be part of that exciting future.”

WorthPoint was founded in 2007, but it has quickly become the largest social network for researching the worth of antiques and collectibles.

Read the entire WorthPoint Press Release.

WorthPoint is a Web 2.0-based data-and media company that offers a vast database of sales records on art, antiques and collectibles. It announced Tuesday from its Atlanta home office that it has completed a letter of intent to acquire Dublin, Ohio, GoAntiques, an online network for buying and selling antiques and collectibles.

Founded in 2007, WorthPoint has quickly become the largest social network for researching the worth of antiques and collectibles. More than 50,000 people registered as WorthPoint members in our first nine months.

We offer a rich multimedia experience that helps collectors understand the worth of their items, as well as providing expert advice from our team of Worthologists on how to preserve or sell antiques and collectibles. Members can also share their knowledge while building collecting communities.

GoAntiques was started in 1994 as Antique Networking by Kathy Kamnikar, making it the oldest Web antiques-and-collectibles site. It offers 600,000 items from more than 1,300 dealers in 31 countries and has the world’s largest antiques and collectibles price guide, PriceMiner®. GoAntiques logs nearly a million visits and thousands of transactions each month. More than 350,000 people are registered GoAntiques members.

“GoAntiques is a perfect fit for WorthPoint,” Will Seippel said. “It is the longest-running and most experienced antiques-and-collectibles site on the Internet and has a great staff. Combined, we will have more than 1 million visitors a month to our Web pages.”

He added, “Our acquisition of GoAntiques will accelerate our growth by introducing the antique-dealer community to WorthPoint. More importantly, it will introduce thousands of antique dealers to the thousands of homeowners who come to the WorthPoint site daily looking to sell some of their possessions.”

GoAntiques’ Kathy Kamnikar said she is thrilled to be part of the WorthPoint team. “Fifteen years ago, my dream was to serve the antiques market. With Jim as president, we’ve come a long way, and now with WorthPoint, we can go even farther.”

GoAntiques CEO Kamnikar said: “This is a good match. WorthPoint will give us the added resources we need to expand our marketplace and provide additional value to our buyers and sellers. The people looking for assistance with estates and collections, who come to our site, will benefit greatly from having access to WorthPoint’s rapidly expanding team of experts.”

“WorthPoint represents the future of collecting worldwide, and we are happy to be part of that exciting future.”

1) Once you are logged into the website click on the “What’s it Worth?” tab located in the brown tool bar at the top of the page.

2) Click on "Ask the Community"

3) Complete the form by entering your question title and description. Add photos of your item by clicking the "Browse" button. This will take you to your desktop. Locate the image you want to post and select "Open"

4. After you have uploaded all your pictures click the “Submit Question” button.

I’ve developed some health problems and disabilities over the past several years that have made it difficult to earn a living in my long-term field. I’m looking for alternative sources of income. Buying and reselling collectibles, especially given my fondness for flea markets, thrift stores, yard sales, and dumpster diving, seems like a good possibility.

Ironically, I had this idea before my health deteriorated, I bought a couple of the old heavy long folding banquet tables, hurt my back around the time of my first yard sale attempt. I can no longer do the lifting required to sell in a situation where things need to be moved around enmass.

I’ve been buying and dabbled in selling through online auction sites for years but never got going full tilt at selling. I know enough about that format to know I want a side-by-side online storefront independent of any auction site.

I’ve also dabbled in setting up storefronts through some web services, but I am uncomfortable about the level of control they wield over my “territory.”

I am happy to have found WorthPoint and a community which I hope will give me a boost in the right direction(s).

By Lee Graves

You can’t accuse Will Seippel of escaping into his hobbies when he comes home from work. If anything, the collectibles in his Georgia home serve as the model for his business, and they provide a window into the passions of this Virginia native.

Figures and posters from “Star Wars.” A set of standard-gauge Lionel model trains. Jerseys worn by pitcher Nolan Ryan. A warm-up jacket worn by New York Yankees great Mickey Mantle. Antique black-powder muzzle-loading rifles.

They’re all an extension of the Boy Scout merit badges Seippel started collecting as a youth on trips from his home in Clifton, Va., to the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. “It was a long bus ride to Philmont, and we traded badges a lot along the way,” says Seippel, 51.

Not long ago, two catalysts combined to spark Seippel’s entrepreneurial energies. The result is WorthPoint, an online resource for people who want to find the value and learn the history of antiques and collectibles.

One source of inspiration came from the vast amount of stuff the Seippels had to sort through after buying an 18th-century house in Kennebunkport, Maine. Another motivation came from a financially beleaguered woman who, in going through the belongings of her deceased mother, discarded a complete set of Ebony magazines.

“I didn’t have the nerve to tell her that all the answers to her financial problems went into a Dumpster,” Seippel says. “I just thought, ‘There’s got to be a way to help people and to build a business.’”

So Seippel, who had established a reputation for revitalizing ailing companies, started WorthPoint about a year ago. He now serves as its CEO. The database covers more than 2 million items, and the payroll has grown to about 80 employees or consultants worldwide, including “worthologists” who provide expertise in various fields. The company’s headquarters moved from Reston to Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center this spring.

WorthPoint still has an office in Tysons Corner, and that, plus Seippel’s position as vice chairman of the business school at George Mason University, his alma mater, bring him to Virginia several times a week. “Virginia is still in my heart,” Seippel says.

The business

You name it, somebody collects it. From Beanie Babies to baseball cards, the universe of collectibles defies easy description. For some, it’s art; for some, it’s beer cans; and for others, it’s the Model A that Grandpa drove on Sundays.

That is actually one of the defining characteristics of a valuable collectible — its appeal from generation to generation — says Will Seippel, founder and CEO of WorthPoint.

Grandpa and his buddies bought Model A’s because they were popular at the time, just as Seippel once bought a souped-up Mustang. “The real question is that after my generation goes through them and has fun with them, will another generation want them?”

Online trading through companies such as eBay has revolutionized the collectibles market, which is estimated by OTCHotline.com at $120 billion worldwide. In 2006, there were 84 million active eBay users who sold more than 500 million collectibles. In addition, there were more than 100 million collectors globally and 30,000 appraisers in the United States alone.

Baseball cards, which have been collected for decades, saw a new high last year. A T206 Honus Wagner card, called the Holy Grail of baseball cards, was sold to an anonymous private collector for a record $2.8 million.

Events

July 11-13: Collectors Showcase of America Show, Dulles Expo and Conference Center, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly. (540) 456-6877 or http://www.csashows.com.

Aug. 9: Horsepasture Ruritan Building Antiques and Collectibles Auction, 16197 Philpott Highway, Henry County. Old-fashioned auctions, held monthly. (276) 340-6441 or http://www.auctionzip.com.

Sept. 20-21: Tidewater Division Model Railroaders 2008 Model Train Show and Sale, Virginia Beach Convention Center, 1000 19th St., Virginia Beach. (757) 426-2811 or e-mail nawneycreek [at] msn [dot] com.

Two players — online powerhouse eBay and television’s “Antiques Roadshow” — hold marquee positions in the business, but collectors have numerous other resources:

• WorthPoint — is building a database coupled with an array of “worthologists” to help people learn the value and history of antiques and collectibles. http://www.worthpoint.com.

• Collector’s Universe — provides services such as authenticating and grading high-value collectibles, including coins, sports cards, autographs, stamps, currency, diamonds and colored gemstones. http://www.collectors.com.

• National Association of Collectors — an umbrella group serving collectors and collecting clubs of all sorts. http://www.collectors.org.

WP Question module contains all administrative task on WP Questions. It includes operations and functions only intended for admins and WP Staffs. The first version of this module is Unanswered Questions.

Unanswered Questions will give an ease for WP Staffs to track down questions yet unanswered. With a huge number of questions passed each day, there would be a big possibility for some questions to be left unanswered, which is not helpful on the customers end.

This module designed a table to file up all unanswered questions sorted in descending date. It displays the node title with link to the question, the post author and the date posted. Each table will handle 15 items at most in pager.

QUERIES AND SIGNIFICANT LINE OF CODES

1. “SELECT n.nid AS nid, n.title AS title, n.uid AS uid, n.created AS created
FROM {node} n
WHERE n.type = ‘question’
AND n.nid NOT IN (SELECT c.nid FROM {comments} c)
ORDER BY n.created DESC”

=>This query will select the nid of nodes with type question which is not in comments table. Since commented nids are placed automatically on comments table, that is equivalent on saying uncommented nodes are not placed on comments table. Thereby, we can fetch the nodes we need alongwith its respective title, uid and date created.

2. $output .= theme(‘table’, $header, $rows);
$output .= theme(‘pager’, NULL, 10, 0);

=>These are to create a table with pager function. Previous codes will show how data are inputted in a row.

3. Other codes are self-explanatory.

————————————————————

The second release of WP Question module contains the feature that will enable all WP staff to receive email notification about the question they responded with. The mail contains the title of the question, the author and the link of the question.

This feature would be helpful for Wp Staff to keep track of the questions they responded with and write follow-up comment on these.

HOW DOES IT WORK

1.hook_comment case ‘insert’ – this body is run everytime a new comment is inserted. If the role of the user who inserted the comment is WP Staff, he is sent with an email defined in the next function. The mail contains the title of the question responded, the author of that question and the link to worthpoint of the question.

IMPORTANT CODES:

1.$res = db_query(“SELECT r.name AS name FROM {role} r
LEFT JOIN {users_roles} u ON (r.rid=u.rid)
WHERE u.uid = %d”, $comment['uid']);
=> finds the role of the user who commented the question.

2.The rest are email configuration.

Since I’m out to Worthpoint Web Team, more release for this module is no longer probable. Performance team, which I’m now in, is entirely different thing, yet, I missed the excitement and satisfaction of creating your own module.

Reston, VA (PRWEB) May 22, 2008 — WorthPoint Corporation, the premier website for art, antiques, and collectibles, announced today that Whitaker~Augusta Auction Company has selected WorthPoint as a data publishing partner. Under the new agreement, Whitaker~Augusta Auction Company will provide WorthPoint with upcoming and historical auction data to be published on the WorthPoint web site. With information provided by Whitaker~Augusta, WorthPoint is now able to provide more comprehensive data than ever.

“We are thrilled about our partnership with Whitaker~Augusta,” said Will Seippel, CEO and Chairman of WorthPoint. “With this new relationship, we add the sales of couture and vintage clothing, textiles, and fashion accessories to our database, from the experts on vintage fashion. No one is more knowledgeable on the subject of antique clothing and lace than they are, and WorthPoint is proud to include Whitaker~Augusta’s records in its data collection.”

WorthPoint is a collector’s social network and search engine rolled into one. The website is changing the process of assessing worth for collectibles by providing a vast database of sales records wherein an individual can assess the worth of their own collection. Through WorthPoint, collectors connect with experts to learn more about authenticity and value in art, antiques, and vintage items. Through the WorthPoint online community, members can contact other collectors interested in buying, selling, or swapping stories, and they can share their insight and knowledge through the forums and wikis.

http://www.worthpoint.com

Whitaker~Augusta Auction Company, based in Hope, PA, is America’s only auction house specializing exclusively in the sale of couture & vintage clothing, lace, linens, accessories, textiles & fashion-related ephemera and objects. Whitaker~Augusta represents museums, historical societies, universities, individuals and estates. Respect for unique textile treasures and the benefit of a targeted marketing program, with clients world-wide, enable Whitaker~Augusta to consistently achieve value for its consignors.

http://www.whitakerauction.com/

Contact:
Eve Hyman
WorthPoint
404-477-3250
404-477-3251
eve [dot] hyman [at] worthpoint [dot] com

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/05/prweb962174.htm

Reston, VA (PRWEB) June 11, 2008 — WorthPoint Corporation, the premier website for art, antiques, and collectibles, announced today that World’s Fair Auction has selected WorthPoint as a data publishing partner. Under the new agreement, World’s Fair Auction will provide WorthPoint with upcoming and historical auction data to be published on the WorthPoint web site. With information provided by World’s Fair, WorthPoint is now able to provide more comprehensive data than ever.

“We are very pleased about our partnership with World’s Fair Auction,” said Will Seippel, CEO and Chairman of WorthPoint. “With this new relationship, we add the sales of historic American World’s Fair memorabilia to our database, from the Fair experts at World Fair’s Auction. No one is more knowledgeable on the subject of patriotic, turn-of-the-century World’s Fair souvenirs than they are, and WorthPoint is proud to include World’s Fair Auction’s records in its data collection.”

WorthPoint is a collector’s social network and search engine rolled into one. The website is changing the process of assessing worth for collectibles by providing a vast database of sales records wherein an individual can assess the worth of their own collection. Through WorthPoint, collectors connect with experts to learn more about authenticity and value in art, antiques, and vintage items. Through the WorthPoint online community, members can contact other collectors interested in buying, selling, or swapping stories, and they can share their insight and knowledge through the forums and wikis.

http://www.worthpoint.com

World’s Fair Auction specializes in collectibles from World’s Fairs held in the U.S. Charles Rand Penney began collecting World’s Fair memorabilia in 1970. His collecting interests focus on U.S. Fairs and his interest in World’s Fairs came from family ties: his grandfather Thomas Penney, former District Attorney for Erie County, prosecuted President McKinley’s assassin, who shot President McKinley at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York in 1901. The late Floyd Hansen joined Dr. Penny as a consigner at World’s Fair Auction, after operating an antiques mall and museum in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin, where he delighted visitors with his World’s Fair collection for many years. Tom Diddle joined World’s Fair as an expert with an extensive collection of items primarily from the 1893 Columbian Exposition Chicago World’s Fair. Together, World’s Fair is the preeminent auctioneer of memorabilia from U.S. Fairs.

http://www.worldsfairauction.com

Contact:
Eve Hyman
WorthPoint
404-477-3250
404-477-3251
eve [dot] hyman [at] worthpoint [dot] com

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/06/prweb1016604.htm

Proxibid and WorthPoint will fill the void left by eBay Live’s impending exit from the live Internet auction marketplace. Proxibid’s proprietary, live Internet bidding platform, which currently serves more than 1,100 auction companies, has the capacity to handle the influx of customers who will be looking for a new provider when eBay Live ceases operations in the fourth quarter of this year.

Rapidly-growing WorthPoint, which began operations in April 2007, provides a database of millions of sales records and other information that collectors can use to assess the worth of items they own or might want to acquire. WorthPoint currently has 25,000 members and more than 250,000 unique monthly visitors to its Web site.

Through the WorthPoint Web site (www.worthpoint.com), collectors connect with expert Worthologists for professional advice concerning the authenticity and value of art, antiques, and other collectibles. Through the WorthPoint online community, members can contact other collectors interested in buying, selling, or swapping stories, and they can share their insight and knowledge through the forums and wikis.

“Our partnership with Proxibid will provide substantial financial benefits to auction houses and auctioneers. The WorthPoint Web site will alert collectors around the world to upcoming live online auctions and provide these collectors with a vast database of sales information that will help them better prepare their bidding strategy,” said WorthPoint CEO Will Seippel.

Proxibid (www.proxibid.com) has served the auction industry since 2002 and offers more live auctions in more categories than any other provider. In March, Proxibid set several industry records, including hosting 51 auctions in a single day and 482 auctions in a single month.

“eBay Live helped to bring live auction Webcasting to the industry and we’re surprised by their departure. While this is a shift in the industry, Proxibid has never been more excited about the opportunities in front of us,” said Proxibid CEO Bruce Hoberman.

Proxibid’s success in a variety of vertical markets from fine art and antiques to collectibles enables it to service auction companies with different needs. Proxibid works closely with industry leaders and auctioneers to custom tailor its services to meet the specialized requirements of its growing list of clients.

WorthPoint
Stephen Johnson, 703-547-6754
steve [dot] johnson [at] worthpoint [dot] com
or
Proxibid
Dana Kaufman, 402-505-7776
dkaufman [at] proxibid [dot] com

1) In order to post a classified ad, sign into the website and select Classifieds.
2) On the right side of the screen is a text box also called Classifieds, select the first option, Post an Ad.
3) Here you can enter details about your item including price.
4) After clicking ‘submit’ the next screen will allow you add pictures or edit your post by selecting the appropriate tab.
5) To view your ad select ‘My Ads.’

http://twitter.com/marcbenton

http://twitter.com/aaanwar

http://twitter.com/AndyForbes

I have also set up a twitter feed for WorthPoint:

http://twitter.com/worthpoint

If you’re interested in learning more about what we’re doing to the WorthPoint site, I would encourage you to follow one or more of these feeds.

Andy Forbes
WorthPoint, CTO