Swim medals...hot collectible

[iris lily]

I am running a booth at the Antiques Fair for our neighborhood Park conservancy. We are selling all kinds of things donated by people in this neighborhood. So when you ask me "what sold well?" I would tell you: swim medals. We had batches of them. I couldn't put them out fast enough. How random is that?

Meanwhile, the Haviland china and the Fostoria stemware just sat.

But swim medals!!!!!! That's where it's at, baby.

I think we'll make $2,000+ for the weekend, a nice little chunk of change.

[Tradd]

How interesting! I wouldn't have even thought about that!

[iris lily]

About 5% of our profit will be from alley finds. We always high five each other when the alley finds sell. We were amused that my neighbor paid $10 for an old trunk that DH pulled in from the alley last week. We think that if said neighbor had walked out his back door and down the alley, he would have seen it there.

[domestic goddess]

And if he'd seen it just sitting in the alley, he probably wouldn't have been interested in it! I would never have thought swim medals would be such a hot item, but I guess people could use them in making jewelry,orfor decorating items of clothing! I have a denim purse that something like that would look neat on, I think. Did anyone tell you how they planned to use them?

[iris lily]

And if he'd seen it just sitting in the alley, he probably wouldn't have been interested in it! I would never have thought swim medals would be such a hot item, but I guess people could use them in making jewelry,orfor decorating items of clothing! I have a denim purse that something like that would look neat on, I think. Did anyone tell you how they planned to use them?

One guy said that he uses them on costumes.

[Tweety]

My DD has been amassing swim medals for over 30 years, since she was a state champion in high school, and she is heading to Italy for the international master's championships next week. Maybe she could have paid for the trip by selling her collection! Hmmm...I have a few rifle medals from college competitions....

[iris lily]

My DD has been amassing swim medals for over 30 years, since she was a state champion in high school, and she is heading to Italy for the international master's championships next week. Maybe she could have paid for the trip by selling her collection! Hmmm...I have a few rifle medals from college competitions....

Seriously, check out your local market for medals--it may be strong.

[Gregg]

I have a box of high school track medals buried somewhere in my Mom's attic. Maybe now is the time to dig them out. Baby need shoes!

[iris lily]

UPdate to this thread: OUr sale made $4,500! That was twice as much as I had hoped. We have some nice cnie donations. I know now that I could have got probably $100 for all of those medals, but how wa sI to know how to price them???!!!

[rodeosweetheart]

You mean my one swim medal for 3rd place in the breaststroke 45 years ago may be marketable? Hot damn.

[Spartana]

Swim medals? I got swim medals ;-). Time to sell them I guess - who would have thought they were worth anything but the collectibles market is crazy to me anyways. When my Mom, who grew up in Nazi Germany during WWII, died she had a bunch of old Hiltler stamps and coins as well as other Nazi stuff. I started looking those things up online thinking there would be worth something. But they weren't. Those 1930's and 40's unmarked Hitler stamps were worth about 15 cents. Same for the coins. So a piece of intense history goes for a fe cents were as a Beanie Baby can get you hundreds? Who would have guessed!

ETA: How and where do you go about selling stuff like that? E-Bay? Craigs list? Or are there places that you can go to sell medals or old military stuff? I know there use to be coin and stamp collector stores but I imagine it's all online now.

[iris lily]

Swim medals? I got swim medals ;-). Time to sell them I guess - who would have thought they were worth anything but the collectibles market is crazy to me anyways. ....

Hey, I don't know what your local collectibles market is for these swim medals. I'm not even sure that the "local market" here is strong. I think that we may have been in a sitch where two separate people--in an entirely random coincidence--wanted award medals for use that I don't quite understand (well, one of them was making costumes, military costumes, I assume.)

So put them out on Craigslist and see how they go.

[awakenedsoul]

Congratulations on your sales! That's good money. I'd love to see a photo of the china. I'm looking for some antique or vintage china. My cousin won't let me have my grandma's. (Even though there are three sets just sitting there, unused.) It's Limoges! I'd be happy with two place settings. Maybe I should try EBay.

[iris lily]

Congratulations on your sales! That's good money. I'd love to see a photo of the china. I'm looking for some antique or vintage china. My cousin won't let me have my grandma's. (Even though there are three sets just sitting there, unused.) It's Limoge! I'd be happy with two place settings. Maybe I should try EBay.

I can't show you the china, I returned it to the donor. It did not sell, no one was interested. And when we took it to the local China Finder guy he said it's the wrong Haviland and he would not buy it for any price. Evidently there were brothers and offshoot factories in the Haviland family. It's pretty, typical pink roses.

But here's my feelings about Haviland: lots of people have a set of it sitting around and they'd love to get rid of it. So many women would LOVE to give it to someone who would use it. I know that if you lived in my city, I'd hook you up with the woman who can't let go of her mother's Haviland but she doesn't want it. In your cute little cottage I think it would be perfect. I can see a grandma type person thrilled to give it to you and you could invite her to tea using it all. So--start to network for some Haviland, I'll bet you can get it.

[awakenedsoul]

Wow. Yeah, it takes the right person to appreciate it. I found some lovely Limoges pieces on EBay. The prices are really reasonable. I was kind of amazed. I think it would fit perfectly in this cottage, too. Pink roses is what I'd like best.
Maybe I'll try putting an ad in the Penny Saver...

[Spartana]

Hey, I don't know what your local collectibles market is for these swim medals. I'm not even sure that the "local market" here is strong. I think that we may have been in a sitch where two separate people--in an entirely random coincidence--wanted award medals for use that I don't quite understand (well, one of them was making costumes, military costumes, I assume.)

So put them out on Craigslist and see how they go.

Thanks! Not really sure I want to sell them - or any of my military medals (not quite at that much of a minimalist stage to give up the few momentos I have - yet!! Plus they are smallish so don't take up space. But I would like to sell the Hitler and Nazi stuff. Will check out Craigs list (I'm a Craigslist and Ebay virgin and have never bought or sold anything online but can get my sister to do it) and see what happens. Still shocked that you got so much for swim medals but I guess people use them for things like costumes, etc..

[Fawn]

I will let my brother, who lives in Manchester (west suburbs to you out of town folks) know of the "swim medal" sellathon. He got 4th place in state in MO for breast stroke in 1976.