Fridays at Auction Finds is readers’ questions day. I try to guide readers to resources for them to determine the value of their items. I’m not able to appraise their treasures, but I can do some preliminary research to get them started. So, these are market values based on prices I find on the web, not appraisal for insurance purposes that I suggest for items that have been determined to be of great value.
Quite often, I get emails from readers asking about the value of an item after seeing the same question answered in a blog post. My answer is always the same: I really don’t know what the item is worth, but here’s how you can find out. I can only offer suggestions to help them research an item in real time so that they know what it is currently selling for.
Two of today’s questions fall into that category: Kennedy assassination newspapers and Alex Haley figurines. A new question is about a “Black Jack” Ketchum poster. Another is from a reader asking me to sell an item for him. As for the last question, I can only deduce what the reader is asking of me.
Question:
I was wondering where the Thomas “Black Jack” Ketchum poster is now. He is a distant relative. My mom’s maiden name is Ketchum.
Answer:
The reader was referring to a poster announcing the hanging of outlaw “Black Jack” Ketchum in New Mexico in 1901. It was part of an auction last year of Wild West artifacts that were destined for a museum in Harrisburg, PA, that never opened. I wrote about the auction in a blog post.
I wasn’t around when the poster was sold so I don’t know who bought it. I had previewed the items a day or two before the sale. Maybe the poster or one like it will come up on eBay, on a retail site on the web or at a western auction. I suggest that the reader check the web or eBay periodically, or determine what auction houses specialize in western items and stay alert to their sales.
Question:
I have many of the collectibles of Alex Haley that I purchased when they first came out and would really like to know how much they are worth. How can I find this out and there are a few of the pieces I would like to sell. Any information would help.
Answer:
This reader saw the first blog post I wrote two years ago about the “Alex Haley Remembers Collection,” but not the two subsequent ones: an interview with the designer, Ellen McGowan, and a reader’s question about their value. In the latter blog post, I offered suggestions on how to determine how much they are worth. The reader apparently missed the links to the other two blog posts.
Question:
I have recently found 3 copies in my mom’s belongings. I am interested in selling them very quickly at a great price. These are the afternoon edition of Nov. 22. My mother recently passed and I am trying to satisfy some utility bills as well as other expenses.
Answer:
The reader had read a blog post I wrote two years ago about the value of newspapers pertaining to John F. Kennedy’s assassination and Barack Obama’s election. The blog post contained a Q&A with the owner of rarenewspapers.com that offered suggestions on how folks could determine the value of their newspapers (for one, by checking his site).
The reader did not mention the name of the newspaper or where it was located. I suggest that she try selling them on eBay. Search the site for “Completed listings” to see what the papers are selling for and if they are selling at all. As I’ve mentioned in several blog posts, the Kennedy assassination coverage in major newspapers – such as the New York Times or the two Dallas papers – are more likely to sell.
Here is a blog post I wrote about selling the Kennedy papers, which includes all the blog posts I’ve written about the subject.
Question:
I have a Dapy poster radio with clock and it looks like a 57 Chevy dash. Everything works, has very few scratches on the frame and has been stored for over ten years. Would you be interested in selling it for me?
Answer:
The reader had come across a blog post I wrote last year about a Dapy AM/FM Dash Board Clock Radio up for sale at auction. It had the actual look of a dashboard and could be hung on a wall.
I had to tell the reader, sorry, but I don’t sell items for other folks. I recommend that he try to sell it on eBay or through an auction house, as this consigner had done.
Question:
I had a dream about singing.
Answer:
This reader wrote me after reading my blog post answering questions from readers about what their dreams meant. I translated their dreams by consulting “The H.P. Dream Book” by Prof. Uriah Konje. But it’s not something that I had planned to do indefinitely. I would suggest the reader pick up a dream book, which a friend says are pretty easy to find. He can also find one for sale on the web. There are also websites that translate dreams.
