• 18Mar

    We’ve just read this article on CNN’s website wherein it reports of people facing difficult economic circumstances have sold treasured posessions in order to get by.  We want to offer this rebuttal: You can sell things to make extra money without the remorse!   At Auction Bay, we will gladly help you sell most anything you bring in, and when it comes to personal treasures and heirlooms, there are many options. 

    We recommend selling excess things on eBay, first.  Most of us have some old toys or pieces of electronics sitting about, which may or may not have seen use in years.  These are precisely the things that could help turn your financial tide.  Start out your eBaying with these things that you can do without, or items that can easily be replaced (especially electronics and hobby items).  Trim off the excess, sell the extranneous items, and you might find you like the extra space and extra cash more than you liked the extra thing! 

    When it comes to items that have special value to you, or intrinsic value, like an old piece of jewelry which belonged to a family member, or an antique which has been in the family for years… these are items which you should wait to sell until other options are exhausted, or until opportunity presents itself.  Sometimes an item may have a surge of interest thanks to a movie or event, and as such, would sell all the better when the timing is right. 

    But when it comes time to sell the special items, you can still rest easy, thanks to this:  In order to find something on eBay, you have to search for it.  By virtue of this fact alone, anyone who bids on your item will have first have had to try to find it, or at least have been browsing the category.  This means they are interested in it!  That item which is special to you could easily be as special to them.  This is one reason why items from the Second World War sell so well – there are collectors, historians, re-enactors, and even prop departments for plays and shows, all searching for WWII items on eBay to finally complete that kit, or display, etc.  Your item will almost certainly be going into the hands of someone who wants to treat it well.

  • 18Mar
    This Schwinn Fiesta girl's bike sold for $ 135.99 on eBay!

    This Schwinn Fiesta bike brought $135.99 on eBay!

    Once again, an old Schwinn bicycle brings in the bucks!  This Schwinn Fiesta bike has a Blue Girl’s Frame and 26″ tires.  In great shape, it brought $135.99 on eBay.

    Our rule of thumb is that nearly anything with the Schwinn logo will sell on eBay, thanks to the numerous collectors and bike restoration enthusiasts out there.  Sometimes, a buyer simply remembers a grand old bike from their childhood and wants to ride that beauty again!  Other times, people see a great opportunity to bring a bike from disrepair into great working condition and offer it for sale again.  And even still, there are many who desire an affordable method of transportation to cope with difficult economic times, and what better way than with a great bike?  Whatever the case, these classic bicycles bring interest and a pretty high yield to an auction.


    Here’s another eBay hint for you home eBay enthusiasts out there!  As with most things, when selling a bicycle, the more pictures, the better.  Make sure to grab photos of the gears, but also focus on any extra parts, like chain guard and pedals, and especially lamps and accessories that might be marked with the maker’s logo.  These parts may be rare and sought-after.

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  • 13Mar
    This old Nikon MS inverted Microscope fetched over $250.00 on eBay!

    This old Nikon MS inverted Microscope fetched over $250.00 on eBay!

    Recently at Auction Bay, we listed an old Nikon Model MS Inverted Lab Microscope, while simultaneously listing a number of lenses compatible with it.  The microscope was a high quality lab instrument dating back 3-5 decades, and we were pleased that it sold for a healthy $255.00!  But some of the lenses were even more impressive!

    This objective lens by Zeiss sold for $504.00 on eBay!

    This objective lens by Zeiss sold for $504.00 on eBay!

    Some of the lenses sold in the $50-100 range, but the best of which was this Zeiss Plan-NEOFLUAR 40 lens, which sold for a whopping $504.00!  Now that was a real shocker!

    But we’re not done!  Those lenses did so well that our consignor was back for more, and now we have another collection of old objectives for sale, including this Bausch Lomb 100x Flat Field Objective Lens and this Leitz Wetzlar Oel 100 / 1,30, so don’t miss out!  And if you’ve got any old optics or microscopy equipment taking up space, we will happily help you sell it!


    Here’s an eBay hint for all you home eBayers! If you ever sell a piece of optical equipment or lens, or perhaps a telescope or even a camera, try to get one of your photos through the optic itself while it’s focused on an object.  A potential bidder will have a lot more confidence in your item if they can see a nice clear image through the lenses, showing no cracks or ‘dew’ or delamination.  It can really make or break the sale of any optic!

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  • 13Jan

    Musical Instruments are always in demand, as there’s always someone looking to learn how to play, or needing to replace their aging starter instrument.  We’ve been able to sell every instrument we’ve listed, including a few very special ones for some very impressive prices.

    One way to help sell any instrument is to have a skilled musician play it for the camera, and then attach the video to the auction.  This allows potential bidders to see and hear the quality of the instrument, and its rich tones, and its moving parts (not to mention any defects, which help prevent returned items).  So if you happen to know (or if you happen to be) someone who can play the instrument you’d like to sell… it can fetch potentially more money if you’re willing to play it for us!

    Recently, this trombone was consigned through Auction Bay.  We could find no Trombone Player, so Emil stepped up to the task.

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