This set of Sword Reference books sold for $650.00 on eBay!

There are plenty of sword collectors and enthusiasts in the world, as proven by our recent sword sales!  But how do those experts find the value of an antique?  Certainly, they can tell by the mei or signature on the tang, but to confirm a sword maker’s identity, they look at books with pages upon pages of signatures.  Just like these which we just sold. 

Nihon To Koza or Japanese Sword Lectures combines a valuable reference with the rarity of its low production from the first printing, and this set even boasted the signature of the author.  That’s three elements which are just what you want when selling a book. 

Here’s an eBay Hint for all you home eBayers out there: 

A rule of thumb regarding general reference books:  The key is to find books which contain what we call ‘timeless information’.  Anything with patterns or schematics which can be used to make or repair items has a good chance to sell.  Instructional books or ones which can be used to identify artworks or collectibles can sometimes sell, depending on the subject matter.  You can sell sets of encyclopedias dating to within the last 3 or 4 years, but beyond this point the material is so outdated that it loses its value as a citable reference.  A set of World Book Encyclopedias from the year 2005 can fetch $150-300 (a fraction of their original price), but a set from 2003 will only garner $70-120.  Beyond this point, it’s a crap shoot, but decades-old sets will hardly sell at all.  It’s timeless data which can bring greater values.  Informative books about collectible items or works of art like this set, wherein the information won’t change (the great swordsmiths’ names are forever). 
Books which provide valuable information about items, especially hard-to-find ones, can reach great prices like this.

We at Auction Bay would like to wish all our customers and consignors a happy Memorial Day!  We salute the men and women fighting under the Stars and Stripes, and honor our veterans and those who have died for this great nation.

This US Civil War saber sold for $455.00 on eBay!

As we enjoy the weekend off, we’d like to share an item we currently have up for auction which relates to the holiday.  We just listed this US Civil War era cavalry Saber, and it has already seen some significant interest!  Dating to 1864, this sword is a great piece of United States military history, and we are happy to see it selling so well.  In fact, it had three bids within 12 hours of it being listed!  In the end, it brought a winning bid of $455.00!!

Here’s another eBay Hint for all you home eBayers out there:

It’s no secret that militaria, especially items dating to the two World Wars and the US Civil War can bring some significant sales.  Between the collectors and re-enactors seeking to complete their kits, genuine historic military gear can sell well.  But this sword is experiencing some great success thanks to a number of factors including: The occasion of the holiday (between parades and programs on TV and whatnot, interest in period items is driven way up), as well as the time of year (more Civil War re-enactments and events are scheduled for the summer than the winter, and some enthusiasts may be looking to outfit themselves with a new sword early in the season).  So not only is this a splendid item, in impressive condition, professionally presented in the auction and given great photos and description, but it also benefits from impeccable timing!

We are pleased to share with you a fantastic item: a Tachi made by master swordsmith Bishu Osafune Morimitsu in the year 1419! This item has sold for $7,000.00!

Check out this gorgeous antique sword, available for purchase on eBay right now!

Once in a great while, we get a real treat to showcase.  We take pride in every auction, but sometimes we encounter something that whets our appetite and inspires us to go further than usual in the photographic and descriptive process.  Each of our specialists have their hobbies and preferences, with some of us specializing in sports and sporting equipment, others into coins and numismatics, and in this case, our weapons enthusiast was absolutely giddy to take the photos and write the listing for a centuries-old Japanese Sword.

Check out the auction, and you’ll see how we take every effort to sell an item this special.  We make certain to perform proper research to know which terms to use in the description, and we go the extra mile when it comes to detailed photographs.  With an item such as this which is a real work of art, we make certain to highlight every important aspect.  On a Japanese Sword like this Tachi, it’s important to show it with proper lighting and using multiple angles in order to reveal the hamon, or temper line, plus reveal any visible damage.  The mei or signature on the tang is very important, and fortunately, this sword has papers with it that identify its maker and year, confirmed by a noted sword evaluator.  Our consignor provided us all the information we needed, and the result is an auction that has a far greater chance of sale.

We’ve had the pleasure of selling Katana before, and the Tanto which this consignor brought in sold last week for $4500, so we have seen some great successes in selling fine Japanese antiques.