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General And Slightly Off Topic Talk Forum for exchanging ideas and talking about general issues without straying too far off topic. |
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06-18-2009, 02:37 PM | #661 |
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: St Petersburg, Russia
Age: 63
Posts: 2,397
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Re: price guides?
Liam,
Pricing is a subjective exercise (Man, I sound like I'm teaching Mktg101 again ) Seriously, in the field of Soviet OMDs, you need to look around at what is offered, how often, in what quantities, etc. Most people on this forum have years of experience, hence have been following more or less closely the price evolution of our addiction for that long. All I can tell you is that until recently, the market for Soviet OMDs was completely disconnected from the real world. There has been a rather severe price adjustment taking place over the past 6~8 months. If you look at the site of "a certain dealer in NJ", who like it or not tends to be one of the main references in this field (albeit at the very stratospheric end of the scale), you'll see that on average, he has lowered his prices on average by about 50 to 60%, and that is all over the range from the very rare to the very common. E! is another gauge, although, like all auctions, aberrations happen. I have noticed that, quite understandably, some sellers are trying to ask for "pre-crisis" prices, sometimes because they did spend that much to acquire the item. Unfortunately, unless you are dealing with a mega rarity, this won't be very practical. If you intend to actively purchase Soviet OMDs, my advice is to shop around, take your time, look for item condition - full price is only for pristine examples, others go at a discount, compare prices. I believe that you should use your common sense in deciding if a medal or an order is worth what the seller asks for. For example, how can an order issued about 500,000 times, 75% of which being given for long service, be worth $600~$700? IMHO, there is simply no logic nor reason for it. Remember, what is rare will always remain rare, but what is common is highly unlikely to ever become rare (although there has been multiple attempts to demonstrate the contrary, including a thread on this forum relating to the T3 OPW... ). Do not hesitate to ask the members, they can most likely provide you with the information you need. Oh, and one last word of caution: BEWARE OF FAKES, the Soviet OMD field is replete with them Marc |
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06-18-2009, 02:56 PM | #662 |
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Earth, most of the time
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Re: price guides?
Well said, Marc!!
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06-18-2009, 03:22 PM | #663 |
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 762
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Re: price guides?
Yes, I couldn't agree more.
Also, if you want to have a rough estimate of the value of a certain award, you can go to eBay, click on 'Advanced Search' on the right on the main page, select 'Completed listings' at the check box below and type the name of the award you want to know the value of. It's pretty useful for getting a ballpark value of a common award. |
06-18-2009, 03:42 PM | #664 | |
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Naples, Florida, USA
Age: 59
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Re: price guides?
Quote:
And what Marc said is very informative.
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"patina imparts character" - PJS A wise man said: 'you should not pay a premium for what you want beyond your comfort level, and always ensure there is a mutually agreeable return policy.' |
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06-18-2009, 04:25 PM | #665 |
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: RI, USA
Age: 37
Posts: 30
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Re: price guides?
I agree with Marc.
To add, I've purchased things from different dealers and from auctions for both ends of the spectrum. In my haste when I first started buying more rare things, I bought on impulse instead of doing my research first. I have also gotten some items for steals from different arenas. Your best bet, in my opinion, is to compare everything before you buy. An educated buyer is the most dangerous and the best. The best gauge is to look at completed auctions, "buy it now" prices (referring to both sites/dealers and auctions), and the rarity index on the front of this forum. Often times it can lead to seeing a trend, such as an R1 going for far more than they are worth all across the board (thus fewer are available right this minute). I've learned a lot from my few short months collecting, especially since I've overpaid for a solid month when I first started, haha. |
06-18-2009, 04:36 PM | #666 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Portland, USA
Posts: 234
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Re: price guides?
To your original question, no, there are no reliable published price guides for Soviet orders, medals, paperwork, badges, etc.
Quote:
In short there is no yardstick, no guide. Lots of opinions. No rules. It is almost purely a case of “what it’s worth to you.” And “how bad the seller needs the money.” The most common pitfalls to watch out for are: 1) Disparate knowledge. You’ll pay more than you have to if the seller knows more than you do. (Marc’s comments on rarity for example.) 2) Fakes. There are a lot of them out there. 3) Quality. What is quality, to you, and how do you recognize it? Unless you define this first you’ll buy stuff you wouldn’t if you’d thought about it more. For example, some folks want war medals, some want shiny medals, some want medals awarded to guys who flew airplanes, some only want them to “secret agents”. The list is endless. What exactly are you going for in collecting? One warning: buying for resale should only be done after you're at the point where you're no longer asking the question "how do knowledgeable sellers and buyers determine prices.” Welcome to Thunderdome.
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06-18-2009, 05:44 PM | #667 |
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Age: 59
Posts: 343
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Re: price guides?
Prices are guided by all the factors mentioned previously. Believe it or not most Soviet award prices are guided by the New Jersey dealer, and that's world wide. This is for various reasons. In truth, take about 20%-30% off the price and you are about there for realistic price.
In the end YOU dictate the price. If you really want something then what the price is doen't become relevant. If several people want the same thing thats where the prices vary. The world financial climate has also effected prices around the world with significant drops on some items. Though one day you can get a good deal but the next the price is triple what you would have payed yesterday. I also think that now the world of research on awards has opened and become readily available, has also effected the prices on numbered pieces. this is a discussion all by itself though Basically my advice is do your homework before buying, ask if you don't know and enjoy the experience. Brendan
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06-18-2009, 05:55 PM | #668 |
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Santiago, Chile
Age: 37
Posts: 1,103
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Re: price guides?
I´d say a little more than those percentages. But that´s just me.
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There's nothing in the streets Looks any different to me And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye And the parting on the left Are now parting on the right And the beards have all grown longer overnight The Who, Won't get fooled again |
06-18-2009, 06:28 PM | #669 |
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Naples, Florida, USA
Age: 59
Posts: 1,496
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Re: price guides?
A bit off topic but I'm quite happy to see newer members here adding well informed opinions.
We were all in the same situation as Liam at one point. If one's addiction is strong enough the hours spent surfing forums like this, the different eBays, the few good dealers that are left and asking questions can yield some serious satisfaction. And back on point I might add that the 'Avers' publications can be helpful as far as pricing goes. The later ones may be more accurate but still need to be taken with multiple salt grains as desireability and collectablity, and therefore prices, can change almost overnight.
__________________
"patina imparts character" - PJS A wise man said: 'you should not pay a premium for what you want beyond your comfort level, and always ensure there is a mutually agreeable return policy.' |
06-19-2009, 03:05 AM | #670 |
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Re: price guides?
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