Topic: Inherited paperweight collection - UK.

[Tony G]

Hi Redmoon,
                      I know that the dealers will advise you to sell the group as one lot, and that may well be the EASIEST way to dispose of the whole group. However it is not always the best. After all, they are dealers and to make a profit, they will sell them on at a fair mark-up to collectors.

Selling individually on eBay etc, can sometimes get good prices for individual items, particularly known and collected examples e.g. Paul Ysart. It can also take a lot of work.

The third way, as someone has already mentioned, is to try and group them into manageable numbers (say 20),  group them as much as possible by maker, and then post pictures of them here. Invite interested parties to contact you. Many collectors will pay good prices for individual examples that they want/need for their collections and in order to secure these will buy a group of similar items.

There is nothing to lose. If unsure about a fair price for any particular example, you can always ask here and someone will advise you ( with a little caution and without guarantee). After using this site, you can always fall back on eBay or dealers to clear the rest.

As an example, I collect Whitefriars. Another member may well be an Ysart collector. By showing the specialist collectors what is available, you may be able to get a better return for a group of weights within the total collection that you have.

Valuations for insurance can be at least double what they would bring at auction. The valuers have to allow for replacing the item and include sellers and buyers commissions plus transport costs.

All the best,

[Redmoon]

Huge thanks to you all for being so helpful and informative.  They are all packed up carefully at the moment so I cannot photograph them just yet.  They have been stored since being removed from my dad's house where they had been kept in a display cabinet since they were bought in the 1970s, he kept a list of all the paperweights and where he got them and the price he paid.  I remember that he kept telling me one was signed by Ysart, but I will need to try and find that one, as I haven't studied it.  I wasn't even aware that a glass paperweight could be signed!  There are a number of H canes and Y canes I think but I will certainly come back on here when I am ready to sell them.  Initially I wanted to do some research and find out about them, they are truly beautiful but we don't have the room to display them as they deserve, in our house.

Thanks again - Alan, I will probably send you a photo when I have unpacked them.  Thanks for that.

[KevinH]

Regarding weights personally signed by Paul Ysart, a scratched script signature was occasionally added to items for family, friends or such as for collectors who personally met him. There are not a large number of such weights and they command a higher price when they come up for sale. (I am lucky enough to have five PY items with a script signature in my collection!)

When you said "... a number of H canes and Y canes ..." I guess you meant "PY" rather than "Y". However, it would be worth checking carefully as an individual "Y" cane was used by Paul's father, Salvador (who died in 1955). Weights with a Salvador signature cane are also very collectable and can achieve a good price, even when they may not be of the best overall quality!

[Redmoon]

Hi Redmoon,
                      I know that the dealers will advise you to sell the group as one lot, and that may well be the EASIEST way to dispose of the whole group. However it is not always the best. After all, they are dealers and to make a profit, they will sell them on at a fair mark-up to collectors.

Selling individually on eBay etc, can sometimes get good prices for individual items, particularly known and collected examples e.g. Paul Ysart. It can also take a lot of work.

The third way, as someone has already mentioned, is to try and group them into manageable numbers (say 20),  group them as much as possible by maker, and then post pictures of them here. Invite interested parties to contact you. Many collectors will pay good prices for individual examples that they want/need for their collections and in order to secure these will buy a group of similar items.

There is nothing to lose. If unsure about a fair price for any particular example, you can always ask here and someone will advise you ( with a little caution and without guarantee). After using this site, you can always fall back on eBay or dealers to clear the rest.

As an example, I collect Whitefriars. Another member may well be an Ysart collector. By showing the specialist collectors what is available, you may be able to get a better return for a group of weights within the total collection that you have.

Valuations for insurance can be at least double what they would bring at auction. The valuers have to allow for replacing the item and include sellers and buyers commissions plus transport costs.

All the best,

Many thanks Tony - that's very helpful.

[Redmoon]

Regarding weights personally signed by Paul Ysart, a scratched script signature was occasionally added to items for family, friends or such as for collectors who personally met him. There are not a large number of such weights and they command a higher price when they come up for sale. (I am lucky enough to have five PY items with a script signature in my collection!)

When you said "... a number of H canes and Y canes ..." I guess you meant "PY" rather than "Y". However, it would be worth checking carefully as an individual "Y" cane was used by Paul's father, Salvador (who died in 1955). Weights with a Salvador signature cane are also very collectable and can achieve a good price, even when they may not be of the best overall quality!

Thanks Kevin, yes I did mean PY - cheers - I know my father purchased all his paperweights in the 1970s, on trips up to Scotland and other places; the only reason I know there are PY etc, is that the valuer made a note of that when she did the insurance valuation.  I have yet to examine them in detail myself, against his numbered list but I do know that they are all in good condition.  I shall try and get them out of the loft where they are securely packaged, in the next week or so (so much to do at the moment, sorting through everything).

[Redmoon]

I have tried to post some photos here but try as I might I still cannot get the files to be small enough to be accepted.

Some individual photos were chosen, of the one that my father said was a signed one by Paul Ysart and some others, which were the most costly to buy when he bought them in the 1970s. If anyone would like me to send these few images to them privately please let me know... I am seeking advice on possible values and/or entertaining any offers that collectors on here might like to give.  These were the ones most highly valued by the valuer about ten years ago.

I have not yet decided whether to sell the collection as a whole (again there are lots of photos) - I think there are about 48 - or sell them individually on Ebay. 

Thanks for reading and do get in touch if you would like me to send any photos to you privately.

[chopin-liszt]

There is a whole load of info. and techie tips about posting images to the board directly, here.
We really would love to see at least some of the more unusual ones.

http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/board,22.0.html

You'll just need to find the right set of instructions or the systems you use yourself.

Failing that, you could send me images and I'll resize them for you.
Click on the envelope under my username to send me a message - that will get us into email contact and you can send me the images once I've sent you my email address.

[Redmoon]

Many thanks! I have just sent you a message. 

[chopin-liszt]

Recieved and replied to. 

[chopin-liszt]

Images.