It Pays To Also Know About Other Collectibles...

I say this not as a brag post, but rather to provide a tip that knowing about nonphilatelic collectibles and collecting trends can wind up paying dividends.

The 2 advertising covers below were in a shoebox lot I got at my local dealer for a nominal sum. They are damaged and of little philatelic interest. I can't imagine any stamp collector paying more than a buck apiece if that.

The subject matter and time period, on the other hand, appeal to a completely different market. As a frequent watcher of American Pickers on A&E, I know that vintage motorcycle ephemera can be in demand. I browsed through the current and ended listings in Collectibles > Transportation > Motorcycles > American > Indian category on ebay and didn't find anything similar.

On a whim, I listed the 2 covers as separate listings in that category, rather than the U.S. covers category within Stamps, for $150 OBO each. Within 3 days I had them sold for $100 each to the same buyer. Buyer has received them and is quite happy with the purchase.

Is their true scarcity and value to an Indian collector actually higher than what I sold them for, and is it possible that I undersold them? Sure, but I'm thrilled with the return on investment without having to invest extensive time on research.

A nice profit return on your miniscule investment
Tom

In better condition they would have been worth that much in the philatelic market, too.

I think somehow you lucked out. Usually the indian items don't seem to sell more than $5-15.