How do I sell this?

[Pieman]

I have a genuine Abbey Road NW8 City of Westminster street sign. It measures about 2x3. It has the white enamel background with black and red lettering. From 1976. It is genuine. A beat up one went for $7000 a couple years ago. This has one chip. Other than that, pristine.

[RobB]

Did the beat-up one fetch that price on eBay? If you can PROVE the signs authenticity, you might want to forgo eBay and try one of the higher-end auction houses.

Caveat: I have absolutely zip experience with these type of collectibles, just my .02 cents.

[Pieman]

No That sale was at an auction house in Texas.

I can prove it's authenticity only by the story I would tell about how I acquired it. If somebody is familiar with these (but they must be very, very rare), he/she would recognize it is authentic. Nobody would try to duplicate this. Many years ago, they city began to weld the signs to i-beams and sink them in concrete. Back in 1976 they were screwed (two on top and two below) to a wooden frame. I know.. Believe me.

This is for a Beatles fan. Last year I sold a Yellow Submarine poster from 1973 for almost $600 on eBay. That was fairly rare, but these don't turn up often, if at all. This is Antique Road Show fare.

[Brentrocks]

i would go EBay....worldwide exposure.

you are gonna take it in the A** in fees....so adjust your price accordingly. But a big auction house is gonna take a big chunk too.

got pics????

[gtone]

If I were you, I'd make a legal declaration in front of a Notary Public of your story about how/where you acquired it. While this sounds cheesy, such forms of documentation can add value under the right circumstances. (I am a Notary Public in addition to my regular job),

[Steve Haynie]

An auction house like Heritage will get about a third of the hammer price in fees. Sometimes an auction house charges you for the cost of putting pictures in the auction catalog. On the upside, they do have regular customers that are in the market for certain items that will be notified.

The authenticity is going to be tough. There was a guy who came into the local music store claiming he had a 50's Tele, but he had to have it refinished. Once the body is refinished you only have someone's word that it is real.

Today, street signs can be replicated. You will have to work things out with the auction house. Remember that if you sell on eBay you have to take Paypal. If someone claims your sign is fake they get to destroy your sign and get a refund. You are out of your sign and your money.

[django49]

The authenticity is going to be tough. There was a guy who came into the local music store claiming he had a 50's Tele, but he had to have it refinished. Once the body is refinished you only have someone's word that it is real.

A good deal off track, but an anecdote.......MANY years ago I was looking at a well used Tele. Was really beat up-----These days it would sell for big bucks as a "relic"

I inquired about having it "factory refinished". First, that would have cost as much as the used guitar. Second, the dealer informed me, I almost certainly would NOT get the same guitar back.....The standard practice at Fender, apparently, was to simply trash the old guitar and send you a brand new one of the same model.....It cost them less to give you a new one than to strip the guitar, repair damage and then refinish it....Paying $150 for a refinish when a new Tele was under $300 cooled me on that idea real fast.

[a.bandini]

I wonder, depending on how it came in your possession, if you can legally sell it? That might be worth looking into.

[BlueRedWhite]

I'm a big fan of Antique RoadShow (and i'm sure i'm not the only one here)

You need documented provenance ASAP (yeah, write down how you got it), then, maybe if you go to the PBS site and browser among the instruments they've sell, you can find an equivalence or something like that. You can also email the appraiser (is always the same guy) they have knowledge of many auctions and how much your item can fetch.

My only fear is that the Texas auction house would only have one reference of price, for a beatdown exemple, so you better check at other places. Museums can be helpful to (modern, music or otherwise related museums of course)

No experience, but that's what i would do, given the price that the other one fetch.

[singlehum]

I wonder, depending on how it came in your possession, if you can legally sell it? That might be worth looking into.

Good point. Also, if an auction house handles it, don't they verify the provenance? I would think they would, as it is their reputation being put on the line as well. Having that additional "authentication" would likely increase the value.

[Jem]

Nobody would try to duplicate this.

You wanna bet ?!?!?!!? - available from any corner shop north of the river.

[cmatthes]

I wonder, depending on how it came in your possession, if you can legally sell it? That might be worth looking into.

This would be my concern as well. Legally, unless you have documentation that it was purchased from the City of London or something, it may be considered "stolen". In that case, you might have a bit of a mess on your hands. I know that a couple of years ago, somebody locally tried to sell some vintage enameled DC-area street signs from the 20s-50s. The District came after him for possessing stolen property, and he had to forfeit the more valuable portions of his collection AND pay some hefty fines/legal costs, as these had never been available to the public.

[kizanski]

For every bubble, a pin...

[veatch]

You may find an interested buyer by asking a question such as the original post on a message board that has known Beatles fans.

...wait a minute....