The Journal.
Plain guides to what things are worth and why. For collectors, and for anyone pricing a thrift find, a garage sale or an estate sale before they buy, sell or walk away.
Thrifting
What to check before you flip a thrift find
A thrift-store sticker is not a profit. How to identify the item, read its condition, and leave room for fees before you list it on eBay, Poshmark, Mercari or Facebook Marketplace.
Pricing a garage sale find before you haggle
A garage or yard sale sticker is what the seller hopes for. How to tell a real discount from a used thing that costs about the same as new, before you haggle or walk.
Estate sale finds: what the tag leaves out
An estate sale tag is the company’s ask. What to look at on the object itself, and how a photo gives you a second number before you buy a find.
Trading cards
1st Edition, Shadowless, Unlimited: telling Base Set apart
The three English printings of the Pokémon Base Set look alike at a glance and are priced far apart. Here is how to tell them apart in under a minute, without a loupe.
Raw or graded: what a grade changes about a card
A graded card and a raw card can be the same piece of cardboard at very different prices. What graders look at, what a slab proves, and when grading is worth the fee.