Will Seippel, CEO of WorthPoint, enjoys watching the items sold at auctions held by our WorthPoint Industry Partners. We thought it would be a great idea for him to select some of his favorite sold items and explain why those sales stood out to him. Gaining insights from Will is an excellent way to learn about buying and selling trends in our industry. We want to empower you to buy and sell with confidence. Take a look at his thoughts on a few of our partners’ recent sales.
On January 29, WorthPoint added 243,758 items to its database, totaling $14,238,766.02, meaning each item averaged about $58.40. Not bad for a day’s work, right? Let’s take a look at a few gems we’ve stumbled upon.
Not Your Typical Translation
Here’s a fascinating batch of translated Bibles and gospel books from 1804 to 1946, including some real gems. These aren’t your typical translations either—they cover languages from Canarese to Hindustani, with a strong showing of Chinese translations, which tend to spark a lot of interest. Sure, they’ve seen better days, with some in rough shape and well-thumbed, but that’s part of the charm, right?
Collectors and history enthusiasts know that these early versions can fetch between $1,000 and $5,000 each, depending on rarity and condition. In fact, over a dozen items from this lot, many with stampings from Wesleyan University Library in Ohio, went for a solid $3,296 through Apple Tree—pretty sweet for a paper dealer like me. The standout titles? Elizabeth Russell’s 1886 translation of The Old Testament and a 1915 Chinese Gospel of Mark.
Worth More Than a Penny
Grading can make or break the value of a collectible, and it doesn’t take a rare coin to prove that. Take the 1943-D Lincoln Cent, for instance—a common steel penny from WWII with a mintage of over 217 million. This one was graded MS68+ by SEG and sold for $3,540 at Key Date Coins—it certainly caught my attention. While this coin is relatively common, its steel composition and status as a one-year type coin make it a unique piece of history. SEG isn’t always the most trusted grading service, but if this coin truly holds an MS68+ grade, that price is fair. If it’s even a higher grade, its value could skyrocket—proof that grading can sometimes make all the difference.
Sometimes, a Gamble Pays Off
Grading isn’t limited to coins; trading cards also show how a high grade can be a gamble. Take the 1966 Jim Palmer Topps card, for example. Sold by Estate and Sports Unlimited for just $71.50, the card was cataloged as Ex-Mt, but if it truly was in that condition, it could be worth around $700. A higher grade could have bumped that up by ten times, but here’s the kicker—grading doesn’t always go as planned. If it had come back as a 5 or 6, it would only sell for $75-$150, leaving the seller with a potential loss. It’s a risk that comes with the territory, but sometimes, that gamble pays off.
An Unusual Find
Trice Auctions recently offered a fascinating collection: a book of Phillips Packing Company Cannery Tokens. For a bit of background, Phillips was an oyster canning company in Cambridge, MD, and these tokens were used to pay for shucking oysters or similar work to be cashed in at the company store. (Where else would you cash them in, right?) It’s tough to say exactly how many tokens were in the book or which ones they were, but with about 240 tokens, this likely represents one of the best collections out there. Phillips produced a wide variety of these tokens, so whoever bought this collection could easily turn it into a book and sell individual pieces for anywhere between $1,500 and $5,000. This rare find only sold for $291.57—an absolute steal.
History Belongs to the Victor
For the Civil War collector, one of the most coveted pieces recently sold at Winter Associates: a Bowie knife with a direct connection to the Battle of Roanoke Island. Captured by Carlos Buck during the Union’s victory on February 19, 1862, the knife carries a personal touch—Buck carved his name into the handle and the feat, adding a layer of history that makes this knife so much more than just a weapon. Roanoke was a significant loss for the Confederate Army, and the Union soldiers certainly walked away with plenty of spoils, but this documented piece elevates the item’s value. Along with the knife, the lot included a belt plate and a cartridge belt, which, though not directly confirmed to have belonged to Buck, likely added around $700 in value. This important historical artifact fetched $5,462.50, a solid price for something with such a rich story.
Will Seippel is the founder, president, and CEO of WorthPoint. Will has been an avid collector since 1974 and dealer of just about all things antique—with an emphasis on ephemera— since 1984. He is also the creator and founder of HIP, a website devoted to recording the best of the world’s history that has been saved on film.
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