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Get Noticed with Online Auction Offerings
At this time of the year, when most of us are tired of schlepping to the mall countless times with Christmas lists in hand – tired of searching for a parking spot, tired of waiting in line, and most of all, tired of feeling just plain tired
There’s tons of stuff for sale in the online auction market, where vintage collectibles abound. Here are a few last-minute gift ideas for discerning shoppers with a flair for the unusual.
Vintage Christmas Ornaments
Ornaments are wonderful rdf_Descriptions to give and to receive. There are thousands to choose from, and a recent search on amazon.com showed everything from sports ornaments for your favorite sports fan (a bargain at an opening bid of $1.59) to the more Hollywood-oriented collector who might like the set of three John Wayne ornaments for a mere $37.
The designer Christopher Radko is very popular in the Christmas category as well. Radko, famous for his whimsical design and limited editions, handcrafts his glass ornaments in Poland. On Amazon.com a rare pair of “China Doll” figurative ornaments opened at $52.
For the not-so-faint-at-heart who like to splurge a bit during the holidays there are other “levels” of spending in the Christmas ornaments category that may suggest delirium in ye who enjoys giving like Three Kings. One such example was found on sothebys.com. A lot titled “A Festive Group of Silver Christmas Ornaments, by Mario Buccellati” was described as three silver wirework wreaths enhanced by a silver-cased bow, enhanced by silver fir and holly leaves, and one enhanced with a peppermint stick…etc, etc. Hot commodities indeed, these three, with an impressive estimate of $¾,000 soon surpassed by the final bidder who paid $4,700 for the chance to possess high-end Christmas tidings.
Collectible Music
This category offers a wealth of possibilities for anyone on your shopping list. There seems to be so much Beatlemania on the auction circuit now that it would be hard to pass up the chance to buy “Beatlemania” for someone on your Christmas list. The “mint vinyl” version of Abbey Road was spotted on AuctionWatch.com for $21.
Further searches, for lovers of David Cassidy, yielded the ever-popular Partridge Family Christmas Card CD in “good condition” where you can hear former heartthrob David Cassidy sing “White Christmas” and “Jingle Bells” like no other for a mere $5. This would be a tough gift to pass up for any collector.
Vintage Board Games
Here’s a fun category in the gift-buying department. Who can forget “Charlie’s Angels” (1977 Milton Bradley)? Its opening bid of $9.95 on ebay.com can only be surpassed by the forever-lacquered hairdos of Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Farrah Fawcett – a great Christmas gift for the lover of ’70’s TV nostalgia.
Another board game discovered on ebay.com called “Skarney,” made by John Scarbe in 1969, is a card and score game described as “never used.” It is part of a collection of five vintage games for sale for a whopping $4.99. The owner waxes nostalgically in this soliloquy: “Mildew spotting on the box…has a delicious ‘musty’ basement smell we collectors have come to love!” Who could resist this fanciful marketing? And such a deal!
In all, the search for great collectibles on the online auction circuit will surely make your Christmas present the one that gets noticed. Who wouldn’t admire the “Cool Yule” that makes everyone smile by bringing back another era?
