Having said all that, be assured that we do look forward to serving your needs as well as our own since our fundamental
interests are the same which is to get you the most money for what you have to sell.
Joel & Julie Jacobs
JOEL HARRY JACOBS, LLC
Land And Sea Collection
Palm City, FL 34990
Visit
our website: http://landandseacollection.com
FOR
THOSE ONLY SEEKING INFORMATION:
BACKGROUND: From 700 to 1100
people visit our site every day many of whom have questions about something they want to sell. There is an abundance of information
there for those willing to take the time to look for it. However, we do not provide information not found on our website which
requires research or a professional level of expertise. We do not have the time to take away from our own work to
answer questions or give advice on an individual basis without a thought of having an existing business relationship.
For that type of service, we suggest you
do a google search and find an appraiser, who in addition to value, will answer all your questions.
TODAY’S WORLD: The new
set of world economic conditions has affected rich and poor alike, and all of us are having to make adjustments to our life
style and the manner in which we conduct business.
There are many thousands of people who are trying to convert family heirlooms and no longer used assets into cash. Those that
have something with a nautical bent frequently seek us out for advise, guidance, suggestions, valuations or anything else
they can think of which might help them sell their treasures. In other words, they want to benefit from our expertise, knowledge
of the market, and fundamental understanding of the item’s use, so they can sell their items themselves.
UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS: This
is accentuated by the popularity of such TV shows as the Antique Road Show where everything is an exceptional “Find”
because that is what the audience wants to see. The same is true of the News Media publishing only the record high prices at auction
while disregarding all the items that were passed because of a lack of buyer interest. The truth is that for all the truly
magnificent works of marine art, historic edged weapons, rare diving helmets, and so on that you read about, the great majority
of those found in the closet or basement are rarely of serious value.
A good example of what is “not a Find” is a vintage C. Plath sextant without some special features
or personal history. Because it has the reputation of being the “Rolls Royce” of sextants, and this is only partially
true, this does not in itself make it a valuable vintage
navigation instrument. What is true is that there are thousands of them in varying condition coming out of the woodwork, as
there are those of other makers. They are neither rare or old enough to be considered an antique, and are not appealing enough
to be considered a collectible. If you have one, and want to know what it’s worth,
check the so called antique sextant category on eBay.
WHAT IS FAIR: Unfortunately,
some people become quite insulted when we tell them that we do not provide appraisal services or express an opinion without
first seeing good pictures of the item along with a statement of condition, and when and where it came from. They also do
not understand that they have to set the price, and if they are unable to do so on their own, they should seek the help of
an appraiser, or at least know what price would make them happy. Before even seeing the pictures, and having any other information,
this frequently ends up with the prospect saying, “I want a fair price”. We say, OK, tell us what you think
is fair, and the answer becomes, “you’re in the business, you tell me what is fair”. This may sound funny,
but this happens too often and is not productive.
Please understand that for us to suggest the price at this point, when no business relationship exists creates
a conflict of interest since we are buyers as well as sellers. And it also ignores that too many of the sellers are interested
in obtaining a retail valuation which ignores the spread between retail and wholesale prices. This is why the layman so ardently
seeks to learn what an item sold for. The problem here is that unless the age, condition, past history, make and model are
exactly the same, there can be vast differences in value of similar items that only a trained expert or a collector can appreciate.
Consequently, we have found it necessary to clearly state what our policies are concerning providing information
or buying anything from the general public or taking an item on consignment. They are simple, and the same rules apply to
those who have something to sell or those that would like to consign with us. They are outlined above.
Copyright
2013 by Land And Sea Collection™. All Rights Reserved.
