What we are building, and what we are learning

What are your records worth?

The pressing and the disc. The sleeve matters, and it matters less than people think.

What is your book worth?

Which printing, and whether the jacket survived. The title is the least informative thing about it.

What is your saree worth?

Weave, region and what the zari actually is. Condition decides whether any of it matters.

What are your comics worth?

Issue, printing and the spine. A first printing and a reprint are the same story and different objects.

What are your coins or notes worth?

Rarity within a series, not age. An old coin everyone has is worth less than a recent one nobody kept.

What are your trading cards worth?

Print run, edition and centring — and the gap between a raw card and the same card graded.

What is your jewellery or watch worth?

Metal has a floor the whole market can look up. Everything above it is workmanship, maker and proof.

What are your sneakers worth?

Size and condition do most of it. The same shoe in two sizes is two different prices.

Describing food and drink honestly

Sealed, dated, weighed, and every allergen written down.

Describing the condition of beauty products

Sealed or opened, how much is left, and every date on the box.

Describing the condition of baby and child items

Age, completeness, cleanliness, and the dates stamped on anything safety-critical.

Describing an estate lot honestly

Say what you checked, what you did not, and what you are not guaranteeing. Then nothing can go wrong.

Buying estate and storage lots in a live auction

Ask how much the seller has actually looked at, and bid on what you can see.

How to sell an estate lot on Metzee

You are selling the unknown. Say exactly how much of it you have looked at.

Describing the condition of furniture and homeware

Measurements, material, the surfaces that get used, and every repair named.

Buying furniture and homeware in a live auction

Get the measurements and the delivery answer before you bid, not after.

How to sell furniture and homeware on Metzee

Measure it, show the surfaces that get used, and decide the delivery question before the show.

Describing the condition of collectibles

Grade the object and its packaging separately, and say what you are not sure about.

Buying collectibles in a live auction

Ask what makes this one different from the common one. The answer tells you what you are paying for.

How to sell collectibles on Metzee

Edition, condition and packaging. If you only say one thing, say which edition.

Describing the condition of artwork

Say what is on the surface, what is on the back, and what has been done to it since it was made.

Buying art in a live auction

Ask whether it is an original or a print, and ask to see the back. Both answers change the price.

How to sell art on Metzee

Original or print, and if a print, which kind. That one distinction carries the whole category.

Describing the condition of minerals and crystals

Natural, treated, repaired — and every chip located rather than angled away from.