Hey guys out of curiosity what do you use to determine the value of insignia like this? What condition do you consider average for these types of awards? Are enamel cracks pretty normal? Do scratches on the surface hurt the value much? Are earlier awards worth more than later ones, if so by how much? Where's the best place to price check these types of items? Up to this point I thought I had the market, but after getting back from my first international show I've noticed that the value of items like these can be all over the place and without a proper reference it can be difficult to know whether you are getting a good price. I appreciate any advice you guys can give me, thank you.
That is one hell of a mouthful of questions.
The only "proper reference" comes with time. It is something you have to build up yourself. Comprising of what you have seen certain items sell for at auctions, listed at shows, listed on the net, discussed on fora and listed on the eStands. What you have paid for them and subsequently sold them for, what you have been offered and what you have seen over a period of time.
Then there is independent research, looking for facts that most are not interested in. How can you know what to pay for a certain item if you dont know how many were made? If you dont know how many fakes there are of that item.
In many cases the values you will find in books are invented, and serve only the author who most likely has that exact "ever so rare and scare" item in his collection.
The answer to your questions,
is with experience, time, and a dedicated approach to what you are interested in.
As your in-hand image shows, $125.- for that! Yes you can find it cheaper, for 75 or so, and yes you can find it for more, 200 even. With
smalls thats not really going to kill your bank balance, but it is a reflection of all prices. You will find the same 2.000 item for sale at 800, and also for 5.000.....