Listing and selling pottery

Below are some general dos and don'ts for listing pottery, followed by specific information on listing pottery on eBay.

Dos:

Describe the shape and any designs that are on your item. Even though you may be including a photo, it's always a good idea to describe the shape (bottle form, inverted pear shape, and so on) and the designs (vase features a large white swan floating on a blue lake, and so on).

Describe the colour(s). Be sure that the colour(s) you mention is accurate.

Provide the dimensions. Customers need to know how large the piece is.

Describe the condition. Is the item in perfect condition? Does it have any chips, glaze crazing, or fading? Has it been reglued or repainted? Describe the condition of the piece as accurately as you can.

Describe identifying markings or paper labels (or lack of identifying marks). If the piece has an identifying mark, be sure to include exactly what the mark says. Here are some examples: "The in-mold mark on the bottom of this piece says Bauer USA," "The piece is signed by the artist, Hedi Shoop," "This item unmarked."

Don'ts:

Do not misrepresent your item either by describing it inaccurately or by exaggerating its value.

Do not use terms that bidders may be unfamiliar with. Define terms that are not common. Remember, everyone viewing your listing will not be an expert in the pottery field!

Above all else, abide by the Golden Rule. Treat customers as you would like to be treated yourself. Disclose all information regarding pottery as you would want disclosed to you! We want eBay to be a fun and safe place to shop, and we need your help in doing so!

Choosing a category:

There are many factors to consider when you list pottery for sale. Pottery can be listed by country, item type (such as dinnerware), or by manufacturer's name. If you are unsure of which category is best, do a search for pottery similar to yours, and list your item in the same category.

Giving your listing a title:

To title your listing, be sure to include manufacturer's name (if known), type of piece (for example, plate), and additional information that you think would be helpful to people viewing your listing.

The title should be descriptive for the "searchers" and eye-catching for the "browsers." If you indicate that you have attached a picture, a colourfulicon will appear after your title. Many people prefer to bid on items that they can look at, so a picture can help you get more bids.

Composing your listing:

After describing the type of piece, dimensions, colour, condition, markings, and so, include information on how you would like payment (cheque, money order, credit card) and how much you are charging for transport, handling, and insurance. If you decide to post a picture with your listing, it is helpful if the picture is in focus, without a distracting background, and close enough to see some of the item's detail.

Completing your listing:

You can set the length of the auction (3, 5, or 7 days) and the minimum opening bid amount. It's best to be realistic in setting the minimum opening bid so you don't discourage bidders, but be sure to set it at an amount you are comfortable with and really willing to sell your item for.

Completing the transaction:

eBay will notify the seller and high bidder at the conclusion of the auction. You, the seller, will then contact the high bidder to arrange for payment and transportation of the item. Typically, in your message, you will tell the high bidder which auction was won and request that a cheque or money order in the amount of the high bid plus transport and handling be sent to your address. Once you receive payment, you ship the item to the address the buyer provides. You may also want to look at feedback the buyer has received. The comments can influence how you handle the transaction.

If the buyer was prompt and courteous, give positive feedback so that other users will know this person is a good buyer to do business with!

Terms for Listing or Buying

By Tina Howard and Paul Howard

Below are some terms used for describing pottery.

Mint: Perfect, just as it was the day is was made. No manufacturing flaws, no damage of any kind.

Excellent or Near Mint: Generally preferable to "Mint," in that the item is still perfect, but may have been used. May have very tiny imperfections, each of which must be described. No chips, hairline cracks, or crazing (for example, "Slight glaze run on side, pinhead-sized flaw on rim, else excellent.").

Very Good: Item has no major flaws, but has been used. Flaws are not highly visible, or numerous (no more than 2 or 3), and must be described (that is, "Wear to gold trim, fleabite on handle, small chip under base - not visible until turned over"). For any item with more or greater flaws than this, a full description of each flaw should be provided.

Broken - Any item which has had a piece broken off and glued back on. Sometimes referred to as "repaired."

Chiggerbite /Pinhead chip/Fleabite - Terms used to describe a very tiny chip which is no larger than the head of a pin.

Chip - This term is used to describe any chip larger than the head of a pin. A "shell chip" is a chip which ha flaked off the piece, taking glaze and part of the body of the ware. It is no different than any other type of chip.

Crazing - Tiny cracks in the clear over-glaze of the item. A few types of pottery are made with "crackle" glazes which are supposed to have this affect. On all other pottery, crazing was not an intended result of the manufacturing process and should be described as damage. It is for the individual collector to determine whether crazing is acceptable or not. Although faulty glazes or firing during the manufacturing process contribute to crazing, it is caused by exposure to temperature extremes after it has been completed. Crazing is never an indicator of age! It can occur 50 years or 50 minutes after a piece was originally made. Crazing may be described by the amount and whether any stains have gotten into it: for example, "small amount of crazing," "all-over crazing," "no staining," "light stains," "heavy staining."

Flake - A Flake is a chip in the clear glaze that does not extend through the coloured underglaze, or into the body of the ware. Also called a "Glaze Flake."

Flaw - This is a flaw which occurred during the manufacturing process. It may be an area that was misglazed ("glaze flaw," "skip," "glaze pop," "glaze run"), or the item may have had a small chip or other flaw which was glazed over ("factory flaw," "manufacturing flaw").

Fleabite /Chiggerbite /Pinhead chip - Terms used to describe a very tiny chip which is no larger than the head of a pin.

Hairlines or Cracks - A very tight, hardly visible crack of any length (from ¼ inch to all the way down a piece) may be described as a "hairline." If it is visible, hairlines and cracks should be stated. Note that a broken piece which has been glued back together is "broken," rather than "cracked."

Pinhead chip/Fleabite/Chiggerbite - Terms used to describe a very tiny chip which is no larger than the head of a pin.

Reissue/ Reproduction from Original Molds - These are items which are reissued, either by the original manufacturer or by someone who bought the original molds from the original maker. They are usually permanently marked in some way that allows people to know immediately that they are not original, except in cases where they are still an active part of the original manufacturer's line of wares. These may occasionally have some place in a collection, if the original has become too expensive or too uncommon. Examples include certain pieces of Van Briggle, McCoy reissues, and some pieces of new Fiesta.

Reproduction/Fake - Also referred to as "Repro," "Copy," and "Repop" items, these are items which have been copied from the originals without use of original molds. They are usually designed to fool the unwary buyer, and attempt to mimic marks which are out of copyright. They are never permanently marked with the real manufacturer's information or country of origin, and are usually inexpensively made. Fakes and copies have no value to a collector. They may have some slight decorative value in their own right to someone who does not collect the original type of ware.

Restored/ Professionally restored - This item was damaged in some way: broken or chipped, and has been returned to its original, undamaged appearance by the use of fillers, paints, and a non-fired glaze. Any restoration work must be disclosed to the buyer before purchase, since restored items require special care. Restoration is expensive, and can return a piece to much closer to its original value than it was while it was broken, but it is up to the individual collector to decide on its desirability.

Scratched - This term refers to scratches in the clear glaze, such as those caused by a sharp knife on a dinner plate: "knife scratches" and "use wear" are other descriptive terms used.

The preceding "Terms for Listing and Selling Pottery" was written by Tina Howard and Paul Howard. These are the opinions of the authors, not the opinions of eBay, and therefore eBay does not validate the accuracy of or endorse these opinions.