Journal

Guides to buying, valuing and selling collectibles in Serbia.

Every article belongs to one section, by type of item. Tags cut across sections: what you want to do, which period and which metal.

Rules for every category: inherited collections, cleaning, photography, auction versus fixed price, safe shipping.

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Hands going through an old box of photographs
The first week is sorting, not appraising. Hands in the box help only if they wash nothing and glue nothing.
Guide · Oct 16, 2026 · 5 min

You have inherited a collection: what to do in the first seven days

A practical order of operations for an heir who does not know what they hold: what not to touch, how to inventory it, where the value sits, and how not to sell it all at once below value.

#Selling to dealers #Valuation #Selling
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A conservator in gloves cleaning an old object
This is what cleaning that does not destroy looks like: gloves, a cotton swab, one pass. Everything else happens after the sale, and not by your hand.
Guide · Oct 13, 2026 · 3 min

Cleaning Antique Collectibles: Why You Must Never Polish Off Natural Patina

The most expensive mistake in antique selling: how abrasive baking soda, acid baths, and polishing pastes destroy patina and erase 90% of market value.

#Condition & care #Selling
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Photographing an object with a phone
A phone is enough. What is usually missing is not megapixels but daylight from the side and a flat surface.
Guide · Oct 12, 2026 · 3 min

How to Photograph Collectibles for Online Auctions Using a Smartphone

Practical guide to smartphone product photography for antiques, watches, and comics: natural lighting, sharp macro focus, backdrops, and disclosing flaws.

#Selling #Condition & care
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Packing an item into a cardboard box
An item is packed in two layers: an inner one that immobilises it and an outer one that absorbs impacts. One box is not packing.
Guide · Oct 11, 2026 · 3 min

Safe Online Trading: How Digital Auctions and Post Express Deliveries Work

Secure distant commerce guide for collectors: buyer and seller protection, dispute prevention, and bulletproof packaging rules for Post Express in Serbia.

#Selling #Condition & care
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Auction gavel on a wooden block
The hammer only records the price. Two buyers settled it between themselves — which is why it is a fact, not an assumption.
Guide · Oct 10, 2026 · 3 min

Auction vs. Fixed Price: How to Maximize Revenue When Selling Rarities

Why selling collector items via classified ads loses money: the psychology of bidding wars, smart starting reserves, and optimal timing strategies.

#Selling #Valuation
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