by Sheree Zielke

Created on: February 19, 2008   Last Updated: November 25, 2008

The funeral is over, the will has been read, and now you have the unenviable job of clearing out your Auntie's apartment. You grimace because you remember the sight of her crammed-to-the-rafters apartment.

Knick-knacks, veiled in a thick shawl of gray dust, crowd every window ledge; rose-imprinted china cups lean precariously in an old cupboard; in the garage, you discover a box of pretty pink and green glassware wrapped in a yellowed newspaper dated 1956; in the back of Auntie's closet, you find a shoe box of tissue-ensconced figurines of little boys, and little girls, all bearing the imprint of a fat bumblebee on their bases. You sigh heavily and wonder how to cope with the mess.

For those of us in the know, we would be wetting our pants with delight upon discovering such a treasure trove of Royal Albert china, rare Depression glassware, and old "flying bee" Hummel figurines. But for many, the collection would look like a bunch of, well, "stuff."

But that stuff, or rather, those collectibles, can mean a great deal of money in your pocket. All you need is a place to sell them.

There are many ways to sell collectibles (flea markets, garage sales, auction houses, classified ads), but selling on eBay can be one of the easiest and most efficient ways to move collectibles. But only if the items are sold wisely.

Selling breakable china and collectible glassware on eBay can be both exhilarating and very depressing. Exhilarating when that seahorse-shaped bar mug sells for $100, but depressing when you discover that collectible Hummel has a crack in the child's limb, a crack you didn't notice before listing the ornament on eBay.

Here's a guide for those new merchants who want to try their hand at selling collectible dishware and ornaments on eBay.

1. Train those fingertips, and those eyes. Check glass and china edges by running your fingertips lightly around rims. Look carefully, and look again, in bright light. Nicks and chips in collectibles will reduce their potential selling price, and may make them totally worthless to potential buyers.

Look for hairline cracks, crazing (crackling) in the glaze , and missing paint. All these things must be noted in your auction as they will determine the value of the piece. Some pieces are rare enough that no amount of crazing will stop buyers from bidding. I have successfully sold many collectible pieces with crazing and small nicks.

Choose only perfect or near-perfect collectible pieces to list in your eBay auctions; sell the damaged

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