Doulton "Artful Dodger Meets Oliver Twist" Kingsware Whiskey Jug

Hi, I am selling (on Ebay) a Royal Doulton kingsware jug, entitled "The Artful Dodger Meets Oliver Twist". I already have a bid and the bidder is asking me for a buy it now price. I do not have any value guides handy but I know this is one of the rarer jugs or harder to find ones. One went for $600 in 2012 without the stopper, but that was 2012. I'm still guessing it's worth over $400 US.

Could someone help me out with a book price for this one. I know book prices are not market value, but market value is usually around at least a quarter of the book price. I just don't want to sell it too low. So I am debating letting the auction run. But I've done that before and missed out on good buy it now prices, when in the end there are no further bidders. Still knowing that he's offering me a buy it now price, means that I started it at a rather attractive price and he knows this.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/192536031161?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

 

I don't know anything about the value but if you already have a bid this early on, and at that starting price, and they are eager to buy it before anyone else can bid on it, I'd let the auction run. Just my opinion.

 

This one sold in an eBay auction late last year. Australian seller, looks like sold to an American, who won for approx $75, then was willing to pay another $57 to have it shipped, so I'd say it went for about $120 in stronger US dollars.

 

I have always found that if people start wanting to buy an item outright that is listed in auction format it means they are trying to get it at a lower price. My suggestion, like aaroncab, is to let it go to the end.

I even had a guy offer me less than half of what he ultimately paid for the item.

 

I never end an auction early - ever. Nor will I set a BIN price on request. I let the auction run. I have usually found that the folks making these requests just want to be sure that they aren't outbid at the last moment. About a year or so ago I posted a particular art glass liquor bottle. The gentleman who contacted me had been looking for this bottle in this color for a very long time. He offered me a much higher BIN than the opening bid I had requested. I told him I wouldn't do it because I may have other watchers or bidders waiting in the wings and it wouldn't be fair. As it ended up no one else was interested and he won at the opening bid. The waiting was a little stressful for him but he ended up with what he believed was a bargain. I had a very happy buyer and I got the minimum of what I wanted for the bottle so we were both happy.

Always set your opening bid for what you are willing to accept. It appears you have done that so I wouldn't stress over it. There's always a chance you can get a higher price for any item. Did I set my opening price too low? Am I selling on the wrong format? Should I have posted more pictures? What if I had waited a week or two more to post it? What if I had posted it a week or two earlier? You can drive yourself crazy real quick.

And the hazards of pricing based on book values are well known.
Don

 

Can you send me the link please. I did see that listing but it ended at $100 with no bids. Perhaps they re-listed and I didn't see that. $100 is definitely very very low for this. I am unsure as to why it would've sold for so low.

 

Hi Don, yes I agree that there are many variables that can affect watchers that ultimately lead to bidders. I've had people offer me $150 above asking price and I cringe when the auction ultimately ends for lower. Generally I let auctions run, I may have accepted a good higher offer once or twice if I didn't think an auction would have resulted in a higher price. I've had items end in auction for amounts I never thought possible as well, so it's always a risk. I'm glad my minimum bid is already met, because I am happy with that. Anything else is just a bonus.

I do know the troubles with book values but sometimes they can help.

 

The listing is stale & the photos are no longer shown. One I posted is from Pinterest, & then got to eBay from there:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-ROYAL-DOULTON-KINGSWARE-WHISKY-FLASK-034-THE-ARTFUL-DODGER-AND-OLIVER-TWIST-034-/131005461289?hash=item1e8088b329&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&nma=true&si=swhsMwAhMFgV57QwizV%2FT0bQRWM%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

I know I am many times put off bidding on Australian items because even for something like a cameo, the shipping cost is so high. And living in the US, I would have third & fourth thoughts about having expensive pottery shipped that distance. Why an Australian did not not buy it...?

 

Fwiw I was speaking to a Kingsware collector who remarked on the significant fall in prices in recent years.

 

Thank him.....and let the auction run.

 

I did I thanked him and said I was going to let it run. If he offered me 3 times my asking price I might consider it hah. The australian one that you linked above seems not to have had any bids.

I ship all over the world and most of my Doulton pieces go to Australia. I often ship there with no issues. Packing is imperative and I use new boxes, bubble wrap until you can no longer see the item and peanuts at least 3-4 inches top, side and bottom around. I sometimes even place stronger styrofoam shields around the item too. I only ever had one piece break and I was skeptical about the buyer just having replaced his own broken piece with one he bought from me. It was a Lladro and it was just the little flowers that broke. I use cotton balls around any particularly fragile areas of a decorative piece. It's a very good tip someone once offered me. Shock can cause very fragile prone areas to break, without an actual blow.

 

And yes Kingsware has fallen dramatically in recent years. I have a connection in the UK, and he has told me the same over there.

 

in the description the seller wrote that he couldn't wait to the last minute to see if there were any serious bidders so he ended it and told serious bidders to make him an offer
http://vi.vipr.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBay...descgauge=1&cspheader=1&oneClk=1&secureDesc=0

 

Well that's a new one on me. Surprised someone didn't complain to ebay. I know I would. So I guess we are to assume that a US buyer contacted him with an offer of $75 and he took it? Would have been better to let it run. Some sellers you just can't help. I really would disregard the value on this one, kellaurm, as it sounds like a really weird situation.
Don

 

I have no idea if anyone contacted him Don, he just wrote that he was ending it and serious bidders could make him an offer. Below is what was in his listing
SORRY TO ALL WATCHING BUT I CAN NOT WAIT TO THE LAST MINUITE TO SEE IF THERE ARE SERIOUS BIDDERS ON A RARE ITEM LIKE THIS. I WILL END NOW. ANY SERIOUS BIDDERS CAN MAKE A OFFER. I WILL LIST OTHER ITEMS BUT THIS IS A RARE ONE.

Bronwen, where did you see it sold to someone in the USA?

 

What does that even mean - I can't wait till the last minute to see if there will be serious bidders... I guess it means he made the starting bid something he wasn't actually comfortable selling it for - and it was getting too close for comfort for him. Not really an "okay" thing to do. Whatever his reasoning, I agree with Don - you can't really go by this sale(or non sale) in pricing a similar item.

 

May have been an unwarranted assumption on my part since the listing I saw was on eBay US & amount of shipping seemed too high for Australian domestic. But, WDIK about Australian postal rates.

 

Update: Looks like it was a good idea not to take the buy it now the original buyer was likely going to offer me. The jug is at $530 now, and that would've been my estimation, that it is worth around $600. One without the stopper went for that price though. Someone in Australia is bidding against a US buyer now.