r/Collectr

We able to get a price update on the entire Legendary Collection? A near mint Charizard is most definitely not £200. Closest for sale is like £500 if I’m not mistaken. Thanks 🙏

Here in czechia, 10s slabs (especially PSA) are generally more expensive than is US. So this trade is fair (lowest price for both slabs are 1020€ and bubble mew PSA 9 is 900€) it is a good move? Thx for suggestions.

I can't find any sales of this card, is 177 USD a good price? Thx for suggestions

I’ve been thinking it might be time to cash out and sell some of my collection.

Let me know if you might be interested

Need to do it manually everytime, is there any other way or it is what it is?

A quick note before you read: I know my posts are exceptionally long, highly structured, and deeply systematic—to the point where people on Reddit sometimes mistake me for an AI bot! I promise I am very much a human collector. Antique collecting is purely my personal passion, not my profession. However, my unique approach comes from my 40-year career as a scientific researcher. I naturally treat my hobby like a research project—online researches, interviewing art experts, taking meticulous notes, and even speaking directly with artists and experts to truly understand the authenticity, techniques, culture, and history behind each piece. Thank you for your patience with my academic writing style!

Hello everyone,

Today, I want to share my 34th featured collection here on Reddit. If you caught my last post about my 33rd collection, you already know how my wife and I fell completely in love with the sheer beauty and master craftsmanship of Japanese cloisonné.My journey into Japanese cloisonné actually began 34 years ago with a single vase.

However, my specific obsession with teapots and Totai Shippo (cloisonné on ceramic/porcelain) began 28 years ago due to a total stroke of luck. My car overheated and broke down during my morning commute. While waiting for repairs, I wandered into a nearby antique store to pass the time and ended up buying my very first Totai teapot.

That single breakdown sparked a lifelong passion for both of us. Over the last 34 years, we have gathered more than 40 pieces of Japanese cloisonné, but this specific family of 16 teapots took us over 28 years to piece together.

Fun collector challenge: One of these teapots is currently missing its lid! As a collector, I still love it just as much, and I hope to find its matching pair one day. Can you spot the lidless one in the first photo?

To me, this group represents a complete masterclass in Meiji-period experimentation with materials, shapes, light, and shadow. I categorize its historical and artistic value into five deep dimensions:

1. The Perfect Trifecta of Base Materials

It is incredibly rare to assemble a collection that simultaneously showcases the three most iconic base techniques of the Meiji era:

Copper Base (The Classic): Features incredibly precise wire cloisonné (Yusen-shippo), demonstrating strict line work and geometric perfection.

Ceramic Base (The Rarest): This includes the light-blue tea set. Firing enamel onto a ceramic body (Totai Shippo) has an incredibly high failure rate in the kiln. Very few pieces survive today, giving them a soft, porcelain-like artistic quality.

Foil-Backed Base (Gin-bari): The pinnacle of light and shadow. Embossed silver or tin foil is laid under the translucent enamel glaze. It catches the light beautifully, making the colors glow like brilliant rubies and sapphires.

2. Extreme Material Fusion

These teapots do not just use one method; they push the limits of complex material mixing. On several pieces, you can see hair-thin copper wiring layered right alongside shimmering under-glaze silver foil, and even accents of Goldstone (Aventurine glass with sparkling copper crystals). Fusing these precious materials on such a small scale required world-class technical skill.

3. Cross-Cultural Shapes & Narratives

These 16 pieces witness a historic cultural dialogue between East and West. The shapes range from traditional Eastern three-legged round pots to Western-style coffee ewers and complete English afternoon tea sets. They document how Meiji artisans used cloisonné to transform traditional Eastern motifs (butterflies, phoenixes, flowers) into luxury goods tailored specifically for Western aristocratic living rooms.

4. From Miniature Curios to Regular Scale

Another element that makes this 28-year curation journey so fulfilling is the incredible variety in scale and silhouette. The collection spans from palm-sized miniatures (ranging from 2.5 to 3.5 inches) up to standard regular sizes.

In Victorian Europe and America, these intricate miniatures were highly sought after as "cabinet pieces"—treasures meant purely for aristocratic display cabinets rather than daily functional use. Looking across the 16 pieces, you can see a distinct anatomical evolution:

Traditional Tripods: Several round-bodied pieces sit elegantly on three delicate metal feet, adapted directly from ancient Japanese koro (incense burner) architecture.

Lobed and Wavy Rims: One of the crown jewels of the set completely abandons the standard round neck, featuring a custom-contoured, undulating wavy rim that requires master-level metalsmithing.

Tall Ewers vs. Squat Pots: The shapes transition fluidly from low, globe-like traditional teapots to tall, narrow, square-profile coffee pitchers designed to cater specifically to Western tastes.

5. The Value of a Systematic Collection

As a complete set, these pieces form an evolutionary map of cloisonné technology. They cover everything from deep, solid black background work to luminous, translucent foil pieces, and from individual showpieces to functional sets. This kind of systematic collecting holds much higher research value and market premium than scattered, individual items.

An Accessible Passion for Everyday Collectors

The best part about collecting Japanese export cloisonné teapots is that it is a hobby regular, everyday people can enjoy. The market prices for these standard-shaped, unsigned Meiji-era teapots have remained relatively stable over the years. With a bit of patience, most of the standard round-bodied or gin-bari pieces shown here can still be tracked down at antique shops or auctions for anywhere between $50 to $300.

The only major exceptions in this group are the highly rare Totai (ceramic-based) teapots and the tall, square-profile coffee ewers, which naturally command a premium due to their scarcity.

A Crucial Tip on Spotting Fakes: Japanese vs. Chinese Antiques

In the early days of my collecting journey, I focused heavily on Chinese porcelain. I learned some incredibly tough, valuable lessons about just how flooded that market is with convincing replicas and masterful modern fakes. That experience is exactly why I eventually shifted my passion toward fields like Japanese cloisonné, belt buckles, hooks, ..., inner painted bottles, tibetan brass cups, tsatsa.

For everyday collectors, Japanese cloisonné offers a massive advantage: genuine antiques are remarkably easy to distinguish from modern reproductions. While the Chinese market relies on stylistic consistency that makes faking easier, Japanese cloisonné underwent a very distinct technical evolution. The specific glaze textures, the characteristic mirror-like polish of the Meiji period, the deliberate use of negative space, and the natural oxidation of Japanese base metals make authentic antiques stand out clearly to an observant eye. It provides a much safer harbor for collectors who want to buy with confidence.

SummaryTo summarize: These 16 teapots are built with "copper as the bones, ceramic as the soul, and silver foil as the light." The shifting colors glistening in the light reflect the relentless pursuit of perfection by Meiji craftsmen over a century ago.

I have attached a detailed close-up photo of each individual teapot for your reference. I would love to hear your thoughts and see your teapots, or connect with anyone who might help me track down a matching lid in the future!

Coming up next: For my 35th topic, I will be moving from teapots to showcase another major branch of my study: Japanese Cloisonné Boxes & Covered Jars. Stay tuned!

Should I sell PSA 9 bubble Mew an some other cards and buy ACE 10 Bubble mew? Thx for all suggestions

Hello all!

So I have a JP Sabrina’s Gengar coming in the mail today. However, collectr seems to be way off with pricing. I literally lost an auction for this same card on eBay for $720. Is it worth it to just stick it at a static price or let the app dictate?

I thought all I could get for my eevee ponchos was the listed price on collectr. I shared with my friend who is a card shop owner and he told me these prices were way undervalued. He told me I could easily get hundreds more and showed me prices on TCG, and something called card ladder, which priced them higher. While collectr priced the glaceon and leafeon at about $500 a piece, my friend was able to sell them for $800 each through at a card show.

The lesson here is to not use this app to price your collection. Do deeper more thorough research before selling rare cards like these!

3 of these are LP and it only shows the NM prices. Example from the Base Charizard. How do I get my portfolio to show me actual prices so I don’t have to click around so much

I sold some of my collection, is there anyway to have the graph not show those previously owned items?

All I can think is to start fresh with what I still have

Was on fb marketplace during work and came across someone selling a binder with “bulk” Pokemon cards and I decided to pull the trigger and grab it, wanted 150$ talked him down to 100$ and boy did I hit a jackpot I keep seeing from everyone, second time I’ve gotten a fat binder but this one blows the first one out of the water!

TLDR: LETS MF GOOOO!!!

All Chinese galarian birds please