One of the most frequent calls that come to us: “What’s my Norman Rockwell plate worth?”
Don’t Shoot The Messenger Alert: Very little, in most cases. Too much supply, not enough demand.
The adage in the collectibles world is that if it was made to be collectible, it’s not very collectible today. The most in-demand collectibles now are the things companies didn’t make to sell to collectors.
Norman Rockwell plates fall into the former category. The very nice woman who called us today asked how much we could pay for a collection of them. We had to tell her that we couldn’t make an offer — we just didn’t want them. We’d pay more in gas crawling around I-495 than we would profit from selling the plates. The same is true for most of the other “collectible” plates out there.
A little humor with collectible plates
If we’re speaking to sellers with a sense of humor, we suggest they contact a local Skeet shooting club to see if its members might be interested.
Pull!
Otherwise, the answer to the question of what’s my Normal Rockwell plate worth is usually pretty bad news. In the olden days when dinosaurs roamed the Earth and we still bought those things, we could buy as many as we wanted at auction for $1 each. New in box with a certificate of authenticity, too.
We were young and dumb then, which is why everyone else at the auction houses laughed at us when we did raise our hands to bid.
Goodwill right now is asking $25 for a set of six. A lot of Normal Rockwell plates sell on eBay for $1-4. As a big eBay seller ourselves, we have no idea why anyone would take the time to sell an item on eBay for $4. You have to photograph it, list it, hope you sell it, pack it, and ship it. That is way too much work. If those sellers bought yours, they couldn’t possibly pay you more than $1 each. Ten cents would be a better number.
Are there exceptions to the Norman Rockwell plate rule?
Of course.
There are always exceptions to everything we cover here at Orion’s Attic: We’re trying to provide a general introduction to subjects like what’s my Normal Rockwell plate worth. (We’d have to charge you for the graduate-level courses!) Some plates can fetch ten whole dollars.
Then again, some of those include free shipping, which means the seller is making about two big bucks. A few select plates sell for north of $80 and $100. Rumor has it that there may be people out there willing to pay $1,500 for a particular plate but we’ve seen neither the plate nor the buyer. We’re more likely to encounter the Loch Ness Monster.
Yes, sellers sometimes ask for $200 to $2,000 for a Norman Rockwell plate. You can ask anything you like. I could ask $200 to $2,000 for my autograph: My own mom wouldn’t pay more than two bits for it.
The best thing to do with Norman Rockwell plates?
In 97-plus percent of cases, the best thing to do with collectible plates is to drop them off at your nearest Goodwill, Salvation Army, or thrift store you support. In our neck of the woods in Montgomery County, Maryland, we like to donate sellable items in great condition to the Montgomery County Humane Society Thrift and Gift Store on East Gude Drive in Rockville. We’re big on supporting the rescue, care and adoption of animals. We’re named after a shelter-rescued Siberian husky, and we donate funds to House With A Heart Senior Pet Sanctuary as often as we can.
Selling a group of Norman Rockwell plates for $25 likely won’t make much of a difference in your finances — but it could be a big help to our furry friends.
Woof!
Got some great stuff (but not grandfather clocks) that you would like to sell? Contact us.
Learn more about selling all kinds of collectibles in Sell Us Your Stuff.
Learn more about liquidating entire estates in our Estate Liquidation and Downsizing Guide.
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