Another thing I really like about the whole adventure of collecting decorative plates is the fact that they can be displayed in so many ways.  There are people who like to use them in traditional plate stands and there are those get creative and mount them on the wall in whatever fashion happens to suit their tastes.  I'm sure there are some people out there who have gotten really creative with their displays and I'd love to hear about them!

One thing that seems common about collectors of almost anything is the love of the hunt.  Certainly there are some people who are fortunate enough to see exactly what they want and then buy it.  Many of us collectors though have found that our love of collector's plates has grown to the point of wanted to expand our collections to include more and more of our favorites.  Where we run into problems is when we want something that isn't made anymore.  At that point, I usually turn to eBay because I can almost always find someone selling what I'm looking for at a decent price.  Sure, there are times when people ask outrageous amounts, but if you watch, you will notice that they don't end up selling their plates.  Often you will see the same seller listing their plates at a later date for a much lower price.  I really like it when that happens.

Star Trek Plates

Many collectors focus on some central theme.  A collector of Star Trek plates will focus on those, while a collector of dog themed plates by Danbury Mint will have an entirely different focus.  The great thing is, I can find both of those on eBay.  I have had terrible luck finding any plates that I like at local collectibles stores.  The selection around these parts is horrible and the owners of these shops seem to always price these plates at the highest price shown in collectibles guides.  If I purchased only from them, I'd probably be able to afford on plate per year!

Our reasons for collecting plates may be different and the types of plates may not be the same, but we all have an appreciation for the value in preserving beautiful art and displaying it on our decorative plates.

I really prefer looking to eBay as a guide on this topic because frankly, that is where most people will look when searching for a hard to find decorative plate or other collectible. Some people do prefer to go to specialty shops, but they often end up paying top dollar for whatever they are looking for simply because the owner of the shop is most likely going to charge whatever he or she can get. It is simple economics. They have no chance of something bidding up, so they must price their collectibles in a way which guarantees them a certain profit margin.

The top selling plate at this particular moment is a Bing and Grondahl Christmas plate from 1899. Listed simply as a Christmas plate of "Two Crows", it ended up selling for just over $500. This is more of an exception though as most of the prices are far less than this on any typical day. Right now, there are almost 9,000 listings in the "Collector Plates" category. Most likely any brand of plate you could be looking for would be included. As a collector of plates this massive number of listings can really help you out. Because there are so many sellers competing with each other, you have the opposite effect occurring from what is seen in a collectibles shop. Seller find it necessary to price their items as low as they can possibly risk giving the plate up for or they will almost certainly eliminate their offerings from the buyer's consideration. They hope that potential buyers will find their auction interesting enough to bid it up so that they can make a few dollars.

Gone With the Wind Plates

Take a look around eBay and you will find almost any plate you might be interested in purchasing. In fact, you will often find more than just one of what you are searching for and be able to comparison shop.  Unless you are collecting plates that are extremely rare, you have a pretty good chance of finding them just waiting on eBay.   Looking for plates commemorating a favorite movie like Gone With the Wind?  Just type it in and you'll usually find it.   That is a lot easier than hunting through garage sales and collectible shops and it is probably part of why collector plates are such a large category on eBay.  Sellers and buyers both seem to enjoy the venue.   That can be a definite money saving opportunity no matter what you are collecting.