Many people who find this site are looking to find out how much their collector plates are worth.  There are a few ways to go about finding collectors plates values and they could give you very different results.

First off, I'd say that if you are serious about collecting decorative and/or collectors plates, it might be a wise choice to invest in a quality pricing guide.  Especially if you intend to sell collectors plates, you have got to have some starting point.  Keep in mind that buying anything but the latest edition of such a guide is pretty much pointless unless you are writing some kind of historical perspective on the value of collectible plates.  You can spend time shopping around, but generally, you will have a tough time beating the prices available at Amazon.  Selling collectible plates without some frame of reference is just asking to make a mistake that could end up costing you a lot more than what a decent price guide would cost.  Amazon deals with such incredible amounts of merchandise, that it is pretty hard for anyone to beat their prices.  Here is a link to their PRICING GUIDES.  These guides will give you a relative "book value" to work with if you find yourself negotiating a price as either a buyer or a seller, but they often have little to do with what a plate will actually sell for today on the open collectibles market.  Depending on what types of plates you collect, Amazon might also have the actual plates you are considering.  It is worth a look.  You can follow this link to check on the PLATES ON AMAZON.

Next, I would heartily recommend checking out the current listings and the recently completed listings on eBay.  Love it or hate it, eBay sets the bar for the prices of many collectibles being sold today.  eBay is the place to check to see what collectors plates are selling for in the "real world".  In my opinion, it gives you a nice number to work with if you are planning to sell off all or part of a collection.  It doesn't matter what a price guide book says if the eBay buyers are only willing to pay half of what you are asking for your items.  I've seen many people list their plates on eBay and proudly boast about the book value.  They set a starting price right around what the "book" told them their plate was worth, and then spend the next week watching their plate get zero bids.  If they had bothered to look, they might have found that plates similar to theirs were being sold at half the price right next to their listing.  Of course, this works both ways.  Sometimes a collector plate with a low book value with spark a bidding war and sell for WAY above what might have been predicted.  The whole scenario can be frustrating, but it is also part of the fun of buying and selling for plate collectors.

Finally, there are collectible shops that include these plates among the items they sell.  Frankly, I don't envy them.  It must be hard to compete with what is being sold on eBay right now.  Everyone knows about eBay and serious collectors are almost always going to check the site for available items that can be shipped right to their door before heading out on a search of collectible shops.  With the overhead involved in keeping an actual brick and mortar shop open, collectible shops are in a tough spot right now.  I still visit them because I like to look around and will occasionally find some interesting old items for sale, but I have to admit to being partial to buying collectible plates on eBay.

Each person will have their own favorite method of acquiring plates and finding out collectors plate values.  I don't think that any one is really the definitive and clear "winner".  Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.  Take a look around and try to enjoy the experience as part of building your collection!

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SECOND AVON ANNIVERSARY PLATE IN ORIGINAL BOX    US $.01

Avon Anniversary Plate 10th Year    US $1.00

Avon Anniversary Plate 5th Year    US $1.00

5 Avon 1982 Mothers Day Plate Little Things    US $.65

AVON RECIPE FOR LOVE 1993 MOTHERS DAY PLATE WITH ORIGINAL BOX    US $.99

Avon The Olympic Woman 1996 collectible plate    US $.99

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