WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FIRST:
Whether you are selling a few dozen matchbooks you have laying around, a large collection accumulated by a relative, or part of your own collection due to downsizing, there are steps you need to take to determine your best course of action. First you need to take an honest inventory of what you have. Prospective buyers will want to know approximately how many you have, what condition they are in, an approximate age, and the categories included. Regarding condition, there is very little market for used (struck) or damaged covers unless they are very old (1920s, for example), and even then they have to be of certain types. Similarly, 'flats" (salesmen's samples used to show prospective customers available designs) are less desirable for most collectors. "Flats" can be identified by the fact that they have no staple holes and frequently no folds or strikers.
Most collectors prefer covers that have had the matches removed. If you are selling matchbooks, it is generally best not to remove the matches and sell them intact. Collectors are very good at removing the matches safely, and there are some collectors who will only be interested in complete matchbooks .The exception would be if you are selling internationally. In the US, if the matches are intact they must be shipped ground shipping. So if you are selling internationally, there is a very good chance you will have to remove the matches in order to ship.
Regarding categories, you'll need to an idea of which categories your covers fall into: Railroads, Hotels, Restaurants, Casinos, Girlies, Tobacco, etc. Flipping through the Album page available on this site will give you an idea of what some of the categories are. Also, if there are many duplicates in what you have (more than one of the same cover), your prospective buyer will need to know that, as well.
Pictures will be a must before any sale takes place. The pictures should show the age, condition, and category range. Few buyers will pay significant money for an unknown product.
VALUE:
There are no set prices in this hobby. Some types are worth more than others but you should be aware from the outset that the vast majority of matchcovers will only sell for a few pennies each. Older covers are generally more valuable than newer covers with some collectors only interested in matchbooks that have the striker surface on the front of the matchbook, which indicates that the matchbook is older than the mid 1970s. Some very old and desirable matchbooks can sell for hundreds if not thousands of dollars, but these are definitely the exception and not the rule. The final price you realize for your covers will depend on which method of selling you choose and who happens to be interested at the time.
SELLING OPTIONS:
Wherever you sell your matchbooks, the general rule is that selling them one by one or at least in small lots will provide the highest price. Selling a large lot of matchbooks generally brings a much lower price per matchbook. However, you must also take into account the time and effort it takes to sell single matchbooks, from the pictures needed, the posting of each item for sale, and the shipping of each item. Furthermore if you sell one by one, you will have a lot of items left unsold to deal with.
Currently the most popular place to sell matchbooks/covers is on eBay. The site provides an easy forum to list and communicate with a lot of buyers. Average matchbooks that are often available for free in the hobby are sometimes sold for $2-$4 dollars. However the drawbacks are many. One eBay seller estimates that he only sells about 5% of the items he lists, which means a lot of wasted effort. In addition, eBay takes a hefty percentage of your sale plus shipping. Most of the matchbooks sold on eBay are actually purchased from outside the hobby as mementos from a place that they have some connection to back in the day. Therefore while you can get an idea of pricing by perusing eBay items that have actually sold, some of those prices will be badly inflated due to the item being purchased by someone who has no idea of the actual hobby value of the item.
Many sellers have turned to Facebook Matchcover Collector Groups to reach out directly to collectors. Here you can reach out directly to a large number of collectors at once and sell without the eBay percentage being taken out. Older and valuable covers often bring a very fair price on these forums. However, to get top dollar once again you need to sell covers one by one, which is time consuming. Also unless your lot includes very desirable matchbooks, there is a good chance you won’t find a buyer. And be warned that you may receive a rude welcoming if you post common matchbooks for inflated prices. Unless you have a good idea of value, it is best if you start by posting pictures and ask for offers.
Selling to a local collector is the fastest and easiest way for you to sell your covers if you can find a collector willing to buy them. No boxing and mailing is required. The buyer will simply come and get them. The downside of this option is that the number of collectors available for you to approach will be limited, if there are any at all, and if you live in a rural area this option may not be viable at all. Also, this is a form of bulk buying, so you're only going to realize a bulk price. If you only have a couple of hundred covers, this is often your only option. You can find collectors near you in the Collectors Online page of this website.
There are a handful of collectors and clubs around the country who routinely purchase accumulations and collections. Few, if any, of these will want to deal with a few hundred covers, though, unless they are something special. The downside to this option is that there will be boxing and mailing involved, in addition to sometimes time-consuming communications back and forth. On the plus side, your particular location won't make any difference here. Also keep in mind, the buyer, here, is buying "bulk." The price for your covers is going to be fair, but based on a lower average price per cover. You can find contact information on the Clubs Listing or Classified Ads on this website.
Another option is to offer your matchbooks to members of RMS by taking out an ad in the bimonthly newsletter. You will reach a wide audience of collectors for a dirt cheap price. You can offer the matchbooks for a set price first come first serve, or set a time frame during which you will accept the highest bid. This is a good option if you are selling more desirable matchbooks, but may not succeed if you are selling a small lot of newer restaurant covers or other low-demand matchbooks.
Club auctioning is another option. Here, you consign your covers to a club which will auction them off piecemeal through its bulletin auction. The downside is that, unless there is a club near you, you'll have boxing and mailing again, and the auctioning process may take several months, perhaps even a couple of years, depending on the size of your collection and whether the frequency and size of the club's auctions. The club will also charge a percentage fee for this service since it does all the work. The plus side is that with this option you will almost certainly realize a higher price for your covers, and you will have these 'surplus' checks coming into you on a steady basis for the run of your collection. This option, so long as you're not in a hurry, helps support the clubs and it keeps the covers in the hobby.
Finally if you decide there isn’t a good market for your matchbooks or you just don’t want to take the time and energy to sell the matchbooks for a minimal profit, you can donate your accumulation to a local club or collector. In the hobby, most meetings and conventions have freebie tables where collectors can pick up matchbooks in their preferred categories for free. This keeps the items in the hobby where they are most appreciated. Many sellers try some of the options above first. But if the value is limited, they often turn to the donation option to help out newer collectors in particular. If this option suits your situation, check out the Clubs Listing of this website.
IN SUMMARY:
Hopefully this provides an idea of how you can proceed. Of course you always have the option of starting a collection of your own with the matchbooks you have and join RMS to learn all the intricacies of this wonderful hobby!