What we are building, and what we are learning

How saree and textile condition is described

New, worn, vintage — and the specific flaws that have to be named.

Buying film posters and cinema memorabilia

Ask for the reverse. The front sells the poster; the back tells you what happened to it.

How to sell film posters and cinema memorabilia

Measure it, say whether it is an original printing or a later one, and never let anyone guess which.

Buying sarees and ethnic wear in a live auction

Ask for the drape, the reverse and the measurements. All three are routinely skipped.

Describing the condition of video games

Sealed, complete in box, loose — then the state of each part. Precision here prevents almost every dispute.

How coin and note condition is described

The 1-to-70 scale, what uncirculated actually means, and why "cleaned" is the word that costs most.

Buying video games in a live auction

Ask for the region marking and ask them to boot it. The two questions that prevent almost every return.

How to sell video games on Metzee

Completeness, region and whether it actually runs. Show all three and the rest looks after itself.

Buying coins and currency in a live auction

Ask for the edge, ask for moving light, and ask whether it has ever been cleaned.

How record condition is graded

Mint, near mint, very good plus, very good, good, poor — and the rule that good is not good.

How to sell coins and currency on Metzee

Do not clean anything. Show the strike, the edge and both faces under a moving light.

How trading card condition is described

The four factors, the common 1-to-10 scales, and what "raw" commits you to.

Buying records in a live auction

Ask for the tilt. A record held flat to the camera is a record you have not seen.

How to sell records on Metzee

The disc matters more than the sleeve, the pressing matters more than the title, and both are camera questions.

Buying trading cards in a live auction

Ask for the tilt, the corners and the back. Three requests that tell you most of what a grade would.

Describing the condition of books and films

In the book trade, "good" means worn. Using it to mean good is the most common honest mistake there is.

How to sell trading cards on Metzee

Centring, edges, surface and corners. Live is where a raw card can actually be judged.

How sneaker condition is described

Deadstock, VNDS, and the honest middle. What each term commits you to.

Buying books and films in a live auction

Ask for the copyright page. Everything else about a book can be argued; that page cannot.

Condition words across every category

Deadstock, mint, NM, VG, uncirculated, restored, married. What each means, and in which trade.

How to sell books and films on Metzee

Which copy you have matters more than which book it is. The camera is how you prove it.

Buying sneakers in a live auction

What to ask the seller to show you, and what a refusal to show it means.

How to sell sneakers on Metzee

Size, condition and completeness decide the price. The camera is how you prove all three.

bidding

Auction words, explained

Increment, reserve, pre-bid, maximum, sudden death, second chance, under-bidder. Every term you will meet in a show.