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Goodwill offers some donated collectibles for sale on Internet
By Lynn Zerschling, Journal staff writer

Jan King, Goodwill Industries vice president of operations, has started posting some of the antiques donated to Goodwill on Internet auction sites. (Staff photo by Tim Hynds)

Goodwill Industries is going high tech to sell collectibles donated by the public on the Internet.

On Monday, Jan King, vice president of operations, listed Goodwill's first item on e-Bay, the mega electronic shopping center -- an antique Allwin baby buggy.

"We get tons of items donated to us," said King of the Sioux City-based Goodwill's four-state area. "Once in a while we get a diamond. ... We are really not antique experts. Yet, we want to get a fair price for our items. We need to expand our retail sales since so much of our funding sources are being cut."

About 75 percent of Goodwill's revenues are generated by its 16 Goodwill stores in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota.

Recently, a woman donated the baby buggy and two rare violins at Goodwill's Eastgate store at 5931 Gordon Drive in Sioux City.

King said the baby buggy probably is a perambulator or "pram", a British nickname for a carriage. It dates from the 1890s to early 1920s.

"It's collapsible," she said as she unfolded the black buggy that sports four steel wheels, wooden sides and an oil-fabric cover. "It looks like one that could be out of a Dickens' classic. For a collector looking for something special, this would be perfect."

King photographed the pram and listed it for a week on e-Bay, asking for a minimum bid of $100.

The only key to the pram's origins is the word "Allwin" printed on the front of the buggy. King searched the Internet, but didn't find any listing for that manufacturer.

"Part of the reason for listing this on e-Bay, is that there's not a great market here," she said.

The two violins are made out of tiger maple. Inside one instrument, the words burned into the wood say "Nicolaus Amatus fecit; in cremma 1645." The second one states, "Joseph Bollinger fecit; Steyr, Anno 18."

From her research, King said it appears the violins were made by a family of German violin makers. With some minor repairs, one violin is still playable. The other would need some major repairs. One has a slight crack in the wood.

"You can tell they've been played a lot," she said. "The bows have Mother of Pearl inlay in them."

Tucked inside one of the cases was a tiny cork box containing resin for the bow.

King said she probably will list the violins for sale on e-Bay next week.

She plans to list a gem of a book on either e-bay or the Goodwill Industries Web page -- "The School Room Chorus" by E.V. DeGraff, published in 1896.

"It's a song book used in schools," she noted of the collection of 200 musical numbers containing such well known songs as "Three Blind Mice."

She laughed as she leafed through other songs -- "Coasting Catastrophes," "The Geography Song," "The Robin's Temperance Song" and "Why Don't Parents Visit the School?"

Inside the front flap, the name "Hazel Green, Elk Point, S.D." is written in handsome script.

Items from Goodwill stores all over the United States are listed for sale on its Web page at shopgoodwill.com.

In addition to selling items over the Internet, King picked up another idea from the Minneapolis Goodwill stores and now sells more valuable items in silent auctions at each of the 16 stories in her region.

"We are selling original works of art, crystal, silver, jewelry, books and other items. The things go on sale Monday mornings and the sale is final at 4 p.m. on Saturdays. People often come in several times a week to check out the bids and put in higher ones."

Going for $250 at one store was an oak table. A handwoven rug brought $175 in Fort Dodge.

Not placed up for auction are the cars, motorcycles, boats and even campers people drop off at Goodwill.

"We list them in the paper. If they're not driveable, we won't sell them and we don't hang on to them. We sell them at a good price and the owner gets a tax write-off."

At Goodwill's main store, at 3100 W. Fourth St., King said shoppers can find more buys at the "Treasure Chest," run by Goodwill's Volunteer Services.

"They sell many collectors' items and one-of-a-kind items," she noted. "Since the outlying Goodwill stores don't have the advantage of having a Treasure Chest in their stores, the Internet shopping will aid those stores in reaching a broader shopping base than just their community. ... It's well known you can get a bargain at Goodwill."

Lynn Zerschling may be reached at (712) 293-4202 or at lynnzerschling@siouxcityjournal.com