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OF THE PLACES TO GO! FREE CLASSIFIEDS
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OF THE PLACES TO GO! FREE CLASSIFIEDS
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 "We Deal In Quality And Trust!" A Comprehensive Site For Boyds Bear BearstonesTMReference / Value Guide & Secondary Market Resource
In My Bear OpinionArticles & Editorial CommentsAugust 2001The Intelligent CollectorPart IV "Collectibles As Assets" Collecting is a continuing process. And so it may come to pass that even the casual collector may at some time have necessity to delve into the realm of the "Serious" Collector. The serious collector needs information beyond the basics. As discussed in Part III, the inclusion of the card, box and packing is critical to the valuation of the Bearstone. Why? Because Bearstones are assets. Let's face it folks, Bearstones are collectibles. Whether you like them just because they're cute or you have a real passion for the collection, Bearstones have value. Their value is not static. Given certain fluxuations in the value of the Bearstones, they have, and will, continue to accrue value. Assigned value, Bearstones are essentially assets, just like your house or car. Do you buy a house or car without asking questions? Of course you don't! You don't just walk in and say "I'll buy it." First you find out all you can about your considered purchase. You obtain good information. Now you have made a purchase. You are in possession of that house or car. Do you just forget what protects your investment? Of course not! You protect your assets with information that tells you how to properly nurture your investment. Like a car or house, collectibles, whether coins, stamps, sports cards or figurines are real assets. And just like a house or car, in order to "realize" the value of your collectible you must be informed and knowledgeable about this asset. This applies if you are protecting your assets or considering purchasing new assets. We think you can now see where the "Intelligent Collector" fits in. If you own one or hundreds of Bearstones you are in need of infor- mation about Bearstones. Knowledge about Bearstones is essential for purchasing and protecting these assets. And, you can't be at all surprised to find out that the value of these Bearstones is dependent on the level of knowledge you possess. Let's go back to the Bearstone "The Collector." We used this example in Part I to demonstrate the difference between an informed and uninformed collector. If you remember, the party received the GCC as a replacement and thought perhaps they had been "ripped off." What would the knowledge of the variations of this Bearstone have meant to this collector? Exactly! Everything. The value of the GCC version of "The Collector" was and is dependent upon the knowledge of the collector receiving the replacement. It is an undisputable fact that lack of knowledge depreciates the value of your assets. This is not just applicable to collectibles! This is true of any investment. Knowledge protects your assets. How about that Grenville with Green Scarf find? The collector, in this case, immediately sought information to properly assess the value of their new possession. Though it did not turn out as well as they had thought it might, they were protecting their investment by seeking the knowledge that was necessary. How Do You Know The Value Of Your Asset? Let's consider collectibles as a general category. Regardless of the collectible you first consider the object itself. You consider its quality, date of issue, date of retirement and how many were produced. You establish a value based on this information. This is the beginning point to finding the value of your asset. There can be many other things that add or subtract from this intial assessment. We call these factors "value parameters". Value parameters are facts or conditions that enhance or deter from the intial assessment. For example, if you find a wheat penny not only do you look at the year issued, etc., but also whether it was circulated or not. One might also noted how it was stored and where it was minted. These are value parameters. All collectibles have these aspects to consider. It would be ludicrous to believe that a worn, circulated wheat penny you found on the street would be worth as much as an uncirculated one that was stored in a protective case. Bearstones are the same as other collectibles when you are trying to determine their value. The intial assessment includes the same factors. And there are value parameters to be considered. So, where do you begin with assessing a Bearstone? A good starting point is to determine your investment's "listed" value at the time you came into possession. In order to find this value you probably will turn to a Value Guide. These guides do give a ballpark idea of the value. This is why we list value guides with each of the Bear- stones in our Reference Guide on the website. Is this then the final value of your stone? Only if it is a pristine, MIB, never displayed stone. Look a little closer at what value guides provide. Value Guides provide top dollar amounts for a Mint-In-Box (MIB) stone with the total correct package. This is good for insurance purposes. Value guides are widely accepted for establishing replacement values. [As a note we would point out, whether your collection is large or small, you should contact your insurance agent to see if it is covered by your Home Owners or Renters policy. Many times it is not. You must have the collection under a separate policy. The reason is that your collection is considered an "asset" separate and apart from your home or rental. As such, the appreciation rate is differentiated from your residence.] The short fall of the value guide is that they do not provide sufficient information to establish the value parameters of MIB for each Bearstone. Consider these questions. Do value guides tell you the value of a Bearstone that does not have the correct box or no box? No, value guides assume you have the correct box. Do value guides tell you the value of a Bearstone that does not have a card? No, value guides assume you have the correct card. Do value guides tell you the value of a Bearstone that does not have the correct packing or no packing? No, value guides assume that you have the correct packing. The fact is, value guides do not tell you which is the correct box, card or packing. What if the stone itself is not mint? Value guides assume you have a mint stone. Value guides do not provide value parameters that are necessary for correctly assessing your stone. It is now clear that your level of knowledge of the value parameters of Bearstones is important in assessing their actual value. This is true for the ones you possess and for the ones you are considering for purchase. Remember what we said, "It is an undisputable fact that lack of knowledge depreciates the value of your assets....Knowledge protects your assests." In order to "realize" the value of your asset you must be an informed and knowledgeable collector. Are you an Intelligent Collector? ADDENDUM We are fully aware that the level of information to properly assess the value of your Bearstones is not readily available to you. Value Guides do not provide this information. The only plausible solution for you, at this point, is to insure your collection for the top value in the value guide. At The Bear Collector.com you're in luck. We make you an Intelligent Collector. You can learn all of the basics in the Bearstone Basics. You can learn applications of the basics by reading the Newsletter. You can learn some important details of older and/or retired Bearstones in the Bearstone Reference Guide. And very soon you will be given the opportunity to learn every aspect of Bearstones with The Collector's Handbook. If you purchase from The Bear Collector.com you are automatically an Intelligent Collector without any work on your part. We Guarantee that you will receive a Mint stone with the original box, card and packing. This is a total value package that cannot be matched by anyone, anywhere. 
Visit Bearstone Basics - A Learning CenterThe "Casual Collector" should be able to get most of the information they need to begin in this section of the site. Detailed information about Bearstones can be found in the Reference Guide under the individual Bearstone links. You may visit the Reference Guide HERE The "Casual Collector" and "Serious Collector" will find information here to be very useful. Part I of The Intelligent Collector Part II of The Intelligent Collector Part III of The Intelligent Collector Part IV of The Intelligent Collector Part V of The Intelligent Collector What Are "Bearstone Basics"? Bearstone Basics is a series of informative articles concerned with the essential information a collector of Boyds Bearstones should have at their ready disposal. The subject matter pertains to basic things, such as Editions, Understamps, General Definitions and many others. Whether you are a "New" or "Old" collector the review of these subjects will provide you with an informed view of Bearstones and the necessary tools to be an informed collector and wise purchaser. CHOOSE A TOPIC (Just Click On Your Choice)
EDITIONS collecting Boyds Bearstones! The Bear Collector.com is a reference site for Boyds Bearstones. This means you can find the information you need (and you always need it) to be an Intelligent Collector of Bearstones.
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