Major Collectibles Categories

By Lee Bernstein

The following paragraphs provide an overview of eBay's collectibles categories, as well as some suggestions for how to list or find an item in each area. For a quick search, go to eBay's Search Page.

It's important to acquaint yourself with all of eBay's collectibles categories and spend some time browsing in each. It's impossible to set a clear definition of where a collectible should go because so many collectibles fit into multiple categories. A 1933 General Motors World's Fair Booklet, for example, could easily fit under Advertising, Transportation, Ephemera, or World's Fair. Even if every section could be clearly defined, a seller may have chosen to list elsewhere.

There are, however, tips to help you decide which category works best. For tips on deciding where to sell, see Listing and Selling; for tips on how to browse, see Finding and Buying.

Advertising: Anything that promotes, features or imprints a product or service. Two terms often mentioned under advertising are "handouts" and "premiums." Handouts are giveaways, such as grand opening or publicity gifts, free samples, or calendars sent at holiday time. Premiums are items offered by a company for modest payment or in exchange for purchase-box tops for a promotional item, such as a toy tucked inside a store-bought cereal box.

Check the advertising subcategories to see if there is a specific section for your item. If not, go to the other Collectibles categories, and see if any apply to your item. For example, if the item is beer-related, go to the Breweriana subcategory. If the item is related to circus, carnival, or boardwalk advertising: go to the Circus, Carnival subcategory. Other popular subcategories for Advertising-related material include Black Americana, Ethnographic, Television Memorabilia, and World's Fair. If the specific sections of Advertising or the other Collectibles subcategories don’t apply to your advertising item, go to the Advertising: General category.

Animation Characters: Any item that features a movie or television cartoon personality is an animation character. Included here are characters animated through other frame-by-frame film techniques, such as Gumby, Mr. Bill, or the characters in Nightmare Before Christmas. Anything pertaining to an animation character may be listed here. Animation cels (also known as production cels) are listed here as well. If the item is a Disney character or Disney specific, look or list under Disney. If the collectible features a comic strip character that has never been animated, see Newspaper Comics, Comic Figurines, and Original Comic Art.

Art: Refers to functional, decorative, and mass-produced art. Also includes vintage and collectible Calendars, Nudes (other than fine art nudes), Pin-ups, Posters, Prints, and Art Supplies.

For individually made craft items, see Crafts. For original, aesthetic works of art, go to Fine Art. For photographs, see Photographic Images.

Fine Art: Art is subjective. In general, "fine art" means any professional artwork which has been created for artistry alone. That is, the art is aesthetic rather than functional, decorative, or craft. Fine art includes art produced by a professional artist (particularly if the artist is listed in price guides), museum quality art, studio art, or the type of art displayed in a gallery.

Autographs: Anything that has a signature of someone famous. If you are selling an autograph and have authentication for it, it helps to mention it. The Autographs subcategory is further divided into Entertainment, Political, Science Fiction, and General sections.

Common autograph abbreviations include:

Banks: Any container specifically created for saving and storing money. If the bank moves or becomes animated upon accepting a coin, the bank is Mechanical. If it has no mechanical action, it is a Still Bank.

If you have a bubble gum machine that accepts coins but is non-commercial, list it here. If you have a commercial bubble gum machine, game, or vending machine, go to Coin-Operated. If you have a blade bank (a bank for holding razor blades instead of money), see Barber Shop. If the bank is old and made of painted plaster, also see Chalkware.

Barber Shop (Barberiana, Shaving Collectibles): Anything that belonged (or belongs) inside or outside of a barber shop. Also includes barbershop quartet memorabilia, personal shaving collectibles, and shaving related items.

For fraternal shaving mugs, also see: Fraternal Groups

Bears: All collectible "Teddies" welcome! If your bear is a collectible decorative bear, a collectible toy bear, or an antique or vintage bear, list it here. Check the subcategories for a specific manufacturer. If there isn't one, see Bears: Antique for vintage and antique bears. For modern bears, see Bears: General. Bears in the Bears: Artist subcategory are signed bears produced by artists and professional bear designers. Accessories for bears also found here.

Black Americana: Anything that pertains to Black American history or culture, including items representative of how manufacturers, advertisers, and the media viewed Black Americans throughout U.S. history.

Breyer: Breyer is most famous for miniature horses, but all new and vintage Breyer Animal Creations (miniature, realistic animal figurines) are here. Also includes all Breyer accessories, such as customizing kits, Breyer Riders, tack and saddle sets, activity books.

Bottles: All antique, vintage, and collectible bottles, such as food, medicine, household chemical, and mineral. Also includes Ink Bottles, Fruit Jars and Flasks, and Bottles: General. If you are selling a reproduction, be sure to mention that fact.

For barber bottles, go to Barber Shop. For beer bottles, go to Breweriana. For stoneware jars, jugs, and bottles (other than beer), see Stoneware. You might also go to individual categories under Advertising.

Breweriana (Also Distillery Items and Vintage Bar Wear): Antiques and collectibles relating to any commercial beer, alcohol, or liquor. Also includes advertising items, such as trays and coasters), antique, vintage, or collectible bar wear, pre-prohibition alcohol-related items, stoneware, ceramic or glass bottles, and figural liquor bottles.

Casino (Gambling Collectibles): Any gambling-related collectible belongs here, even if the item isn't specifically associated with a casino. Chips have a separate subcategory here. For all other items, see Casino: General. For slot machines, see Coin-Operated.

Chalkware: Any vintage functional or decorative chalkware item belongs here. Victorian chalkware were figurines fashioned from plaster of Paris and decorated with paint, usually water colors. During the first half of the 20th century, a low-cost version became popular as carnival prizes. These were made of painted plaster.

Other categories in which chalkware items might be located are: Dolls, Circus and Carnival, Disney, Animation Characters, Comic Figurines, and Banks.

Circus, Carnival: Any piece of vintage circus or carnival memorabilia, advertising, or any item that celebrates a circus, circus celebrities, or side-show performers. Also, souvenirs and items associated with boardwalks or places like Coney Island.

While circus collectors crave original and vintage items, (particularly Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey), this is also a good place for objects that have a circus or carnival motif. Examples include a planter that looks like a circus elephant, a figurine of a famous clown, or an advertisement for a "Coney Island" hot dog.

For Disney theme park items, go to Disney.

Clocks, Timepieces: Antique, vintage, and collectible Clocks, Pocket Watches, Wrist Watches, and Other Timepieces (sun dial, hourglass, or modern art clocks that tell time without hands or a face). For other timepiece items and accessories, see Miscellaneous.

Coin-Operated: Vending machines date back to 200 BC, but it wasn't until after the Civil War that coin-operated machines became truly popular. As modern technology advanced, so did coin-fed commercial machines and games. Most popular are machines from the turn of the century to the 1960's, but more modern models are quite collectible as well. Any commercial, coin-operated machine belongs here. These include slot machines, pinball machines, bubble gun machines, vending machines, arcade games, fortune tellers, test your strength or love factor machines, and handwriting analysis machines. Sellers: Give as much detail as possible and include the working condition. If the machine is well known (for example, PAC Man), specify it.

You may find some items in Advertising: Soda. For Mechanical banks, go to Banks.

Collector Plates: This is where to find plates specifically produced for individual sale and as a decorative items only. Items here include calendar plates, tourist souvenir plates, political plates, and commemorative plates.

For plates that are functional as well as decorative, such as ABC plates, children's dishes, restaurant china, or oyster plates, check under individual Porcelain categories. Some plates may also be in the Limited Editions subcategory. For World's Fair Souvenir Plates, go to World's Fair.

Comic Books: Comic books can be divided into the following categories.

Comic Figurines and Original Comic Art are subcategories of Comic Books. For all other comic items or "bulk comics" (post-1980, manufactured in runs of 5,000 or more), see Comic Books: General.

Contemporary: Particularly popular here are collectible contemporary figurines and miniatures such as David Winter Cottages, Harmony Kingdom, Pewter, or Lilliput Lane. Sellers: If your item is best known by the designer's name, it helps to list the name first "Lilliput Lane: Spring Bank Cottage." If the manufacturer is unknown or lesser known, list the type of figurine, such as Collie, Deco-Look Lady, or Baby Angel. If the item has been retired or discontinued, be sure to mention it in the title or description.

For Hummel items, go to Decorative: Hummel. For Enesco, go to Decorative: Enesco. For Josef, go to Decorative: Josef. For Wade, go to Decorative: Wade. For Precious Moments, go to Decorative: Precious Moments. For Dept. 56, go to Dept. 56.

Crafts: This category includes contemporary folk art, needlework, knit and crocheted items, hand-crafted amateur arts, kit productions, and arts and crafts fair items.

Note: Be careful not to confuse "arts and crafts fair" items with hand-crafted items made during the "Arts & Crafts" period of 1895 to 1920. For Arts & Crafts period pieces, see Antiques or other specialized collectible categories.

For Quilts, see Textiles: Quilts. For fine cotton doilies, see: Textiles: Doilies. For antique and vintage samplers, see Textiles: Samplers. For tapestries, see Textiles: Tapestry. For handmade or collectible baskets, see Antiques, Decorative: Longaberger, or Decorative: General

Decorative: Here you'll primarily find collectibles from the 20th Century which serve as small- to mid-size decorative pieces, particularly figurines (and like items) popular as giftware, such as Hummel, Enesco, Josef, Wade, Precious Moments, and Norman Rockwell. Also, contemporary collectible baskets and Avon items are here.

Dept. 56: All "Dept.56" signed giftware is located here, particularly Dept.56 collectible villages and accessories.

Disney (Disneyana): Few collectible categories bring as many smiles as Disney. Disney and Disney-related items are one of the most popular collecting categories in the world. In this category, you'll find any Disney collectible, vintage and contemporary as well as theme park items. If the item has anything to do with Disney, you'll find it here.

For newly released items for this year (mint or used), go to Disney: Current Year. For vintage items, go to Disney: Past Years. For modern items of unknown age, or items that are contemporary to the 1990s, go to Disney: Other.

Ethnographic: Ethnographic includes items relating to any ethnic group, particularly items of historical significance or items that show how the world viewed an ethnic group throughout history.

If the item specifically relates to ethnic history, look or list here. If the item is religious in nature, go to Religious. If the item is a holiday item, go to Holiday,Seasonal: General. If the item specifically relates to Black American History, go to Black Americana.

Tip: It helps collectors find your item if you list the ethnographic category first (for example, "Judaica").

Firefighting: This category includes anything associated with volunteer or paid firefighting, such as firefighters, firehouses, and fire trucks. It also includes items that celebrate or honor firefighting throughout the years.

If you have a vintage or contemporary firefighting item that seems as though it belongs elsewhere on eBay (such as an old children's book that chronicles the history of firefighting, a discarded "fireman" Halloween costume, a print or advertisement celebrating firefighting heroism, or a newly-released firehouse cookbook), consider listing it here first. While firefighting collectors particularly crave real or historical items, many want anything associated with this category.

Fishing: Any antique, vintage, or collectible fishing items are listed here. They can be functional or decorative. Lures have a separate subcategory. For all other items, use Fishing: General. For contemporary or new fishing equipment, go to Sporting Goods: Fishing.

For fishing accessories, the older the better. Vintage reels and lures are probably the two most sought-after accessories. The popular manufacturers who should be noted if listing are: Creek Chub, South Bend, Winona Boyer, Heddon, Pflueger, and Shakespeare. It helps to note the manufacturer in the title. Also indicate if you have a vintage, handmade item.

Fraternal Groups: Fraternal groups began in the late 1700s as benevolent groups who helped others, particularly families in distress or victims of misfortune. Some formed social clubs or secret societies, many of which are now gone.

All items from past or current benevolent groups, secret societies, or social clubs belong here. Masonic has its own subcategory. Other clubs, including all social service organizations, sororities, and fraternities, are under Fraternal Groups: General. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are also in this category.

Hallmark: Any item that carries a Hallmark logo or signature, particularly gift items, ornaments, and items found in Hallmark gift shops. If you're listing a Hallmark collectible and it has the original box, be sure to mention it. For Christmas items other than Hallmark, go to Holiday, Seasonal: Christmas, or go to Dept 56.

Hawaiiana: Anything from Hawaii, about Hawaii, or with a Hawaiian "look." Also includes items that relate to Hawaii, its people and history, or items that show how manufacturers, advertisers, and the media represented Hawaii throughout history.

Holiday and Seasonal: The warmth and love surrounding holidays makes holiday collectibles a particularly popular area of collecting, for decorative as well as sentimental reasons.

For Hallmark Seasonal Items, go to Hallmark. For Christmas Ornaments, go to Ornaments. For Dept. 56 Christmas villages, go to Dept 56.

For specific holidays, go to Christmas, Easter, Halloween, New Year, or Thanksgiving. For other holidays, use Holiday, Seasonal: General. For religious collectibles that are not holiday specific, go to Religious.

Insulators: Telephone and telegraph insulators date back to 1844 and are made of glass or pottery. If you are listing an insulator and the color of glass is something other than clear or aqua, it helps to put the color in the title. Also note if your insulator is threadless. For telephone collectibles other than insulators, go to Telephone.

Kitchenware: This area is for all antique, vintage, and collectible cookware; utilitarian kitchen items; and functional decoratives, such as cookie jars, and salt and pepper shakers. The General category is for miscellaneous functional decorative items such as salt or recipe boxes, canisters, and wall plaques. If a clothes sprinkler, dust pan, ceramic strainer, or other kitchenware item is particularly decorative, you might want to list it here instead of Utensils. Open Salts (small bowls used to serve salt, particularly popular during the Victorian era), have a separate subcategory here, as do Tableware, Graniteware, Small Appliances, and Utensils. For utility stoneware, go to Stoneware. For vintage fruit jars, go to Bottles: Fruit Jars. For kitchen linens, draperies and other fabric items, go to Textiles: Kitchen. For modern kitchen items and accessories that are not associated with a collectible category, go to Miscellaneous: Household: General.

Knives: This category includes collectible and vintage knives, pocket knives, swords, daggers, and hunting knives. If you are listing a "Case" manufactured knife, mention it in the title. If your knife is manufactured in the United States, it helps to put U.S. in the title. For authentically old knives, particularly knives from early 20th century or older, put the date in the title.

Other categories to explore when looking for knives include Militaria, Fraternal Groups, and Fishing.

For modern sportsmen utility knives, go to Miscellaneous: Sporting Goods. For collectible kitchen knives, go to Kitchenware: Utensils. For collectible hostess, serving or dining knives, go to Kitchenware: Tableware

Lamps: Most lighting devices belong in this section-all antiques, vintage and collectible lamps, and shades. If you are looking for (or listing) a fairy lamp (Victorian or Victorian style candle burning nightlight), also see Art Glass or look under a specific maker, Glass: Fenton, for example. Included in the Lamps category are electric lamps, oil lamps, chandeliers, and lanterns.

For modern sport lanterns, go to Miscellaneous: Sporting Goods. For nautical lanterns, go to Transportation: Nautical. For railroad lanterns, go to Railroadiana.

Limited Editions: Limited edition collectibles date back to the 1800s when Bing and Grondahl introduced the first annual Christmas collector plate. Most plates are contemporary collectibles with a manufacturer-imposed limit to the production line. Typically, the manufacturer will limit an edition to a number of firing days or number of pieces issued.

If your collectible is a limited edition and doesn't have a specific category in eBay's collectibles area, list it here. If your item is a first edition or has a low number, it helps to mention it in the title. Also indicate if you have the original box.

For collector plates, you may want to see the Collector Plates subcategory.

Lunch Boxes: This subcategory includes all lunchboxes and thermos items. Sellers: be sure to state if your lunch box has a thermos included, and note if the lunchbox is metal, plastic, or vinyl. If it is a reissue of a vintage model, say so.

You may also want to go to Memorabilia: Television or Memorabilia: Movies for lunch boxes.

Magnets: All collectible refrigerator magnets. For scientific magnets and compasses, go to Science: Instruments.

Memorabilia: In general, memorabilia is anything that triggers a feeling of nostalgia, particularly if the item is associated with the media or the entertaining and performing arts area. The following are subcategories of Memorabilia.

Historical: Items reminiscent of 20th century history. If the item might belong in a time capsule and doesn't have an individual category elsewhere on eBay, look or list it here.

Magic: Items reminiscent or associated with magic, magicians, or the occult. Related items might be found in Circus and Carnival, and Weird Stuff.

Movie, Rock-n-Roll, Television, Theater: Memorabilia relating to the entertainment industry and its celebrities. Note to poster sellers: Due to the large amount of posters listed on eBay, it helps if you first put the country of origin and your poster's specific date of issue in the title (for example, "U.S. 1964 Orig. Hard Day's Night). Use "orig" only if the poster is indeed original and not a reproduction or reissue.

For science-fiction related memorabilia (Star Wars, Star Trek, Godzilla, and X-Files), see also Science Fiction. For trading cards, go to Trading Cards.

Western: If the item is entertainment-related and specifically reminiscent of 20th century cowboy or western heroes, look or list it here. For real-life antique, vintage, and collectible western items; rodeo collectibles; and Native American items, go to Western Americana and Native Americana.

For other nostalgic and miscellaneous memorabilia items, use Memorabilia: Other. You may also want to check the following categories Sheet Music, Advertising, Photographic Images, Prints, Posters, and Autographs.

Metalware: This subcategory is for 20th century metal objects, including sterling silver, silverplate, brass, copper, bronze, steel, aluminum, cast iron, and wrought iron. Also see Antiques: Metalware.

Militaria: All collectible military and war related items are here. If the item is from the Civil War, Pre-World War I (Pre-WWI), World War I (WWI), World War II (W.W.II), Korea or Vietnam, list it under the specific war. If the item is one you might expect to find in an Army-Navy surplus store, look or list it under Militaria: Surplus. For all other items, use Militaria: General. For items related to military police, you may also want to see Police.

Music Boxes: All antique, vintage, and contemporary music boxes, music box discs, and music box accessories should be listed here. Most music boxes are cylinder-type. That is, they have metal teeth that vibrate upon meeting with a cylinder pin. Disc-type music boxes use interchangeable steel discs. If you are selling a disc-type music box, it helps to put "Disc" in the title.

For coin-operated music boxes or commercial music boxes, see Coin-Operated.

Native Americana: All Eskimo and Western Native American (American Indian) items. Primitive tools, ornaments, and objects belong under Artifacts. Vintage and antique items belong under Pre-1940. For contemporary collectibles, use Arts, Crafts or General.

If you have a Native American turquoise item and can absolutely authenticate the date, it helps to state exactly how you arrived at the authentication and include as much information as possible.

Asian: Antique, vintage, and collectible items from the far east, such as Asia, China, Japan. Items include (but are not limited to) porcelain, jade, ceremonial and historic items, furniture, snuff bottles, netsuke, soapstone, antique ivory, and rugs.

You may also want to look in Art: Fine or Religious.

Paper: If your paper item is antique or vintage and a "survivor"-an item that was manufactured with a brief life in mind or those who made it assumed it would be thrown away shortly after use, list the item under Ephemera. Matchbooks and Postcards have separate subcategories here. All other collectible paper items should be listed under General.

You may also want to see Sheet Music, Advertising, Photographic Images, Art: Prints, Art: Posters, Autographs, Art: Calendars, Art: Pin Up, Memorabilia: Movie, and Memorabilia: Television.

PEZ: From the German word for peppermint (pffefferminz), PEZ is best known as being a dispenser of brick-shaped, fruit-flavored candy marketed primarily to children. Every dispenser features a figural tilt-top lid in the shape of a well-known character, hero, or personality, such as Donald Duck, Santa, and Batman.

Early PEZ (c. 1949) had an adult market and was sold primarily as a stop-smoking aid. The dispenser was plain and looked like a cigarette lighter. It wasn't until 1952 that PEZ emerged for children. When listing PEZ, be sure to note any distinguishing marks that help date the dispenser.

Photographic Images: Daguerreotypes, Ambro & Tin have a separate category here, as do CDV/Cabinet cards. Stereoview is for antiques and vintage stereoscopes as well as stereo views. Viewmaster is for vintage and contemporary Viewmaster slide viewers and accessories, and slide reels. For all other photographs, use General.

For signed original photographs by a listed photographer, go to Art: Fine or Autographs.

Pinbacks: Pinback buttons and lapel pins. Sellers: be sure to state if your pin is a reproduction or original (tip: if it's an original, it helps to put "orig." in the title).

For brooches, go to Jewelry: Gemstones. You may also want to see Political, Fraternal Groups, and Memorabilia.

Police: Not specifically limited to police, this category is for all items relating to American or world-wide private or public law enforcement. When selling, it helps to put a description of the enforcement category in the title, such as FBI, Chicago Police, or Private Eye. It also helps to put the division, if you know the division.

You may also want to see Militaria.

Political: All items relating to politics, political figures, or political campaigns. This category includes (but is not limited to) campaign memorabilia, historical documents, media coverage, and commemorative political souvenirs. When selling, it helps to list the politician's name and date before the description, such as "Kennedy '62, Life Mag."

For government law-enforcement agencies, go to Police.

Radio: Transistor and Tube radios have separate categories here, as do Manuals. For all other radios and accessories, use General. If you have a giveaway or premium from a radio show, go to Advertising: Radio/Phonograph. For other radio memorabilia, go to Memorabilia: Other.

Railroadiana: If your item celebrates, or is from or about, a real railroad, it belongs here. If it is a toy, go to Trains: RR Models.

Although there are a number of places to look for or list railroad items (such as categories for lanterns, advertising, and transportation), railroad-specific items or collectibles will probably do best if listed here. This includes any railroad item or any item reminiscent or representative of trains or railroad history.

When listing an authentic, original antique, or vintage piece (one that has been or is easily authenticated), it helps to put "orig." or "old" in the title.

Trains, RR Models: American Flyer, Lionel, Other Tinplates, and Scales have subcategories here. For all other items, use General.

Religious: This category includes all religious items. If your item is religious and holiday-specific (a Nativity scene, for example), check or list it under Holiday: Seasonal. If the item is religious ethnographic, that is, if it has more of an ethnic-historical-religious content than a strictly religious one (for example, an original newspaper article about Jewish immigrants arriving at Ellis Island), go to Ethnographic.

Sellers: It helps if you put the specifics first, such as "Judaica," "Hindu," and "New Age."

Science: All antique, vintage, or collectible scientific instruments and items, including but not limited to the following: chemistry, medicine, mathematics, and physics. If the item is instrument-specific (a compass, calculator, beaker, and stethoscope), use Instruments. Space Exploration includes actual space-related items, as well as historical space memorabilia. (For science fiction collectibles, go to Science Fiction.) For all other science collectibles, use Science: General.

For nautical scientific items, see Transportation: Nautical.

Science Fiction: All vintage and collectible science fiction items and memorabilia are in this category. Babylon 5, Godzilla, Star Wars, Star Trek, and X Files have their own subcategories here. For all other items, use Science Fiction: General. For science fiction trading cards, to go Trading Cards: Science Fiction.

Sheet Music: All antique, vintage and contemporary sheet music, and songbooks are in this category.

If you are listing a piece of sheet music that might appeal to a category-specific collector (original Beatles sheet music, for example) it's probably best to list the music under that category (Memorabilia: Rock-N-Roll: Beatles) instead of here. If the music is generic but the cover is highly decorative (perhaps you have a copy of "The Music Box" with a lavish illustration of a Swiss music box on the cover), it may appeal more to a music box collector in Music Boxes. Sheet music with Shirley Temple on the cover may do better under Memorabilia: Movie.

Stoneware: Simple, glazed pottery used primarily for utilitarian purposes-jugs, crocks, jars, bowls, churns, coolers, bean pots, and spittoons are listed in this category. Some collectors want only blue and white stoneware. If you are listing a piece of blue and white stoneware, mention "blue & white" in the title.

If the item is a stoneware beer bottle, go to Breweriana. For Wedgwood (the best known stoneware), go to Pottery & Glass: Porcelain: Wedgwood.

Telephone: All antique, vintage, and collectible telephones and accessories are listed in this category. Also includes telephone and telephone company-specific advertising and memorabilia.

Textiles: Includes any antique, vintage, or collectible fabric, such as bedspreads, draperies, fabrics, kitchen textiles, lace, crochet & doilies, linens, quilts, rugs, samplers and tapestries. For all other items, use General.

If your textile item features a famous character, go to the specific category like Animation Characters or Disney.

You may also want to see Antiques: Textiles, Linens or Orientalia.

Tobacciana (Smoking Collectibles): Most antique, vintage, and collectible smoking-related items belong here. Ashtrays, Cigars, Lighters and Pipes all have subcategories here. For other items, use Tobacciana: General.

If the item advertises cigarettes, go to Advertising: Cigarette. For ashtrays that advertise a casino, see Casino.

Trading Cards: Trading card categories include Comic, Gaming (sports), Science Fiction, and Other Non-Sports.

For Victorian advertising cards, go to Advertising: Victorian Trade Cards.

Transportation: Antique, vintage, and collectible Automobilia; Aviation; Bicycle; and Nautical items (not toys) are here.

For transportation advertising items relating to airlines, bus, gasoline, tires, or truck lines, go to Advertising: Airlines, Advertising: Bus, Advertising: Gasoline, Advertising: Tires, and Advertising: Truck Lines.

For railroad items, go to Railroadiana.

Vanity Items: This area includes all antique, vintage, and collectible vanity items. If it was made for grooming or to make a person more attractive, it belongs here. This area also includes anything that would go in a purse, or on a dresser, vanity table, or bathroom counter. Items can be functional, decorative, or both. Compacts, Hatpins, and Perfume bottles have subcategories here. For other items, use Vanity: Accessories or Vanity Items: General.

Vintage: In general, "vintage" collectibles are authentic items "of the period" or "true to the time." All Vintage Clothing belongs here, whether it is homemade, designer, or off-the-rack. The Vintage: General category includes various vintage collectibles, but sellers here should try to include items from a particular period that do not have a category elsewhere on eBay, and have the "look" of the period as well as the age. Examples include items from the '30s that looks very art deco, or something from the '60s that looks typical of '60s pop culture.

For authentic clothing or costumes from famous shows or celebrities, go to Memorabilia: Movie or Memorabilia: Theatre.

Vintage Sewing: This area includes antique and vintage sewing items and notions.

You may also want to see Advertising: Victorian Trade Cards.

Weird Stuff: All things vintage, collectible as well as curious, especially bizarre or mysterious items that do not have a category elsewhere, are here. If the item is a commodity oddity, you've come to the right place.

Western Americana: Authentic antique or vintage items from the American West that are functional, decorative, or both. Items here include cowboy, rodeo, pioneer, and western history. For western Native American items, see Native Americana.

World’s Fair: All World's Fair and Exposition items are listed here. When listing, it helps to put the year first in the title.

Major World's Fairs and Expositions:

Writing Instruments: Antique, vintage, and collectible writing materials are in this category. Pens, Pencils, Desktop Items and Inkwells all have subcategories here. "Sets" pertains primarily to desk sets and stationery sets. For other items, see Writing Instruments: General. If your pen is a motion pen, that is, if there is a miniature scene inside the pen that moves up and down with a tilt, mention "motion pen" in the title. These are also known as "floaters."

For ink bottles, see Bottles: Ink. For advertising pens and pencils, see individual subcategories in Advertising.

Miscellaneous: In general, if you can not find a category for your item elsewhere, look or list it here. If you use the Miscellaneous section as an easy way to add a collectible to eBay without having to search for an individual category, you may be losing money. Listing an item in the proper category can make a huge difference in sales success. See Collectibles: Tips for Listing and Selling.

The preceding material was written using information from the following sources: Tuttle Dictionary of Antiques & Collectibles Terms by Don & Joan Bingham; Antique Traders Antiques & Collectibles, 1998, edited by Kyle Husfloen; Schroeder's Antiques Price Guide, 16th Edition edited by Sharon and Bob Huxford; Kovel’s Antiques & Collectibles Price List, 1998 by Ralph & Terry Kovel; The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, 27th Edition by Robert M. Overstreet; Warman's Antiques & Collectibles Guide, 31st Edition edited by Ellen T. Schroy; and Time Life Books: The Encyclopedia of Collectibles, 1978.

The preceding material was written by Lee Bernstein. These are the opinions of the author, not the opinions of eBay, and therefore eBay does not validate the accuracy of or endorse these opinions.