What is a badge worth

So what is the going rate for a Robertsons Golly badge?
 
Put simply, there isn't a set price for a badge.
 
Your badge can be worth anything from 50p to £800 and even badges in poor condition can quite easliy go for several hundred pounds.  It all depends on which badge you have and how sort after it is at this time.  I once saw a badge go for £6 and an identical badge on the same day went for £73, the condition was the same and the badge was identical in every way including the backstamp yet for some reason three bidders forced the price up - That's the beauty of Ebay.  But be warned, a friend of mine recently purchase two badges on Ebay, one for £3 and the other for 20p - The £3 badge was a rare 1980s badge worth £30 and the 20p badge was a very rare 1940s badge worth a staggering £600.

Run of the mill badges go through Ebay every day and even the good condition ones raise anything from 1 pence to £3.00 with the average being about £1.20.

However this is far from an exact science and even common badges sometime realise £5.00 plus but this is usually down to the unpredictable nature of Ebay and tends to be caused by two bidders taking each other on and so inflating the price. (unlikely now as Ebay banned the sale of all Golly related items in September 2015 and now threaten anyone caught advertising such items with the closure of their account due to breaching Ebays Anti Racism Policy)

Condition is a major factor with the common badges and is often what governs whether the badge sells for a couple of pounds or gets no bids at all.  In the main common badges don't get a look in unless they are in very good condition or mint in their original bags.


Poor condition

Enamel loss, chipping of the paint, bent or missing pins, heavy scratches, dents and badges that have been touched up or repainted.  These badges don't tend to sell - unless of course it happens to be either a very rare badge or one of the pre war badges which would explain the condition.

Average condition

The odd mark, very small scratches, very slight rubbing to the edges, tiny fleck of paint missing etc but otherwise sound.  These badges tend to sell better in job lots but usually raise an average of 70p to 90p each.  Common lots of 30 badges or so tend to be quite predictable and nearly always go for just over £20.00.  If the lot includes a few of the nicer badges then it will creep up in price to £30 or so.

What is good condition

No marks, no damage, no fading, no scratches, no chips, no enamel loss, no missing paint and no rubbing to the edges - pin must be in full working order and as it was fitted (in other words not bent)

What is mint in the bag

Unopened in the original bag as shipped by Robertsons.  Even though the bag is still sealed the badge is still expected to be in prime condition. It must have (all) the same requirements as the "good condition badges" but in addititon should also have not been used in any way.  IE: not displayed, worn and certainly not opened.

Remember;
Your badge probably looks great to you but badge collectors can be fussy, try looking at the badge through a magnifying glass or better still a jewelers loup (eyeglass) and you will see lots of imperfections in the paint, dents, scruffing and scratches - it is often the case that owners misjudge the condition of their badges and it is most likely that the badges you consider mint are not much better than average condition.

Either way, they are still worth money and you never know, if a couple of your badges turn out to be sought after you may be onto a nice little earner.  So contact us today and get a quote.

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