This article was written by Danna Crawford, Strategic Director, WorthPoint, Inc.

While speaking at an event recently, someone raised their hand and asked, "What is a WorthPoint?" At that moment I had a flashback of someone doing the same thing a few years ago, only at that time they were asking "What is an eBay?"

I guess when people like "us," you and I reading this article, are obviously "internet savvy" we assume everyone else is. But the fact remains, not everyone "gets-it" like we do. Not that we are any better than anyone else, rather, we have a better understanding of using online websites and internet resources.

For me, my earliest internet resource was eBay. eBay helped me become a work-at-home-mom-entrepreneur, and I soon became a consignment seller growing the "PowerSellingMom" brand. Over the years it became challenging and time consuming to try to identify and value the vintage collectibles and antiques consignors would bring me. This is when I discovered WorthPoint.com.

WorthPoint saved me many hours of online research time, along with thousands of dollars I may have lost, because I did not understand how to read marketing trends.

Back to that question “What is a WorthPoint?” WorthPoint to me, is the key to my eBay selling success! It helps me not only figure out the value of my items, but it helps me develop an eBay listing strategy to help get the item sold.

WorthPoint is not just for eBay sellers. It’s a resource tool for anyone that owns antiques, art, or vintage collectibles. WorthPoint is the perfect tool for anyone trying to identify and value these types of items, whether they own the items or are thinking of buying or selling them. WorthPoint can help the antique dealer, flea market vendor, and the thrift store owner understand how to price their items.

WorthPoint is also the perfect tool for folks left with estates and have no clue if they should sell or donate. Another type of person who can benefit from using WorthPoint is the type that unfairly lost their precious items, and they are unsure how to put a price value on the lost items to submit to insurance companies for a claim. WorthPoint has been offering a service to the recent victims from the California fires to use the website free of charge.

WorthPoint is a small company of which I am proud to be a part. I was honored 2 years ago, when Will Seippel, the CEO, contacted me to lead up a new program about treasure hunting and organize "Treasure Hunts" around the country. I accepted the offer, and now as a "Strategic Director" I get to assist collectors and sellers, helping them source treasures at the best prices.

Will Seippel the CEO and founder of WorthPoint sums it up best: "Why I created WorthPoint? Shown is an 1899 Mardi Gras medal from New< Orleans. I recently bought this in Maine for a few dollars at a flea market. This morning I retrieved it out of my suitcase to sell and looked up "1899 Mardi Gras medal on WorthPoint and this similar one came up that had sold for $475. 

I could not quickly find it elsewhere. I listed it on eBay at $500 and it sold in 10 minutes on eBay. The profit would pay for 2+ years at WorthPoint! You cannot afford not to have it!"

Nowadays, everyone knows what an "eBay is" since it is, after all, the world's largest online auction/marketplace. Now you’ve been enlightened to know: