Old Items Turned into Treasures

Translator: Zhang Jun

New channels for fundraising

What is your knowledge and experience with antiques and auctions?

M: I am a fourth-generation antique dealer in my family. I have been attending antique fairs and flea markets around the world with my father and grandmother since I was a child. As time went by, I learned more and more about the industry. Later, he worked for two different auction houses and founded his own antique side business (EphemeraFinds.com), focusing on historical documents, photography and advertising.

I have experience in many aspects of the industry, including vintage clothing (period-specific clothing from 20 to 100 years ago), jewelry, historical artifacts and collectibles. In fact, since there are enough tools and technology at one's disposal today, anyone can start learning and studying the things they have in their hands. I will publish videos and articles in the future, please subscribe to Project Arctos (https://www.projectarctos.com/join-us), continue to pay attention to the latest news.

Why did you decide to use an auction as a fundraising method?

M: KRC is increasingly targeting the younger generation of Christians, and co-workers also need to find all possible financial support and forms of fundraising. When the KRC Board of Directors and President became aware of my background and knowledge in antiques and collectibles, they encouraged me to consider how this could be a new ministry for KRC and use these skills for the Kingdom of God. And I just recently did a charity auction for another nonprofit and raised about $10,000 from items they were planning to throw away. So trying to do something similar was a logical choice.

How do you catalog, promote and sell your collection?

M: There are actually many ways to sort and get rid of items that we personally no longer need or have space to store, but they generally fall into two broad categories: 1) household/decorative items; 2) antiques/collectibles. Household and decorative items are things that may still have a practical use in another household, perhaps a decorative vase, or store-bought art, electronics or small appliances that haven't been used much, useful containers or tools, Clothes and accessories that are relatively new, as well as costume jewelry that does not contain precious metals or gemstones, etc.

Antiques and collectibles generally refer to older or rarer items that are worth more than their original purpose. The definition of "antique" is relatively loose and has different definitions in different regions. It generally refers to items that are at least 100 years old. Items that are less than 100 years old and more than 30 years old tend to fall into the "vintage" category. In addition, donations can include: fine art and jewelry; old vases, porcelain, and antique clocks; historical items such as letters or photos from old relatives; sports cards signed by star players, or Pokémon cards. Collectibles; vinyl records; rare books, etc. Please go to the KRC website to see more examples (https://shen-guo.org/auction.html).

Household and decorative items are typically sold through clearance sales, with everything starting at $1, and winning bidders picking up their items at a centralized location after the auction.

Antiques and collectibles or at KRC’s eBay store (https://www.ebay.com/usr/kingdomresourcesfor christ) sales, or work with a professional auction house to auction items that may be of high value (usually over $1,000). I recently assisted another non-profit with the sale of an old painting that they had planned to give away. It was sold at a prestigious art auction for nearly twice its original estimate of $3,500. The ministry is also able to use these resources to support local families in need.

The people and stories behind the objects

Have you ever encountered any interesting people/things while handling and buying and selling antiques?

M: In this rather unique industry of buying and selling personal belongings, you can meet many wonderful people. On the “seller” side, take the time to look at their collection and listen to their interesting stories about how they came to acquire these treasures, or what the objects have meant to them over the years. For example, I was surprised to find out how common it is to give a gift of a personalized piece of written art. Each piece seems to hold a fond memory of a friend or acquaintance over the years.

On the “buyer” side, we usually encounter people who are looking for good bargains, but sometimes there are stories of items accidentally finding a suitable new home. At KRC's first large-scale auction, several parents and grandparents came to buy furniture and kitchen supplies for their newly independent children and grandchildren. Another couple contacted us because their autistic son had just begun to eagerly learn Chinese on his own. They wanted to bid on some Chinese books we sold, but they missed the opportunity. Fortunately, there are many similar books, allowing them to choose books that interest their children.

During the process of engaging with sellers, it's easy to encounter differing opinions when it comes to downsizing or clearing items. Sometimes owners disagree with my assessment or valuation of their items. Maybe you discover that a piece of family heirloom jewelry you thought was valuable is not actually made of real gold; or that an heirloom vase is actually a replica from the 1950s; or a collection of autographs from sports stars turns out not to be genuine. Many elderly people are shocked to discover that their antique furniture or china is not as collectible as they thought.

But more often than not, family members have trouble reaching an agreement on the whereabouts of certain items; one wants to get rid of all the burdens, while the other wants to keep as much as possible for emergencies. There are also some unpleasant things that happen, such as one family member clearing out items that another family member considers valuable without first asking permission.

As an auctioneer, it is sometimes easy to be caught in the middle of such household chores. All you can do is provide professional advice based on research results and experience, and then respect their decision.

What challenges have you encountered? What to learn?

M: Whether it’s clearing out or downsizing, the emotional and planning challenge lies in deciding what to keep or let go. It can be especially difficult when one family member has to make these decisions for someone else. Many times children lament that their parents took away their favorite toys (often of little monetary value) or treasured card collections and gave them away or sold them cheaply while cleaning. Of course, some Pokémon or sports cards can be worth thousands of dollars, too.

It's really not easy to make an informed decision. How can the average person know the true value of these items? This is where a professional like me can be of great help. I can give a rough estimate of most items; thus determining which ones are worthy of further evaluation and which ones are just taking up space.

Turn old things into resources

How can you yourself become part of the resources of the Kingdom of God?

M: I was able to use my knowledge of auctions and antiques to make KRC more than just a “tent-making” ministry or just a way to raise funds for the organization. In fact, this is part of the ministry itself.

This work allows me to help other Christians when they need to organize the unused items they have. The way many people deal with this is by taking these items to large donation centers, and a large portion of them end up being thrown away as trash, with very little of the proceeds ending up being used in ministry.

KRC's direct participation in auctions and online sales allows us to find new homes for these items while also being able to put the majority of the proceeds directly into the ministry budget. The skills and resources God has given me can be used to help you transform unused items into new resources and inject new vitality into kingdom ministry. Isn’t this the best example of “the resources of the kingdom of God are for Christ”?

How can readers get involved?

M: You can join KRC’s in-kind donation in the following ways——

✽Donate items.Send us your old and unwanted items. Anything will do, please refer to KRCwebsiteA sample list of items, along with instructions on how to donate items. If you have any questions about donated items or procedures, please also contact me by email (matt@projectarctos.com).

✽Buy.Go to KRC’s eBay store to see what new items are on the shelves. You might find something interesting that’s perfect for giving as a gift or for personal use. The eBay store can be searched by item type or price as needed. Most items have a "best offer" option, which allows you to bid higher or lower than the bid price to purchase in a bidding-like manner.

✽Share.Share the KRC in-kind donation link with friends and family to encourage everyone to donate items or make purchases to support the ministry. You can also share your eBay store and let people subscribe and follow it, or donate a portion of their own eBay sales.

✽Host.If you have a lot of items that need to be cleared out, or know a friend who needs to be cleared out, KRC can assist with hosting a community auction at your home or church. I can help organize and set up the auction, sell items online, and then host a community pickup day (kind of like an online flea market). If you are interested in exploring this possibility, please contact me via email.

✽For Sale.Readers can donate part of the proceeds from items they sell on eBay directly to KRC. When you put an item on the page, you can choose to donate a percentage of the sales to a designated charity. Doing so will not only help fund KRC, but it will also get your item more attention on eBay as an item that supports the charity. For details on how to sell on eBay and donate to KRC, please contact me.

Respondents MATT REFFIE, the person in charge of community liaison and KRC in-kind donation of PROJECT ARCTOS, and a full-time staff member of KRC. GORDON-CONWELL Master of Church History from Theological Seminary, enjoys looking at contemporary issues in Christianity from a historical perspective. He also operates the professional website EPHEMERAFINDS.COM, which sells historical documents, photography and art.

Translator: Zhang Jun, a mother of three children, was born in science and engineering but is passionate about translation work. A former homeschooler, I fully expect God to lead me into a new journey in life!