Tips For Sellers & Buyers

Not every panther is a Jacquelin. Not every panther is a Royal Haeger. Please use this guide to see if your panther lamp is actually a Jacquelin or a Haeger before buying or selling one advertised as so.

It is okay if you don't know who made the lamp. If you like the way it looks, then what does it matter if it is a Jacqueline or some other panther? Most of these lamps are of unknown provenance and not particularly valuable anyway, so pedigree is not as important as it may be with other collectible ceramics.

Underwriters Laboratories is not a manufacturer of lamps or anything else. Underwriters Laboratories is an electronics safety compliance organization. They set safety standards for wide variety of electronic devices from TV sets to electric razors to lamps. The sticker simply means that the product was tested and meets the requirements for safe operation and use. Who, when, or where the lamp was made cannot be gleaned from a UL label.

Please avoid using the word 'rare' in your title. There is an overabundance of rare panthers for sale every day. 'Rare' does not necessarily mean 'valuable' or 'desirable' as some would imply.

It is always a good idea to check other sold items before selling yours. You will be able to see how much they actually sell for and price yours competitively. You will also be able to see how common or uncommon your panther might actually be compared to the ones sold. A little research is beneficial to sellers and buyers alike.

If there is no cord, no light bulb socket, no base, and no place for the light bulb and mounting hardware, then it is not a lamp, it is a figurine.

Packing peanuts are not for protection! Use bubble wrap or foam to protect and cushion your lamp. Packing peanuts are meant to fill space to keep the item from banging around in the box. Peanuts offer as much support and protection to your item as they offer to your knees and elbows, which is to say - NONE.

If you have a number of people watching your listing for a month or more with no sales, then that could be a good indication that your item is priced too high. I am not alone in watching $300+ panthers on eBay - we are waiting to see if anyone is actually going to buy it, or waiting to see if the seller will figure it out and lower their price to something closer to market value.

The main message here is that it is important to do a little research. As with many other things, being knowledgeable about what you are selling or looking for can save you time, money, and effort. You don't need to become an expert, but it's good thing to learn enough to make sure you don't get fooled by sellers, or look like a fool to customers.

Good luck!