Value of Car company Stock Certificates

[Dan Marx]

Is there a reference for the value of those past margue Auto Company Stock certificates. I am going to look at a trove of these that have been stored for 50+ years. How would I put a value on them? Quanity and price are unknown at this time. It appears I am going to have to dig them out of a very significant trove of paper collectables.

Thanks

Dan

[Bill Harmatuk]

I would say that the more decorative, the more valuable.

I would personally like a couple of 1930 era Chrysler, Packard, Cadillac, Desoto.

They would be nice to put in a frame.

Bill Harmatuk

chryslercj6@gmail.com

[Dave@Moon]

There are value guides to old stock certificates, including one out of print book specifically for automotive stocks. Try to find a copy of this book: Amazon.com: American automotive stock certificates: A collectors' guide with values (9780931960574): Lawrence Falater: Books

A little less helpful would be this web site: Automobile. You might be able to get some information from them.

[Rusty_OToole]

The hobby of collecting old stock certificates is called Scripophily. A search may turn up some sites that can give an idea of value.

It is possible some of the shares have value as stock. Companies have a way of merging and being bought out, changing their names over the years. If these certificates represent some old timer's portfolio, and the stocks are still in his or her name, the heirs may be in for a pleasant surprise.

[R W Burgess]

My daughter works at a stock brokerage firm as a techy. I tried to see about buying some old GM bankrupt stocks. Evidently, they don't even use them anymore??

As Bill said above. I would have liked to have a couple to frame.

Wayne

[Jolly_John]

Have you been tracking eBay auction results for old auto company stock certificates? I find that current sale results in the "real world" are usually a better indicator of worth, than many of the specialized item price guides. The same seems to hold true for dealers in scripophily. I see what seem to be high asking prices on their sites....measureably higher than eBay sale prices for identical certificates.

To give an illustration: the collector price guides of the last few years that track auto dealership factory promos (the little model cars dealers used to give away) values are generally still showing prices that are way too high, when compared to actual promo sales on eBay and at swap meets and shows. This makes the hobby person feel good about the "value" of his/her collection...but, isn't a true reflection of what the items should be priced at in order to actually sell them. John