Trying to get this appraised!

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Long story short, my mom’s company used to safety-test toys and she brought home this prototype way back when. She no longer works for the company and I no longer speak to her, so I’m hoping I can get this appraised somehow. If there’s anywhere I can take it to get its authenticity verified, please let me know. (Hoping the image uploads correctly.)

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@dylan

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Based on other listings you’re probably looking at something between $200-400. It might also take some time to find the right buyer.

Maybe the “prototype” aspect would increase the value but I don’t know what really is the difference nor if there would be any demand for it.

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Thanks for answering! I saw those posts on eBay when researching but none of them were for the VGC or for the nationals. Would that make a difference? I couldn’t even find pictures of the glass-style trophies for the VGC.

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This might be helpful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFeJQgJDz5I

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It gives you an idea of the market. If you’re looking for a 1-to-1 comparison you are going to have a hard time.

They are from the same time period and the national will be slightly rarer. But ultimately the buyer pool will be the same and frankly it’s not that deep. Maybe the right person would pay $2000 but I just don’t know if that person exists

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Trophies are hard to sell. Any type of trophy that wasn’t officially awarded is likely impossible to 100% authenticate. If there’s no documentation, the best someone could do is compare it to other officially released trophies from around the same time, or maybe analyze the materials somehow and see if it lines up with similar items.

As far as price, comparable listings and sales are the best you’ll be able to do here. Even if you do have a 1-of-1 prototype trophy, keep in mind that there are only a few awarded copies too. It wouldn’t be that unique in comparison. People like the weirdness of prototype items, but also appreciate the history of awarded items. Unsure if this is something someone would pay a premium for. I don’t think it matters much if it’s TCG or VGC for something this unusual. The market for TCG branded stuff in general is generally going to be deeper though.

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