How does one determine the value of any given item, without spending hours doing so?

I have a lot of unique things that I'd like to sell, but determining the value is difficult to do. Finding like items takes too much time for some things, and impossible for others! If 'Joe Blow' has the only other like item, how do I know he/she hasn't asked too little or too much? I would like to sell things on E-Bay, but the time I spend trying to find the value of stuff seems too much? Are there guidelines for this kind of thing, or am I left with paying for things to be appraised?How does one determine the value of any given item, without spending hours doing so?
It depends on what these items are.





Take for example, vintage postcards. There are books called price guides that provide value of various types and topic of postcards. A postcard buyer and seller can peruse that book to check or get some indication of the value of the item





I know there are price guides for antiques (see Kovel's books), furniture, coins, stamps and other collectibles. But it will entail RESEARCH





But if you want to get a more solid evaluation, you should have the item appraisedHow does one determine the value of any given item, without spending hours doing so?
In my opinion, the value of an item is simply what someone is willing to pay for it. Try looking for your items on eBay, and see what they're going for. Otherwise, you can search the internet, or get appraisals, but appraisals cost money, so I would search.





If you have antiques, or fine jewelry, I would go for the appraisal, because you can include that amount in your selling description.





You could also try going to a pawn shop or antique store and asking how much they would sell the item for. I brought a set of rings to a pawn shop once and they told me how much they would buy them for, how much they would sell them for, and also how much an appraiser would value them at, and all that was free!!