Just don't send a Beanie Baby to her in the mail. "We don't accept any objects," she cautions. Buyers can do their own due diligence without an appraisal; Verderame says it's best to start with ...

Here are some of the main pitfalls of investing in collectibles. Beanie Babies, small stuffed animals, set off a frenzy in the late 1990s, with some of the rarest selling for thousands of dollars.