How Can I Sell Antiques

[Barb Frison]

Althoughintricacies the "selling" of are not often examined on television programs and antique related columns like this one, it is nevertheless, an action of equal importance. No purchase is ever made with out a sale being enacted on the other end. Obviously, the primary goal of selling is to fetch highest prices with minimum effort and worry. For important heirlooms, we'd also like to see them end up in the right home. Let me start off by stating what is more my personal opinion than provable fact: The 'noble" act of giving your priceless antiques to a museum so that everyone can share in their pleasure, doesn't always pan out like we intend. Many museum inventories are stored, not in the public domain, but down in vast cellars. Often precious heirlooms are "deaccessioned" or sold off by the benefactors to raise money for endeavors deemed more important to the curators and museums board members. Happens frequently.

Bottom line is, unless you can voice some control over how your antiques are to be displayed and maintained in the museum you wish to donate them to, consider not "be questing" them. Sell your stuff. Then, give the money to your kids or your favorite charity. Your heirlooms will likely find an even more deserving home in the end. In a way, our "human nature" could likewise be defined as our shared "common sense." Understand the first and employ the 2nd. Items that have been paid for are usually better accounted-for, right?

Want to know more about Antiques and Collectibles? Wayne Mattox's "Antique Talk" columns have appeared online and in newspapers for over 15 years. You can find a wealth of information, humor and research on the art of collecting.

You can sell antiques online from your own store built with a platform like Shopify, on third-party marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, on niche websites like Etsy and Bonanza, and on social media, and via wholesale.

To price antiques, total all of the costs associated with acquiring the item and bringing it to market, set your profit margin on top of those expenses, and list your prices. You can change prices over time to increase sales or profit margins.

Another similar offering, this site has over 30,000 antiques from more than 400 dealers available to buyers. Collectors can search by period, material and origin, meaning your antiques are more likely to be served to those looking for something specific. Again, there is an upfront cost, starting at 39.99 (+VAT) for up to 150 items.

One of the most established platforms for selling antiques online, eBay has both pros and cons for vendors. You can start an eBay store, letting you specialise in a certain type of product, but you will have to be very hands-on with the selling process, and dealing with shipping. The fees have jumped, too: from March 2023 you will pay 12.8% on the portion of the sale price up to 5,000, and 3% for the portion of the sale price above 5,000, plus a fixed charge of 30p per order.

Depending on how many years ago they may have retired and found other things to do. They may have diversified, or moved, to alternate platforms/venues. Their inventory may have been exhausted or they sold off all their collection. Difficult to to say but sellers, and buyers, come and go on eBay as well as other ecommerce venues all the time just like corporations and businesses. Sears, KMart, Block Buster..... used to be major retailers.

Ebay is not the go-to for cool stuff like antiques/vintage/collectibles anymore - better finds are either local or other venues (Ebay is basically a walmart / amazon wannabe now from what I'm seeing - mostly mainstream cheap mass produced stuff)

I do NOT have any personal experience with antiques, BUT, a few dealers with whom I have conversed on the subject, stated that younger folks had different interests. The profit no longer warranted their time and investment at auctions and sales at flea markets.

I used to do pretty good on my vintage and antique when I first started selling here about 3 yrs ago, but not as much lately, so now instead of strictly collectibles I have added a lot more different categories from new to old and handmade, even my victorian trade cards have slowed down too..

Back to yesterday. I entered "Notre Dame Yearbook" and then filtered by nearest. I never found my books listed. I decided to revise them. I took out the word 'University' and submitted the revision. I waited a while and then repeated my search. My listings popped up.

Antiques still do well. Not massive pieces, but smaller pieces. Here in the San Francisco Bay area, there are several flea markets that sell only antique and vintage items (Alameda and San Rafael French Market, for example). Those markets are packed with vendors and buyers. Few people have a house furnished totally with antiques these days, but use individual pieces here and there.

The cost of shipping has risen so much that shipping is a larger percentage of total sale price than it used to be, which makes it hard for buyers to get a good deal. And returns...it's a huge risk for sellers to sell heavy items and then have to pay return shipping if a buyer claims NAD.

There was a huge exodus of antique sellers to RL and other sites back in 2008. A new fee structure and other changes were the last straw for a lot of sellers, so a lot of sellers jumped ship. That's when I started selling on amazon and ended up having 10 times more items listed there than here. [Now, I prefer selling on eBay and am starting to wind down on Amazon.] Back then, one of the sellers I hated to see go was Bruce Hershenon. He had movie poster auctions that ended every Sunday night. He had a huge following. And the people bidding on his auctions were shopping on ebay while they waited for the auctions they were bidding on to end. Bruce tried to work something out with eBay, Bruce started his own auction site, which is still prospering today. (From wikipedia: "...In 2008, after selling approximately 330,000 vintage movie posters on eBay, Hershenson began selling exclusively on his own website, due to an objection with changes to eBay's rules and increases in their listing fees...."

ebay has been neglecting antiques for years...in my opinion, this neglect wasn't as serious years ago, when ebay had less competition. But in today's world, where ebay faces serious online AND offline competition in this category (and many others), ebay's insistence on marketing and focusing only certain Focus Categories (such as sneakers, designer handbags, luxury watches, etc) is an unsustainable strategy, but one ebay seems determined to follow to the bitter end.

Meg Whitman always said : "Sellers go where the buyers are" and , back then, online, that was ebay. Today, buyers are scattered all over many different sites (as well as in the B&M world), but Meg is still right: Sellers will go where they find the buyers.

In today's 'tap, tap, tap' on pictures on a tiny screen phone, where people do not read, anyone selling 'age character' pieces, which may be: large, heavy, time consuming to pack, etc., is at RISK... Any buyer can exercise the right to return any item, for any reason, on the seller's dime... The seller's investment in time, to source, clean, research, measure, photo, describe, pack, ship, plus, fees on item, postage, tax... negates most profit, or, a living wage, on so many things... Better to sell local if possible... Buyer inspects, likes, pays, handshake, done.

Have you ever come across a beautiful antique or a rare collectible and wondered how you could sell it for a fair price? The world of antiques and collectibles is vast and fascinating, but navigating the marketplace to find the right buyers can be a challenging endeavour.

The global online sales in the art and antiques market witnessed a roughly 7% increase in 2023 compared to the previous year. Despite the pandemic, the overall value of online transactions in the global art and antiques market continued to remain significantly higher than the pre-COVID figures, reaching around $11.8 billion in 2023.

Antiques and collectibles have the potential to hold significant value, particularly when they are rare, in-demand, or associated with historical significance. By selling antiques and collectibles, you have the opportunity to tap into this potential for high value, unlocking the monetary worth of your items.

Antiques and collectibles items offer a glimpse into the past, representing craftsmanship, aesthetics, and historical periods that are often not replicated in contemporary production. By selling these unique pieces, you enable collectors and enthusiasts to own a tangible connection to history, adding a sense of exclusivity and individuality to their collections.

The market for antiques and collectibles is characterised by a passionate and dedicated community of collectors and enthusiasts. These individuals are deeply invested in their areas of interest, seeking out specific items to enrich their collections. By engaging with this market, you have the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who appreciate and value the historical and cultural significance of these artefacts.

The world of antiques and collectibles encompasses a vast array of items, ranging from furniture, artwork, and jewellery to coins, stamps, and vintage toys. This diverse range ensures that there is a market for almost every type of item, catering to various interests and niches. Whether you specialise in a particular category or have a collection that spans different genres, the breadth of the market allows you to find buyers who appreciate the unique qualities of your offerings.

Selling antiques and collectibles aligns with principles of sustainability and environmental consciousness. By trading pre-owned items, you contribute to the reduction of waste and the promotion of a circular economy. The reutilization of antiques and collectibles reduces the need for new production, minimising the ecological footprint associated with manufacturing processes.

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