Sell or keep these antiques?

Today’s installment on Selling your Antiques and Collectibles is the final part of my guide to selling your antiques. This examines if you should sell now or if it is worth keeping for the future. Reasons to hang on to or sell your antiques ( other than you love them) could include:

1. - financial investment
2. - Sentimental reasons
3. - Space considerations

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Firstly let me say that actual fraud when selling your antiques is relatively rare, what you most need to protect yourself from is getting a too low a price.

I remember in the 1970s being horrified to hear how my elderly grandparents had sold a wonderful Victorian jardiniere on stand and a piano to someone who called at the door offering to by stuff ( called knockers). I think they were given about £10 for the pair, even back in the 1970s this must have been a rip off. So tip number one is: 

• Know approximately what your item is worth before trying to sell it. A little research goes a long way ( try ebay, your local auction house , an antiques price guide or asking several dealers.)

So you decide to sell through a real life auction. You can still be in danger for letting your item go for below market value. If its worth more than a few pounds I would discuss a reserve ( or minimum selling price) with the auctioneer.

Tip number two:

• Sell to someone reputable .  Decent auction houses and dealers depend quite a lot on reputation and word of mouth. Ask around locally

Tip Three: Protecting yourself when selling on eBay:

If selling through eBay you can protect yourself by ensuring that you post out your item by recorded delivery ( under £30) or special delivery for over that amount. This way the buyer cannot get away with claiming that they have not received your parcel when they really have. Another point on eBay, if you are allowing a large piece of furniture or similar to be collected either: accept cash on collection, get a cleared cheque in advance of collection or if they pay via paypal ensure they sign a receipt for your piece.

The next part of my little series on selling your antiques and collectables is quite interesting – what percentage of the items value should you expect to take when selling it?

Here is the fifth part of AntiquesAvenue’s guide to selling your antiques and collectables. I have already discussed the main routes open to someone just wanting to sell – to a dealer, via auction and on ebay. Perhaps here are a few more that you may not have though about:

- Your local paper:

• Suitable for furniture but only use this option if you are happy with purchasers visiting your home
• . This would be a less suitable option for collectors items where you would want to reach a wider audience

- Through a collectors club or website

• Check out the internet. Is there a collectors club dedicated to your antique or collectible? There are clubs for all sorts of things and even more collectors websites and forums.

- At an Antiques fair

• Do you have a local antiques fair and a lot of stuff to sell? Selling at a fair can be   but if your prices are right you could sell a lot. Of course you need to know how much your items are worth first and you could well end up taking most back home. Stalls can be had a smaller fairs from about £30. Have a think about it – I may well write a complete “How to” guide on selling at antiques fairs soon.

-Through a television program

• This is one option I admit to not having tried myself. Just have a few things to sell and fancy your few minutes of fame . Look in your Tv guide, watch the programs and select one you fancy. The contact details should be at the end of the programme – most will have a web address at least.

- Car Boot Sale

• My least favourite venue for selling antiques although you can sell a lot of cheap pieces such as common china or glassware. If you take along real antiques they sell well but dont expect much for them . Car Boots can be nasty cold places to sell at – only go if the weather is fine as the buyers dont turn out in any great number in the cold and the rain.  Please have someone check through your antiques first to ensure you do not have anything valuable which should be sold for more than a couple of pounds.

This part of my guide to selling your antiques and collectables discusses how to sell them to a dealer . There are several reasons why you would choose to sell to a dealer for example: You may be able to get the money quickly and a specialist dealer might offer more than you can easily get else where. My tips are: Read More→