3 Tips to Sell Antiques Online

Offer your antique for sale to the largest marketplace– the world–using an online auction or online classified listing. Think global since more bidders and page views means more money. For example, there are New York Yankees fans around the world who would want this Mickey Mantle card.

Mickey Mantle baseball card

1. Don’t Limit Options

I help people sell their stuff all the time online with my online appraisal reports. When clients first approach me, they tell me they want to sell, but then they list the methods and places they don’t want to use in order to sell. This is a big mistake and it limits your options. Another mistake is thinking your stuff is worthless. There is always a buyer out there and the internet can help you find them. Many times people don’t want to use eBay and Craigslist. Again, it’s the first thing they mention. Why exclude these two when they could get you the most money?

2. Set a Reserve Price

If you are selling Hummel figurines, costume jewelry, furniture, or any collectible for that matter at an online auction, you should set reserve prices. This means your antiques and collectibles do not get sold for an amount below what you set. Do you want this Hummel figurine to go for only three dollars when it’s worth three hundred dollars (yes, that is what people really pay) and you mistakenly sell twenty of them losing nearly six thousand dollars? When selling online, you can easily set the reserve price yourself. If selling items through a brick and mortar auction house, you’ll need to make sure that your agreement with the auction house allows you to set reserve prices. Some allow it and others don’t. Read my three auction selling tips for more details.

3. Be Social and Share

School chair

Don’t know where to start selling? Once you have determined the value people pay for your antique or collectible, post a picture of it on your social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. I have options to help you determine values depending on your situation. You probably post everything else on social media, why not what you want to sell? Let your friends do the work for you as they spread the word. Post a video of you holding the collectible describing it and how much you want for it. A friend of a friend of a friend just might want your valuable antique china dolls because it reminds them of their childhood. At the same time, post that doll on Etsy, Craigslist, eBay, Ruby Lane, TIAS, etc. In other words, post it everywhere.

Got questions about selling online? Email me or connect on one of my social media channels. People are buying online every day. Why aren’t you selling your antiques and collectibles to them?

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