Antique Appraisers Offer Insider Tips for Selling Your Treasures The average homeowner has about $2,000.00 worth of undiscovered antiques & collectibles hiding somewhere in their house.
Knowing what you have and how to sell
it can make you a few quick bucks.
Certified Appraisers Leon Castner and Brian Kathenes, hosts of the Public Radio’s “Value This! With Brian and Leon,” offer seven hot tips for selling your antiques and collectibles.
“The average homeowner has about $2,000.00 worth of undiscovered antiques and collectible hiding somewhere in the house,” explains Kathenes. “Folks just need to know what they have and how to best sell it.”
Here are Brian and Leon’s seven tips to selling your ‘stuff.”
• Sell it yourself. Place ads in the local classifieds. Post little notices on the supermarket bulletin board. This might be good for a car or boat, but not for antiques, collectibles, or little items.
• Sell it on the Internet. It’s probably best to use eBay, although there are other sites. Set up an account (they’ll explain how it’s done); decide on options -- like how payment is to be received, shipping charges, packaging, etc. Take some good photographs and write a good description of the item. Decide length of time, starting bid, and whether you want a reserve (minimum).
• Sell through an auctioneer. Some good choices are your local auction house. Try Sotheby’s or Christie’s, but only for your very high-end items. Consider regional auction houses too. Many local auctions are just as good as the “big boys.” Check out their reputation in the community. You must talk to their representatives, send a photograph, or show them the item in person, and sign a contract. You may have to wait a while for the auction to take place and to receive payment. This is the best way to sell if you have time and it fits a certain auction. You must pay a consignment fee (usually a percentage of what the item brings at auction). Local auctioneers are quick and efficient, but not always the most knowledgeable. Don’t discount them, however.
• Sell to a dealer. Go to various shops in town and ask if they “buy.” Take photos of your items with you to show them. If they are interested, come back with the items. Negotiate a deal. Expect to get 50% of full value (less if the dealer is savvy).
• Ask someone else to sell it for you. Pay them a small percentage or fee and have them take care of it. Know what’s involved right up front. They might “broker” the item, show different collectors, put it on the Internet, or act as your agent in contacting auction houses.
• Have a garage or yard sale. (Hard to do with only a few pieces.) This is not advisable for specialized items. You’ll put too low of a price on the item and someone will “steal” it…Or, you’ll put too high of a price and no one will look at it. Garage sales work real well if you have a lot of ‘stuff’ (low end) and a lot of time. It gives you the enjoyment of selling your own items and interacting with the public. It may even help you start a
