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Selling Antiques
If you are thinking of selling an antique then read this page for our top tips and useful advice for selling antiques at an auction, antiques fair or car boot sale:
Selling at an auction
Before you sell your antique item at an auction you must first visit an auction house to get the collectable, antique furniture or antique jewellery valued. A valuation at an auction house is usually free, and as well as giving you a price, an antique valuer should be able to tell you more about your item. It is worth getting more than one valuation for each item, as they may be able to offer different pieces of information and even varying price estimates that may influence who you sell it with.
Once your antique has been valued, you might want to set a reserve price, that is a minimum price for which you are willing to sell the item and can be a good way to safeguard it if the auction is poorly attended. Once the price is set then you can book your antique item into an auction, but be prepared to wait for a specialist auction if you are selling a specialist antique.
Also worth noting here is the extra costs you may have to pay out, which include commission for the auction house, and catalogue charges for having your item illustrated in the auction catalogue.
Selling at an antiques fair
If you are thinking of selling just a couple of small items then why not head to an antiques fair and sell your products directly to a market trader there. You should choose a trader that sells similar antiques to yours and go early so you can approach the trader while the antiques fair is quiet.
Those of you with a larger quantity of antiques to sell should take their own stand at the antiques fair. Choose a local antiques fair, or a specialist fair if you have specialist equipment, and contact the fair’s organisers because you might have to be put on a waiting list for a stand. Most antiques fairs now expect sellers to pay a deposit for a stand so be prepared for this, and finally, once you get to the fair make sure you set up your stand away from other stalls selling similar products.
Selling at a car boot sale
Your first job for selling at a car boot sale is to find an event near you, and these are usually advertised in the local press. Once you’ve found a suitable car boot sale it’s time to go through all your old belongings and decide what to sell. The best thing about a car boot sale is that you can sell almost anything, including clothes, furniture, books, ornaments, and electrical goods.
Before you go to the event, use sticky labels to mark up your goods with a suitable price but don’t be surprised if potential buyers haggle for a lower price on the day. When you arrive at the car boot sale you will probably be asked to pay a small entry fee to take part, but then you can park up and put all your goods out on display for buyers to rummage through.
Finally, make sure you arrive early for the car boot sale so you can get a good spot and don’t forget to take a chair – it can be a long day if you have nowhere to sit during quieter periods.
