12 Best Places To Sell Antiques for the Most Money
Do you want to know the best places to sell antiques for the most money? People love buying antiques for many reasons, including the history behind the item, the sustainability factor, higher-quality items, finding something vintage, and the thrill of the treasure hunt (I love going to antique malls for this very reason!). Selling antiques…
Do you want to know the best places to sell antiques for the most money?
People love buying antiques for many reasons, including the history behind the item, the sustainability factor, higher-quality items, finding something vintage, and the thrill of the treasure hunt (I love going to antique malls for this very reason!).
Selling antiques can be a great way to make extra income and declutter.
In this article, you’ll learn:
Recommended reading: 27 Best Consignment Stores Near Me And Online
Below is a list of the best places to sell antiques.
EBay attracts customers from around the world on its site, which makes it easy to reach the exact people you want. People search on eBay all the time for antiques, and it’s usually a person’s first stop when searching for a specific antique (because everyone has heard of eBay and they are known for selling older items).
You also get buyer protection on eBay, which helps buyers confidently buy from you because they feel more safe. And since eBay is a global platform, they have a Global Shipping Program, making it easier to sell antiques internationally.
Etsy is a popular site for handmade goods but also for antiques!
Etsy has a large audience of vintage collectors looking for unique items. I did a quick search and there are currently over 5,000 different kinds of antique items for sale on Etsy, such as furniture, books, coins, toys, fabrics, dolls, and so much more. I look on Etsy all the time for antique items, and one thing I really like about the site is how nicely everything is shown to you – it’s very easy to browse.
Another nice thing about Etsy is that you can create a customized, branded Etsy shop and create attractive listings for new customers.
This is great because Etsy is a platform where people tend to be repeat customers, so having a shop can help you make money if you have a lot of antique items to sell.
My tips for being successful on Etsy include taking high-quality photos of the antiques (Etsy shoppers are all about nice-looking pictures!), writing detailed descriptions, having free shipping, and even promoting your shop on social media (for example, you could create an Instagram page where you share pictures of the antiques you sell).
Ruby Lane is an online marketplace for selling antiques, vintage items, art, jewelry, and collectibles.
You can open your own “virtual storefronts” to sell items, like with Etsy. Keep in mind, though, that Ruby Lane is selective about what antiques go on their site as they want to have a high level of quality and authenticity (no fake items on this site!). Their audience is people looking for high-quality antique items.
This platform is different from others since they don’t charge listing fees but instead charge a monthly subscription fee for selling on their site.
Bonanza is an online marketplace where you can sell all sorts of items, including antiques.
Their site is easy to use, making it really easy to create listings for antiques, which is especially helpful if you’re brand new to selling online.
Things to keep in mind include the small user base of Bonanza compared to Etsy and eBay (the site is not as well-known). Also, listing items on Bonanza is free, however, they have one-time account setup fees and other fees that depend on how much you sell, so that can add up fast.
Facebook is one of the most popular places to sell antiques due to the fact that pretty much everyone has an account, and there are no listing fees.
You can choose to ship nationwide on Facebook or sell locally, with both having their pros and cons. Selling locally has the benefit of no shipping costs, but you have to meet up with a stranger in person, which can go many ways.
There are also many niche Facebook groups specializing in antiques. Certain unique Facebook groups allow you to share your antiques. Each Facebook group has different rules, so follow the rules and be respectful.
You’ve probably been to an antique shop in your life – I’ve been to tons.
Antique shops and antique malls are usually filled with your targeted customers looking for antique items.
These people are interested in vintage, collectible, and unique items, so your chances of finding buyers for your items are usually higher than compared to other places. Antique shops also have owners who are knowledgeable in vintage and antiques, which can be helpful if you have questions about pricing, marketing, and selling your antiques.
With an antique shop, you may be renting a whole booth where you list many different antiques for sale, or you may be just trying to sell one item – it depends on what you have and what kind of antique shop you are trying to sell at. I have seen both options plenty of times over the years.
The downside of an antique shop is that they are usually filled with thousands (and sometimes hundreds of thousands) of things, so it can be hard to make sure your item is seen. There can be so much clutter sometimes in an antique shop!
Consignment shops are a great option if you’re looking for something low-risk and don’t want to handle sales.
Plus, there are all kinds of consignment shops that you may be able to sell your item through, and some are even targeted toward specific types of antiques. For example, you may find a consignment shop that only sells vintage furniture or another that only sells vintage toys.
Your items also get seen by targeted customers who are on the hunt for unique vintage items. Typically, the shop will have a good idea of what to price your items at.
Consignment shops take a percentage of the earnings as a commission, and sometimes this commission can be quite high, so it’s important to read the fine print beforehand.
Local flea markets are a good way to get your antiques seen by many different customers, such as collectors and casual shoppers (people who are just walking through a flea market to see if they like anything to buy).
Fees are usually low for selling at flea markets, making it an affordable way to sell antiques. A booth spot may cost around $100 (more or less, depending on where you live), credit card fees (if you decide to take credit cards), and the cost of the items you are selling.
But, the downside is that you usually won’t make a ton of money with your antique because many people who go to flea markets are browsers and may not know how much an item is worth. If you only have one or two items to sell, then a flea market probably won’t be your best way to sell antiques because the specific buyer you are looking for most likely won’t be there.
Antique fairs attract people who are serious about antiques, which increases the chances of your antiques selling. Since antique fairs bring people who are knowledgeable (or very interested) in antiques, you may be able to price your items higher than, say, a consignment shop.
These fairs tend to have a lot of foot traffic too, which is great because then you have a lot of targeted customers who you know are looking to buy an antique!
An auction house is usually a brick-and-mortar location that sells things, including antiques, art, collectibles, and more, all through a public bidding process. Antique dealers (also known as antique sellers) can consign their items at auction houses, and the auction house organizes the event, sets the date, and does the marketing.
Auction houses work by selling items to the highest bidder, and they may even specialize in providing appraisals and valuations so you better understand how much your antiques are worth. Auction houses typically take a commission of the sale price for doing the auction.
Estate sales are a type of sale where someone’s things, which may include antiques and collectibles, are sold to the public.
This could be due to significant life events like moving, downsizing, or even passing away. These are usually held at a person’s home and open to the public, which allows buyers to purchase items directly from the estate.
Estate sales have the purpose of selling items quickly, and items are likely marked at prices to sell. These sales are usually conducted by a professional estate company that takes care of everything from pricing and advertising to managing the event.
Pawn shops are an option for antique sellers who need quick cash on the spot, don’t want to deal with listing items online, or don’t want to work directly with customers. However, pawn shops need to make money, so they’re not going to offer you what you may get by selling the item yourself.
Some great tips to follow when selling antiques at pawn shops include not feeling pressured to take the first price they offer you. They are expecting you to negotiate and probably aren’t giving you their real final offer in the first offer. So, make sure that you do your research before going to the store, such as finding out what your item is worth.
Below are the most common questions about selling antiques.
The best way to sell antiques depends on your goals, such as how much money you want to make, how quickly you want to sell items, and whether you want to directly talk with people or not. EBay, Etsy, and Ruby Lane have a lot of potential customers, which is, of course, very nice. Places like flea markets require in-person interaction (you’ll have to talk to potential customers after all). Pawn shops may also be a good option, especially if you want to sell your antique fast and don’t want to make a listing or really do any work.
There are many great places to sell antiques online, such as Etsy, eBay, Ruby Lane, and Facebook Marketplace.
Amazon does have a section where you can sell antique items, but it’s usually not a good place to try to sell them, so I do not recommend this.
Yes, you can sell antiques at a garage or yard sale, but the price you get will most likely be much, much lower than what you would get from selling it online. People who shop at garage sales typically want the best deal possible, so you may be selling your items for a very low amount.
Antiques usually sell better on eBay if your items are rare, collectible, or appeal to a bigger market, whereas your antiques may sell better on Etsy if the items have a more vintage look.
To find out if your antiques are worth anything, check for brand names, dates, and signatures. You can use eBay’s sold listings, Etsy, and Google Image Search to find similar items and look at their prices. Visiting local antique stores can also be helpful, as dealers may give you quick but informal feedback. Asking people in antique forums on Reddit isn’t a bad idea either.
Some apps can help identify and value antiques, like WorthPoint and Google Lens.
WorthPoint has a huge collection of historical pricing data and auction results, but a subscription is required. Google Lens lets you take a photo of an item and its AI will try to identify it and find similar items online.
Kovels isn’t an app, but their website does have a price guide, identification, and an extensive antique database. Their site is best for general antiques.
Yes, Google can help identify antiques. The app uses visual recognition to analyze your image and find similar items online. They’ll pull up related products, historical references, and even listings (if there are any) to give you clues about the antique. Google doesn’t always give exact identifications, so you could be shown something completely different. Accuracy depends on the items. For example, a rare item may be harder to find in Google’s search results if there are few online references. It’s best to use Google Lens to give you clues, but do not use it and expect 100% accuracy.
I hope you enjoyed my article on the best places to sell antiques.
There are so many different kinds of antiques you can sell, such as vintage furniture, coins, clocks, paintings, books, ceramics, jewelry, collectibles, toys, musical instruments, clothing, silverware, and more.
And, there are tons of great places, both online and in person, to sell antiques. The place you choose depends on how much money you want to make and how quickly you want to sell it.
Are you interested in selling antiques? What do you have to sell?
Recommended reading:
Back Who We Are Our Purpose We ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better...
Earlier this month, Schechter Investment Advisors, a Birmingham, Mich.-based registered investment advisor with $4 billion in assets under management, announced...
This is Part 5 of the So You’re in Debt… Now What? series, and if you’ve been following along, we’ve...
