If you love interior decorating, then you probably love changing things out in your home quite often. To finance these changes it’s always good if we can sell the things we are replacing. So the question becomes, how do you sell your stuff?
Firstly, if you suspect that you have something of rare value, and by that I mean museum quality, really worth a lot of money and hard to come by, then I highly recommend you hire an appraiser. These items should be treated very differently. You want a professional to assess their value. If you ask an antique store owner for his opinion, well that is fraught with trouble. The person is probably not an expert on determining the value of your item, although he will know what it would sell for in his shop. If his buyers do not perceive the value of your item, then it could be a $10,000 chair that he sells for $500. The appraiser will probably have some idea of where you should sell your item as well. The antique store owner is someone who has much to gain by convincing you that your item is worth little, so he can buy it low, and sell it for a large profit. I think most antique dealers are quite reputable, but in this case, you are asking him to put your interests ahead of his own, and that just is not conducive to the best answer. Now for the rest of your items. you probably do not need an appraiser.
Next, we need to discuss wholesale versus retail value. If you bought a table for let’s say $1,000 at a store, that is the retail price you paid. If you are now in a situation where you are selling it, you are probably not going to be able to sell that item for retail. The best you can hope for is typically a wholesale price or less, not a retail price. Even if you turn around and sell it the day after you buy it, you will probably not command the $1,000. You have ‘driven the new car off the lot’. Why would someone go through the hassle of finding your item and coming to your home when they can just buy it from the store for the same price? And if a store is buying it from you, they need to pay half of what they want to sell it for. So if you paid retail, you can expect that you will not sell it for more than wholesale, which is typically half of retail.
So if you want to sell your item for a high percentage of what you paid for it, you need to buy it for the lowest price possible. Typically if you sell your item to a shop owner, you won’t even get wholesale pricing for your item, because the store will pay you less than they will pay the manufacturer for the item, even if it is in pristine condition. It is now ‘used’ and has lost it’s ‘new car smell.’
So what are your options? Here is a list of places you can sell your items.
- Local auctions (consignment)
- Consignment stores
- Thrift stores (that offer consignment services)
- Antique dealers
- Craigslist
- EBay
- Garage sales
Now I like to go with the option that requires the least work on my part for the highest return. So garage sales are out for me, too much work, and they attract serious bargain hunters who are rarely willing to pay what I think the item is worth. Antique dealers have incentive to buy your items for the lowest price, as I stated earlier, so I don’t usually sell to them either. I usually sell my items at consignment stores. They are easy to work with. Typically you send them a photo of your item with a condition report, then they will tell you if they will accept it or not. When your item is approved, you will be responsible for getting it to the store. You can transport it yourself, or pay for a service to deliver it for you. (I have never worked with a store that had free pick up.) Then once they receive it, they price it and put it on the floor. If your item needs work, they will probably not accept it. It needs to be ready to go. Once it sells, they typically pay you half of what they sell it for. I like the arrangement because we are working together. The more the item sells for, the more we both make.
The downside is that you do not get paid until your item sells, and they are taking a percentage. Often checks are cut the month after the item sells. And although some places will just mail you a check, most require you to come get it. The benefit is that strangers are not coming in your home to look at the item, like they do on Craigslist. It is easier because you are not fielding phone calls like Craigslist so it is a lot less hassle. This really is my preferred way to sell items. Of course, if it is not a popular item, it can take months to sell. And with most consignment stores, the longer it is in the store, the more they mark it down. So once you sign the paperwork you are allowing them to set the price and to discount it over time if it does not sell.
Craigslist is another option I like to use. In my area, this is the way to get top dollar because you are not paying a middleman. But there are safety issues to deal with. If you don’t want strangers coming in your home, you might want to meet buyers in a public place. Also I only accept cash, so I don’t have to deal with bad checks. Using Craigslist allows you to set the price, which is the good news and also the bad news, too high and it won’t sell, too low and you lose money.
Although I have bought a lot on EBay, I have not sold anything there. Unlike Craigslist, they have a fee for selling, but you do get some added value and protections with EBay that you don’t with Craigslist. EBay is probably a great source for selling, but it has a few more hurdles than Craigslist, and I just didn’t have the time to deal with those. I certainly would consider them, because your item will be exposed to a broad audience. But keep in mind that most buyers are looking for a seller with lots of positive feedback, so if you don’t have any, a lot of buyers will not even consider buying from you.
To summarize, if you want top dollar with no middleman, Craigslist is probably the best option.
If you want the top dollar with the least hassle, then you can do what I do and use a consignment store.
Where do you find consignment shops in your area? Yelp and Google
I would love to hear where you sell your items!!
Thanks for sharing that great information! One other option that has popped up around here are local groups with pages on fb. In our area it is called Salado Buy, Sell, Trade, and Advertise. You do the posting and it is free. I just sold some furniture last week and it was quick and easy.
Last year after a family member passed and we liquidated her estate and I sold a ton of stuff on eBay; Limoges china plates, unique china charges, French crystal figurines. crystal vases. I would have never been able to sell them at that high dollar otherwise. The time consuming part was doing the research to understand what the treasure was worth and price it right, not to mention the packing and shipping. It is always best to set up as an auction as people love “winning” the item. It was a good experience, though too difficult to do for furniture. We were able to net a handsome return on our efforts!
Excellent points.I think EBay is a great place to sell. The downside is what you said, it is time consuming.
How did you find out what their value was? I have several antique items but have no idea their worth.
Hi, thanks for sharing how to sell your things. I have used a local furniture consignment shop. The last piece I sold, a huge bookshelf system weighing 800 pounds, was gone in less than an hour of arriving at the shop. I pocketed $1700 and to think I was going to put it out at the curb….
Wow, Christine, that is a fabulous story!!!
Actually I’m in this position right now, downsizing but I don’t want to give things away so it was great to see the list & breakdown of the pros & cons. I’ve used yard sales which people want something for nothing, antique shops & consignment which can take forever but a little wary of Craig’s list, eBay seems a lot easier for small items not furniture. Thank you!
I hope all goes well with your sales Judie.
Anita, this is the very best article I have read about selling your items. I used to sell in an antique market & used to have lots of people asking me this question. It was always hard for them to understand why they could not sell their item and get the same amount they paid for it or more. This explains it very clearly. Thanks for the article!
I sell all my furniture that I paint and redo on craigslist and sell quite quickly—like you I can not do ebay too many hassles—-and I don’t do facebook — so love consignment also…..thanks for pointers…
I’ve had great lucky in selling items to friends that are also into redecorating their homes as I do. I’ll send out a group email and put a pic of the item and description, along with the price. Items are usually gone within hours.
Great idea Jane!!
In my local area there are various Facebook pages for vintage items, furniture and a garage sale page… they are all very useful for buying and selling as well.
The plus is you can ‘see’ someone, and often find if they have friends/acquaintances in common, or otherwise do a little check on them re: transactions, which you can’t do on Craigslist.
Ang good points!!
Very interesting and spot on. Around here (Birmingham, AL) Craigslist is the absolute pits. (Think a graveyard where all the old laminate crap has gone to die.) The best bet seems to be a private invitation only sale, after the consignment option. Only problem with consignment: the good ones are so picky about what they take, they take forever to pay, and sometimes you never get paid. They just wind up donating it when you could have taken the tax deduction yourself. The private sale is a great idea if you know people who might be interested. Another route some take is the booth in a flea market, but there are issues with that, too. Usually I just give it away.
Excellent points Ellen.
so many beautiful pieces in your home! Especially those doors to your office <3
xo Ashley
pennypickedrevival.com
Loved this article Anita. Thanks for sharing! We are getting ready to downsize as well and I know I’ll want to sell some fabulous furniture. I wanted to know my best options, so this was perfect timing. Has anyone done VARAGE SALES online?
Great article. There are businesses that will sell your items on eBay for you. They do all the listing, packing and shipping. In my area of Seattle they charge about 35% and have a minimum of 10.00, so the item needs to be higher value to make it worth your while. You can find them on Craigslist or Google.
There used to be one near me, but then they closed up the business.
In central TX it is Furniture Brokers. There are three locations.
Personally, I don’t mind garage sales, and I have learned with time to ask the price I really want, and have the option to haggle with a buyer, although I usually get my price! Items need to be “clean” and “pristine.” Asking the neighbors to join in, to make it a neighborhood “event” usually draws a bigger crowd. We get the guys to sell brats and hot dogs, the kids to sell pop and cookies, then have “bragging rights” over who sold for the most profit. The community is now “looking forward” to our next sale.
Sounds like fun Deb.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This article couldn’t have landed in my inbox at a better time. Although I have just started my hobby within the past year, I have accumulated quite a lot of stuff; not all of it finished yet, I might add.
My husband is at his wit’s end with the “clutter” (he thinks I’ve become a hoarder… hah) Even though I work full time, I am proud of the rate I’m able to crank my projects out. Still, it’s not as fast as I find great deals on Craigslist.
I have an etsy shop, where I list all my finished projects. Everything is also listed on Craigslist, however because I need to clear things out. I’ve been able to get decent return on several items when I was willing to hold out. Still, I let things go for less than I know I could be getting for them.
What would you suggest is the best way to find consignment and/or thrift stores in my area who are willing to accept vintage items? I see a fair number of high end consignment shops that will only take furniture 10 years old or newer. That eliminates a huge market of used furniture.
I have my very first Etsy sale that needs to be shipped to Los Angeles and I’m exploring the use of Greyhound Shipping. Do you or any of the readers here have feedback they’d like to share on shipping?
Thanks so much!
Honestly I would just google consignment stores followed by the name of your town or area. There may even be a directory of resale shops in your area, but I wouldn’t know what it would be for your area. Here they have a site called resalehouston.com
I have used a local consignment shop and they will pick up furniture for no charge! The shop owner and I together agree on asking price. Their take is 50% but there are others in town that take 60%! After a full month, the price is reduced 25% and the following month, the price is reduced to 50% of original price. Timing is important. If I took something now, the price would be reduced on April 1. If I take something on March 10, the price would be reduced May 1. So by timing correctly, you can get more time on sales floor before reductions.
I’ve also bought things there. If the consignor and consignee don’t know the value, there are some tremendous bargains! I bought a $600 plus valued print that was about $40 and it was framed. The value was without framing!
I won’t let Craig’s List buyers in my home so I have put antiques on our truck and met the buyer in the parking lot at the police department. Accept cash only. If the item doesn’t sell, I can leave it on the truck (small) in the garage until next inquiry.
I’m going to try a facebook post and see how that goes. I will have only people I know or someone a friend or acquaintance knows that way. I can always meet at the police department again!
Thanks for the good article!
Sue, that is amazing that your consignment store has free pick-up! Wish the ones here did. Thanks for sharing your expertise here.
I have a considerable number of items to sell, some good some not so demanding, those were going to go into a garage sale, however as you have stated garage sales are not easy to do and so at the moment everything is sitting in storage and cupboards. This post is a gentle reminder to me to get some of these things photographed and onto Trademe, which is a New Zealand version where you can sell and buy, similar to Ebay.
Definitely depends on where you live if you are trying to sell via consignment/Craigslist..etc. In my particular area of So FL it’s hard to sell vintage/antiques, no one seems to want and many (like me) are downsizing collections.
I’ve been a seller of vintage on-line for a long time and did Ebay back in the day. It’s hard to get top dollar for most items these days I find, most folks are used to a bargain mentality unfortunately.
Thankfully I have loyal customers and the rest I donate as a tax write off.
Great topic!
Anita,
Downsizing and the local Habitat Thrift shop is thriving. I frequent their Thrift shop and make many purchases there as I learn to Chalk Paint and prepare for my new smaller home. Special items go to a consignment shop.
Good article and good ideas from some responses.
Irene
Great tips my friend. We don’t have consignment stores in our area. So I usually end up donating and using the write off at the end of the year ( taxes). But I do have some nice pieces that I know would do well if sold in the right market so I have them stored for now. Hugs!
Beware of auctions, especially in small towns and rural communities. I was forced to sell some things recently, including two really nice bookcases with deep adjustable shelves, lights and nice trim and got $3 each for them. I was sick since I really wanted them but couldn’t accommodate them in my rental truck.
Oh that is sade Teddee. Well anytime someone else is sellling your stuff that can happen even at consignment stores.
I have a question regarding those statues that look like metal that you have in a photo at the
top of your blog. Can you give me any information on them. I have a similar one from Mother-
in-Law’s home. She is oriental looking and about six inches tall. I love antiques and interesting
pieces. Thank you for your time.
Debbie, I found those at an antique store and they are from France. I don’t have any more information about them.
Anita and Debbie,
I also have 2 statues like the ones in Anita’s picture. Would love to know if you find any more info on them!!
Great idea. I have been working on some painted furniture that I will be selling soon. Thanks so much for the help! ~ Cheyenne
That’s really great guides that everyone can benefit from it.