Antiques by their very nature grow more valuable with each passing day.
But they won’t make you any money if you leave them just sitting there, forever. At some point, you want to sell it.
So where are the best places to sell your priceless antiques? What sites offer the best price, and visibility and will attract the best customers?
We’ve taken a close look at online sites, services, and real-life places – and our recommendations will help you sell for the best price, in the easiest, fastest way.
20 Best Places to Sell Antiques
1. eBay
eBay is one of the most popular websites of all time, and for many buyers and sellers, it’s the go-to auction site.
Hundreds of new listings are posted every day, ranging from a few dollars to thousands. Many antique dealers use eBay as a universal price guide for their private listings.
Vendors have two choices: sell for a fixed price, or list the antique as an open auction for potential customers to bid on.
2. Etsy
Although Etsy has a reputation for specializing in handmade arts and crafts, more and more people are deciding to sell their authentic, antique collectibles on the site.
One thing which Etsy has over competitors is an incredibly sleek, user-friendly design. Listings have lots of customizable options allowing you to stand out from the crowd. Listings are also easily discoverable on Google search engines.
Etsy does have special requirements for selling antiques on its site. These include providing supporting documentation that proves the antique is at least 20 years old.
With this level of protection for consumers, more people are deciding to buy and sell antiques on Etsy.
3. Abebooks
With millions of new, used and rare books, AbeBooks is your go-to destination for selling antique fine arts and books.
The site has a very user-friendly design, with a variety of tags and categories that makes selling directly to interested customers easy and pain-free.
The site covers everything from priceless first editions to best-sellers and signed copies. Every listing is detailed and verified and the site is available in over 50 countries and counting.
The site does require a small subscription fee of $25 per month – but if you’re in the business of selling antique books, there is no better site to consider.
4. Ruby Lane
Ruby Lane is a virtual store of antiques, where multiple storefronts populate several categories. Vendors can sell an unlimited number of valuable items, spanning fashion and poetry, to furniture and collectibles alike.
The site has rules and regulations when selling anything described as antique. These include:
- Posting high-quality photos,
- Detailed text descriptions.
- Verifying the item is a certain age with documentation.
Ruby Lane does have a monthly maintenance fee of $25 for shops. If you’re selling extensive antiques, you’ll be delighted to know that there is only a 9.9.% fee based on the total purchase order, capped at $250.
5. GoAntiques
Heralded as the most established antique site online, GoAntiques specializes in high-quality, rare antiques and vintage collectibles.
From ceramics and musical instruments to antique weaponry, toys, and artwork – if it’s old, it can be sold on GoAntiques.
There are three tiers to a seller’s account, starting from $24.99 per month for a basic package (up to 100 listings). The site does not charge commissions, making it very attractive for costly listings.
6. Heritage Auctions
As one of the most-visited auction sites worldwide, and with several record-setting sales, Heritage Auctions is as trustworthy as it can get.
The site’s design is tailor-made to promote bidding activity, and the site has a wide selection of auction venues around the world to display your wares in person.
Fees vary depending on the value of the goods. The higher the value, the lower the fee. For E.g. books less than $5,000 have a fee of 10%. Books between $25,000 and $99,999 have a 7% fee.
7. Tias
With over 700,000 monthly visits and counting, The Internet Antique Store (TIAS) is a popular auction site for buyers and sellers.
Integrated with both Google and eBay, auction listings will be seen by many more potential customers than on rival sites.
You can post an unlimited amount of listings, and while there is no setup fee, the site does have a $39.54 monthly fee. The site offers a 60-day free trial, allowing you to see the service for yourself before committing to anything.
8. Craigslist
With a posting fee of only a few dollars, Craigslist is a popular auction site for people wanting to sell quickly to customers living close by.
Many people like buying and selling on Craigslist because it is no-frills, direct, and to the point. There’s no requirement for verifying or validating your antiques, either. People sell directly to each other and organize collections.
There is no bidding system on Craigslist. You list a static price on their post, along with contact details and delivery options. The site is very user-friendly and has an effective search bar, where you can buy and sell by location, price range, and category.
9. Amazon
Virtually everyone from around the world has at some time visited Amazon. It is one of the most popular websites online – period.
One of the most popular antiques you’ll find on Amazon is books. There is a huge second-hand book market that is one of the cornerstones of the website. Many of these books can be rare editions and fetch a high price.
You have a lot of choices when it comes to seller plans on Amazon. Each offers great versatility, including a starter plan that charges just 99c per item sold.
10. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is quite similar to Craigslist in that it specializes in selling antiques quickly, and to people living close by.
Most antiques are furniture or kitchenware, though occasionally books, comic books, figurines, and pottery are posted.
Facebook has minimal charges for using Marketplace – a 5% selling fee, or a flat fee of 80c on items valued at $8 or less.
11. Bonanza
With the tagline ‘find everything but ordinary’, Bonanza is a popular, user-friendly auction site with lots of antiques across furniture, fashion, gaming, and art décor.
It’s easy to join, and setting up your storefront only takes a few minutes. Bonanza has a useful price comparison tool that compares your listing with similar items on Etsy, eBay, and Amazon.
Bonanza operates on an advertising referral rate – if a website sends a customer to your listing, they may receive a commission. You can opt to sell directly to customers with your referral link to avoid commission fees.
12. Ebid.net
With over 3 million listings worldwide, you can sell antiques online easily with Ebid.
You can post listings for free but will have to pay a 5% final value fee on any successful sales. Upgrade to a Seller Account for a once-off fee of $69.99 and enjoy a lifetime of zero listing fees and zero final value fees.
You can even import your eBay listings into the site for free, maximizing your discoverability across the internet.
13. Chairish
With over 600,000 sales and counting, Chairish is the go-to destination for buying and selling antique furniture, art, lighting, and outdoor decorations.
From vintage rugs to antique pitchers, old bookcases, and bed frames to patio furniture, everything on this site is high-quality and sells for a premium.
The site does have a higher commission rate than other sites, which ultimately depends on the value of your item. Items less than $2,500 have a 20% commission, for example.
14. AuctionZip.com
Used by over 25,000 professional auctioneers, AuctionZip comes highly recommended to both antique buyers and sellers.
With a hassle-free setup, you can begin selling antiques in under a minute. The site promises no hidden fees. The only charge is a standard $20 fee per listing.
And with thousands of new listings posted every week, AuctionZip’s audience is only getting larger and larger.
15. Sotheby’s
Founded in 1744, Sotheby’s is the go-to site for luxury items and antiques.
With over 600 auctions every year, this site will help you sell priceless works of art, expensive bottles of wine, watches, pottery, and more.
There are four main ways to sell on Sotheby’s; auctions, private sales, a buy-now system, and retail locations.
Simply tell the site about your item, upload documentation and specialists will review its value. Sotheby’s has a standard 10% commission on the hammer price.
16. Make a website
Worried about commission rates and advertisement fees? Are some sites just not producing results to your satisfaction? Sometimes, it pays more to continue online selling but cut out the middle man.
If you have the time, developing your antique website may net you more profit and control. You don’t need to be a coding wizard to start a website. Many hosts like WordPress, Bluehost, and Wix can have your site set up in mere minutes.
Extensions such as Shopify can also integrate Visa and Paypal payment methods to your site. You can even import your current amazon, eBay, and Etsy shops into your website for handiness.
You won’t have to pay monthly maintenance fees or commissions per sale. Instead, you can set prices and change them whenever you want to. Use your social media platform for exposure, and gradually develop a loyal customer base. You’ll soon turn a small hobby into a viable business.
17. Auction Houses
Many antique buyers prefer to examine pieces in person. Some like the spontaneity of visiting an auction house and seeing what’s for sale.
Auction houses are a great way to sell directly to collectors. Simply research houses in your area. Bring your item/s to them for an appraisal. If interested, they will host your item for sale.
Many auction houses have flexible commission rates and will take care of everything from storage, and delivery, to advertising and selling to customers.
18. Pawn Shops & Local Antique Shops
Pawn shops are a great way of selling an antique quickly.
Pawn shops accept everything and anything collectible – from figurines and pieces of vinyl to guns, musical instruments, and one-of-a-kind artworks.
Do bear in mind that Pawn Shops tend to offer lower prices for antiques than genuine collectors, as they want to maximize their profits at resale.
19. Yard Sales
Everyone has at one time or another had a yard sale. It’s a great way of clearing out clutter and making a small amount of money doing so!
Yard sales attract a lot of attention from antique hunters because sellers generally part with very valuable things for a bargain price. They have no idea of an antique’s true market value.
While not the most recommended way of selling antiques, because you generally won’t fetch as much money, yard sales can be useful if you advertise them correctly.
When organizing your yard sale, try to stick with a theme to attract dedicated collectors and not just a random passerby.
Also, try to appraise rare items you may be selling ahead of time. Label them clearly and stick to a base price – you don’t want to sell a priceless heirloom for pennies, after all!
20. Flea Markets
Flea markets are a good option if you have lots of similar items to sell.
Flea markets are similar to yard sales in that there are a lot of priceless items on sale for much lower than their market worth. But because they are more organized, prices can be set much higher.
Again, when selling antiques at your booth, it’s highly recommended that you research values on vintage items ahead of time! Don’t haggle or negotiate below this value.