Selling YOUR Antiques

 Consignment Sales / Broker / Outright Purchase

I am a full time antique dealer and personal property appraiser. My full time job is dealing in and selling antiques and estates. Our website is very visible on the internet. You found us and so do 100s of other visitors each day. 
We have sold a lot of good merchandise for consignors during the 17 plus years we have been in the antique business. We are not weekend warriors or part time hacks who dabble in it to supplement their income.  If you have something good to sell we can help you sell it, your whole collection of antiques or your entire estate. 
We sell antiques and collections of antiques in three ways: 

1.  Consignment sales for sellers of antiques and collections

With this option the typical adversarial conflict between antique sellers and buyers is not a factor.  We work with you, the seller to find the right buyer at an agreed upon price.  We are working together to each other's benefit to maximize the return for both parties. 

A consigner / seller's antiques will be researched, photographed, listed for sale, marketed, and sold from the sales pages of this site http://jrantiquesandgifts.com for a reasonable commission.  Or, after consultation and agreement on a price, we will sell your items to a collector within our network of buyers on a commission or fee basis.
This approach has many benefits with one major drawback, time.  The seller must take this into serious consideration.  On the upside the consignor has some control of the price that his antique is offered for sale. The consignor can realize a larger profit upon sale than through an outright sale to most antique dealers or through auction.  The downside is the consignor may have to wait for a sale and receives no payment until the sale is fully consummated. 

By selling your antique(s) on consignment we are able to work with you having minimal financial risk and minimal carrying costs.  We invest our time, expertise, labor and knowledge and this venue to provide the best sales and marketing service to facilitate a sale, and only upon sale do we collect the agreed upon percentage.  A Win-Win situation for all parties involved.

We are most agreeable to this option for upper end, out of the ordinary or exceptional antiques, and for entire collections and estates. 

Consignment sales are generally not a feasible option for insignificant and lower end items. For example, 20% of a $20 item listed for sale would never be worthwhile at $4.00 commission in my pocket.  Even 20% of a $50.00 antique @ $10.00 is barely worth the effort unless part of a larger package.  Think about it.

2. Broker / Consultations / and Auctions

Another option that may be attractive to you is to utilize internet auction sites such as eBay on a commission basis. This approach works best if your type of antique is currently selling well there, and / or you want a quick sale.  For a reasonable commission your item(s) will be properly presented, well photographed, and accurately described to enhance the chances for a higher auction result. We have over 500 positive feedbacks there and understand the system. 
eBay fees generally amount to 18-20 % or so depending on the listing format used, reserves, featured item, and so forth, and we still charge our standard fee in most circumstances.
We will also consult with, and advise potential sellers on the best alternative auction houses should the seller want to go that route and not use eBay. Many unique auction services exist for special items such as silver, toys, signatures, etc. In general this approach is used for very special items and in special circumstances. Great pieces do great in the right auction. General line auctions usually sell at or below wholesale with the principal buyers being dealers, who will invest the time to spruce up an item for ultimate markup and resale. The general line auction is good only if liquidation is the goal.

3. Outright purchase of your antique(s)

This is the simplest, cleanest, most often used method to sell or acquire antiques if the seller knows what he wants for his antique.  This approach insures that the seller is paid immediately exactly what he wants.  The seller has no concerns with future marketing, repairs, discounts, theft, loss, bad checks, rip-offs, returns or other problems with the end buyers.  
Simply agree on a price, collect your money, and you are done.  Clean and simple? 

The main obstacles are agreeing on a price and the adversarial position most sellers create saying they have no idea what they want for their antique when in fact they do.  Typical buyers of antiques create their own problems with their approach to this aspect of continually asking “what do you want for it” and never making fair offers. It can be exhausting for both parties.

The reality of how prices are arrived at by buyers is based on some simple truths:

1. Secondary market retail is what you would pay to purchase the same item from a professional antique dealer. This is not an Antique Road Show price. The price affords the seller a reasonable return on his investment. The dealers cost is the cost of the item, the cost of store rental, the cost to process a sale, the cost of advertising, the cost of repair, and the cost of carrying the item (inventory tax), the cost of bookkeeping and more.
   
2. Auction prices are in two categories and are usually 30% to 50% below retail:
   
   
1. Specialty auctions which are usually seller friendly, realize high returns because they attract quality buyers who trust the auction to authenticate the originality and quality of the item being sold.
2. General line auctions which are usually buyer friendly, realize lower returns because they attract dealers and individuals that are looking to score a fantastic deal. These auctions do not research, validate the origin or assure the quality of the items sold.

Auctions charge the seller 20% or more for selling the item. The seller is responsible for delivering the item to the auction house. Settlement of monies is from a few days to a month or more depending on the auction house terms.

3.  Antique dealers usually pay less than auction prices because they may have to hold your antique for many months or years before being able to find the correct buyer. If they hold it longer than what they deem reasonable, they must recover their cost through a general line auction.             
Our Fees
Fees vary depending on the value, quality and quantity of items to be considered for consignment / sale.