How to Sell Your Antique Treasures Online to Make a TON of Money, According to Experts
4 min readIf you love vintage and antique treasures, you likely have them displayed all around your home. But sometimes, you acquire antiques that can go on to live a second life with someone else, whether you’ve thrifted them, inherited them, or simply want to swap out your own antiques to make way for new pieces.
You might find in the process that you have some antiques that are worth quite a bit of money (thanks, Google Lens!). Now that you know that you have valuable antiques, what’s the best way to cash in by selling them online?
“Once you’ve determined you have a collection of valuable antiques, the first step is deciding how much time you want to invest in turning that collection into cash,” says preservationist, decorator, and founder of Mississippi Maximalism, Jennifer Burt.
Although going online and selling these pieces is often worthwhile, if it’s something that’s “super valuable,” as Virginia Chamlee, author of Big Thrift Energy and the Substack newsletter What’s Left, puts it, you could turn to an auction house to sell it on your behalf, like Sotheby’s and Bonham’s.
When selling online, Sophia deDomenico, founder and principal designer at Et Sal Interiors, says that it really comes down to placing your items in front of the correct audiences. Ahead, we’ll share top tips from these experts and discover how to appeal to the right collectors through popular reseller sites.
Research Your Finds
“First, invest time to research what you are selling,” Burt says. “Identify the maker, the style, the era of creation, and the construction details that make the piece unique. All of these factors can change both pricing and the platform where a piece will perform best.”
Think About Presentation
Your photos are everything when it comes to selling antique treasures online. For Burt, she goes with her tried-and-true approach of taking two styles of photographs: ones that show off a “layered and styled setting” that reflects how they might look in a home, and ones that are straightforward and well-lit against a neutral background.
You’ll also want to be honest about the item’s condition and use photos to zoom in on details or disclose any flaws.
Make the Title Searchable
Chamlee recommends using highly-searchable titles for your items, adding that you should include the era, material, the brand/designer, and style. For instance, this would be something like “1970s burlwood campaign cabinet” and not “vintage cabinet.”
Write Detailed Descriptions
Burt emphasizes the importance of writing descriptions that go beyond measurements. “Strong listings also communicate what makes a piece special, whether that’s a history of the maker, the life the antique has already had, or how it could be used in a new way today,” she says. “You’re helping the buyer imagine it in their space.”
Chamlee says that you’ll want to include dimensions, condition, materials, and any markings, whether that’s a maker’s stamp on the underside of a table, or a dent in a chair leg. “Answer every likely question up front to avoid friction,” she adds.
Be Strategic with Pricing
deDomenico says, “Strategic pricing always wins. Strategize your pricing by reverse engineering what similar items have sold for in the past. If you want to sell quickly, be realistic with what the market is trading the item at. The market decides the price, not the value.”
To do this, you can check sold listings on eBay or other similar online marketplaces. “Price slightly high to allow offers, but not so high you disappear in search,” Chamlee adds.
The Best Sites for Selling Antiques
eBay
“eBay offers one of the widest audiences of any resale platform, making it especially effective for reaching collectors,” Burt says. “I’ve found it works best for smaller items that are easy to ship, such as vintage clothing and housewares. It’s a strong platform for collectibles where buyers may be actively searching for something specific.”
She says that due to this built-in demand, this is where well-researched listings with clear titles and detailed descriptions shine. “Shipping logistics are an important consideration on eBay, so it’s best suited for items you can confidently pack and send,” she says.
Etsy
According to Burt, Etsy has a robust built-in audience and markets excellently to its customers through its email campaigns. “Bundles” are definitely a thing on Etsy, and deDomenico notes that “styled sets” tend to do well on the site. Have a handful of different woven vintage baskets and are unsure how to sell them? Throw them together in a styled shot and sell them on Etsy as a bundle,” she suggests.
On the other hand, Burt says Etsy can feel saturated, especially in popular categories like vintage decor and furniture. She says that you can stand out with high-quality photography and a clear point of view, while Chamlee stresses the importance of using SEO and strong keywords.
Facebook Marketplace
If you want to move items quickly, Facebook Marketplace is the way to do it, but be prepared for “a lot of back and forth with potential buyers” and “lowball offers,” as Chamlee says.
That said, the location-driven algorithm is ideal for large pieces that you can’t ship. “I’ve had the most success using it for items not worth shipping, since it connects me directly with local buyers,” Burt says.
Depop
“Depop is highly visual and trend-driven, with a younger audience that responds to curated looks,” Burt says. “While I don’t use it regularly, it’s clear that success there is less about individual items and more about styling and point of view.”
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