Antiques and Collectibles, Online Selling

What are the Guidelines to Sell Antiques Online?

Catering to the unconventional needs of collectors and hobbyists of antiques and relics requires in-depth analysis. Flea marketplaces, backyard and garage sales are the oldest and the most famous selling methods with limited product visibility and many drawbacks. E-Marketplaces have proved to be great selling platforms for antiques and collectibles, because of their global reach and the possibilities they provide the sellers for a permanent customer-base of enthusiasts and connoisseurs once their initial sales have managed to win hearts.

Which are the Top Selling Antique Products Online in 2018?

Five of the top selling niche antique categories of 2018 are:

  • Silverware and dinnerware
  • Buddha and Asian Mythological Statues
  • Vintage Vases and handcrafted items
  • Vintage Toys
  • Antique paintings

Any antique online seller would have a lot of questions in mind about what items need to be sourced and how they need to be displayed online with attractive titles and pricing, and the authenticity proving techniques that need to be implemented. Three important tips that help sellers sagaciously decide how to add value to their antique ware and ensure that they are not under-priced or remain unsold are explained below. However you must also go through the checkpoints before selling products on selling platforms:

  • Antique Provenience and Authenticity
  • Value Evaluation
  • Keywords and Naming Conventions

Antique Provenience and Authenticity

  • Appraisal documents that validate the value of the item based on comparative studies done with similar items earlier add leverage to your antique.
  • Professional services can be hired that do the authenticity and estimate evaluation for you once you submit clear pictures, complete source and history information to the best of your knowledge and honest details about the product’s condition.
  • Registry services record authenticated information and a unique identification number is allocated to the evaluated items that are issued on certificates or stamps affixed to the relic.
  • Any self-evaluated documents like certified notes, detailed study papers and information brochures pertaining to a proof of distinct attributes of the heirloom that are indicative of the authenticity and rarity are always vantage points giving your items the selling edge.
  • If you have centuries-old pictures of the relic being used from its original owners or even pictures of original receipts of the item, there is nothing like it to capture the interest of online buyers.
  • Verifying information at renowned antique stores will also give you a brief idea about how much the item is worth and its origin.
  • Libraries are a good place to delve into the specifics of similar items and get well-researched information.

You can prevent the reproduction of your unique priced possession using the above mentioned regulatory actions and documents, plus ensure that the right price is obtained for your listing.

Value Evaluation

Before listing your antique assets online for sale, there are a number of factors to be considered that can give you an edge over similar items posted online and also get you the best deserving price.

  • A manufacturer’s or designer’s mark/signature, timestamp or even a brief origin information stamp would add immense value to the relic and distinguish it from the duplicate.
  • The current condition of the antique piece, wear and tear, cracks, discoloration, missing parts, chipped-off areas, nicks etc. need to be considered to evaluate the depreciation and provide the discounted price. Any affordable and minor repairs that would not devalue or alter the original look and form of the relic are advisable before listing the product online and a mention of the same is necessary for the product description page.
  • Determining whether the item is rare or has a common presence online from different sources can help evaluate an antique item and put on a deserving price tag.
  • The category to which it belongs and the associated demand and right approach with targeted buyers will help you evaluate the item correctly, for example, a rare painting would have more demand at some marketplaces than a pottery artifact. Doing some research in this regard is often used to determine the best trend-affecting relic value.
  • Black light testing is often a good way of doing the basic assessment to evaluate a product and its worth. Any false-positives and false-negatives can be confirmed.
  • A comparative study of the highest and lowest prices of similar items being sold online can help evaluate a median price of the item and variable rates can be adjusted later to arrive at an appropriate selling price.

Keywords and Naming Conventions

Filling out listing and tagging forms is the most crucial process for listing your antiques. The right keywords selection that can elevate the chances of a high ranking in search engine results is the key to getting your products noticed by a large group of buyers. Your product is only as good as the information you put in.

The keywords that are informative, indicative of the nature of the product and specific matter the most. The three places where significant keywords can be implemented are:

  • Listings Title– First point of attraction to potential buyers.
  • Search Tags– Inbuilt naming mechanisms that indicate the attributes of the product such as origin, category, ethnicity etc.
  • Specification– The right mention of the material(s) used and general composition and style details add paramountcy to the SEO techniques used also adding details of size, color, age, maker etc is vital.

Naming conventions used especially for the title of your ware should be crisp and illustrative of what exactly the product is with the tendency to cover maximum search keywords an average buyer would use to look for a product almost similar to your listing. Ambiguous words like ‘Wonderful’, ‘affordable’ or ‘must buy’ are less useful when there is a maximum character restriction on titles at E-marketplace portals. Using buying keywords like “Original 18th Century Chinese Brass Buddha” which is indicative of the exact product, the material, the time period, the origin and the authenticity covers all the details necessary to capture the buyer’s attention. Avoid the following:

  • Unnecessary adjectives like ‘beautiful’, ‘amazing’, ‘attractive’, ‘Enticing’ etc. do not appeal to buyers as they are less indicative of the actual factual information of the relic.
  • Negative keywords that do not make any significant contributions to finding the item listing or which wrongly represent the product need to be omitted for example: “Fengshui Oriental Brass Buddha” wrongly indicates that your product is Fengshui compliant, when it is a decorative antique relic.
  • Single-word keyword usage since it limits the results of buyer searches for example, words like “Age Old” can also be linked to “antique”, “heirloom” etc. and words like “Chinese” can be linked to “Oriental”,” Eastern”,” Asian” to improve chances of winning the buyers’ attention.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *