Does dust help sell antiques?

Treasure chests are never clean. That's my motto. All my vintage pieces are found in attics, where they've been stored for decades. The appearance of these antiques is very different from the exhibits in museums and exhibitions. That's because I didn't wash or wipe them with a wet cloth. I only wiped them with a slightly dry cloth. My vintage pieces are covered in dust. I put them up for sale in this state.

I'll be honest. My relatives and one of my shop visitors criticized my marketing approach. They say dust needs to be removed. Some people even go further, saying that dust on merchandise shows disrespect for customers. But I continue to adhere to my marketing strategy. Treasure chests are never clean.

In my opinion, dust helps attract buyers. A dusty vintage piece looks more natural. Overall, about 1,000 Facebook impressions brought me about 200 visitors to the shop. I think this is a good result. And this result was achieved thanks to dust. What do you think about using dust to sell antiques?

 

On antiques it is not recommended, because you have to see the natural patina and/or wear to see if it is a genuine antique and not a fake.
Also, you have to be able to judge the condition before you buy. Does it need a lot of work, can I do it myself or do I have to pay a fortune to have it done?

But you sell vintage items, not antiques. That is another market altogether.
I guess there it depends on the kind of item/material and the intended buyers. You attract buyers on the Socials, and I guess many of those are young people who think dust means age. Of course it doesn't, anything can become very dusty in a couple of weeks, at least in my house.

I can understand that point of view. But in the end it is your choice, and if you sell well to people who like dusty items, I say go for it.

 

I think dust removal is good so it doesn't look like you just pulled it out of a dumpster. Some people are quick to judge.

Rust on items like old Coca Cola signs and related should stay, because once you clean them, they could now be confused with a repop equivalent. My .02.

 

I have even older ones, with labels from our travels across the world. They are probably dusty too.

His other prices are also mind-boggling. If he gets away with it, fine.

 

My father likes to say "you can always come down", but it's hard to do if the person starts walking away.

If I am on the fence on deciding a selling price, I start playing the "obo" (it's a music joke)

 

As both a buyer and a seller, dust (and / or debris) on an item would turn me immediately away.

Maybe it would be ok on an antiquity, but otherwise not.

 

Im just not clear on why giving it a wipe with a rag is so hard ?

 

He is leaving the dust to show its age and that it hasn't been messed with.

 

Leave it in my house for a few weeks and it will look like this. Cat fluff thrown in for free.

 

Yikes

 

Seriously though, if dust and rust boost his sales, who am I to say he shouldn't. It is just that dust and rust don't make something look vintage or antique.

 

I'm actually allergic to dust mites, so seeing dust is a turnoff for me.

 

It's up to you what you do with your things. But since you asked.

I'd not be likely to buy, online, anything that I can't clearly see the condition including rust, stitching decay, surface wear, chips, cracks etc. unless it's something very rare that I desire. Or very cheap.

In-person buying, I'd likely expect a low price if uncleaned, unless very rare, hard to ship etc.

But that's just me. Sometimes I'm not at all in the majority of anything

 

I dunno. I am a terrible housekeeper, but when looking to buy I always think that dust = junque.

 

You said it very well that young people think age is a sign of dust. I guess I consider myself young too if I think that at 49. Cool. Thanks for the support.

 

Yes, in my marketing strategy, dust and rust are very expensive. You're right. But I didn't understand your phrase about the cost of the suitcase. Do you think I undervalued or overvalued the suitcase?

 

Yes, you're right. Rust confirms the authenticity of an item's age. Thank you for your understanding.

 

Do you think the price is too high? Frankly, I didn't compare prices to determine the value. I was just making up my mind about the price to keep myself motivated. That's important in a war zone. Incidentally, the nearest post office was closed due to the fighting. It's too dangerous. So if a buyer shows up, I'll have to work hard to ship the item.

 

Frankly, I don't expect to sell. I want to hope. By the way, when I listed things for sale here on the forum, I suggested that buyers set their own prices. This is in case the store price is too high.