Featured Buying antiques is too tiring for me now

I feel like this is the place to discuss this. I lived in UK for three years and treasure hunting is my biggest passion.

But now, as I return to China, buying antiques has been harder and harder that I really feel like giving up. Every time I found a great deal on ebay, It would be:

1. not shipping to China at all, which should be fine but ebay never allows me to block such listings. If I never know that listing exists, I won’t feel a thing;

2. Using eBay’s shipping scheme so that whole costs is doubled, which also includes so called’ duty’ which has not even reached the starting tax point of customs here;

3. Shipping to China but need to message seller for quote first so 99% of the case the thing got snapped by others while I am waiting for seller’s response. I could have got it as seller said international buyers welcomed.

4. Shipping to China at a reasonable cost but I have to give up bidding as the whole price plus duty would be too high. I could bid higher if in the same country.

For months I have not bought any antique because of the listed reasons. It’s just so, so sad to see some lovely stuff listed but I either cannot have it shipped to me or have it at an acceptable cost. I really feel like quitting and save money for things like vintage corals, for which I just pay and get what I want on the second day…

 

I have uninstalled ebay and try to forget the old times. I might still share the vintage stuff, i.e. corals I am collecting, but no more antiques… I am saving money for my next trip to Japan and wish I’d find more stuff, or occasionally pay visits to local antique fairs… I have to move on!

 

Probably a good idea. I used to sell on eBay and now rarely even look there for anything. The shipping makes buying there uneconomical.

 

you don't have to move on........ from us !!!

We're Free........ and full of fun and surprises !!!

 

Yes you’re right, I might still check out latest auctions that I KNOW always shipping to China for a fixed price. Bidding sometimes get crazy there, but I know if there’s something I really love, I pay, I get it eventually, with peace of mind.

 

I will always keep watching here offering knowledge whenever I could, sharing new acquisitions qualified for vintage or East Asian antiques. But still, sometimes envy gets out of control if I see people’s new finds which I am unable to source at all…

 

On the other hand you can source beautiful items that we can't. Momo coral for instance.

Why not search for selling venues in Asian countries that are former colonies? They still have European antiques. Not as many as the UK, but then there may not be as much interest in European items either. Check India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia.

I sometimes look on Carousell, which is a Singapore based site but also features sellers from Indonesia and Malaysia. I look for SE Asian antiques, mainly to check prices if I find something interesting here, but they may have European antiques as well.

And please stay with us, we will miss you too much if you go.

 

General antiques page on carousell, they do indeed have European and American antiques among the Asian ones:

https://www.carousell.sg/search/ant...Id=02bc1C&t-search_query_source=direct_search

 

most of the time i only sell to the u.k. Because as you've mentioned there are alot of problems that can arise, and the postage is extortionate for overseas bidder with ebay global shipping. but once they have it in their hands at the uk depo they take full responsibilty

i had one thing go astray with them, a £150 book, and because i had tracking, they paid out no question

i have a few repeat chinese buyers that use independent shipping companies, so when my international bids are locked, they still successfully bid because they have added a uk shipping company address

so might be worth looking into

 

I honestly despair of some sellers. The Chinese market is huge and has money to spend. And it’s easier to ship there than to Europe in some ways.

 

Thank you so much for your recommendation, AJ! I will look into this. Also, not only in the countries you’ve mentioned, there are actually many Chinese dealers who import European jewels and antiques and sell them in China. As long as the price they ask is reasonable, I don’t mind buying from them even though I have the ability and knowledge to source myself. I now come to realize how valuable my time & peace of mind are!

and yes, momo corals are just divine I now have more budget for them

 

Thank you! Yes I have researched those shipping companies before, but always found complaints about them not insuring for lost or damaged items so never tried them as usually I look only for fine jewelry. But I do have some relatives in Europe who might help with this

 

I fully understand that some sellers are unwilling to ship internationally. But every time I see them shipping to US, Canada and even Japan, but no China… I really feel sick I have several uk parcels before by RM and never had a single one not arriving in two weeks.

 

it can be more complicated than it sounds selling internationally, its not all ignorance

to sell internationally you have to open your bids to everyone

so thats why i can't all the time

because if i had several large items also for sale at the same time, they would be open to bid international as well, and that would be an absolute nightmare

 

So it’s eBay’ s stupid mechanism most of the time

 

it definitely is for me

 

In the old days, I shipped direct everywhere the USPS let me. Now i"m not so sure I'd do it. (or that I'd have to worry about it much; shipping charges would be enough to chase off most of my former buyers. Darnitt) EBay does not have a seller's back at all, and there are too many scammers.

 

I’ll echo what @charlie cheswick says.

Dealing with overseas post used to take up so much of my time and life energy.

Firstly the only option is Royal Mail, no one else insures delicate items/jewellery. Royal Mail will only insure up to £250. Anything more than that you have to take out insurance with a second company. Provide them with details, photos before/during/after packing.

Get all the customs correct.

Get the tarriff code wrong. Do it all again.

Setting postage charges separately for Europe/US/China etc, working out what that should be for each item based on package size/weight/cost.

Then dealing with every Chinese/US buyer who doesn’t want to pay customs charges, but only tells you that after the sale. Then i have to relist, get less money the second time round, and go through the whole process again.

All that assumes the package does get there and i don’t have to deal with a lost/damaged item claim from overseas.

On top of that if i receive money for overseas postage that goes towards my total revenue, pushing me closer to the VAT registration limit.

No thanks. I know overall i get less money/sales by using eBays Global Shipping Program, but there is so much added grief in doing it myself.

I’ll take whatever time i save and buy more stuff instead.

…rant over.

 

That’s why I always say I don’t blame sellers for not offering international shipping, I always say it’s eBay’ s stupid policy.

btw please at least tell me there’s no option for international shipping in private message.

 

I’m not sure what the rules are for trading chat on this forum, which is why i didn’t reply to your message. Also the item you wanted already sold.