Featured Did I get a good deal?

Hello everyone! Thank you so much to everyone that helped me identify my mother's antiques that I needed to sell. Yesterday actually marked one year since her passing so maybe it was fitting that I moved a lot of her furniture out today. It is still very surreal that she is gone but we are focusing on moving forward and clearing out and selling her house. I ended up selling these items above and priced them to move for $650 to a local antique dealer. I was happy for the amount since I was able to get rid of a lot of items at once and not deal with the hassle of selling each items individually. It's been very interesting learning about what my mother had and I bet we would have had fun discussing the pieces if she were still with us.

 

WOW - you sold cheap in my books! He's the one smiling!! Of course I'm from Cleveland area, Ohio and things get to be pricey in this area especially when you have to sell next to the Amish!!!!

 

Sadly , I think you did . Such nice stuff , so well made ,yet you practically cant give it away. I still love that sideboard .

 

Around here the dinnerware wouldn't sell at all. As for the furniture, dunno. It depends on where you are. I tend to think the dealer made out well.

 

I figured that each big furniture piece would probably only get $200 tops when I compared what people were asking for on Craigslist in my area. Hard to say what the other pieces would sell for, maybe $50-$100, maybe less. I really needed to clear the house out to do renovations and sell soon so I don't have the luxury of time or a place to store things to wait for the perfect price.

 

It might have been a bit on the low side, but on the other hand, they dealt with everything at once which is worth something! Trying to hold out for another couple hundred could have taken months. It's all relative. If you don't have the luxury of time, or the energy to sell, you just need to get it in finished, moved on. Someone else can enjoy these, and the house can be prepared for sale. I'm not sure I could have even moved these pieces here, as gorgeous as they were. Everyone wants modern, etc.

I think you did okay.

 

True - everybody has a situation! But I know that dude that bought your items is saying prayers tonight so he doesn't get God pissed at him!!

 

Well I know that dealers buy for much less than they sell for in order to turn a profit. I actually thought he might ask for a lower price.

 

That dealer is definitely going to make some money on the deal but I think it was fairly reasonable on your end too since you didn't have to expend a lot of time and got rid of it all at once. Consigning to a local shop or auction would have likely netted you less money leaving more time consuming routes as the only other options. Sure you could have sold on Craigslist or some other site for possibly more money but you would have had to deal with all the scammers and tire kickers and it may have not been worth the extra couple hundred bucks if you are busy and just want the stuff gone.

 

Sorry, but all I thought about was these rip off artists after reading your story!

 

WOW! Where do you live? Everybody I know travels hours to Amish country in Southern Ohio to stores and auctions to buy their antiques!! It's very strange traveling home at night, their houses are mostly dark but every now and then you can see oil lamps lighting their rooms up!

 

I think you did fine. The only semi 'hot' item today would be the pew at maybe $250-300. I regularly see the other stuff for $10-30 at auction.

 

The question is - Are you happy with the deal you made?
You needed it gone. You didn't want to spend time trying to find someone to pay more.

The dealer got a very good buy, and will make money. That is what he is out to do.
Could you have made more? Yes, but probably only 100-200 more, if you had put a little more time into it.

 

I think you did fine to sell for $650.

These are no longer "easy sell" items. A dealer must buy for 1/3 to 1/2 price on furniture to make it worth his while and that stuff is heavy and big, takes up a lot of floor space. You did fine.

 

Think of how much time and aggravation you spared yourself by wholesaling the lot all at once! C.L. would bring all kinds of people to your home, including some who have less than honorable intentions. You won!

 

I agree with the others. Perhaps you might have gotten more, but the task at hand was clearing the space and moving forward. I think you did the right thing, mind you I am no furniture expert at all so I don't know prices.

 

Since this was your overriding criteria, you did fine. It would have taken you a lot more time and aggravation to have gotten more.

 

I have a Side Board exactly like the one shown. I would not sell it for under $500.00. All of the furniture you have shown is in very good condition, nice and clean. The dealer will get Approx. $2,000. for all of it. Here in NE Ohio, you don't have to go to either Amish areas to find the Oak. [ Middlefield-Burton or Millersburg Ohio ] Farm Auctions will do good. You sold cheap. If you think about it, The Oak furniture shown has been around for over 100 yrs. It will be around for another 100 yrs. Compare it to today's Junky furniture made from Sawdust and Plastic.

 

But the new kids needing furnishings prefer the Ikea junk

The market for quality furniture is declining

 

The dealer will get Approx. $2,000. for all of it.

That may be true (...eventually) but they have to pay floor space rent, and it could take months or longer to move all of it. That needs to be in the calculation. At a baseline of paying 35% for heavy furniture resale, as what is common here, that equals $650 almost to the penny.

This kind of thing is no longer an easy sale in most of the U.S. This furniture is gorgeous and made to last, no argument there, but as for resale, it's not like 20-30 years ago.

Right now young people who are furnishing a home for the first time, are influenced by ease, what's view-able online, they want portable (to accommodate job changes, etc.) and what they see as in fashion. The light, or bold color "modern" look is what is all over the internet.

With all things considered, time and needing to move things out quickly, again I think the seller did just fine.