Places to sell - Suggestions requested...

I am helping a good friend sell some vintage pottery and other antique items. I know Ebay is popular for selling items, and I see this site has a selling area. Are there any other sites that you would recommend that I might consider? Thank you kindly.

 

Check out Etsy.com. I have never sold with them so I don't know anything about the fee structure. Not an auction venue, fixed prices only.

 

Where is your friend located, Mystified?

 

Near Milwaukee, WI

 

So, close enough to a good sized city to have options like Craigslist, consignment stores and a local Facebook Marketplace.

The Sell section you see here is hard to assess for viability. Never seen anyone who posted something there say that the item was sold via that post.

 

Thanks!

 

If you haven't sold on Ebay, I wouldn't recommend it.

 

@clutteredcloset49 Why do you say that? I am signed up for a class just so I understand the ins and outs.

 

Because there is a lot of fraud on ebay.
Ebay backs the buyer and not the seller.
Most of the people here who sell on ebay have been doing it for years. I haven't sold there since 2007 when it really started to do a nose dive.

If you haven't discovered ebay's community boards, I recommend you read some of them. I haven't been over there since this forum started, and understand the format is entirely different now.
But you need to know a lot of the ins and outs.
Don't make the mistake of starting out with your best items. Build your feedback, then start adding your better items.

Many boardies do sell on ebay. You'll find all kinds of threads here with different information. The better informed you are the better success you will have if you are intent on selling there.

Here are a few of the current threads with info about ebay.

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/is-anybody-selling-anything.48493/

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/h...can-answer-some-questions.49593/#post-2136251

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/i-need-advice-from-the-collective-mind-re-eboooooo.49629/

If you use the search forums top right, you can pull up others.

 

If you hesitate for no other reason, the USPS and UPS both have a well-earned reputation for smashing crockery and glass, even if it's well-packed. I've stopped selling breakables there for the most part after one too many one of a kind pieces died in transit.

 

Post #212 from https://www.antiquers.com/threads/covid-19-impact-on-antiques-business.48180/page-11#post-2138022
By Marie Forjan:

I had a frustrating experience with someone I think must be a person board and stuck at home. I have some things up on eBoo, he messaged me for my best price on some glass.

Then he asked about a second item if he bought both.

Then he asked about what I could do for shipping.

He told me he would be paid Tuesday (this was on a Saturday) and could I wait until then. I said yes, ended both listings and set up a listing just for him with the agreed upon price and shipping.

Then he asked about a third item.

Then Tuesday came and he asked me if he could think about buying them for a little longer. I replied:

Since you first contacted me on 4/25 you have sent 41 messages, asked a lot of questions, told me you wanted them. I researched shipping, gave you reduced prices and agreed to wait until today for payment.

You have until 5:00 EST today to decide. If you do not buy the listing by then I will consider our negotiations ended.

At 5:07 I ended his special listing, put the individual pieces back up for sale and blocked him. I was just as happy, he was a low feedback buyer. After 41 messages, some of them questions he had already asked me, I was afraid it would end badly, that he would change his mind and want to return the items.

The next day another buyer bought one of the items

 

@clutteredcloset49 I really appreciate the advice. So sad that people treat others like that. I will be informed and careful for sure. @evelyb30 That is disappointing about UPS and USPS.

 

Forewarned is forearmed as they say.

As I've mention several times - many of the boardies here, sell on ebay. I'm sure they wouldn't mind answering any questions you may have once you get started.

 

Yes eBay has a myriad of problems & right now I am quite frustrated due to being forced into their managed payment system. However it is still the best place as far as traffic there is right now.

Etsy does get decent traffic, but from what I understand the search there is a total mess especially when it comes to vintage items as opposed to the handmade goods & the supplies to make the goods.

Bonanza is another, but sales are extremely slow or nonexistent. Ruby Lane is I understand a very expensive place to sell.

I have sold on eBay for 20 years, but did try Etsy for a few months a couple of years ago. I never sold anything & didn't like how you had to set up your listings. I decided it was just too much of a hassle.

As far as problems with damage to items, yes that is a distinct possibility every time you drop off a box at the USPS, Fed-ex or UPS. However, if you pack things well you should be fine. Approximately 90% of the stuff I sell is breakable stuff like china, crystal, pottery & etc. It has been this way since I started & have only had about 15 to 20 items out of the thousands of boxes arrive damaged. You have to use lots of packing supplies like paper, bubble wrap, packing peanuts, etc. & sturdy boxes that are large enough to hold whatever you are shipping.

Bottom line since you have never sold on eBay you have no idea what it use to be like & if it was better back then or not. I do think taking a class would likely be helpful for you because it is much more complicated now than when I started. Those of us who have been selling since the beginning have adapted to the changes that have made things more complicated gradually.

I am still quite frustrated & grumpy about the recent changes on eBay & do wish I could just say the hell with it, but that is not an option because I have way too much stuff that needs to move OTD. Most of the other changes that have happened there have not bothered me & I really have not had that many issues over the years. Personally the vast majority of times I have had to confront some type of problem, be it with a buyer or with eBay themselves, it has been a fairly easy solution & they have sided with me as the seller every time.

 

If you are selling vintage collectible items your best bet is ebay. Etsy is junk unless your selling modern kitchen home decor stuff. Also etsy has strict guide lines when you list stuff. Everything has to have a catchy background/neat look. I never even bothered filling out the rest of my etsy account to sell cause it was too much hassle to sell. Bonanza doesn't get much recognition either not a lot of searchers on it. Ebay and mercari is my favorite to use.

 

I also appreciate the information. I’ve been an eBay member since the 1990s, buying only. My mother passed away a few weeks ago, and I’ve been tempted to list some items on eBay, but I don’t think it’s ultimately worth it.

I’m in Los Angeles, and over the years various antique dealers have bought items from me, from vintage cowboy boots to a wall sconce to NIB Art Deco Ronson lighters. I suggest that your friend reach out to local antique dealers (maybe even going to Chicago, if the stuff is good) once everything is “back to normal.”

I donate a ton of stuff to the Salvation Army and Goodwill every year, so unless the items are worth something substantial, or money is an issue, I would suggest donating. Again, if the items are good and collectible, antique dealers may buy them directly.

Of course, eBay is very helpful to determine value, from “sold items.” I collect vintage pottery myself, and I’ve been attending the Los Angeles Pottery show the last few years. I’ve watched the venue get smaller, and the crowd get older (I’m typically the youngest one there, and I was born before the Moon landing). Some vases are offered for sale every year, at 1990s prices, with no discounts. There are of course exceptions, but I don’t see any Millennials at the pottery show, or in our local antique stores, pining for Art Pottery for home decor.

Has your friend looked into estate liquidation auctioneers? If a piece is really good and desirable, the auctioneer may take even a single piece. Or, they may bundle them. Again, look at results of local auctions in your area, and see what sells. Chicago has many Frank Lloyd Wright/Prarie style homes, so if your friend’s items fall into that category, there may be a market.

I know there are many dealers here on this forum, and, like my local dealers, they know what sells. If my local dealer can’t sell it, they won’t buy from me. I had good luck, for example, selling some Art Deco items at a particular antique store, because the store was frequented by Hollywood types and also studios looking to furnish a set.

Good luck!

 

Facebook. Specifically, the specialist interest groups.

 

Hello Mystified,

I left eBay last year after threatening myself to do so for years. Too many fees, scammers, and NO ONE in SUPPORT came from USA and they only read the rule cards and offered no insight. Anyhow, I get this really well researched newsblog every day. The May 13 issue had 3 stories of interest to eBay sellers, not one of them good news. I can't seem to nav to the home page but maybe you can. One of the stories is about how eBay plans to charge their closing fee not only on the item you sell (including shipping, if applicable) but also on the state sales tax the buyer must pay. Not a huge fee on most items, but you can't control how much your potential buy may have to cough up in sales taxes so it's another wild card. Another blog article asks if this is even legal.

ALSO, I believe eBay has now ruled that if a customer claims item received is incorrect or damaged and they file a "not as described (NAD)" report, they get to keep the item and they get refunded. (We know thousands of scammers have caught on and now NAD things they like but don't want to pay for!)I may have a jot or two wrong but I'm not active there anymore, I just hear stories from other members. I discourage people from getting involved. For years, it's been known as a scammers haven, I have been contacted by many people who set up many user names to sneak in bids when original names were blocked by sellers. And, I have gotten returns of merch I never owned or sold--some inferior crap replacemtn. Also sold a necklace,the buyer switched the clasp, complained it was NAD but I know she had tried to sell it and didn't have luck. She did return MY necklace, thankfully, but it was altered and no one at eBay cared.

READ ALL THE RULES! eBay is out to drive small sellers to other venues, they make tons of money on imported goods sold by mass retailers.

 

Hi, Some Art Pottery items sell better than others, do you have some photos of what you have?

Selling on eBay does have a learning curve as others have described, but if you're detail oriented and understand how to take good photos (especially closer-up), you could consider it. Understanding what you have, understanding how to determine condition, willingness to spend time in learning how eBay works, willingness to accumulate the proper supplies and knowledge to package for shipment properly is all important.

Another option could be Mercari - never used them myself -but they seem simpler to try unless you want to get into eBay selling long-term.

Hope this helps a little bit! Cheers -Joe

 

I am well aware there are scammers on eBay, but unless you live in a cave you are exposed to scammers on an almost daily basis through your e-mail accounts, your cell phone, your landline phone & even regular USPS mail. You have to be smarter than them & until proven otherwise every body is suspect. That is just the world we live in today.

I am assuming you are referring to the EcommerceBytes newsletters. Here is a link to their homepage.

https://www.ecommercebytes.com/

Ina does a very good job keeping sellers informed of changes to all of the different platforms out there. I have stopped reading the comments though because for the most part there is nothing constructive in them. There is just a bunch of whining, bitching & moaning. JMHO

As far as the SNAD thing, maybe I am not the one to address this as I have only had less than 10 buyers over the years with a NAD issue. This is because I take photos of every angle & I do not gloss over damage. I take great pains to show any damage & to describe it in detail.

The ones I have had, if it was a true NAD issue, yes I refunded, took my lumps & let them keep the item. eBay did not force me to do this, it was just the right thing to do.

I had one transaction where a lady tried to get away with threatening me with negative FB if I didn't refund her for some damaged prisms. In my description I stated that the prisms were old, some had tiny chips & slight discolorations. I also showed prisms with said chips & discolorations. eBay stood behind me from beginning to end. They removed the negatives & ended up suspending the wacko. I can't say enough about the CS reps that I dealt with during this mess.

This is extremely good advice!!