I am the first step in a long journey from finding an heirloom you no longer need to putting money in your pocket when you have sold it online.

I help buyers and sellers regularly learn what they’ve got and what it’s really worth. I show people, on my YouTube channel of instructional videos and via my website, how to spot that yard-sale find, hidden attic treasure, or thrift-store bargain.

I show folks how to research and identify items correctly since there is a lot of misinformation online. I help people learn the methods to correctly identify all types of art, antiques, sports memorabilia, and collectibles.

I also offer some basic tips for selling:

 

• Get an appraisal first before you enter the market so you know what kind of money you are dealing with.

• Be polite yet firm in all your negotiations as a buyer or seller.

• Know what questions to ask if you are trying to sell something that may have been someone else’s coveted family heirloom.

• Fully understand why you shouldn’t sell your vintage Shiny Brite holiday ornaments at the same time you are trying to sell that Babe Ruth signed baseball; there is a season for everything, even online selling.

 

Here are some basic tips if you are looking to sell that World War II teapot, Depression-era china service, 1970s vintage radio, and so many other objects too. If you have never sold online and want to start, this article is for you. Read on!

eBay is one of the most active websites for selling vintage antiques objects, thrift store finds, and other collectible objects.

If you are new to selling online consider this: The best time to post something for sale online is at night. Really? Yes, really. In fact, the best night to post something for sale in an online auction, like those running all the time on eBay, is Sunday night.

You ask, why? Because Sunday nights are the most active time period for online buyers. It is the busiest time on eBay and other online auction or online sales websites, like Etsy, Ruby Lane, Replacements, 1stdibs, Chairish, Facebook Marketplace (social media is a great place to sell too), and so many others.

Everything from Pyrex dishes to Japanese woodblock prints can be and is being sold online — now more than ever.

If you have never sold on eBay or elsewhere online and think you might want to start, start by buying something. That’s right. Buy something on eBay or on another online site and earn positive feedback.

This feedback helps establish you to your potential buyers in the future. Be honest and forthcoming in all your transactions, as that will keep you in the money when online selling.

Learn the ropes about marketing, popular search words for antiques and vintage selling, and how to write an engaging auction description; tips for taking great sales photos of objects, determining accurate shipping costs, and repairing damaged objects with care; and much more.

In future columns, I’ll help you learn about timing auctions, how to take great photos that will get that antique sold, and where to find free shipping materials and coupons both on- and offline.

If you are thinking about selling online to rid your home of clutter, or if you’re trying to make a lot of extra money flipping those thrift-store or flea-market finds, get out your loupe and measuring tape and follow me. I’ll help you separate the cash from the trash.

 

Dr. Lori Verderame is the award-winning Ph.D. antiques appraiser on History channel’s #1 hit show about the world’s oldest treasure hunt, The Curse of Oak Island. For more information, visit www.DrLoriV.com and www.YouTube.com/DrLoriV

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