Nineteenth century dish and teabowl

Many of us, over the last few years of “make money from old junk” TV programmes, have wondered whether or not we were the proud possessors of hidden wealth. Could this be a weekend money earner, a business opportunity or just a chance to clear some space for the new TV? Some of us might go so far as taking a “collectibles” book out from the library, to see if Mum’s old teapot is worth hanging on to… a few might even drag a box of hopeful items along to a local auction house, for a free valuation day – or even ask a Dealer from the Yellow Pages, or an Antique Centre, to come along to have a look… but most of us don’t bother to do much… until that fateful day when we realise that we are running out of space to keep the junk we have accumulated, without ever consciously noticing how much we have… …and that is where something has to be done…

and that is how we start down this particularly slippery slope. Car-boot, auction, dealer, antique stall, E-bayer where next?… And where to start?

An English Porcelain Cup and Saucer c. 1815

You need to be sure, first of a few critical things…
WHY are you getting rid of it?

To make a profit on what you bought it for?

To recoup something of what you paid for it (rather than throw it away)?

To get rid of it, regardless of what it may or may not be worth – because you are in a hurry or you just can’t stand the sight of the clutter, any more?

As in any business venture, making a profit requires luck, research, product and market knowledge – either yours or some-one else’s. Auctioneers are often a good place to start, if you want to use some-one else’s expertise. Auctioneers earn their income from the percentage commission they make selling. They normally get a percentage of the selling price from both the vendor and the buyer – so they have a built in vested interest in getting the highest price they can for you (or from you) – but bear in mind that you only get a high price at an auction when at least two people want to buy the same lot and they bid against each other … if there is only one bidder it will go on the “maiden” bid if you are lucky – at the reserve level (if you set one) and “that is that”, it is gone.

A Samson “Armorial” Mug

Is what you are selling valuable? Is it collectible, unusual or old? Do you know that it has no particular intrinsic value because you have seen the same items in charity shops and car boots at a fraction of what it cost you to buy, or do you suspect that it is potential gold dust… If you put a rare antique in a house clearance/ bric-a-brac auction you are unlikely to sell it for anywhere near what you would get at an antique specialist’s auction, but it is quick – which is why many professional dealers buy their stock from auction rooms and house clearance sales.

On the other hand if you put it in an antique centre to sell on commission – you may lose money for months on shelf rent before it sells at the “asking” price and it could end up costing you money – or it might go in a few days leaving you a hefty “profit”.

If you are considering buying to sell – Examine the “under table lots” at general auctions. A box for a tenner may have thirty or forty items that can sell for a pound or more if sold one at a time at a boot sale …or it may hide a gem for an antiques stall …or it may be another ‘booter’s’ clearance box of junk they couldn’t give away and be worth even less than you paid… But, be warned and don’t get carried away with auction fever – many professional car-booters buy at these auctions too, so there can be some surprising competition on even the under table boxes of bric-a-brac…

How much do you want to get rid of?

A few bits and pieces – a couple of shopping bags worth – is a totally different prospect to clearing out Granny’s house so she can move somewhere smaller. Large clear outs or large items (like heavy furniture) need a totally different approach to that of cashing in on one box from the back of the wardrobe – as does the speed with which you want to get rid of it… least bother (and least profit) to you is likely to be invite a house clearance auctioneer or dealer round – they will clear the house for you – cream off the best and “skip” the rest – literally, down at the local dump.

A Lowestoft Teapot. ( a contemporary copy of a Worcester Dr Wall pattern)

An honest dealer/ auctioneer will give you a fair price, for the effort they have to go (to sift and shift through the stuff you can’t be bothered to sort out) – yes, they will profit from you, ruthlessly, but – if you can’t be bothered or don’t have the time – why not ? It is their livelihood and they have put the time and effort into learning their trade the hard way. I lost well over £1500 worth of rare Art Deco Bedroom furniture at a clearance auction sale once – no reserve and it sold for £5 – but, whilst I still grouse about it, it was my fault for not checking first, for not asking the auctioneer if it was worth putting on a reserve, for being in a rush to move house and for not wanting to pay the storage costs, whilst we took the time to sort kit out! Remember – if in doubt, ask – and, if asking, ask more than one “expert” from more than one place!

If you would like to learn more about Ebay Trading goto www.ebay.com (USA) or www.ebay.co.uk (UK) and search the community under – How do I Sell?