Many people are avid antique collectors. It's a very enjoyable and satisfying hobby. Some people are very selective and only collect one precise thing such as type of thing such as cars and they only look for one specific kind of car because it's rare. The same procedure goes with all the other antiques that can be collected. some people just collect everything.
Me? Well, I'm definitely not an antiquer. I may be old and an antique in that way. So far nobody is collecting me. I know I'm worth ten bucks because that's what it cost my dad when I was born.
However, someone in my house has inherited a couple of things and now she would like to part with them.
How do you part with an antique? First of all there is an emotional attachment. But these things have to go and that's serious. So how do you get rid of them and get some value out of them. So hit the Internet and big old eBay hogs the space. Well you find some examples and prices. Now I know that it's not the sale price but what you actually get for it.
Try the local shops. None of them are interested.
So how do I find someone who wants these articles and is willing to pay something for their worth.
I have a feeling that I've got much more to learn on this file.
Wish me luck!
We love to go antiquing and are collectors, but not of things with high value or cost. I have quite a bit of money in my large pottery collection, and the value has dropped, since younger people are not really interested in old stuff. However, I collect because I like what I buy, and am OK with probably not getting my money back in resale some day. It's a hobby, not an investment.
ReplyDeleteWe do also have some nice family pieces, but if our kids don't want them some day, they may end up as charitable donations.
You make good use of your pottery with yard displays. When you stop and think, money could be sunk into some very negative things.
DeleteOh my, I can relate. I find that no one where I live is interested in antiques these days. I started noticing many of the popular antique and even wood furniture stores which used to be popular on Main Street (formerly coined "Antique Row") started shutting down many years ago. I too have some stuff to offload. Problem is, no one seems to want it. I even had problems off loading a newer dining set. People all seem to want very modern and light coloured furniture these days. It took me years but I finally found a good home for the dining set. Good luck to you and the micro manager. Living where you do it might be a bit easier to find a hoe for such things. Have you tried Craigslist in the for sale section? I think there are even Facebook (FB)groups where you can find people interested in these things but don't quote me on that last bit as I'm not on FB myself.
ReplyDeleteI have used Kijiji with some success. I've tried Facebook with no success and garage sales are a lot of work.
DeleteI don't think I have a single antique myself
ReplyDeleteWell, I didn't think I had antiques either but over time things change.
DeleteI hope I get to hear what you finally end up doing with the antiques. Since I don't have any, I am not the person to ask. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe two things involves will probably be sold and the silver melted down.
DeleteHave you an online source? Donations to Habitat are always welcome. That way it goes to someone who will care for it.
ReplyDeleteI've used Kijiji and facebook. Garage sale work but are a lot of work. I have tried the museum but they take very little. My school yearbooks went to the city archives.
DeleteI let a few things go and then regretted it.I was tired of them and didn't think I would care, but a shop sold them fast
ReplyDeleteThere comes a time when you have to leave your regrets.
DeleteI think eBay may be your best bet. It used to be you could pay someone to list your items on eBay -- they'd take a cut of the final auction price and handle shipping and that kind of thing. I don't know whether those people still exist, or how pricey they are, but you might look around. Bringing them to the world via the internet seems more productive than trying to sell them in a shop. Do you know Ellen of "Stuff from Ellen's Head"? She works part-time in an antique shop. Maybe she'd have some ideas.
ReplyDeleteMy stuff is small. It would never pay to list on ebay.
DeleteWe're downsizing now (very slowly). I've successfully sold large and small items on Craigs list. Antiques are hard unless they are quite rare. Still my wife old Zeiss Icon camera went from Minnesota to a collector in Virginia for a hundred dollars...:)
ReplyDeleteIt's surprising what goes. We had two cameras picked up by a collector. She was interested in the original box and instruction booklet. I know the feeling of "very slowly."
DeleteI have antique dinning room set and the buffet. Old clock. I had this old antique clock western. Guy sitting on the stage Coach. People hummed and hued. I gave it to the guy after arguing with him. My Moms antique dishes she used every day to feed her children before I came along. So beautiful unique plus shaped very unique. I kept it. It has the marking on the back but dealers want it all for nothing. I have them to this day. I have it all. Not going to give it away. I am not that nuts.
ReplyDeleteIn town we have shops dealers. They give you Zit for them.
Yes it is hard to get rid of it. I had a beautiful bed with the four posts
and the head board. It was too large to fit into our large bedroom in Apt. So sold it to a friend. When she moved. It would not fit the apt. So now her son has it. Heavens know who gets it when he moves.
My kids don't want anything. I asked a friend who likes antiques . Do you want my dining room table. Only if I can paint it. Really?? Paint it. I don't think so . See it is hard to part with things. I am not a hoarder but I hate to hear someone say. Paint it.
I have a piece that is rare . One lady said I will buy it. Not what I want.
Then I had this other china cabinet. Which I have kept. It really needs to be ruffed up and then primed and then another coating. This other person said to me. You do all that if you want to sell it. People like it as is. I said it has loss its glow. No,no. Don't touch it.
So I am still stuck with all and I have found people hum and ho .
Someone said. I bet someone who has these museums would buy it. Or the Historical places. Well I have heard that expression. I bet. I say I bet No.
The young generation are not interested . Some are but you wont get what it is worth.
So when I pass. It will go on a garage sale or lawn sale and family gets pennies.
In our Apt we have a Christmas Sale. I watch beautiful antique pieces go for a dollar or two. It breaks my heart.
So better love what you have. If I was lucky to have sold one item. I would be jumping for joy to tell you Red. Sorry. Even with my books of old stamps. I got that looked over. The guy said even picking them up to put in the sleeves in the book. Is checked out with a fine special eye glass when he looked. I have stamps from all over the world. The books alone were like 90 dollars each. A hobby now a days is know0nes joy. I watch on T.V people bringing stuff into the dealers. They say. I cant give you that. Can you give me X number of dollars the person bringing it in asks the store guy. Nope.
Great comments here. I think many people have experienced what you have. A move should have helped you get rid of things. We haven't moved since 1970. I'm afraid we'll have to get used to some rejections.
DeleteI once had an antique bookcase that was in my dad's family which I got after my aunt (dad's sister) died. I had it for 20 odd years and was moving and one of my colleagues was looking for a bookcase. I was living in Alaska at the time and gave it to him. He loved it and it needed a good home. I didn't let him pay for it and I was happy that he wanted it. I took a photo of it as it was leaving my driveway in the back of his truck.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good way to part with things. Alaska? Look west. I was on the Mackenzie delta in the 60's
DeleteThe Internet should be helpful in finding buyers for your antiques. We have a silver tea service that we need to find a home for. If melted down the silver is worth a couple thousand dollars but it would be a crime to melt down a handcrafted work of art.
ReplyDeleteSorry to be the bearer of bad news but most silver stuff is melted these days.
DeleteLinda and Joyful hit the nail on the head -- younger people are not interested in old stuff. But maybe tastes will change (after all, Rose wine is back "in"). So . . . I have a marble side table and 19th century French mantle clock for sale. Anyone interested?!?
ReplyDeleteToday many products are available and ar much more attractive to younger people.
DeleteThere are many Facebook sites for our area, swap and shop types. Lots of interesting "stuff" for sale. Do you have Craig's list in Canada? :)
ReplyDeleteWe do have Craig's list and facebook pages.
DeleteWe don't really have any antiques. I wish you luck selling yours. I keep hearing about Craig's List but have never tried it. We have donated a lot of things, and that which we can't get rid of we throw away. We usually keep things until they are falling apart and people take one look at them and that is the end of that.
ReplyDeleteI can get rid of stuff easily but my wife has difficulty parting with things.
DeleteIt's so true that younger people are not interested in these things. When the baby boomers start unloading their things, I'm not sure what's going to happen. Too many things, not enough interest. You'll have a market saturated with stuff that no one really wants. I've visited flea markets and some stuff ends up with them. But even they don't seem that interested anymore. So in other words, I'm of no help to you at all! :)
ReplyDelete...but you've described the problem to a Tee.
Deleteparting from things you owned for long is quite hard though she must have some kind of personal problems .
ReplyDeletei really wishing you BEST OF LUCK Red! for this purpose .
my grand father had fondness for random collection and my grandma was not happy with his habit .
I consider that time priceless when he gave me as importance that he showed me his special room of those stuff .
How unfortunate my uncle(his son) was to sell after my grandpa all his stuff for almost nothing .it hurt me lot
We'll do our best.
DeleteAs you have developed a worldwide blogging fan club, perhaps you should post picture of the mysterious items here on your blog. You never know - somebody might be interested.
ReplyDeleteThe mysterious items are not worth the freight to send them any place. I'm sure some people would want them for next to nothing and I've go that now!
DeleteMy mother was particularly into antiques.
ReplyDeleteFunny thing , I like going through antique shops.
DeleteHi Red, I do have a little experience on eBay. Search the "completed" auctions to see what items like yours are selling for. It's not unusual for me to see "antiques" selling for more than I would have expected. Good luck to you on finding a new home for those things you want to let go of.
ReplyDeleteAha ! You've given me a good tip.
DeleteI don't have any antique furniture, but I do like exploring antique stores for other old things. I've noticed that many of them sell furniture on consignment. Maybe you could let somebody else sell it for you, for a fee?
ReplyDelete