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Fine Art & Antiques by Dr. Lori
Making Money Selling Your Antiques Online
Have you been thinking
about selling some unwanted
antiques or collectibles
online? Do you want to take
advantage of global buyers?
Don’t know where to start?
How do you stay safe while
selling online? Here are some
tips for cashing in online
while protecting yourself and
your valuables.
Tip #1 - Don’t be too
revealing. Reports indicate
that thefts relating to
classified ad websites are
on the rise. So if you intend
to sell your objects online,
be careful. Don’t give out
your home or work address
or your home, cell, or work
phone number. Don’t give
out a traceable email address.
Use a gmail, yahoo or
hotmail address for all online
correspondence. You don’t
want to connect the physical
location of your object with
personal information. It is
a good idea to divorce your
private mailing address
from the letters to and
from online buyers. For
instance, rent a post office
box for all correspondence.
Tip #2 - Don’t Rendezvous
with Strangers. Buyers are
strangers so it is best to ship
something to a buyer instead
of meeting your buyer. Never
agree to meet a buyer at your
home or workplace or theirs.
If you can’t ship the sold
piece to the seller, meet them
in a public place. Ask a friend
or two to accompanying you.
There is safety in numbers.
Tip #3 - Don’t listen to
critics. Don’t listen to people
who undermine your piece
or try to say your object isn’t
what you say it is. Ignore those
emails that try to convince
other buyers that your piece
isn’t what you say it is. This
is why you need an appraisal
in order to know what you are
selling (like an antique pipe)
and what it is really worth.
Some unscrupulous buyers
or look-alike buyers may try
to undermine your marketing
by discrediting your item or
downplaying its selling price.
If you receive such emails,
that “potential buyer” may
be trying to get you to reduce
your price. Don’t fall for it.
Tip #4 - Don’t be a dummy.
Don’t use the sales prices that
you discover at other online
auctions as actual appraised
values. Some inflate values
while others are selling
valuable items too cheaply
without even knowing it. Also, auction dummies, those
people working in tandem
with the online sellers,
can also inflate values and
misrepresent items. Some
sellers will sell too low; some
will sell too high. Make sure
you know your market before
you sell your antique or
collectible.
Tip #5 - Advertise your sale
everywhere. Just as stores
on Main Street advertise
to attract customers, you
must advertise to market
your piece to a worldwide
audience online. Also, market
your piece in traditional ways
(e.g., church posters, bulletin
board postings, newspaper
classified ads, workplace
newsletter, etc.). Drive
people to your online auction
with phone calls and emails.
Create frenzy. Your goal:
attract the greatest number of
potential buyers to your sale.
The more people you attract,
the more chance you’ll have of getting top dollar for your
object.
Follow my tips and be
confident. With some work,
you can find that person who
wants to buy what you are
selling online.
 Ph.D. antiques appraiser and awardwinning
TV personality and TV talk
show host, Dr. Lori presents antiques
appraisal events nationwide. Join her
on her next vacation cruise focusing
on antiques this October. Watch Dr.
Lori across the country on the Fine
Living Network’s Worth Every Penny
and on Daytime which airs on Atlanta’s
ABC 2 WSB-DT at 9 am, Tampa’s
NBC 8 at 10 am, Jacksonville’s CW
17 at 6 am, and others. Visit www.DrLoriV.com
or call 888-431-1010.
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