The huge popularity of television programs like “The Antiques Road Show” and the bad economy have gotten many people wondering if they can sell their old stuff for money. It is possible to sell heirlooms for money but it isn’t as easy as it sounds.
The first thing you need to do is find out what something is really worth. Don’t rely upon guidebooks and what your friends say for this do some real research. A good method of doing this is to check out E-bay and find out what the item is really selling for. Another is to take it to a pawnshop or antique buyer and see what it is worth.
Something to remember is that just because something is old, does not mean that it is valuable. A lot of old items are not worth that money. Nor does everything automatically increase in value as it gets older. In the past twenty years, a lot of antiques have actually fallen in value.
A good way to see how much your item is worth to put it u
p for sale on E-bay. Check and see what offers you actually get upon it. Another method is to advertise it through Craigslist.
You should also be patient, many professional antique buyers will come at you right away with a lowball offer. They know most people will not know what items are worth so they will try to make a low offer.
Something else to remember is that the only force that determines an item’s real value is the market. If there is no market or a limited market for something you may not get a price for. Only a small percentage of the antiques out there are worth big money.
Finally, don’t be afraid to sell items as something other than an antique. The metal that old jewelry, coins, medallions and similar items are made of is often worth more than the items themselves. You might actually get more money by sending old jewelry or watches to a gold buyer than by selling them as collector’s items. Some old pieces of jewelry are often worth more for the gemstones in them than as jewelry.
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