The Best Places To Sell Your Chinese Pottery And Porcelain

• Posted on 21st March 2016
• in antique and modern art, antique porcelain buyers, antiques, Chinese Antique Buyers, Chinese Porcelain
• by Alan

Trying to sell any antiques can be a daunting project. Between researching the items, trying to find provenance, and then getting estimated values many tasks must be completed before actually deciding where sell them to realize the highest return. However, when selling niche or rare antiques, such as Chinese pottery and porcelain, the actual decision on where to sell can be the hardest part. Sift through the biased advice with his quick guide and find out the truth on which method is best.

1. Auction

Auction houses are a popular place to try and sell niche items, including Chinese antique pottery. Sellers will often find the prices are the highest at these auctions, however when you consider the large commissions charged the prices may not be much higher than other methods. These auctions, especially in larger cities (such as Tampa or Orlando in Florida), will evaluate the pieces for you before putting them up, which is a nice bonus.

2. Dealer

The next place most sellers consider is a professional dealer. This can be a good option, as auction houses they will also generally offer value appraisals, thought they will often try to negotiate on the price they pay.

A word to the wise: not all dealers are knowledgeable in rare specialities like Chinese pottery. If you have especially rare or valuable sub-categories such as popular antique pottery jugs, it might be even more difficult to find a dealer who specializes in what you have, and they might not know the actual value of your pieces. Always look for a dealer with experience and good
referrals.

3. Collector

A well-known way to try and make more money by cutting out the “middle-men” of auction houses and dealers, selling to collectors can be hard. They expect exquisite or very unusual pieces, and might not be interested in the antique Chinese pottery or Chinoiserie items that are seen more frequently. They can purchase for higher prices, and may be willing to travel to meet you. However, they want the condition to be perfect, and can be extremely picky on what they are willing to accept. They will also sometimes try to bargain you down.

4. Ebay

While still a relatively recent phenomenon, many people have tried to sell antiques on Ebay due to the ability to market to national or even international buyers, and the low listing fees compared to an auction’s or consignment store’s commission. It can be a good way to increase your profit. However, you will have to secure another method of appraisal, and need to account for fraudulent buyers. In addition, even authentic buyers can still be difficult. Since they don’t get to see the pieces closely before purchasing, instead relying on pictures, after receiving the items they can change their mind and send them back. This opens you up to return shipping charges, and even damaged items if they do not ship them back carefully.

5. Consignment

While this can be a popular choice in smaller areas where there are no large auction houses, selling on consignment with local auction shops or dealers is not considered the best choice. The stores and dealers may not have the knowledge necessary, especially for niche antiques like Chinese porcelain, to be able to give an accurate appraisal value, which can cost you in final sales price. Also, it can take an extremely long time for them to sell the piece, and you will not see any return until they do. There commission will be lower, but they transfer the risks of waiting on a sale to you in return for the lower fees. And because they operate in smaller markets (such as Florida towns Naples, Venice, or Port Charlotte), they might not see the higher sales prices of larger dealers or auctions.

These five choices of places to sell your Chinese pottery and porcelain antiques all have pros and cons, but some stand above in terms of helping you through the process and ensuring you a great return on your investment or inherited pieces. If you are looking for a professional dealer and would like to speak to us, or receive an appraisal of your pieces, please contact us. At Sarasota Antique Buyers, we have extensive experience and knowledge in Asian antiques. Call us now to fix an appointment, we visit cities like Osprey, Venice and many more once in a week.

Tags: antique porcelain buyers, chinese porcelain antiques dealers