How to Sell Antique or Vintage Furniture: A Complete Guide

Definitions can get confusing for people who don’t spend a lot of time antiquing or work in the antique business, but finding out how your furniture would be classified by buyers is an important preliminary step you should take before trying to sell your old or used furniture.

Adam Zimmerman, CEO of the antique selling business Syl-Lee Antiques, told us that “antique furniture could be categorized as furniture over 100 years old,” depending on who you ask. But your furniture doesn’t have to be this old to have value from its age.

Vintage furniture may actually be worth more than antiques

Zimmerman told us that mid-century modern (MCM) furniture “is actually the best selling furniture these days.” These pieces wouldn’t qualify as “antique.” Instead, they’d fall into the broader category of “vintage furniture.”

There’s no strict definition for what counts as vintage furniture. While some people might say it needs to be at least 20 years old, others might have stricter requirements. The only qualifier people seem to universally agree on is that vintage furniture is never new; it needs to be in some way aged. This is in contrast to “retro furniture,” which can be recently produced with design features reminiscent of another time.

It’s important to think about the type of people who buy antique furniture. Understanding their motives for buying, where they live, and who they are sheds light on where to find them and how to get the best deal possible from a sale.

When we asked Zimmerman about buyer characteristics, he observed that, “The retail clients that buy from us are usually people in urban areas.” His business is based in New York City, and he says a lot of his clients are from Brooklyn or Downtown Manhattan. “They are usually buying to decorate a new spot,” he added, attributing this buying behavior to the city’s high amount of rental movement.

However, this doesn’t mean you need to live in a rich city to make a good profit from antique furniture. Zimmerman noted that his company also ships some of their higher-end pieces to buyers located elsewhere, which goes to show that a lucrative sale can happen anywhere for pieces of furniture that are worth enough.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that antique furniture items aren’t always bought to be used. “Sometimes these are purchased as a possible investment, not only to decorate,” Zimmerman clarified. Some buyers may be hoping to eventually sell a valuable furniture piece themselves in the future.

Selling your antiques may seem like a pretty simple process, but there are a lot of things that can go wrong if you’re not careful. Here’s exactly what you need to do to sell your antique furniture and make the most money possible.

Step 1: Identify the piece of antique furniture you’re selling

The first step is to research the piece you want to sell. You’ll need to know a bit about it before you approach a potential buyer or antique dealer.

You’ll want to:

• Identify the style: There are many distinctive furniture styles, including Victorian, Art Deco, and Mid-Century Modern. These styles each have distinctive features that will help you date and classify the piece. Antique Trader has a useful article on how to identify an antique’s style.
• Check the construction of the joints: Examine how the different parts of the furniture are connected. Hand-cut dovetail joints, for instance, denote higher-quality craftsmanship, and you usually see them on older items.
• Look for marks, labels, or designer names: These could be maker’s marks (the signature, initials, or logo of the furniture maker or manufacturer), serial numbers, or brand labels. Zimmerman recommends checking the underside, inside the door (if it’s a cabinet), and the top right and left drawers—although he also advises to “check all drawers because sometimes drawers get switched around.”
• Inspect the wood and finish: Different types of wood and different finishes were popular during different periods. As such, the type of wood used for a piece of furniture and the finish applied can tell you about its age and craftsmanship.
• Check for provenance: Check whether the prior owner left auction receipts, gallery receipts, or other provenance. This won’t just give you more detailed information about the age of your furniture—it’ll also play a huge role in determining how much your furniture is worth.
• Confirm that the piece isn’t a reproduction: Look for signs that your piece is a true antique and not a reproduction. For instance, check for signs of genuine wear, such as scuff marks on the undersides of drawers. Note that reproductions can be made to look aged. Hemswell Antique Centres has a blog post on how to tell the difference.

Even if you’re going to have the piece appraised, don’t neglect this step. The appraiser will want to know as much about it as possible.

Step 2: Take clear photos of your furniture

Next, you’ll need a good photo of your antique furniture piece for the purposes of:

• Valuation
• Showing buyers

Obviously, you’ll get the best result if you hire a professional photographer to do this. However, if you don’t want to pay for that, you can take pictures yourself and get a good result by following several easy tips.

How to take a great photo of your antique furniture

• Clean your item: Make sure your item is free of dust, dirt, and fingerprints before you begin your photo shoot.
• Clear the background: Find a spot that’s free of clutter with a neutral background. You want the focus to be on the furniture itself.
• Use good lighting: Use natural light if possible, or set up additional lighting to showcase the colors and details of your piece.
• Photograph various angles: Capture the front, back, sides, and top of your piece.
• Use a tripod: If the camera is stable, you’ll avoid blurry images and get a sharper image.
• Show close-ups of distinguishing marks: If your piece has any unique features, marks, or carvings that help to identify it and showcase its history or origins, highlight these.
• Label your images: Add captions or descriptions to your photos to add context or relevant information about the furniture.
• Show the scale: Include objects or people next to the furniture so that viewers can get an idea of its size.
• Photograph any damage: If your furniture is damaged or has any imperfections, capture these in your pictures so that potential buyers can clearly see what condition the piece is in.

Step 3: Find out how much your antique furniture is worth

There are several ways to find out how much your furniture is worth:

• Consult an antique appraiser: An appraiser is someone who assesses the market value of an antique. You can expect to pay an appraiser $80–$400 per item. You should then get the appraisal formally in writing, which is useful for insurance purposes (and looks good to potential buyers).
• Pay for an online appraisal: Using a paid online appraisal service will be cheaper than an in-person appraisal (generally in the range of $10–$60). Zimmerman recommends using Value My Stuff or JustAnswer, but other options include Heritage Auctions and Sotheby’s.
• Get a free online appraisal: There are also sites that will assess your items for free, such as Instappraisal and Christie’s. Bear in mind that their free valuations will be less accurate than paid-for ones.
• Get a free verbal appraisal from your local auction house: Many auction houses hold free “valuation days” or “appraisal days,” when an in-house expert will examine your antiques and give you a verbal estimate of their value. Like free online valuations, this will probably be less detailed and accurate than paid options. Zimmerman also points out that this is only a feasible option for small items of furniture.

Beware that not all appraisal methods will yield the same results, and some may be misleading. For example, Zimmerman says that insurance appraisal is the retail replacement amount, and these estimates are usually way higher than what you’ll actually be able to get from a sale. “You could likely get less than half, so be careful,” he added.

Similarly, Zimmerman noted that on auction days, an auction house will be looking to consign any item you bring in, so the appraisal value they quote you will actually be an auction estimate rather than its true worth.

Factors that affect the value of your antique furniture

Various factors will affect the value of your antiques:

• Rarity: Of course, if your piece is rare and unique, people will be willing to pay a higher price for it.
• Provenance: This refers to the history and origin of your item. As mentioned, your furniture will be worth more if you have documents or other verifiable evidence of its provenance, or if you know about the history of its ownership (especially if this involves notable people or historical events).
• Condition: A piece that’s in good condition will be worth more than one with significant wear and tear or damage.
• Aesthetic beauty: If your furniture features elegant proportions and pleasing aesthetics, it will fetch a higher price.

Common signs you have valuable furniture

We asked Zimmerman about tell-tale signs that you have a highly valuable piece of furniture, and he said “An auction or gallery sticker is great.”

He also noted that you’re in luck if you spot the name of a good designer, although this is more likely to happen with vintage furniture since “true antique pieces might not have designers on them.” He mentioned that popular designers include Herman Miller, George Nelson, Knoll, Kagan, and Laverne.

On the flip side, Zimmerman also noted some signs that a piece of furniture is actually worth less than expected. First, if you suspect your furniture is from the 19th century but there are no signs of wear, then he says it’s “probably too good to be true.” Second, modern screws or nails are bad signs since they could indicate reproduction or later repair.

Step 4: Save the relevant documents in a folder

By now, you should have a number of documents related to your antique furniture piece. These may include:

• Photos of your piece
• Notes you made when researching it
• Information about any repairs or updates you made to it
• Receipts or invoices from any professional appraisals or evaluations
• Historical documents related to your piece
• Records of previous sales or provenance
• Certificates of authenticity

Compile your documents into a folder—either physical or digital—so that you can easily access and present them to potential buyers or antique dealers. This organized collection will help with the valuation and authentication process.

Step 5: Keep your antiques clean and safe

While you’re waiting for someone to buy your antique furniture piece, keep it in a clean and safe place to preserve its condition.

Ideally, you should store your piece:

• Away from direct sunlight: Sunlight can crack, fade, or warp wood and fabric.
• At a moderate ambient temperature: It’s a bad idea to leave your furniture in a very hot attic or cold basement, as extreme heat or cold can also damage it.
• In low humidity: Humid environments can also cause your furniture to crack, fade, or warp. They can also cause mold.
• In a place with good ventilation: Bad ventilation can cause musty odors, so don’t use completely sealed areas to store your item.
• Covered by a plastic sheet or an old blanket: Covering your item will safeguard it from dust and debris, which can accumulate over time and settle on delicate surfaces, leading to discoloration or the formation of fine scratches.
• Away from other items: Your furniture should be stored somewhere it’s not touching anything else so that it doesn’t get scratched or dented, which could lower its value.
• Padded and secured: If your antique furniture piece has delicate features like glass, mirrors, or intricate carvings, protect these areas by using soft materials like bubble wrap, foam, or cloth.

In general, Zimmerman says you should avoid storing your antique furniture in attics, basements, or anywhere that’s prone to sunlight or moisture. If you’re using a storage unit, be sure it’s climate controlled.

Step 6: Decide where to sell your furniture

You’ll have a number of options regarding where to sell your furniture, including markets, antique stores, online platforms, and more. We’ll cover these in detail below.

In general, selling locally is a good option for antique furniture. This way, potential buyers will be able to inspect the piece in person before making a purchase, which many people prefer to do. Selling locally can also save you the hassle and cost of shipping or transporting too far.

Step 7: Make a successful sale

If you’re selling online, you’ll need to craft an appealing listing for your item. We will also discuss how to do this later in the article.

If you’re selling to a brick-and-mortar business like an auction house or antique store, you’ll need to present your antique furniture in person to them, showcasing its unique features and providing detailed information to attract interest and secure a sale. Also, be prepared to negotiate the terms of the sale, including the selling price and any fees they may charge.

Whether you’re selling online or offline, you may need to answer questions buyers have about your item (e.g., they may want to know about its history or about any restoration you’ve carried out). You should also follow best practices as the seller to avoid scaring away potential buyers.

Zimmerman noted that his company usually buys antique furniture directly from individual sellers, usually straight out of their homes. “If it’s another store or someone that is running around with a piece in a truck, we try to stay away,” he added. “We like fresh merchandise.”

Step 8: Prepare for transport

The final step in your sale will be to prepare your antique furniture for pickup and delivery. If you’ve sold it to an antique furniture shop or dealer, they may offer pick-up services. Otherwise, you may have to organize your own van or truck for delivery.

You’ll need to wrap and protect your item properly to prevent damage during transit. Use blankets or bubble wrap to guard against scratches and other damage. Use packing materials to cushion delicate areas, such as corners and decorative elements.

If the furniture is large and has removable parts, consider disassembling it so that you can transport it more easily.

There are many places where you can sell antique furniture. Here’s an overview of your options.

Places to sell antique furniture online

Selling your furniture online can be an easy way to reach a broad audience and connect with potential buyers from various locations.

Auction sites

An auction site is a website or platform where you can buy and sell goods or services through a bidding process. In an auction, sellers list their items with a starting price and a time limit; potential buyers can then place bids on the items until the auction closes.

We’ve already mentioned Christie’s and Sotheby’s. Other auction sites include:

• Bonhams
• Catawiki
• Invaluable.com

Note that these sites will charge a commission. To give you an idea of how much this will be, Sotheby’s usually charges a commission of 10%. 1 Catawiki charges 12.5%. 2

Online marketplaces

There are also many general-purpose online marketplaces you can use to sell your antique furniture, such as:

• Craigslist
• Facebook Marketplace
• Etsy
• Ruby Lane
• 1stDibs (this is also an auction site)
• eBay (also an auction site)

These platforms will usually charge a listing fee or a commission on your sale. For example, Facebook takes 5% of the final selling price; Etsy takes 6.5% of the final selling price (and also charges a listing fee of $0.20).

However, Craigslist charges nothing for listing and doesn’t take a commission.

Selling your furniture through online marketplaces has a few advantages. These websites are better known than the dedicated auction sites listed above, so you’ll have a larger customer base.

You may also be able to use the platform’s integrated payment system, which makes transactions easier and more secure.

Tips for selling antique furniture online

Before you sell your antique furniture online, check out the sites we’ve mentioned above, review their selling policies (e.g. regarding restricted items or returns and refunds), and find out their fees.

Once you pick a site, you need to create an appealing listing. Here’s how you can do this:

• Provide a detailed description of your item: This should include information from your examination of the item and the other research you did earlier.
• Include high-quality photos: Choose the best photos from the pictures you took in step 2. Include shots from various angles.
• Price your piece fairly: Set a competitive price. Take into account your appraisal from step 3, and also do additional research on the prices of similar items.
• List your shipping and handling policies: If you’re responsible for transporting the antique (which will normally be the case), provide any relevant information about delivery methods you can offer and the costs of each method.
• Use an informative title and description: Clearly specify what type of item you’re selling, what style of furniture it is, etc. This will make it easier for the right people to find your listing.
• Check the site’s guidelines, policies, and terms: Some sites may have specific requirements for listing antique furniture. For example, they may require documentation or proof to verify that items meet the minimum age requirement to be considered antiques (e.g., 100 years old or more).

Note that you should also provide good customer service to your potential buyers and be responsive if they have questions.

Places to sell antique furniture locally

If you don’t want to sell your antique furniture online, you can try selling it through local brick-and-mortar businesses.

Local vintage or antique stores

Consider selling your furniture in:

• Antique stores: These are stores that usually sell items that are at least 100 years old (although some stores have different criteria, such as 50 years). Antique stores often specialize in a particular category of items. Obviously, you can look for places that specialize in furniture.
• Vintage stores: These are stores that sell items that are more than 20 years old but not yet considered antiques.

Sometimes, antique and vintage stores will offer you a deal for your item and then sell it at a higher price to generate a profit.

Alternatively, they may offer you a consignment agreement. This is where you agree that the store will sell the goods for you, and in exchange, they keep a percentage of the proceeds as a commission.

These stores are a good option for selling your antique furniture, as they often have a dedicated customer base of antique enthusiasts and collectors who are likely to pay high prices.

Local antique dealers

An antique dealer is someone who tracks down antique items with the intention of reselling them to collectors, enthusiasts, or customers. A dealer might be an individual, a company, or a business.

The advantage of using an antique dealer is that their expertise means they’ll likely be able to give you a competitive price for your valuable pieces (although you should check their reputation to make sure they’ll deal with you fairly).

Antique fairs or malls

Antique malls are spaces where multiple dealers have mini-stores or booths. Antique fairs are similar to antique malls, but they’re temporary and usually only operate on set dates.

Antique malls and fairs may sell furniture along with other types of items, such as jewelry or art. Both can also give you exposure to a targeted audience of antique enthusiasts and collectors.

Bear in mind that in these venues, you may have to pay rental fees for booth space or negotiate consignment agreements with shop owners (which would also involve fees).

Auction houses

An auction house is a place where you can bring items to sell. These are then auctioned to people who place bids, with the highest bidder ultimately winning the item. Auction houses handle various goods—often valuables such as antiques, art, and collectibles.

They’re a good place to sell valuable antiques, as auction houses attract serious buyers and collectors who recognize the worth of these items. The competitive bidding environment can also drive the price higher.

The downside is that, as we’ve mentioned, you have to pay fees on anything you sell in an auction house, which may be anywhere between 10% and 50%. But it’s important to understand exactly how these fees work and what they cover.

Here are all the potential fees you may have to pay, according to Zimmerman:

• Sellers commission
• Insurance
• Photo fee
• Internet fee
• Phone bidding fee
• Pickup fee (if you’re not bringing in the furniture yourself)

He also warns that these fees could be buried in the fine print, so make sure to read your contract before agreeing to sell.

Consignment stores

These are stores that sell furniture and other items on your behalf and then take a commission from the profit you make.

When you hand over your antique furniture to a consignment store, there’s a “consignment period,” which is the amount of time the store has to sell the item. If the store doesn’t sell within the agreed-upon timeframe, you can retrieve the item (or make another consignment agreement)—you’re technically still the owner of the item until it’s sold.

Consignment stores take around 25%–60% of the selling price, which is a large commission. Consignment stores are usually quick and easy, so they’re worth considering if you don’t want to worry about marketing and showcasing your piece or negotiating with potential buyers. However, you can usually get more money elsewhere.

Flea markets

Flea markets are markets for selling old or used goods. They host many different vendors, which can range from businesses like thrift stores and vintage boutiques to local artisans and craftspeople. They usually take place outdoors or in temporary tents or stalls.

You can sell almost anything at a flea market—clothing, electronics, books, crafts, and more. Of course, you can also sell antique furniture. However, the people who go to these are usually looking for cheap bargains, so they’re less willing to pay high prices for antiques compared with customers at auction houses or antique stores.

Although you don’t have to pay a commission on the items you sell at a flea market, you’ll usually have to pay to rent your stall. Many flea markets offer spaces for $20–$40 per day.

Yard or garage sales

Yard sales and garage sales are informal sales you hold on your own property. The advantage of these types of sales is that you don’t have to pay rent to exhibit your item or a commission after you sell it.

As with flea markets, the downside with this is that it doesn’t specifically target antique hunters, so it’ll be harder to find motivated buyers willing to pay what your item is worth.

Pawn shops

Pawn shops specialize in providing loans (generally with very poor terms), but they also buy and sell items. They’re another quick and easy option for selling antique furniture.

However, pawnbrokers often don’t have the expertise (or the customer base) to sell antique furniture for a good price. It’s better to sell antiques through businesses that have a specialized market and clientele than through pawn shops.

Tips for selling antique furniture offline

Start by finding out which businesses in your area might be good options for selling your antique furniture. Consider the nature of the business (e.g., whether they deal with a wide range of items or are more specialized), and find out how much they take as a commission.

Once you’ve decided where you want to sell your item, show the business your photos and other relevant documents you compiled in the folder you made earlier (e.g., documents from appraisals).

Finally, if you’re offered a price, negotiate to ensure you’re getting a fair deal.

You may sell an item or two of antique furniture, make a bit of extra cash, and be done with the whole affair. But if you’re interested in starting up antique selling as a longer-term side hustle, then you could also start your own antique business. We asked Zimmerman for his tips for beginners, as someone with extensive experience running an antique business himself.

First of all, the antique selling industry is full of people who’ve been in the business for a long time, so a key ingredient to success is gaining knowledge and experience—or relying on people who already have it. “I think a major part about buying and selling is having a good group of experts available to help evaluate,” Zimmerman told us.

In terms of sourcing and buying pieces to resell, Zimmerman’s advice is to “network as much as possible. Make sure all your friends and family know that you are the person to contact if they are looking to sell.” He also recommends using community platforms where people might ask for help selling their antique furniture.

How much can you make by selling antique furniture?

How much money you can make from selling antique furniture depends on what you’re selling and how much you paid initially. Your income may vary widely based on these factors.

As a rule of thumb, Zimmerman says that profits of over 30% are achievable for people buying and reselling antique furniture. However, bear in mind that you’ll have to put a lot of work into moving the furniture and even restoring it in some cases.