How to Sell Antique Prints
There is a variety of ways to sell antique prints, from online buy and sell sites to antique dealers or possibly even opening your own antique shop. If you have a collection of antique prints that you no longer want, or feel that this type of sales venue could be prosperous, advertise to find buyers who will appreciate the historic value of your pieces.
Dig up information online about the artist: prints or other, recently sold, works of his, if you are unsure what price to give an antique print. Ask art dealers or art auctioneers for suggested pricing if you cannot find any of the details you seek. Alternatively, pay an art appraiser to appraise a print that may have a significant monetary value. Coming up with a valuation for any antique may be a challenge; in the end, you may resort to negotiating with a potential buyer in order to make a sale.
Place pictures of the prints with online “buy and sell” or auction sites, such as Kijiji, Craigslist or Ebay. Include the dimensions of each piece and all known details, such as the artists' name and the year and title of the artwork.
Create an online antique print store. Have clear pictures, prices and detailed information of each print you are selling on the store's website. Establish a chat group on your site for those people interested in discussing antique prints; this may help to increase traffic to your site. Authorize and link advertising for related businesses to your site to increase income. Give a little background on yourself, with any relevant qualifications you may have. Include contact options, taxes, insurance and warranty information (if applicable), shipping and handling and payment options for your sales.
Consign or sell your prints to a reputable antique dealer. You can continue to advertise by website or online sales avenues, but if the consignor sells a piece before you do, she will receive the prearranged commission. This commission is probably small in comparison to the start-up cost of your own antique print store. Most antique buying businesses will want to see the print in person before handing over the money, but they can usually give you a close estimate by seeing a photograph of the piece. Try sending out emails with a picture of the print to a variety of well-known antique print buyers to find the highest offer.
Open your own antique print shop. If you are prepared to take on this adventurous and risky business, speak with your local state authorities and realtors for zoning, leasing, business license, permits and registration guidelines. Besides, for the ability to research, maintain the stores' website, and find and authenticate new antique prints to sell, you will also require insurance, tax ID number, highly regulated temperature and humidity system, shop furnishings and décor, display cases, magnifier, cash register and debit machine, safe, alarm system, accounting services and possible staffing.