When selling Antique Dinnerware, it is very important to keep in mind that you are dealing in items with a history.  While the history may not be at the top of every seller's list, it is often the main concern of dinnerware collectors.  When a collector considers purchasing a piece vintage or antique china, they often ask the questions: Who, What, When, Where, & How?  For serious buyers, these questions are often as important as or even more important than the piece itself.  Most buyers know what they want to collect, but many of them are not experts in the field of antiques.  If a seller does not answer the key questions, buyers will often skip his/her listings rather than take the time to ask ~ thus a sale is lost.

Another problem that sellers often have is over-pricing items.  While antique items often have a specific value, very few buyers are willing to pay that amount up front.  Think about it, everyone wants a good deal on a great item, and antique collectors are no different.  Your buyers are often very patient, and when they have so many choices at their fingertips, they will wait for a better price.  When you have a item that is valuable, buyers will know it.  They will be willing to pay what the item is worth, but only if necessary.  Setting a lower bid price than the actual value of the item, can stimulate bidder interest.  The more bidders who are interested, the more likely that your item will bring a price that is close to or above it's list price.

With these issues in mind, you may be wondering how your item should be listed if it is to peak the interest of a true collector.  Below you will find some of the tips that I have found to be the best strategies:

1) Answer the following questions whenever possible:

• Who is the manufacturer?
• When was the item manufactured?
• Where was the item manufactured?
• What is the item?
• How well has the item been preserved?

Do your homework before listing an item.  Try to find out the history of the item, it's pattern name or number, and it's actual purpose (don't say you have a pitcher when you actually have a coffee pot minus it's lid, or call something a gravy boat when it is an open sugar bowl).  Buyers will appreciate the fact that you have taken the time to find out what you are selling and pass on valuable information about it's history.  Interested bidders will not have to spend extra time researching the item before they decide to bid on it ~ which will incidentally increase your chances of selling the item.

2) Inspect your items carefully and list them accurately.

There is nothing worse to a antique collector than purchasing an item that is listed in "excellent" condition only to receive it and find that there are unreported flaws that detract from the worth, history, functionality, and aesthetic beauty of the piece.  Equally terrible is the fact that this usually means a loss for the seller too.  An unhappy purchaser can be a terrible thing for business.  Not only can missed or unreported flaws cause you to receive negative comments against your profile, but you may also be forced to refund the sale in the face of accusations of misrepresentation and fraud.

If you are selling vintage/antique dinnerware, it is very important that you inspect each item for the following flaws:

• Chips & Roughness - run your fingertips along all edges of the item.  All edges should be smooth.  If you find that an edge is not smooth, inspect it more closely.  Has it been chipped or worn?  Is the glaze missing, or is the body of the ware itself rough under the glaze?
  Note: Use caution when inspecting broken china. Several types of porcelain, such as Limoges, have a high crystal content, which causes broken edges to be thin and sharp.  Much like glass, they will cut the skin very quickly.
• Breaks & Stress Fractures - Breaks in porcelain are often easy to see because they become discolored over time.  However, just because you do not see a fracture upon initial inspection of your items, it does not mean that they do not exist.  Many fractures are not usually readily visible, because like holograms, they only refract light at certain angles.  Inspect all surfaces of each item under a light as you gently tilt it from side to side and rotate it.  Take close up photos of the back of each item and look for lines that are slightly discolored. You can also test for breaks by carefully balancing the item on your fingertips and gently flipping the rim.  Most items that are broken will have a hollow ring or a dull thud, while quality pieces will emit a melodious ring.
  Note:  Composition, shape, and size will cause ring pitch to vary.  Some larger items (such as serving bowls) may still ring when slightly cracked.  Serving pieces are often at high risk for fractures because they are most likely pieces to have been subjected to exteme temperature changes.  Stress is also higher on bowl bottoms, large, and curved surfaces, so always give extra attention to these areas on trays and serving pieces.

• Crazing - On most porcelain, thin coat of glass called glaze lays over the body of the piece.  In most types of china the glaze bonds but does not fuse to the porcelain body, so it does not expand and contract with the porcelain.  Environmental factors, such as rapid or frequent changes in temperature and humidity, will cause the glaze to begin to crack over time.  As with broken porcelain, you may or may not always be able to detect crazing by discoloration.  Inspect your items in the light for "crackle" lines on the surface.

• Wear - Check the glaze and decoration for faults.  Is the glaze missing or worn in places?  Are there utensil marks in the glaze or on the pattern? Does the pattern have worn spots (especially around the inside of the rim on Noritake China)?  Is the gold missing or worn?
• Repairs - Repairs are often more damaging to a piece than a break because many people use inferior methods that cause discoloration, changes in texture, or obscure patterns in the blank or decoration of an item.

Should you find any of the problems listed above, please note them in your listing.  Be honest and up front with the buyer about the degree of severity.  Many buyers that purchase antique items for decorative purposes may not mind stress fractures because they will never use the item in a way that will cause additional stress.  However, if your buyer plans to use their purchase as a part of a formal dinnerware set, a stress fracture can make all the difference.  Any extra environmental stress may cause the item to stress and break, thus making it impossible to use.  To that buyer, the item does not meet their needs, and it must be returned.

3)  Post detailed, clear photographs

Bidders want to see what they are getting, and adding photos to your listing can make help them make sure that they are satisfied with the item before they place a bid.

• Always post a gallery photo! - What gets bidders to click on your listing?  A gallery photo.  Your average bidder ignores listings without gallery photos.  Why?  Because clicking every listing, just to see what is being offered, is time consuming.  It is much easier for shoppers to make a choice based on a preview photo than to take the time to view a listing that may or may not be what her/she is looking for.  A close up gallery photo of your item is a real attention grabber that will prompt bidders to click on your listing so that they can read and see more about what you are offering.
• Post photos that are well lit and clear -  If a bidder cannot tell what the shape, pattern, or condition of an item is by glancing at a photo, they will often back out of your listing without even considering placing a bid.

Below are a few examples of poor quality listing photos. While the bidder may be able to tell that you are trying to sell a plate, little else is discernable about the condition and quality of the plate or its features.

• Post photos that are relevant- Always post one good photo of the entire item.  Then post one of each of the following photos (if possible): Pattern, Backstamp, Other quality features (i.e. embossed body, quality gold, handles), Flaws.

Here are a few examples of listing photos that clearly demonstrate the item's qualities...

   

• Dress it up - Clear the clutter before photographing items. Try to display your items as you would in your home or similar to the way they would be in a store.  Photograph plates in a display stand rather than laying flat on a table or blanket.

4)  Ask a fair price.

A fair starting price works to your best advantage.  It gets people interested and it encourages competative bidding.  I can't tell you how many times I have looked at an item on eBay and said, "Wow!  That is a really beautiful plate.  It is in wonderful condition, and items like this one are really rare. Seller X is asking $35.00, and that is what it is probably worth...," only to turn around and say, ."...but I really don't want to pay that kind of money when Seller Y has a similar item starting at $9.99."  Instead of bidding on Seller X's item, I will put it on my watch list, go bid on the item from Seller Y, and check back later ~ just to see what happened.  When I go back, I often find that Seller X's item has ended without a single bid, while Seller Y had at least five other bidders on their item.  Since the losers from Seller Y's auction did not put in a bid on the item in Seller X's auction, I can infer that they didn't feel that the starting price was reasonable either.

When you prepare to set the price, make a review of current and completed auctions for items similar to yours.  What was the starting price of the ones that had the most bidders?  What is the current price or the ending price?  Are there any flaws that detract from the value of your item?  These questions will help you better gage the potential that your item has to sell at your desired price.  Keep in mind that list prices are relative to the market in which they are made.  The true value of an item is determined not only by it's age, history, and condition, but also by the ratio of buyers to available product and the current selling price of those products.

Always keep in mind that customer satisfaction is important.  Antique collectors are looking for something very specific, and if you have it, they are willing to purchase it.  However, it is crucial that you know what you have before you try to sell it, otherwise it may never be seen by the collector who wants it.  Have fun learning and sharing ~ it will show, and your enthusiasm will encourage bidders to purchase and winners to return.