How to Sell an Antique

How to sell an antique you may have no further use for, is a question we are often asked, and here is our answer.

In order to maintain the quality stock we have, we need to be more competitive than the auction houses. We have to offer you a higher price than the auctioneer. We have two ways of doing this.

First, if the piece you have is of the quality we seek, and we want it to add to our inventory, we will offer you a higher immediate price than the auctioneers estimate, less his commission, and you pay nothing for catalog advertising, insurance while in our possession, etc.

Second, if you are not in a rush to sell what you have, and we are interested in the item, we will take the item on consignment for resale, do any restoration necessary to the piece, at our actual cost, and offer it for retail sale. We will advertise and show the item at major antique shows across America and advertise it on the World Wide Web as well as display it in our shop in New Orleans. Our commission for this service is 20% of the selling price less the costs of restoration, if any. Items consigned to us are insured for the full price agreed upon for retail sale. Generally, this means an increase of 25% to 30% above the auctioneers estimate of what the item would bring at auction. As you can see, it can be well worth the time involved to offer us a chance to discuss and possibly look at what you may want to sell.

We also have a large "Wish List" of items our clients are looking for, that offers an immediate selling possibility worth checking out.

Currently we are looking for 18th and early 19th century mahogany two and three pillar dining tables, pairs of 18th century mirrors, pairs of 18th century wall brackets, 18th century pie crust tables, with or without bird cage mounts, 18th century Chippendale and Hepplewhite dining chairs, particularly sets of arm chairs. We also have clients looking for carved 18th century library chairs and high quality 18th century walnut and mahogany chests of drawers, chest on chests, tallboys and secretaries. We also have interest in marine art of all forms including paintings, ship models etc.

Speak with us if you have something worthwhile to sell. Call us toll free at 1-800-572-4834 or e-mail us at info@wmblairltd.com. We look forward to hearing from you.