How to Sell Antiques Online in Your Own Store
Knowing how to sell antiques online is a must for modern businesses to increase their customer reach. Selling vintage and antique items via an e-commerce platform will dynamise and modernise your business if you can harness the right tools and appeal to new customers.
Though many antique dealers may prefer the idea of a traditional store, the days when antique sellers can rely solely on a brick-and-mortar store may sadly be over. The good news is that selling antiques online opens up a world of new possibilities to carry on your passion in new and exciting ways.
How to Start Your Own Online Antiques Shop
Follow these steps to start your own online antiques shop:
1. Find Your Niche
You must first decide if you want to focus on a niche like furniture, jewellery, or art. Needless to say, you should source antiques you believe have a market and that you can sell at a profit. This will require expert knowledge as well as a significant amount of time sourcing and buying your stock.
Setting up a general antiques store could also be successful if you don’t want to settle on a niche category. This widens your potential target market.
2. Source Your Antiques
Antique sellers have various options for finding elusive “diamonds in the rough.” A keen eye and some expert knowledge will go a long way in the following potential sources of antiques:
- Flea markets: Markets can be a potential gold mine if you know what you’re looking for and have time to trawl through all the wares on offer.
- Auctions: Auctions are a staple for antique dealers. They are a great place to source valuable treasures as well as learn more about the antiques business and network with other dealers.
- Other antique dealers: You may be able to find items from your niche in general antique shops or online marketplaces.
3. Build Your Online Store
E-commerce website builders like Shopify, WordPress, and Squarespace make it easy to create a high-quality online store. You will get your own domain name and the ability to customise your website just as you want it.
When choosing an e-commerce platform, look for any fees or commissions involved and the marketing and security features that each offer. For example, WooCommerce is a PCI-compliant e-commerce plugin for WordPress and offers many features to get your online shop up and running quickly.
4. Set Up Payment Processing
Setting up credit card processing for antique sales is a must for any new business. The best merchant account for e-commerce will not only enable you to process credit card payments but will also provide you with valuable transaction data you can use to help your business succeed.
Payment processors like Unicorn Group provide you with a merchant services account and access to an integrated global payment gateway. This can be advantageous in several ways:
- A payment gateway gives owners control over transactions and sales by allowing everything to be monitored from a central dashboard.
- You can process payments in several currencies and using a range of payment methods.
- You will have access to powerful tools to protect you against fraud and chargebacks.
- You can increase your monthly payment processing limits as your business grows.
5. Showcase Your Antiques
Selling antiques means selling beauty, history, and fine craftsmanship. You must be able to showcase these features to persuade a consumer to purchase an antique over a functional (and much cheaper) modern piece. Show off your antiques’ best features with:
Excellent Images
Invest in professional photos that help the consumer understand the style, unique features, and intricacies of each product you sell. A customer in a physical shop would take time to touch the item and inspect it carefully. You must convey the same information through photos for online sales.
Product Description
Similarly, your product description should be flawless. Include:
- Practical details such as the dimensions, age, condition, style, history, and functionality of each product.
- Evocative imagery and storytelling that inspire your customers to purchase the item.
6. Market Your Brand
Online stores rely heavily on driving organic traffic from different external sources in order to be found. Target online spaces like social media, search engines, and other websites with some or all of the following marketing techniques:
- Using your expertise to publish a blog.
- Write guest posts for antiques-related websites.
- Invest in adverts for social media or search engines.
- Establish an active social media presence.
- Improve your search engine rankings by optimising your e-commerce website for organic search.
7. Package and Ship Your Antiques
A key consideration you need to keep in mind is how to package and ship your items. Because every item you sell must arrive in perfect condition, you must choose the right material to prevent damage to your items.
When researching shipping options, consider:
- Some couriers may have regulations surrounding shipping items like antiques that exceed a certain value.
- You may wish to consider insuring your items when you ship them.
- Investigate if it’s worth shipping internationally. It can be costly to send goods abroad and you may need to adhere to customs and tax requirements.
Why Start an Online Antique Store?
The online antique market has benefitted from a significant boost from online sales over the last few years. Indeed, total global online sales of antiques and art increased by around seven per cent in 2023 when compared to the previous year. These sales totalled USD 11.8 billion in 2023.
Antiques Is a Strong Market in Europe
According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, three European countries were among the five top exporters of antiques in the world in 2022, with Great Britain, France, and Switzerland exporting $716M, $368M, and $129M worth of antiques respectively.
It seems therefore that demand for antiques remains strong. Success for individuals will be a question of having the right products and reaching the right people.
Stay Ahead of the Game with an Online Antique Business
The appeal of the quality, beauty, and craftsmanship that antiques offer doesn’t look to be dimming even as more modern solutions remain popular. Online antique sellers can tap into the success of the sector by embracing the possibilities offered by an online store.
The decision to sell antiques online will open the door to a wider audience and spread the appeal of antiques beyond your immediate vicinity. Add a modern and global spin to your antique business for a bright future.
