How to sell vintage items online

The world is moving into digitalization more and more. COVID made a big push for vintage and antique sellers to move their activity online. If you’re also a seller looking for how to move online your vintage business, keep reading this article. We talk about the pros of selling vintage online, what platforms to choose from, and tips to get more exposure and, therefore, more sales.

What are the PROS to sell vintage online?

• You can work from home or anywhere else with an internet connection. No need anymore to go every weekend to the flea market, carry your items here and there, and wait for the special occasions to sell them. Save your time. Publish your items once and wait for the customer to find them. Online. Easy.
• It helps you to reach a global audience of potential customers. More channels = more visibility and a higher chance to be discovered.

What are the best vintage products to sell?

Let’s find out:

• Vintage jewelry and accessories
• Antique clocks and watches
• All kinds of decorations: antique mirrors, vintage furniture, cutlery
• Vintage art and sculptures
• Coins
• Vintage clothing

Now that we know what to sell, let’s move on to the next important question.

What are the best platforms to sell vintage and antiques?

• Etsy. Best platform you can find, because it is specialized in vintage, handmade and antique products. Buyers come to Etsy to find something unique and unusual. So you should definitely be present there.
• Shopify. Another great platform that ranks your listings very well, helping them to be found. On Shopify you can focus on selling a niche of products, so you can build your brand reputation. This works especially selling antiques, where a good brand reputation can help you to build trust from collectors and sell more.
• eBay. Selling antiques on eBay can definitely help you get more exposure. eBay offers good auction types of selling, where you can set a beginning price and have your buyers bid for a price. Seems like a real flea market, right?

Choosing whether to use one platform over another is challenging: each platform can help you reach different audiences and increase sales. So why choose to use one channel when you can sell on all of them through a centralized app?

With Nembol you can list, sync, and edit listings across channels, and you can even generate your personal website for free, thanks to Easy Website!

Easy Website is an automatically generated website with all your omnichannel products. Just connect your channels, import products in Nembol, and in a matter of seconds, you will have your own site. Later on, you can connect your custom domain and benefit from having your own website.

Continue reading how to generate your Easy Website in 10 minutes.

So now that you know what to sell, and when you have chosen a platform, let’s find out the Best tips to get more exposure:

• Build your brand. You can of course start just by buying and reselling things, but eventually, if you want to grow in the long term, consider creating your brand. Choose a specification for your products. Maybe you will concentrate only on vintage jewelry. And start to create a brand for it. Share your values, and build trust. This way your customers will return to you and you will start building a community. Good, isn’t it?
• Use good pictures. People need to see what they buy and what condition it is in. Especially if this is an antique or vintage product, and if it costs more than 10$. Make very good representative pictures. It will increase trust and therefore, increase sale chances.
• Offer free shipping. It’s a good way to start building trust with your customers. If you have this possibility, offer free shipping. People will most likely buy from you with this little bonus.
• Engage with your customers. Online is the same in terms of people loving to connect, and talk, they are seeking the best product with the best price and will appreciate your attention. If someone writes to you, do your best to help them find the best-fitting item. Advice, instead of trying to sell. A satisfied client will most likely leave you a good review and return for more items. Build trust.
• Use social. Try to reach even more people by being present on social media. Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and Youtube. Share your passion for vintage products and attract like-minded people. Have fun. And of course, don’t forget to always attach a link to your store (or website)

Read more about how to sell on socials.

So now you know how to start selling online vintage and antique products.

Good luck with your business.