Do you want to know how to sell your old stuff? Or how to maximise the payout of the antiques you may find during the spring clean? Below are some tips from TV antique expert Antony Charman ….
Spring Cleaning & Decluttering
The spring cleaning fever has got many Britons in a frenzy to round up unused or unwanted items around their houses. This provides a great opportunity to declutter and make an extra income while rehoming and recycling the goods.
TV antique expert Antony Charman advises, “One of the biggest mistakes people make with the jewellery, coins, cameras, silverware, and other vintage items they come across during the spring clean is to throw them away. More often than not they’re unaware of the value of their goods, be them inherited, purchased or received, and they ultimately end up in landfills or pile up in their homes. Boxing them for an expert appraisal is better than binning them, because we will always pay something in return.”
Antony went from running popular stalls at antique shows and hosting his own roadshow events to co-founding Vintage Cash Cow,. This was the UK’s first antiques recommerce platform which provides people with an easy way to sell their old stuff.
He provides his tips below on how to maximise the payout of the antiques, just in time for Vintage Cash Cow’s Spring Clear Out campaign, taking place until 14 May.
Antony Charman, TV antique expert and Vintage Cash Cow co-founder, says:
TIPS ON HOW TO SELL OLD STUFF
- You can send in items in any conditions, regardless of whether broken, damaged, or have bits and pieces missing;
- Cleaning items before sending them in should be avoided, as most are worth more in their original state;
- Group your items by category to make it easier to spot items that could be worth something and should go in a box. Groups of items are better and will always be worth more money.
JEWELLERY & WATCHES
- Jewellery is also subject to the ‘any condition’ policy. This means it does not matter if one earring is missing from a pair, a stone has fallen off a bracelet, or a bunch of necklaces are tangled;
- Non-working (or working) watches can find a new life as spares or repair pieces, so they should be included in the box, as they will always add value;
- Gentlemen jewellery items are often overlooked, but cufflinks, tie pins, and clips/stick pins can have appraisal value regardless of condition;
- Something as apparently worthless as old plastic or glass pieces might be rare and much wanted and should be included;
- Amber comes in various shades such as green, yellow, orange and even blue, making it one of the most undervalued gemstones, as people often do not recognise it;
- In-house gemologists can elucidate the mystery of what stones are set in pieces, from pink diamond glass to sapphire;
- Un-hallmarked pieces can be tested in-house, and could still be valuable. Anything can be restored, much like silver items that seem to have lost their luster.
MILITARY MEMORABILIA
- A wide range of old military items can and should be sent in, including medals, clothing badges, and war time memorabilia (i.e. sweetheart jewellery);
- Broad arrows point to military ties and should be looked for when evaluating such items (i.e. on watches, binoculars, compasses).
COINS
- Any currency.
- Even if it’s not cashable, it’s worth money in its weight;
- Pre-1947 coins are 50% silver, while pre-1919 are 92-95% silver, providing good benchmarks for a value estimation;
- The date on a sovereign can completely change its worth, and implicitly the offer made on it.
Sell Old Stuff Easily
- Old stationary has more value than meets the eye – any pens and pencils before the birth of the ballpoint pen should be sent in, regardless of the main material being plastic or metal. Fountain pens generally can also have gold nibs;
- Copper, pewter, silver plate (dented or not), as well as non-precious metal items should also be included in the box;
- Smoking pipes and Cheroots / tobacciana have appraisal value;
- Old jewellery boxes in any conditions up the value of a box sent in;
- Untested or damaged cameras, and additional photography equipment such as lenses are worth more than binning and should be included;
- Old toys, even those that are a bit tatty have value. Every home has them.
The Spring Clear Out campaign enrols any existing or new customer who sends a box until 14 May into a prize draw where one winner will win £1,000 as will the charity of his/her choice.
Vintage Cash Cow has set itself a target of rehoming 40 tonnes of goods between the campaign dates, progress which can be followed in real time on the landing page. This sustainable goal could be achieved with the help of over 8,000 customers sending in an average box of 5kg.
You can find more details about the Spring Clear Out here: www.vintagecashcow.co.uk/about/spring-clear-out/
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Vintage Cash Cow is the first online platform to offer one easy way to sell old stuff. They accept vintage items in any condition, even if broken, damaged or have parts missing. The selling process is very convenient, as the company provides free and insured home collection or Post Office drop off. Based in Leeds since 2016 after the founders noticed a gap in the market in terms of recycling and upcycling old, unused items. Vintage Cash Cow champions a customer-centric policy, earning an overall rating score of 4.6/5 from over 5,400 reviews on the independent site TrustPilot.