How to sell retro furniture

Retrowow is often asked: how do I sell retro furniture. People often want to know how to get sell their parents' G-Plan bedroom suite, or a piece of furniture that they no longer have room for.

There are a number of alternatives, however by far the best way to sell retro furniture is on eBay.

Selling retro furniture on eBay

eBay is a massive market place. Anyone in the world can use eBay, however retro furniture, because of the cost of shipping is unlikely to be sold abroad. These are our top tips for getting the best price on eBay.

Do your research

Find out as much as possible about the piece. Who made it, when was it made. Make sure you get the description right. Most eBay users do searches such as 'G-Plan furniture', 'Stag Minstrel' etc. Use information on Retrowow to identify the piece or post questions on our forum. [Note: we only answer questions about Retro furniture on the forum].

Get the description and title right

Once you have done your research it is important to give the piece the right title. This is what most eBay users search on. So if it is a G-Plan sideboard from the 60s make sure your description says something like

"G-Plan sideboard 1960s teak finish"

Avoid adding missleading keywords e.g. "G-Plan style piece", "retro sideboard like G-Plan". These only annoy buyers how may click on the description and immediately click away. If the want G-Plan only G-Plan will do.

Especially avoid "Retro sideboard not G-Plan", if it is not G-Plan a G-Plan collector will not want it. He/she will click away muttering 'idiot'. Also avoid using phrases like "Eames era", once again its is unhelpful and says that the seller does not know what he/she is talking about and is trying to inflate the price of a non-discript piece of furniture.

Describe the condition

Condition is everything with retro furniture. Make sure the description describes the condition accurately. Different peoples' idea of what is acceptable will vary, so make sure they know if there are scratches, water damage and chips. I remember going to see a piece that was described on the phone as very good condition only to find it was horribly scratched and in need of a complete strip and revarnish.

Avoid phrases like "good condition for age". This means nothing. If the piece still exists it is good condition for its age.

Take good quality photographs

A number of good quality photographs showing the furniture from several angles will help sell it and ensure a high price. Blurred digital photographs are unhelpful. Remember the buyer cannot see the furniture and needs to have a good idea of condition and any faults. It might seem to go against getting the best price, but it is a good idea to photograph serious blemishes so that the buyer knows what he his buying.

Get the category right

Have a look at similar pieces for sale and check the category that they were listed under. Some eBay users prefer to browse categories than to search. If you get the category wrong they will not fiind it.

Starting price

This is always a difficult question. A number of possible strategies can work well.

Starting low

If your piece is an in demand collectible, you can check this by looking at eBay's completed listings, then a low starting price might ensure a final auction price. It is a risky stategy, but can work as a number of eBayers may be after it. This stategy does not work well with off the wall pieces or more non descript pieces.

Start high

This is rarely a good stategy. It mostly means the piece will not sell.

Middle ground

Choose the minimum you are prepared to accept and use this as the staring price. This is a safer stategy than starting low. It works well for average pieces, that are unlikely to create a buzz on eBay. It also works well for unusual pieces that are difficult to value.

There are retro dealers, however they rarely take furniture because of the high costs in storing it. They also have to make a profit so are inclined not to offer the best price for it. The good news is that there is a lively market for it on eBay.