Online Platforms that are Transforming The Antiques Marketplace

By Maxine Carter-Lome, Publisher

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With so many options, where’s a buyer and seller to go?

Here are four online platforms specifically designed for buying and selling antiques and vintage items. These sites add a new online twist to a traditional market segment (tag sales, estate sales, auctions, shopping malls), making shopping, searching, buying, and selling online, easy, convenient, and intuitive.

Facebook Marketplace

Yard sales and tag sales have long been favorites of collectors and dealers and are fun ways to spend a day. Yes, finding something is hit or miss, but half the fun is not knowing and pulling over to look.

Facebook Marketplace, launched in 2016, is the online equivalent of the traditional tag sale on steroids as a 24/7 continuously changing marketplace. Today, over a billion shoppers visit Facebook Marketplace monthly for up to 1.228 billion monthly online business transactions, according to September 2024 data from capitalonlineshopping.com.

The Marketplace app is found on the Facebook platform. It allows buyers and sellers to browse or post within a geographic radius, message to ask questions, and make a sale, all through Facebook. Like classifieds, Craigslist or the emergence of new, community-wide “tag sale” pages, you can sell and find almost anything on Facebook Marketplace, from furniture to cars, antiques, and collector items.

The platform is popular among a wide range of users for a wide range of mostly pre-owned items. Branded fashion apparel is among the most searched-for items on Facebook Marketplace, followed by furniture and home décor. This category includes Antiques and Vintage items and can seamlessly and conveniently connect and extend to reach related local business and community groups and regional antique and DIY groups.

What to know:
• Over a billion shoppers visit Facebook Marketplace monthly so the market has a vast number of listings and items for sale.
• New items are continuously being added so there are always new things to look at, any time of day.
• You can set up alerts when new items of interest come to market, and directly connect with interested buyer.
• The application makes it easy to search, post items for sale, and set up a sale.
• FB works best for buyers and sellers with geographic parameters that allow for convenient same-day sales and delivery/pick-up.
• Larger prospect base due to Facebook’s extensive reach and popularity.
• There is a risk of encountering fraudulent or misleading listings, where the item may not match the description or even exist, or the condition is not what was represented in the sales description.
• Payments made through the platform may not be as secure as those on dedicated e-commerce sites. Best to pay in cash upon pickup for any last-minute negotiations based on unknown or misrepresented condition.
• When meeting in person to complete a transaction, there’s a potential risk to personal safety. Always meet in public, well-lit places and preferably during daylight hours.
• Facebook Marketplace does not offer the same level of buyer or seller protection as some dedicated e-commerce platforms. Transactions are often considered private agreements.

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Auction Ninja

Since COVID, the idea of holding an estate sale online has turned into a real business and opportunity for estate liquidation companies and buyers with platforms such as AuctionNinja.com.

In 2012, Christie Spooner and Grant Panarese knew there was a better way to run their estate liquidation business. After looking tirelessly for a technology solution that would help them increase efficiency and create even happier customers, they realized that there was a major void in the market. There were options – but no solution truly met the unique needs of estate liquidators. So, they built it themselves.

Since 2016, AuctionNinja has helped countless auctioneers and estate liquidators revolutionize the way they do business. Vendors can hold more sales than ever before in a fraction of the time and with fewer resources, and buyers can sift through auction items for sale and bid from the comfort and convenience of their couches.
Interested buyers can search through upwards of hundreds of items from an estate with photos and descriptions in advance of the sale deadline and make an offer in the form of a “bid,” which can be raised in an auction-type transaction, not unlike other auction sites. However, unlike other online auction sites, most of the auctions held on the AuctionNinja platform require the buyer to personally pick up their winning items within a specified period of time. Allowances are made for shipping some things if it is small enough/light enough and are noted with the listed item.

What to know:
• Since the entire estate is listed online, you have plenty of time to browse each item and shop from the comfort of your home. No need to get to sales at the crack of dawn and wait in long lines!
• With the entire estate online, you are only bidding against other online buyers, allowing you to assess demand.
• You control the pricing. Most online estate auctions don’t have reserve pricing, so the item goes for what bidders are willing to pay. There’s no harm in bidding an amount that you’d consider to be a good deal – you just might win!
• Payment is handled online through a secure e-commerce site.
• Most sellers ask for “Local Pick-up Only,” although some do offer “Limited Shipping,” so you need to be geographically accessible to the pick-up location and pick up within a specified period of time.
• Poor or misleading item descriptions can lead to buyer remorse.
• Check the integrity of the selling establishments posting to the site to know who you will be doing business with.
• Auction Ninja is not responsible for the deceptive practices of the vendors using its platform. Your beef is with the estate.

Ruby Lane

Established in 1998, Ruby Lane is one of the internet’s oldest curated marketplaces. Unlike many popular platforms that have broadened their scope, Ruby Lane remains committed to its original focus: antiques, vintage items, art, collectibles, and jewelry. This specialization creates a distinct advantage for sellers passionate about these categories.

What sets Ruby Lane apart is its curated approach. While anyone can set up shop on platforms like Etsy, Ruby Lane carefully vets all sellers and their items to ensure authenticity and quality. This stringent process fosters a marketplace known for its high standards which appeals to buyers seeking genuine vintage finds.

The site is set up for easy item searches and as a virtual antique shopping mall, with dealers hosting their own sites (“shops”) and establishing their own relationships with customers through the Ruby Lane platform.

Today, RubyLane.com brings in over one million unique visitors each month who are on the prowl for a range of vintage products including jewelry, high-quality antique dolls, art deco furniture, fashion accessories, and porcelain wares.

What to know:
• Easy-to-use software for setting up a shop and making purchases.
• Established site with established customers.
• Easy and secure online payment process.
• Unlike some platforms, Ruby Lane does not charge for setting up your shop or listing your items, removing a barrier to entry for many sellers.
• The focus on vintage.
• A curated marketplace.
• Ruby Lane has a smaller yet more targeted audience than platforms like Etsy or eBay.
• Items are sold at set prices rather than in an auction format.
• The company takes commissions from sales.
• Shop owners provide their own images and descriptions.
• Shipping is handled by the shop owner.

Invaluable

Why search the internet daily for what new items are coming up for auction when one site can do all that for you, and notify you when specific items of interest are listed at auction?

Invaluable.com, launched in 2009, is the art world’s leading online marketplace for fine art, antiques, and collectibles. With over 5,000 of the world’s premier auction houses using its online bidding platform, invaluable.com makes it easy for collectors from around the world to discover and acquire the items they are most passionate about, all in one place. Participating auction houses range from high-end to smaller regional and specialty establishments.

In addition to helping collectors find their next treasure, the platform provides the tools and solutions that auction houses need to succeed online and expand their reach to a global audience of engaged collectors.

There are a couple different ways to shop on Invaluable, including bidding in both live and timed auctions. If there is something you wish to purchase from an auction house on Invaluable, you have the option to bid in real-time during a live auction, or, place an absentee bid prior to the sale, allowing you to get in on the action ahead of live bidding that takes place once the auction kicks off. When a live auction begins, Invaluable bidders gain access to an online bidding console so that they can follow and participate in the auction in real-time.

What to know:
• Through its participating auction houses, invaluable.com offers hundreds of thousands of unique and rare items for one-stop searching and buying.
• Invaluable’s bidder console allows users to participate in auctions in real time.
• Invaluable is the only company in its industry with a U.S. Utility Patent on online bidding technology, reliably powering live and timed auctions with the best user experience for buyers and sellers.
• Allows you to receive notifications when items that you may be interested in come to auction.
• For “Buy Now” items, buyers are responsible for shipping, handling, and other fees including applicable taxes, if any.
• Auction buyers are responsible for the fees for items won at auction, in addition to tax and shipping.
• Each auction house may charge a buyer’s premium (which is an additional fee that a winning bidder is required to pay above the auction price) as well as other shipping, handling, and other fees including applicable taxes.