Selling Your Items? You're in Luck Because It's Selling Season
Find out why November through February is the best time to consign items with an online auction house.
And if you're interested in learning more, fill out the form, and we'll schedule a free consultation.
Preparing for Selling Season
The months of January, February, and March are the best time to sell items at an online auction house. If you want to sell items during these premium selling months, then you need to start contacting auction companies today.
It normally takes 30-45 days to process and publish a consignment for auction, which means that items consigned in November and December will sell in January, February, and March. Even if you don't have everything together, it would be a good idea to contact auction companies right now to schedule a visit.
Why are January, February, and March the Best Months to Sell?
It is a time when every major category of buyer is active online. Dealers, collectors, and retail consumers are buying.
Most estate sale companies and antique show venues are closed for the winter. This means that auctioneers have a temporary duopoly in the resale market alongside retailers, who also resell items.
Why are dealers and collectors buying online?
Dealers and collectors are always buying. However, during the spring and summer, they will buy at antique stores and shows as the weather is warm in most of the country.
During the winter months, the dealer groups focus all their attention online. For a dealer or collector, the majority of this attention will go to online auctions rather than eBay or other online marketplaces.
Why are there more buyers this time of year?
While it's certainly true that people are buying before Christmas, they are purchasing gifts for friends and family.
Once buyers are done spending on Christmas gifts, they will look for things to buy for themselves as a reward for their shopping efforts. When buying for yourself, you tend to buy more high value items, especially if you are a passionate collector.
An Influx of Spending Money
After Christmas, people tend to have more funds available for making purchases as they get money from two sources:
- Cash for Christmas
- Tax Refunds
While some of this goes to pay bills, this "extra" money is not part of their monthly budget for bills. Most people want to treat themselves to something nice and will spend some (if not all) of their cash on items.
The Ultimate Online Selling Season
When you take all these factors into account, it creates a lot of competition for items being sold at online auctions.
More competition = more bidders
More bidders = higher prices
If you have a large collection, high value items, or even a full estate, the November / December time frame is an ideal time to start working with an auction company. After Christmas, we will get swamped with consignors that are done with Christmas and realize it's a good time to be selling. Unfortunately, if you wait that long, it will be difficult for any high quality auction company to get your items listed in an auction.
What to Do Next?
If you have items to sell at auction, fill out the form below and schedule a time for a free consultation!
One more thing….
Don't forget about the collector in your family! If you aren't sure what to buy for them, they will always appreciate a gift card or a gift certificate from their favorite auction house.