Hello!
Take a look.
Silver, England, 4.16 ounces (118 grams).
Hallmarked for Birmingham 1906. Maker “C&S”.
Has original silver pencil and Bakelite/ivory card. Silk lined interior.
If I wanted to sell it what would be the best route?
Thanks for your responses in anticipation.
Regards,
Chris.
More images.
Clark & Sewell (James Clark & John Sewell).
Good question. I guess first you have to make up your mind if you do want to sell it and are prepared to. Secondly you might want to identify who your target market is and then figure out the advertising and sales strategy which would put the item in front of that target market most effectively and at the least cost.
So to start with the first problem, to sell or not to sell, that, to sound slightly Shakespearian, is the question. Whether 'tis better to suffer the slings and arrows of the outrageous market or hold onto something which may increase in value as fiat currency’s debase.
If the answer is no, forget it, then read no further. If yes then onto the next problem. To whom?
The antique buyers fall into two broad categories, folks who collect and folks who buy and repurpose. The former pay the best and the latter are easier to deal with.
For the pure collector it all comes down to trust. They buy off people they trust. and they only trust if they know you and you have a good if not spotless reputation. Do you? If so stick it on your own website, give it a good background story, detail what similar products have done in recent markets and sit back and wait for the doorbell to ring.
If its the repurpose crowd you favour --someone who is going to put something in it they want to carry about and use then envisage that use or purpose and tell that story.
You may pitch to a dozen before someone actually proffers their payment card or cash and walks out thinking they have something to impress someone even if it is only themselves.
And, all this presumes you have decided how to sell, what vehicle to use and what the cost will be.
There’s the local auction house. They will sell it but they take buyer’s and seller’s commission and deduct local tax. You end up with about 55% of the bid price.
There’s direct sale where you put it in the classifieds or on your own website if you have one. No third party costs or commissions except for listing fees and you have control of the sale.
Of you can consign it to someone who specializes in the item. He will get it out probably more efficiently than the first two methods of selling but take 30% and of course you are competing against all his other similar items already on the shelves.