Member Article

Free website matches sellers to UK antiques and collectables trade

Advised by John Bly, WhereToSell.co.uk selects ideal consignors for auction houses and dealers

WhereToSell.co.uk, a new website designed to navigate the complex world of antiques and collectables is today enabling specialist auction houses and buyers to connect with their most wanted consignors for free.

The antiques trade itself has increasingly gone online in recent years with the rise of online marketplaces. Consumers are all too often more interested in simply selling an item as opposed to spending time researching how to achieve an heirloom’s true value through identifying the best route to a sale through specialist auction houses and dealers.

Mike Shepherd-Smith, founder, stated: “This is where WhereToSell.co.uk aims to fill the gap, bringing together sellers and the UK’s antiques trade on one free online platform.

“The antiques and collectables market is one of many being transformed by the Internet. Typically, when it comes to selling possessions consumers take the easy route – placing an heirloom or collectable on eBay or some other online marketplace, which is no guarantee that they will be able to sell their heirloom for its true value.”

Mike continued: Our website has been designed to show consumers that there is a better way to sell, one that puts them in direct contact with specialists to secure the best possible price. For the UK antiques and collectables trade this service will afford them a strong foothold in the online world, delivering to them free of charge connections to sellers looking to sell nationwide.

The site is easy to use and free to consumers. If they are interested in selling a specific item all they do is go to the ‘Make An Enquiry’ page and tick the appropriate box. With over 300 categories there will be one which is just right for them. The site will provide the seller with a list of contact details of appropriate potential buyers or intermediaries, either based on distance or by level of interest in the item, then with one click can email them on behalf of the enquirer.

Historically, auctioneers and specialist buyers have relied on advertising to attract consignors, but ensuring these campaigns return high-quality leads is not always guaranteed. WhereToSell.co.uk connects the dealers looking for particular items with the sellers directly.

“Auction houses and dealers are free to register on the website, where they can then list their requirements amongst the 300 categories available. Enquiries then made by consumers looking to sell an item are then matched to the intermediary, based on their exact level of interest.

Mike concludes: “WhereToSell.co.uk has been created with the antiques and collectables trade at its heart, with support from John Bly as Chair of our panel of experts, providing additional advice to sellers. For the antiques trade this opens up a major new route to market enabling them to capture high-quality sales leads that specifically match their expertise.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by WhereToSell.co.uk .