My, that eBay has a powerful jaw. By the end of this month, it'll have swallowed up the animal known as Canada's largest multi-dealer mall. No, not literally - eBay is not purchasing the mall.
The Showcase Antique Mall, which for five years drew tourists and locals alike to Toronto's funky Queen Street West, is closing all four floors. But a few blocks away, the frantic buying and selling continues online under the name WeAuctionAll (ian@weauctionall.com). The eBay Power Seller had its roots in the mall, where it operated with much success. Now under different ownership, the high profile continues with the same creative team.
Staff will still be around, electronically, to answer questions. But from now on, there are no more shelves, just computers. The consignors won't be setting their prices; that's up to the prevailing and often fickle winds of the online market. And as for buyers, well, let's just say this spells the end to our favourite scratch and sniff technique.
If you've been afflicted with auction fever, but don't want to do sell items yourself, you may want to consign your items via antiques malls. WeAuctionAll charges a $15 listing fee in Canadian funds ($20 if you want a reserve) and then a 15 per cent commission on the final selling price. Sites like weauctionall may make it look easy, but consider what's in store for a rookie seller.
First, you must sweet talk your friends who own a decent digital camera, or buy one yourself and learn the ins and outs of good close-up photography. A regular camera will do, too, but the process involves a trip to a camera store to get your image online. A printer is probably a good idea, too, since you'll need to send invoices to your new customers. You'll also need packing materials (bubble wrap, strong boxes, tape) and learn the rules of the road when it comes to shipping. You'll also discover sales etiquette from the other side (some buyers can be extremely unforgiving if those parcels don't have wings). And, oh yes, you'll also be seeing a lot more of your friendly neighborly postmaster. And don't forget the taxman either. Shouldn't you be charging sales tax if selling within your province or state?
Don't get scared off. Many great auction sellers have sprung from humble beginnings, building a solid business out of selling their own goods.
But others have built feedback empires on the backs of those who are reluctant to put themselves on the line. If you're interested in selling via consignment and your interests lie in antiques, you'll probably find the relevant flyers at shows and in shops.
The surcharge is generally well worth the price, since the dealers do all the work. The fees vary, of course, from dealer to dealer. Some may ask a mere 10 per cent commission and ask you to provide the pictures; some may ask you to pay a 15 per cent commission and ask you to pick up the tab when it comes to fees they are charged by eBay. Still others may ask you to fork over 20 per cent, plus an extra fee to list the item.
One thing does seem certain. Once the bug bites, dealers are actively out there looking for more goods to place on their auction sites. The better the item you have to offer, the higher the price, the more tantalizing the return. In other words, if you walk in with a little novelty puzzle worth a mere $15, your dealer is less likely to welcome you than if you arrive carrying a Meissen porcelain rarity. Just ask The Showcase Antique Mall. I mean, weauctionall.
About the author:
Susanne Jones is a Canadian writer and editor who has spent the past 20 years as a newspaper journalist and a passionate collector of antique toys. She and her husband Brian, a painter, have amassed nearly 3,000 toys, some acquired on eBay. These days, the collecting couple is busily restoring a 1957 turquoise Nash Metropolitan hardtop (imagine an escapee from a 1950s bumper-car ride at an amusement park). They are also avidly hunting down rustic knick-knacks and garden paraphernalia for their latest obsession...an 1880s house in a small town in a four-season resort area, far from the ultra-competitive race of Toronto. You may email Susanne (eBay ID: nikitababy) at susannej @ netcom.ca. Brian, on the other hand, has yet to figure out how to log on to their laptop.
