Selling Used China in Metro Detroit

[begingri]

Hi guys,

Asking for some help on where to sell used China in our area. I inherited a full set that is currently not being used. I considering selling in online and contacted Replacements, Ltd. By the time I shipped it to them, I would have lost money on the deal.

I was about to take it to a pawn store but figured I'd ask the community for help first to see if anyone was aware of a better place to sell it. Thanks everyone.

[401don]

Don't know because I live in the Toronto area, but I can tell you prices have dropped dramatically in the past 10 yrs. CBC did a report recently showcasing the largest dealer in the Toronto area. Their warehouse has reduced staff from over 100 to about 10 employees. Basically, young people don't want fine china due to changing tastes, lack of space, etc. and supply is increasing as parents pass away. Best to try to sell it online yourself but don't expect to get much.

[Richard]

What brand and pattern is it?

[jcole]

Try a consignment store that deals in household goods

[detroittrader]

You can put them up for sale in the Antique section of Craigslist. Set up an account so you can edit your post easily. Take some good quality photos of the China and write a detailed post with all you know of the set. Price it for what you think it's worth, if you don't have any interest drop the price a small percentage every 48 hours until you find a buyer.

[smallferret]

The Treasure Mart is Ann Arbor will take it on consignment.
I've gotten some nice things there myself.

[RO_Resident]

My siblings and I have run into the same issue. We have been trying to sell two sets.

One is nothing special. It has been sitting in a consignment shop for ~6 months. We are going to put it on CL if it doesn't sell by the new year.

The second set is a close cousin to a set that is in high demand. It is a bit disappointing when an appraiser tells you that a set is worth $5/piece, whereas if it had a certain mark, it would be going for $80/piece.

It's a source of amusement to us that we'll probably make more from a run-of-the-mill set of Fiestaware sold to a family friend than we'll make from the china.

[Cliffy]

You guys might as well give them away to someone that needs them

[Blueidone]

You guys might as well give them away to someone that needs them

Probably right..you can take a tax deduction at least if you donate them to a charity. I usually donate my unwanted household goods to Purple Heart. They will pick it up, and leave a paper for you to fill in to keep for your tax records.

It's true that most newlyweds don't want fine china anymore. Most of them go for Corelle or stuff like that.

[Gary]

Unless they are truly rare, I agree that it might be easier to give them to someone who needs them.

My mom left behind several sets of china when she died in May. The most valuable stuff was claimed by family members in keeping with her estate plan. As for the rest of her valuables, I contacted a local antique dealer who I found on Google. He bought a lot of her remaining stuff for what I consider fair prices. Look around. I wouldn't trust Craigslist.

[Gistok]

I sold a set of my mother's China on Ebay, but it was a rare German setting for 12. And a lady in Seattle was willing to pay the $120 UPS shipping rate. Best way to go that route is to do a search on Ebay... and if there are a large number of sellers of a particular setting, then it's not worth your while. But if it's rarely found, then you could get lucky like I did.

Replacements Unlimited offered me only $2 for items they were selling for $40. It all depents on if they have things in stock. I had 12 soup bowls that they were offering me $30 each for... because they didn't have any in stock, and must have had them on a want list. But I wasn't willing to break up the service, so Ebay was the route I took... and it was at a set price with "or best offer".

Craigs list is an option... it's free, and if there are no takers, then there's nothing lost. I've sold many things on Craigs list without problems. Sometimes meeting them in front of a busy store, other times just selling it from my front porch. Always cash.

[JBMcB]

I second Treasure Mart in Ann Arbor. Also, there are some sellers that specialize in china in some of the mini-antique malls scattered around the area. I think there is one in the antique market in the Whole Foods shopping center at Maple and Coolidge in Troy. I'd call around.