Best internet site to sell vintage linens?

M

Makemytable

Registered Guest
Hi,

I thought to ask this to experienced sellers of vintage linen on the internet. We have tried selling vintage linen on eBay with little success. One time we tried selling a rare peacock chenille bedspread and did not even get a bid on it.

Seems like eBay may not be the right venue for selling vintage linen. Is etsy better? I know you have a fixed price for it, but with so much stuff on there and no time limit, is the turn over slow?
 
I think you will be pleased with the results on Etsy, for items such as that. You may have to wait a bit, but with all the crafters and sewing people, you will at least find an appreciative crowd. I do well with linens, sheets, fabrics, pillowcases, towels. Wish I had time to list more. I cannot compare to ebay though, as I've not often sold such items there, and in fact rarely sell anything there any more.
 
Hi Joules,

Thanks for your reply. Do you sell vintage linens on Etsy? or handmade items. I found a lot of sellers of vintage linens on there while browsing. They also give you 4 months to list them.

When you say "wait a while" I hope you don't mean more than 4 months?
 
You're welcome, and yes, I have, from time to time. No handmade, just vintage for me, but mostly vintage fashion items, of course.
For instance, Vera tablecloth:
http://www.etsy.com/transaction/29080055
Cherry berry napkin set:
http://www.etsy.com/transaction/22736625
Vera towels:
http://www.etsy.com/transaction/27074861
Vera linen:
http://www.etsy.com/transaction/109740
'61 Tea towel:
http://www.etsy.com/transaction/22018352

Here is an example of a seller who does well with chenille. She's a friend of mine, through etsy. Yes, it may take more than 4 months, but relists are only 20 cents.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/catnapcottage
 
Do let us know how you make out if you give Etsy a try with this sort of merchandise. I have boxes full of linens myself and years ago it did do quite well on eBay, but unfortunately nothing much does well there any more!

I do have a few items on Etsy and plan to put on more but I must admit I find sales are slow, you have to be patient!

I don't know if Bonanzle or eCrater would be any better for this sort of thing, if you haven't checked these venues out, it might be worth looking into.
 
Mary Jane, what about Ruby Lane for this sort of thing, or Ruby Plaza?
You have to be patient is right. I finally sold my Zomba 40's barkcloth yardage, after several years. But, I got my price, and it is going to someone who will cherish and use it, in authentic vintage decor in her home. So, that makes me happy, and other stuff sells in the meantime.
 
I haven't given Ruby Lane much of a try to date on textiles...so I honestly can't say. The only glitch with RL is it takes awhile to join as you have to submit 10 items which then have to be approved and it is definitely costlier than Etsy or the other sites I mentioned.

I do find the clients at Ruby Lane are very nice though!
 
Yes these are antique linens. We periodically purchase direct from institutions in bulk and get a lot of these that accumulate fast. I guess the appeal of eBay is we get it off our hands in 7 days.

We normally do not launder or press these items, rather we sell them mostly at wholesale price which leads me to my other question. Is there an internet site you experienced folks know where we can sell these antique linens in bulk?
 
Don't know about bulk selling...maybe developing your own website might be something to look into if you really have such quantity.

I know what you mean about selling in 7 or 10 days with auction, we had been used to that for years on ebay, we used to sell 30 - 50 items per week....but it looks like those days are pretty much over for us smaller sellers now!
 
JMHO, I wouldn't bother trying to sell linens on Ruby Lane. I have had much better luck on eBay, believe it or not! I had a lovely set of hand-embroidered real linen dresser scarves, in an unusual pattern; had them on RL for ages, and they didn't sell. Put them on eBay, and I think they sold at or higher than the price I had them on RL. But.... to be fair, that was 2 or 3 years ago. I haven't tried linens anywhere since then, but I have a pile of them to list as well. I also sold a Wilendur tablecloth on eBay for nice money--so I think if you have "name-brand" collectible linens, eBay can still be a decent venue, but not for nice, but not-spectacular ones.
 
Well, there does not seem to be a market out there for wholesale. I just did a search for "lot vintage linen" on etsy. Came out with a few listing, pretty cheap and no buyers.

I agree on Ebay, the only way you can get good pricing on there is if your item is extra special not the run of the mill vintage.
 
i agree w/Joules, i think you'll find an appreciative market on Etsy for linens ~ with so many crafters there, and since you have a distinct product (linens only) i would think you'd do very well there.

as far as a quick turnover? if you price low, things will sell quicker ~ however if you have the luxury of being able to wait to get the price you want, set price selling is terrific. we love it, but we're in no hurry, either! as J says, you can get the price you desire (eventually) AND you know its going to an appreciative home if they're willing to pay a collectible price rather than a bargain basement price.
 
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