Selling vintage furniture online presents a lucrative opportunity for those looking to turn their passion for unique pieces into profit. Chairish, a leading online marketplace for vintage and antique furniture and decor, offers a curated platform to connect sellers with affluent buyers seeking one-of-a-kind items. However, pricing vintage furniture accurately can be a challenging endeavor. This post will guide you through 10 essential tips to help you determine the optimal prices for your vintage treasures on Chairish, maximizing your chances of a successful sale.
Table of Contents
- Know Your Market: Research is Key
- Condition is Everything: Assess and Disclose Honestly
- Factor in the “Chairish Factor”: Uniqueness Commands a Premium
- Consider Shipping Costs: Transparency Attracts Buyers
- Embrace the “Make an Offer” Feature: Negotiation is Expected
- Leverage Trade Pricing: Appeal to Design Professionals
- The Power of Photography: High-Quality Images Sell
- Boost Visibility: New Listings and Social Media
- Strategic Markdowns: Breathe Life into Stale Listings
- Manage Expectations: Patience and Persistence are Crucial
- FAQs
- Conclusion
Introduction
Chairish, with its focus on a discerning clientele, stands out from more general online marketplaces. Buyers on Chairish are known for their appreciation of unique, high-quality vintage furniture and are willing to pay a premium for pieces that truly stand out.
Understanding this unique market and mastering the art of strategic pricing is crucial for success on Chairish. Let’s explore the 10 tips that will empower you to price your vintage furniture effectively, attracting buyers and maximizing your returns.
1. Know Your Market: Research is Key
Before you even think about setting a price, immerse yourself in Chairish’s ecosystem. This research will provide the foundation for making informed pricing decisions.
Understand Chairish’s Clientele: Chairish’s target audience comprises affluent individuals who value quality, design, and uniqueness. They are looking for furniture pieces that elevate their homes and reflect their personal style. This sets Chairish apart from platforms like Etsy or Facebook Marketplace, where the focus is on a broader audience and lower price points.
Identify Comparable Items: Become a Chairish detective! Utilize Chairish’s search function to research prices of recently sold items similar to yours. Be specific with your search terms to get the most accurate comparisons. For instance, instead of simply searching “credenza,” try “Mid-Century Modern Walnut Credenza.” This will filter your results to show you items that closely resemble your piece. Pay close attention to the condition of the comparable items and adjust your pricing accordingly.
Check Chairish’s Pink Book: Chairish offers a valuable pricing guide based on historical sales data, known as the Pink Book. This tool allows you to browse previously sold items and their selling prices, offering insights into current market trends and helping you benchmark your prices accurately.
2. Condition is Everything: Assess and Disclose Honestly
Honesty is the best policy when it comes to selling vintage furniture, especially regarding its condition.
Importance of Accurate Description: The condition of your furniture significantly impacts its price. Be honest and accurate when describing the condition of your piece, categorizing it as excellent, good, fair, or as needed. This helps to manage buyers’ expectations and ensures they receive exactly what they anticipated.
Disclose Imperfections: Transparency is crucial when selling vintage furniture online. Be upfront about any imperfections, such as scratches, stains, or repairs. Don’t try to hide them, as this could lead to negative reviews and damage your reputation as a seller. Instead, embrace the beauty of imperfection! Vintage furniture often tells a story, and its imperfections can be part of its charm.
Provide Detailed Photos: High-quality photos are essential for showcasing the beauty of your furniture and highlighting its condition. Capture images from multiple angles, including close-ups of details, materials, and textures. This allows buyers to get a comprehensive view of your piece and understand its current state. Aim for a combination of well-lit overall shots and detailed close-ups that showcase the piece’s character.
3. Factor in the “Chairish Factor”: Uniqueness Commands a Premium
Chairish thrives on the unique. Play up those aspects that make your piece special and set it apart from the ordinary.
Highlighting Unique Features: Emphasize what makes your furniture piece unique or rare. This could include special details, craftsmanship, or historical significance. Uniqueness adds value and justifies a higher price tag. Does your piece have a unique shape, unusual hardware, or intricate carving? Highlight these elements in your description.
Storytelling: Turn your listing into a mini-history lesson. Share the story behind your piece, weaving in details about its origins, previous owners, or any interesting anecdotes. This helps buyers connect with the furniture on a deeper level and appreciate its history. Did you find this piece in a charming antique shop in Paris? Was it passed down through your family for generations? Stories add personality and intrigue to your listing.
Showcase Designer or Maker Provenance: If your furniture has a known designer or maker, prominently feature this information in your listing. Pieces from renowned designers like Herman Miller, Knoll, or Eero Saarinen command higher prices due to their established reputation and desirability. Include any markings, labels, or other documentation that authenticates the designer or maker.
4. Consider Shipping Costs: Transparency Attracts Buyers
Shipping can be a significant cost factor when buying large items like furniture.
Chairish’s Shipping Options: Familiarize yourself with the different shipping methods offered by Chairish: In-Home Delivery, Parcel, Local Pickup, Local Delivery, and Seller Managed Delivery. Each option has its own cost structure and implications for pricing.
Include Shipping in Pricing: Decide whether to include shipping costs in your listing price or have the buyer pay separately. Including shipping can make your listing appear more attractive but consider the potential impact on your profit margin. Including shipping can streamline the purchasing process for buyers, but it also means you’ll need to factor shipping costs into your asking price.
Transparency in Shipping Fees: Be upfront and transparent about shipping costs, regardless of the method you choose. Provide clear and detailed information about the fees involved, so buyers are aware of the total cost before making an offer. If you opt for buyer-paid shipping, consider providing estimated shipping costs based on the buyer’s location. This transparency will help to avoid surprises and build trust.
5. Embrace the “Make an Offer” Feature: Negotiation is Expected
Chairish encourages interaction between buyers and sellers.
Price to Negotiate: Chairish’s “Make an Offer” feature allows buyers to propose their desired prices. This feature is widely used on Chairish, so expect to receive offers. Set a listing price that allows room for negotiation while ensuring you still achieve a profitable outcome. You can even subtly encourage buyers to make offers in your description.
Set Counter Offers Strategically: Be prepared to respond to offers and make counteroffers. Consider your profit margin and market research when setting counteroffers, aiming for a price that satisfies both you and the buyer. Don’t be afraid to decline an offer if it falls significantly below your minimum acceptable price.
6. Leverage Trade Pricing: Appeal to Design Professionals
Designers and trade professionals are a valuable segment of Chairish’s clientele.
Introduce Chairish Trade Program: Chairish offers a trade program for design professionals, allowing them to purchase items at a discounted rate. This program can significantly expand your customer base and increase sales, as designers often source multiple pieces for their projects.
Set Separate Trade Prices: Offer a trade discount, typically around 20%, to entice design professionals. You can either apply a flat trade discount to all your listings or set individual discounts for each item. Trade pricing remains hidden from regular buyers, so you can maintain your standard pricing for the general public.
7. The Power of Photography: High-Quality Images Sell
In the world of online selling, a picture is truly worth a thousand words.
Professional-Looking Photos: Invest in high-quality images that showcase your furniture’s best features. Well-lit, sharp, and aesthetically pleasing photos create a positive first impression and attract buyer interest. If your photography skills aren’t top-notch, consider hiring a professional photographer. The investment can be well worth it in terms of increased sales.
Multiple Angles and Details: Provide a variety of photos from different angles, capturing the overall shape, size, and design of your piece. Include close-up shots to highlight specific details, materials, and textures, such as wood grain, fabric patterns, or metal finishes. Buyers want to see every aspect of the piece, so provide them with a virtual tour.
Natural Light and Staging: Utilize natural light to create the most flattering photos. If possible, consider staging your furniture in an appealing setting that complements its style and enhances its visual appeal. This doesn’t have to be elaborate; a simple backdrop or a few carefully chosen props can make a big difference.
8. Boost Visibility: New Listings and Social Media
Don’t just list your items and wait for buyers to find them. Be proactive in promoting your listings to increase their visibility.
Regularly Add New Items: Frequently adding new listings increases your visibility on Chairish. New items are featured in the “New Arrivals” section, attracting more attention from buyers browsing for fresh finds. The more active you are on the platform, the more likely you are to catch the eye of potential buyers.
Promote on Social Media: Extend your reach beyond Chairish by promoting your listings on your social media platforms. Share links to your items, engaging photos, and captivating descriptions to pique the interest of your followers. Create eye-catching visual content that highlights your furniture’s unique qualities and directs viewers to your Chairish shop.
Engage with Followers: Interact with potential buyers on your social media channels. Respond to inquiries, answer questions, and foster a sense of community to build relationships and generate buzz around your listings. Social media is a powerful tool for connecting with your target audience and building a loyal following.
9. Strategic Markdowns: Breathe Life into Stale Listings
Sometimes, even the most beautifully photographed and well-described listings need a little boost to catch a buyer’s attention.
Analyze Listing Performance: Monitor the performance of your listings. If an item hasn’t sold within a reasonable timeframe, typically 30-60 days, consider taking a markdown to rekindle interest. Chairish’s analytics dashboard can provide insights into how many views and favorites your listings are receiving, helping you to identify items that might benefit from a price adjustment.
Time Markdowns Strategically: Align your markdowns with Chairish’s sales or promotional periods for increased visibility and impact. This maximizes the exposure of your discounted items to a wider audience. Chairish often runs sitewide sales or promotes specific categories during holidays or seasonal events.
Communicate Markdowns to Favorited Users: Chairish automatically notifies users who have “favorited” an item about price reductions. This encourages them to revisit the listing and potentially make a purchase. It’s a built-in marketing tool to re-engage interested buyers.
10. Manage Expectations: Patience and Persistence are Crucial
The vintage furniture market can be unpredictable, so it’s essential to have realistic expectations.
Chairish as a Side Hustle: Selling vintage furniture online, even on a specialized platform like Chairish, is often best approached as a supplemental income stream or a side hustle. The demand for vintage pieces, while present, may not translate to consistent full-time income for most sellers.
Patience is Key: Selling on Chairish requires patience and persistence. Don’t get discouraged if your furniture doesn’t sell immediately. Continue to research, adjust prices, and promote your listings. Treat each listing as a learning experience and be willing to adapt your strategies as needed.
Building a Reputation: Focus on building a positive reputation as a seller by providing accurate descriptions, high-quality photos, and excellent customer service. Respond promptly to inquiries, ship items carefully, and strive for positive reviews. Your reputation as a reliable and trustworthy seller can make a big difference in attracting buyers and making sales.
FAQs
- What is the commission fee on Chairish?
Chairish charges a commission fee on each sale, starting at 40% for Consigner memberships. However, Professional memberships (10+ active listings) offer lower fees, starting at 22%. - Does Chairish handle shipping?
Yes, Chairish offers several shipping options, including In-Home Delivery and Parcel shipping through UPS. Sellers can also choose local pickup, local delivery, or seller-managed delivery. - How long does it take for Chairish to approve a listing?
Chairish reviews each listing before it goes live. This review process can take up to 4 days, so ensure your listings meet their guidelines to avoid delays.
Conclusion
Mastering the art of pricing on Chairish involves a combination of diligent research, accurate descriptions, compelling photos, and strategic decision-making. By implementing these 10 tips, you can position yourself for success on the platform. Remember, patience and persistence are key, as building a reputation and attracting the right buyers takes time. Embrace the challenge, and enjoy the journey of sharing your vintage furniture with design enthusiasts seeking unique treasures for their homes!