The DIY movement has become a veritable phenomenon, with people embracing all manner of DIY projects from refinishing their wood floors (an incredibly messy job!) to building a firepit, repairing their dishwasher, and, well, don’t get me started because I have seen it all.
In some cases, the result is good and there’s a justifiable feeling of pride when the work is completed. In other cases, not so much. The work was more arduous than expected, there were some mishaps along the way, and the result was not up to expectations. In some cases, the job has to be redone, and adding insult to injury, time is wasted.
While perhaps not as physically taxing as building a firepit, I can tell you many stories about the perils and pitfalls of DIY antique sales, because, in all honesty, it’s difficult to assess value by yourself and without training or experience.
There’s an extensive amount of misinformation online, and without having the requisite time and knowledge to go through the different websites and evaluate what you are reading, uninformed buyers and sellers can get into trouble.
Think of it like this. Suppose you go into a high-end retail store to check out an item that you have and may wish to sell. You’re excited, amazed, and thrilled (pick one!) at how much the item is selling for and immediately anticipate that you’ll be able to sell your item for approximately the same amount. But, before you get too excited, you have to remember that you’re looking at the retail price you will probably not be able to get on your own. You’re doing your calculations based upon the “retail” price and that will lead you to the incorrect conclusion.
My advice, of course, is to reach out to Syl-Lee. Our vast experience can provide you with the information you need so that your expectations will be more realistic.
Here are some sites that can also be of value.
