How to Sell Antiques Online in the UK: Where to List and What It Costs (2026)
You can sell antiques online in the UK in three main ways: sell to a dealer or auction house, list on a general marketplace such as eBay, or list on a specialist antiques marketplace. Private sellers with a few pieces usually do best with eBay or a dealer; anyone selling regularly gets better prices on the specialist sites, many of which are open to trade dealers only.
Key points
- eBay is free for UK private sellers: no final value fee, and 300 free listings a month (eBay's private seller fees page, updated 30 September 2026).
- Business sellers pay fees on eBay: 10.9% for Antiques, worked out on the whole sale including postage, plus a small per-order fee and a 0.35% regulatory fee (excluding VAT).
- Specialist sites differ a lot: Vinterior takes a commission when you sell, Antiques Atlas charges a subscription and no commission, and LAPADA is a members' association rather than an open marketplace.
- Many specialist sites are trade only: Pamono, Antiques Atlas and LAPADA vet dealers; Vinterior and Selency also accept private sellers.
- Tax: trading income over the £1,000 trading allowance must be reported to HMRC, and platforms report sellers with 30 or more sales or about £1,700 a year.
What are the ways to sell antiques online in the UK?
There are five routes, and the right one depends on how much you have to sell and how much time you want to spend.
Selling to a dealer or specialist buyer
Some dealers and "we buy" businesses will make an offer from photos. It is the quickest route and there are no fees, but the price reflects the fact that the buyer needs to make a profit when they sell it on.
Selling through an auction house online
Auction houses that run online sales photograph and catalogue the piece for you, and you pay a seller's commission on the hammer price. It suits good single pieces where competition between bidders can lift the price. Check each auction house's own terms for its commission.
General marketplaces: eBay and Facebook Marketplace
eBay is the general marketplace most people already use, and it is free for UK private sellers. Facebook Marketplace is useful for furniture you want collected, but Facebook's own help pages (read from the UK on 19 October 2026) say selling with delivery is not available here, so sales are arranged locally and are not covered by its Purchase Protection.
Specialist antiques marketplaces
Sites such as Vinterior, Pamono, Selency, Antiques Atlas and Decorative Collective are where buyers looking specifically for antiques and vintage interiors browse. Most of them vet sellers first, and the fees work in very different ways.
Your own website
A Shopify or WooCommerce shop has no marketplace commission and builds your own customer base, but you have to bring the buyers to it. Most dealers use it alongside the marketplaces rather than instead of them.
Where is the best place to sell antiques online in the UK?
It depends on whether you are a private seller or a trade dealer. This table shows who each site is for and how it charges, from each site's own pages read on 19 October 2026.
| Site | Who can sell | How it charges |
|---|---|---|
| eBay (private seller) | Anyone in the UK | Free to sell; 300 free listings a month, then 35p each; 3% if the buyer is overseas |
| eBay (business seller) | Businesses | Antiques 10.9% of the total sale including postage, plus 30p (orders £10 or less) or 40p per order, plus 0.35% regulatory fee; excluding VAT |
| Vinterior | Dealers (by application) and UK private sellers | Dealers: 17% up to £2,500 per item, 10% above, plus VAT on the commission and a 2% processing fee capped at £10. Private sellers: 24% including VAT. No listing or monthly fees |
| Pamono | Dealers, galleries and designers by application; not private sellers | Commission not published; ask on application. Listings also appear on Chairish |
| Selency | Private sellers and professionals | Free to register; commission on a sale only, rate shown when you create a listing |
| Antiques Atlas | Established trade dealers only, vetted | No commission. From £130 a year for 50 items, or £40 a month for up to 480 items a year |
| Decorative Collective | Selected dealers | No commission; a monthly membership fee (amount not published) |
| LAPADA | Members only: three years' trading, VAT registered, two referees and board approval | Members' association, not an open marketplace |
| Facebook Marketplace | Anyone | Local sales only in the UK; arranged by message |
If you are a private seller with a few pieces, eBay, Vinterior's individual seller route and Selency are open to you. If you are a dealer, the specialist sites are where your stock is seen by people looking for exactly that.
How can I sell antiques online for free?
As a UK private seller, eBay is free: you pay no final value fee and no regulatory fee, and you get 300 free listings a month. Fees only apply if you list more than that, add optional upgrades, or post to an overseas buyer.
Facebook Marketplace lets you advertise locally, but Facebook's help pages do not state that selling is free for UK individuals, so check the terms you see when you list.
Dealers will find that the "free to list" sites still charge something when you sell, and the subscription sites charge whether you sell or not. The free option for a business is your own website, once you have paid for the shop itself.
How much does it cost to sell an antique online?
Here is one worked example: a piece that sells for £400 including postage, using each site's fees as published on 19 October 2026.
| Where you sell | Fees on a £400 sale | You keep (before postage costs) |
|---|---|---|
| eBay, private seller in the UK | £0 | £400 |
| eBay, business seller, Antiques category | 10.9% (£43.60) + 40p + 0.35% (£1.40) = £45.40, excluding VAT | £354.60 before VAT on fees |
| Vinterior, professional dealer | 17% commission (£68.00) + VAT on the commission (£13.60) + 2% processing (£8.00) = £89.60 | £310.40 |
| Vinterior, private seller | 24% including VAT (£96.00) | £304.00 |
| Antiques Atlas | No commission; the subscription is paid whether you sell or not | £400 less your share of the subscription |
Two things change the sums. On eBay the business fee is charged on the postage as well as the price. On Vinterior the commission is on the item price only. Always check the current figures on each site before you price a piece.
How do I work out what my antique is worth?
Look at what similar pieces have actually sold for, not what other sellers are asking. Asking prices on unsold listings tell you very little. Completed sales on eBay and recent auction results for the same maker, period and condition are the most reliable guide.
For anything you believe is valuable, a valuation from an auction house or a specialist dealer is worth having before you sell, because underpricing a good piece costs far more than the valuation.
How do I photograph and describe antiques so they sell?
Buyers of antiques cannot handle the piece, so the listing has to answer their questions:
- Photographs: good daylight, a plain background, the whole piece from several angles, then close-ups of marks, joints, hallmarks, labels and any damage.
- Period and maker: say what you know and how you know it. If a date is your best estimate, say so.
- Materials and construction: wood, metal, glass, ceramic; how it is made.
- Exact dimensions: height, width and depth, and weight for anything that will be posted.
- Condition, honestly: wear, repairs, restoration and missing parts. An honest description prevents returns and disputes.
How do I post or deliver antiques safely?
Small pieces can go by Royal Mail. Its help centre (read 19 October 2026) gives a Small Parcel as up to 45 x 35 x 16 cm and 2 kg, and a Medium Parcel, its largest standard size, as up to 61 x 46 x 46 cm and 20 kg. Larger items go by Parcelforce up to 30 kg.
Furniture can be collected by the buyer, delivered by a specialist courier, or booked through a courier marketplace. Wrap every piece well, photograph it packed, and agree delivery in writing before the sale. Our video guide Furniture delivery: weight and courier text shows how to prepare the details a courier needs.
Do I have to pay tax when I sell antiques online?
It depends on whether you are clearing your own things or trading. GOV.UK (read 19 October 2026) says:
- If you sell your own personal possessions, you probably do not have to pay Income Tax on them. Capital Gains Tax may apply to a single item sold for more than £6,000.
- If you buy items to sell them for a profit, you are probably trading. The first £1,000 of trading income a year is covered by the trading allowance; above that you must register for Self Assessment by 5 October after the tax year ends.
- Since 1 January 2024, online platforms report sellers to HMRC each year, unless the seller makes fewer than 30 sales and receives less than about £1,700. Being reported does not by itself mean you owe tax.
For your own situation, check GOV.UK or speak to an accountant.
Selling regularly? How to list on several sites without double sales
Once you sell on more than one site, the risk is selling the same one-off piece twice. Artifactly Studio is built for this, and designed to be easy to use day to day: you add a piece once, it publishes directly to eBay, Shopify and WooCommerce, and it prepares listings for 17 more marketplaces including Vinterior, Pamono, Selency and Antiques Atlas. eBay, Shopify and WooCommerce are checked for sales every 5 minutes, and a sold piece is taken down on the others automatically, with one email telling you what is left to mark sold by hand.
For more on choosing a tool, read our guide to cross-listing software in the UK.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best website to sell antiques in the UK?
For private sellers, eBay is the obvious start: it is free for UK private sellers. For dealers, the specialist sites such as Vinterior, Pamono, Selency and Antiques Atlas reach buyers looking for antiques specifically. Most dealers use several, which is why fast take-down of sold items matters.
Can I sell antiques online for free?
Yes, as a UK private seller on eBay: there is no final value fee and you get 300 free listings a month. Fees apply for more listings, optional upgrades or overseas buyers. Specialist sites charge a commission or a subscription.
Is eBay good for selling antiques?
eBay is free for UK private sellers. Business sellers pay 10.9% in the Antiques category on the whole sale including postage, plus a per-order fee and a 0.35% regulatory fee. For high-value or decorative pieces, many dealers also list on specialist antiques marketplaces.
Should I sell at auction or online myself?
Auction suits a good single piece where competing bidders can lift the price, and the auction house does the photographs and description for a commission. Selling online yourself keeps more of the price and gives you control, but you do the work and the waiting.
How do I sell antique furniture without shipping it?
List it for collection only, on eBay or on Facebook Marketplace, which in the UK is arranged locally. Many specialist marketplaces also let buyers arrange their own collection or courier.
Do I need to be a dealer to sell on specialist antiques sites?
For some, yes. Pamono, Antiques Atlas and LAPADA are for vetted dealers or members. Vinterior accepts UK private sellers alongside dealers, and Selency is open to private and professional sellers.
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