How to Sell Fine China (Top 3 Strategies)

In this article, we’ll be going over three strategies to sell your fine china for the most money.

It turns out that your fine china is good for something other than looking lovely in a cupboard — you can sell them! 

Whether you’re in the buying and reselling game or simply cleaning your house out, selling chinaware can be a great option.

Why Selling Your Used china is a Good Idea

Selling china is a great way to make a few bucks online, but there are some things you need to know before you dive in.

Here are 3 good reasons for you to start selling your china:

1. It’s something you probably don’t use anyway

For real, who actually uses their china?

If you’re like me, it probably either got passed on to you or given to you as a wedding gift.

You might as well put it to good use by selling it instead of slowly becoming the old person who tells kids to stay away from their china cabinet.

2. It can be lucrative

If you have nice china — especially if it’s antique — you can make a killing just by putting them up for sale. Certain brands sell for a ton, so cross your fingers that you’ve got some of the good stuff.

Even if you don’t, plain old china still will fetch a pretty good sum when sold in the right places. 

(Read on to figure out how to sell yours.)

3. It’s Fairly Quick and Easy

Selling china isn’t like selling a car. You can pretty much list it and wait. Sure, there are ways that you can maximize your profits, but it’s not rocket science.

My main recommendation is to read the tips below to figure out what method will work best for you. The quickest and easiest will probably be the least lucrative, but it can save you time and headache if you aren’t interested in getting the highest price possible.

What to Do Before You Sell

Now that you’re convinced that selling chinaware is a good idea — let’s look at things you need to do before we dive into how to sell fine china. 

Determine what brand and set your china is

This is definitely the most crucial step in the process. You need to figure out what type of china you have, what brand it is, and the pattern.

For example, is it bone china or fine china?

Your china most likely has a backstamp that will help you identify the brand. Use a resource like Kovels to determine what brand your backstamp refers to.

Finally, find out what pattern your china is by using a resource like Replacements. Simply find the brand that your backstamp referred to, look it up on replacements, and scroll through their patterns until you find your specific set.

These steps should work for any set you might have, but they will also work if you happen to run into a set or individual pieces at a yard sale or in the thrift store.

Assess the condition

This goes without saying, but broken china is worthless. Make sure that your china dishes are free of cracks, discoloration, or chips. It’s worth it to go ahead and do a thorough check before you get started selling it.

For more specific tips on how to inspect chinaware that you’re looking to sell, try watching this video.

There’s a reason grandma never let you near the china cabinet after all!

Figure out what it typically sells for

Now that you know what brand you have, what pattern it is, and you’ve confirmed that it’s in great condition, you are ready to figure out how much it’s worth. There are several different places where you can find this information.

First, you can head back to Replacements and look up your set. Let’s say, for example, that you found out that you have a Fitz & Floyd 5-piece place setting in a St. Nicholas pattern. This sells for $180 on Replacements.

To get more information, you can head over to eBay or another online marketplace and see what other people are selling it for. You probably won’t be able to sell for as high a price as Replacements since they have brand recognition on their side, but it can be a helpful starting point.

Now that you’re up to speed on all the steps you need to take to get ready, let’s take a look at where to sell china for the most money.

#1) Replacement Companies

This is the fastest and easiest option for selling chinaware, but you’ll also get the lowest return if you choose to go this route since these companies collect and resell discontinued china. They function as a middleman, so you won’t get the full price that your china is worth, but it could save you time.

We’ve already mentioned Replacements, which is by far the biggest replacement company.

If this is the route you choose to take, you can fill out their form with the information you previously collected about your china. They will then contact you to let you know if they are currently buying that particular type of china.

If they are, great! Follow their shipping instructions.

If not, don’t fret! Just move on to the next selling option.

#2) Local Sales 

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried selling something on Facebook Marketplace, but stuff sells like hotcakes on there.

That isn’t to say that your china is guaranteed to fetch top dollar in a local marketplace like Facebook, Craigslist, or LetGo, but you have a good chance if you follow a few tips.

First, make sure that you take good pictures. The last thing people want to see are extreme closeups, a background of your messy laundry room, or pictures that are so dark that you can’t even make out what you’re looking at. Even if you don’t have a nice camera, you can still make sure your lighting and angle pleasingly present your china.

Second, write a good description. Have you ever come across something like this on Facebook: “Selling plates. Good set. $50”? I see them all the time, and I just keep right on scrolling. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot with a lackluster description. Make sure to include the brand, set, and pattern of your china to attract the most serious buyers.

Third, don’t list your lowest price as the asking price, but don’t go overboard. Just list a price that you would be happy to get, then expect it to be lowered by 25% or so.

How do you know if this option is the best for you?

The best way to figure out if this option is the best for you is if you find that you have a complete set that is valuable. In this case, it is best to sell it locally as this will increase the chances of you being able to sell the entire set together. It will also reduce the likelihood that something will get broken in transit to the buyer.

It’s also best if you live near a larger city. Marketplace and Craigslist are always more active in urban centers than rural areas, so if you live in the boondocks, this might not be for you.

#3) Sell Online

The third and most popular option is to sell china on an online marketplace where you will actually pack the dishes yourself and send them to the buyer. This is such a popular option because we already use sites like these all the time to buy and sell stuff.

eBay is the most popular option here. This is a great place to sell single dishes. Most people agree that sets don’t sell as well as individual pieces on eBay.

There are other options for selling online as well. There are active china sellers on both Amazon and Etsy, as well as plenty of other sites.

If you’re selling on these sites, you should be prepared to wait a while, because the items don’t sell super quickly. If you’re willing to wait for the money, this can be the best choice for you.

I want to make something very clear: 

You will have better success on any online marketplace if you are selling individual pieces rather than full sets. People normally search these websites for pieces that they are missing or that have broken, so you’re essentially acting as a replacement company, just without the money-hungry middleman.

Where to Sell China for the Most Money

So, what’s the best option of the three?

That depends on what you’re looking for. If you want the quickest and easiest option, I would say listing on a local marketplace or selling to a replacement company is the way to go for you.

If, on the other hand, you have a valuable piece and you’re willing to wait to make a great sale, I would stick to the online marketplaces.

One great online marketplace where you can fetch a great price for your china is Sheepbuy. It works like selling on Amazon or eBay, but you end up keeping more of the money because the fees are lower. Instead of taking commission on each sale, they charge a low flat-rate monthly fee depending on how many items you are going to list.

At the end of the day — this helps you keep more of the money when you sell all that china your grandma passed down to you.

Conclusion 

Selling china is a great option for making a few extra bucks on the side because it’s something you probably have and definitely never use. By taking a few minutes to determine the brand, set, and pattern, you can turn those delicate plates and saucers into dimes and cents!

Following the tips laid out above, you’re sure to make the most money possible from the china you’re looking to sell.

Want to know other awesome items to resell? Check out: Top 7 Things to Look for at Thrift Stores to Resell (Thrifting Secrets)