This is the category where the gap between what a seller knows and what a seller says costs the most, in both directions.
Say what you actually know
Age, maker and origin are often genuinely uncertain, and a careful "I believe this is early twentieth century but I cannot confirm it" sells better than a confident claim that unravels.
Write it as three separate things:
- What I know — where it came from, how long I have had it
- What I believe — and why
- What I cannot say — plainly
Then say what has been done to it
This is the heart of the category. The trade has precise words, and they matter:
Original — as made, with age and wear. Repaired — broken and mended, visibly or otherwise. Restored — worked on to return it toward its original appearance. Married — assembled from parts of more than one piece. Common, legitimate when declared, and a serious misdescription when not. Replaced parts — handles, hinges, glass, feet, upholstery.
A good restoration is designed to be hard to see. That is exactly why it has to be written down.
What to show on camera
- The underside and the back, where repairs, replacements and marks live
- Joints and fixings, close
- Any maker's mark, held still
- The damage, deliberately and at length
Patina
Leave it alone. Cleaning, polishing or refinishing an old surface can remove a large part of the value in an afternoon, and it cannot be undone. If you have cleaned something, say so.
Delivery
The most fragile category on the site, and the one where collection is most often the honest answer rather than a fallback. Packing antiques.
More: how to sell on Metzee, pricing antiques.
Questions people ask
Should I restore before selling?
Almost never. Buyers in this category frequently prefer honest damage to an unknown repair.
What if I do not know what something is?
Say so and describe it carefully. "Unidentified, sold as seen" is a real listing and often a lively one.
Is "antique" a protected word?
Treat it as a claim about age that you should be able to support. If you cannot, say "vintage" or simply "old", and describe what you see.