Antique Consignment
A simple way to sell antiques, collectibles, and estate pieces without the hassle
If you own valuable antiques or collectibles but don’t have the time, resources, or connections to sell them yourself, antique consignment is a convenient solution. Instead of navigating private sales or online listings on your own, you can partner with a trusted auction and sales company that handles every step for you.
Visbids works with homeowners, collectors, decorators, and retirees who want to turn their antiques into cash without the stress of marketing, negotiating, and handling buyers. Our team has decades of experience presenting items to the right audience and achieving strong sale results.
Sell With Ease Through Visbids’ Antique Consignment Services
When you consign with Visbids, we manage the entire process from start to finish. Our goal is to present your items in the best possible light and connect them with buyers who appreciate their value.
Our services include:
- Careful review and acceptance of items suited for auction or private sale
- Professional photography and cataloguing to showcase your antiques at their best
- Research and pricing guidance based on current market trends
- Placement in the most suitable sale format — online auction, private brokerage, or targeted collector outreach
- Marketing to our established network of buyers, collectors, and dealers
- Secure handling, storage, and coordination until items are sold and collected
- Full payment processing and timely consignor payouts
Visbids’ Approach
Our consignment process begins with a personal consultation, either in your home, at one of our locations, or virtually. We assess your items to determine market value, identify the most suitable sales channel, and agree on the consignment terms.
From there, we handle everything: photography, detailed descriptions, marketing to the right audience, managing buyer inquiries, negotiating sales, and securing payment. For higher-value antiques, we may recommend specialised marketing or targeted outreach to select buyers.
We keep you informed throughout the process, providing updates on interest, offers, and the final sale outcome. If an item doesn’t sell within the agreed timeframe, we’ll discuss alternative options with you.
Why Work With Visbids
Visbids offers a stress-free way to sell antiques without the uncertainty and time commitment of doing it yourself. Our experience means we know where to place each piece for the best chance of success, whether that’s through a discreet private sale, a specialist dealer, or a select auction event.
Our reputation is built on trust, professionalism, and results. We treat every consigned item with the same care as if it were our own, ensuring it is represented accurately and attractively to prospective buyers. We also understand the emotional value behind many items and approach every transaction with discretion and respect.
Where We Operate
Visbids offers antique consignment services throughout Toronto, the GTA, Golden Horseshoe, and much of Southern Ontario. With facilities in Brantford and Milton (Moffat), we serve communities from Niagara to Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Hamilton, Oakville, Barrie, and east toward Cobourg.
For large or significant consignments, we can make arrangements to work with clients outside our primary region on a case-by-case basis.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What types of items can I consign?
We accept antiques, collectibles, fine art, silver, jewellery, clocks, vintage toys, folk art, and quality furnishings. Items must be in good, saleable condition.
How does consignment differ from selling outright?
With antique consignment, you retain ownership of the item until it is sold. We market and sell it on your behalf, deduct our agreed commission, and pay you the balance. The vast majority of our sales are through online auctions.
How long does the process take?
Our auctions have a theme for each one, so items are selected to fit into the appropriate auction. Listing an auction takes a few weeks to do research, gather additional information, photograph, and prepare the marketing plan. The auctions themselves run an average of one week. The total time is therefore a month or more to carefully construct the auction and bring the largest audience of buyers to the auction site.
How do I get paid?
Once the sale closes and the buyer has collected the item, we issue payment to you along with a detailed sales report. This is typically within 15 business days.
Do you set the price?
We set initial bid levels. These are kept quite low to encourage multiple bids and multiple buyers. This adds to the auction excitement.
In some cases, we add estimates to high-value items to offer guidance to our buyers as to the value of the item being sold.
Can I consign an entire estate?
Yes definitely. We have had consignments that require several auctions to complete. We have worked with some clients for years to sell their large, specialized collections.