Looking to sell something?
Whether you are clearing a house, downsizing, dealing with inherited belongings or simply have a few items you no longer want, Howie’s Picks may be interested in buying them.
We buy a broad range of antiques, vintage items, collectables, jewellery, decorative pieces, curiosities and unusual objects. You do not need to know exactly what you have or what it is worth before getting in touch.
A local, straightforward way to sell
We are currently focusing our buying service on Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and the surrounding areas. Keeping the service local means we can inspect items properly before a sale is agreed, without asking customers to package and post potentially fragile or valuable pieces.
Depending on the items and location, we can discuss a suitable way for us to see them. Please contact us with photographs first rather than travelling with items before we have spoken.
How it works
1. Send us some photos
Send clear photographs of the item or items, including any makers’ marks, signatures, labels, hallmarks, damage or other useful details. If you have a larger collection, a few overview photographs are a good place to start.
2. We take a look
We’ll assess whether the items fit what we currently buy and may carry out some initial research. From photographs we may be able to give you an indication of our interest and, in some cases, a provisional offer or guide.
3. We inspect the item
Before completing a purchase, we normally need to see the item in person. This allows us to check condition, age, marks, completeness and any other details that may affect value.
4. We confirm our offer
Once we’ve inspected the item, we’ll confirm our final offer. There is no obligation to accept it. Any figure discussed from photographs beforehand is provisional and subject to inspection.
5. You decide
If you’re happy with the final offer, we agree the sale and payment. Once the purchase is completed, the item becomes the property of Howie’s Picks and we take care of everything involved in its onward sale.
What do we buy?
Our stock is varied, so it is always worth asking. Items of interest can include:
- Antiques and vintage homewares
- Ceramics, pottery and glassware
- Jewellery, silver and decorative metalware
- Collectables and vintage advertising
- Vinyl records, CDs, music and other media
- Vintage toys, games and novelty items
- Vintage audio equipment and selected electrical items
- Pictures, decorative objects and small furniture
- Kitchenalia and traditional household items
- Unusual, quirky and hard-to-find pieces
- And plenty more besides — if you have something interesting, unusual or simply aren’t sure what it is, we’re always happy to take a look.
We cannot promise to buy every item offered to us. Condition, demand, resale potential, storage and the stock we already hold all affect what we can buy at any particular time.
How are our offers worked out?
Howie’s Picks buys items for resale, so when making an offer we take into account the likely resale value as well as the condition and demand for the item. We also consider the costs involved in researching, preparing, storing, packing and selling it, along with selling fees and the time and risk involved in finding the right buyer.
This means our offer will usually be lower than the price an item may eventually be advertised or sold for.
There is no charge for sending us photographs, and absolutely no obligation to accept an offer.
What if selling on your behalf might be better?
Buying outright is our normal starting point because it gives customers a simple, clear sale. Occasionally, however, we may see an item where selling it on your behalf could make more sense – for example, a higher-value or specialist piece where it may be worth taking more time to find the right buyer.
If we think that option is worth considering, we’ll explain it to you separately. You are under no obligation to choose it, and any commission, expected selling range, costs and timescale would be agreed before we accept an item for sale on your behalf.
A few things to know
- Any indication of value or offer based only on photographs is provisional until we have inspected the item where necessary.
- Please tell us about known damage, repairs, alterations, missing parts or other issues.
- You must be the legal owner of the goods, or have authority from the owner to sell them.
- Our offer is a trade purchase offer and will normally be below the potential retail selling price.
- We may decline items that are unsuitable, difficult to sell, unsafe, restricted, counterfeit or outside the type of stock we currently handle.
- Please do not post or courier items to us unless we have specifically agreed this with you in advance.
Not sure what you have?
That’s absolutely fine. Part of what we enjoy is identifying interesting objects and finding out more about them. Send us a few photographs and as much information as you have using the form below. We’ll let you know whether we’d like to look at it more closely.