While new eBay alternatives and online marketplaces seem to launch or go under at an alarming rate, others like Ruby Lane have been around for many years and show no signs of slowing down. Ruby Lane is a classy and upbeat venue for sellers looking to showcase their vintage, antique, collectible and artisan wares. The site is going in to it's eleventh year of operation, and if you haven't heard of it, it's definitely worth considering as an alternative to eBay.
Ruby Lane's design is impressive and the site truly translates the experience of visiting an antiques market or fair to the online world. It is a trendy online forum that offers buyers a chance to purchase highly coveted items, such as glass, furniture, jewelry, dolls and many other types of sought-after collectibles —surprisingly, at decent prices as well.
Founded in 1998, Ruby Lane has out-lived dozens of eBay alternatives.
And, according to Palmer Pekarek, the company's director of communications and product development, Ruby Lane experienced its best year ever in 2008 and says that 2009 is shaping up to be another prosperous one.
Setting up Shop on Ruby Lane
As a new shop owner on Ruby Lane you will notice some very big differences between this marketplace and other online selling venues. To start with, Ruby Lane is a stickler for making sure that sellers are honest and provide accurate listings to buyers. Actually, a seller cannot even do business here unless they have at least a 50-item inventory. In addition to the store minimum, Ruby Lane screens all shop owners and sets quality-focused guidelines for sellers.
Ruby Lane: Antique Selling Site
For example, a listing may not use the word "antique" unless the item is at least 100-years-old, and while sellers can include up to nine photos with each item, you may have to provide very specific photos, depending on what you list. Citing the vintage watches as an example, Pekarek said that a seller is required to not only show a picture of the watch face, but they must include a very clear image of the back which shows the manufacturer's mark and other pertinent details to authenticate the item.
Shop owners may be 'flagged' if their listings fail to meet the site's criteria, but Pekarek said that Ruby Lane works with the seller to fix the problem. He continued, "In a case where a seller has been issued a warning that is not addressed quickly, their shop is switched to a 'preview mode' until the problem is fixed." Since Ruby Lane attracts an experienced buying and selling audience, Pekarek said that these types of problems are minimal.
With Ruby Lane experts randomly checking listings to ensure shop owners maintain accurate listings, the site is able to offer buyers a site-wide return policy. Any buyer can return a purchased item within three days for a full refund. This is first worked out through the shop owner, and if needed, Ruby Lane ensures the refund is given to the buyer — something that almost no other eBay alternative offers.
Pekarek said, "Ruby Lane really does stand behind every item sold on the site. In our 11 years of operation we've only had a couple instances where we had to get involved between a buyer and shop owner. Our random shop checks for authenticity and honesty are conducted by employees who are experts when it comes to specific types of items, like jewelry or glass, and all new shop owners are required to meet our guidelines to get their shop opened."
When you have a site that is willing to stand behind every item listed by members, it is expected that quality and guidelines will be strict. For this reason, it could take some new shop owners several days to get their online Ruby Lane shop open and ready for business. However, the pay-off for sellers is an affiliation with a fully-featured antique and collectibles venue that attracts professional sellers rather than those looking to make a couple quick bucks off Grandmother's unwanted treasures. The result is a trustworthy venue that encourages buyers to the shop.
The Cost of Ruby Shop
Currently Ruby Lane is home to 370,000 collectible items spread across more than 2,000 shops. The site allows shops to set prices for their items, and while there are no auction listings, buyers can make an offer for an item if the seller has enabled this feature.
Sellers who specialize in the following types of items (called Lanes on the site) can open up a shop: Antiques, Books, Vintage Clothing & Accessories, Vintage Collectibles, Dolls, Fine Art, Glass, Antique & Vintage Jewelry, Artisan Jewelry, Porcelain, Postcards, Pottery and Silver.
The cost of doing business on Ruby Lane is pretty straightforward. Each shop pays a monthly maintenance fee of 30 cents per item listed, which is lowered to 20 cents when you have 151 or more items in your shop. While the first month's maintenance fee is waived for new shops, there is a one-time $75 set-up fee for new shops (which is returned for shops that are not accepted). All shops must pay a 20-dollar ad fee. Pekarek said 100 percent of those fees are put into site and shop advertising. After the set-up fee, shop owners with a 50-item shop are basically looking at $35 per month to operate on Ruby Lane.
Be sure to check back next week as we continue our coverage of selling antiques and collectibles online with a new round-up of sites and a chat with our favorite auctioneer, Walt Kolenda (known as Auctionwally). Do you have a favorite place to sell antiques and collectibles online? Drop us a line and tell us about your favorite eBay alternative.
Vangie Beal is a seasoned online marketplace seller, frequent contributor to ECommerce-Guide.com and avid online bargain hunter. She is also managing editor of Webopedia.com.
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