Collectors often ask, “Where can I sell my wine online so I get the highest return with the least hassle?” Perhaps you’re looking for a way to offload a few bottles you no longer need. Or, you’re a beginner collector wondering whether you can make extra money selling wine.
No matter your situation, there’s one simple method for selling your wine online: using an experienced company that specializes in selling investment-worthy labels. In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about selling wine online, including what to look for in a trustworthy company and which specific services you should choose.
What’s the Best Way To Sell My Wine Online?
When collectors say, “I sell my wine online,” what they mean is they sell their wine through a licensed company. That’s because you can’t legally sell wine on your own unless you apply for a license through your state authority. Some committed collectors with thousands of bottles in their cellars opt for this route, but it’s not a common choice. Licensing can be costly, complicated, and difficult to manage (especially if your state has strict rules governing wine sales).
So, the easiest and most cost-effective way to sell wine online is through a company that already has a license. How this usually works is you ship your wine to the company (or buy wine from them directly). The company then inspects each bottle and keeps them in storage until a buyer purchases them. You’ll get a percentage of the proceeds from this sale–the company can ask for a fee as low as 15 percent or as high as 30 percent. It varies from company to company.
However, there’s an even easier way to sell your wine online. A small handful of companies offer more extensive services designed to make the sales process as uncomplicated and speedy as possible for wine collectors. These services can include:
- The option to buy wine futures or ex-château wines before they’re shipped
- A selection of wines shipped directly from producers
- Strict inspection guidelines
- Comprehensive insurance
- White glove shipping, when available
- Professional, long-term storage
- A well-managed marketplace
- Detailed wine listings, including photos, critic reviews, and scores
The best way to sell wine online is to look for a licensed seller that goes above and beyond, offering a full range of services from start to finish.
The Benefits of Using a Comprehensive Service
A full range of services isn’t absolutely essential, but it certainly makes the process go much faster and improves your chances of selling your wine for the highest possible price. A few hours saved here or there on packing your wine or researching prices adds up, especially when you sell more than one bottle.
To determine which services are the right choice for you, take a look at some of the benefits that come with each of them.
Buying Wine Directly From the Seller
While you can sell your own wine that you’ve kept in a home cellar, it’s much better to buy wine from the same company you later sell it through. That’s because the wine is already barcoded and stored in the company’s warehouse, so there’s no need to have it inspected or shipped. You can put it on the marketplace within moments.
Storing Wine With the Seller
Professional storage is the safest way to lay down a wine for many years until it’s at its peak value. Plus, storing with the company means a single bottle can change owners multiple times over the years without ever leaving storage. This protects the wine from possible damage during shipping and also helps prove the wine’s provenance.
Having Your Bottles Inspected
Selling wine through an experienced company lends credibility to your wines in buyers’ eyes. The best companies assess wines for authenticity and bottle condition before putting them on the marketplace, and this attracts more serious buyers.
Selling the Wine on a Professional Marketplace
The best place for your wine listing is on a well-maintained marketplace that caters to serious collectors looking for blue-chip labels. Even if you sell through a traditional auction house, you’ll have some hurdles to clear first. Many auction houses only accept especially rare vintages of high value or large lots of wine (often in their original cases).
While you could work with an auction house or try to get licensed to sell your wine from home, you often won’t make as much money on the sale as you might with a full-service marketplace. It’s also the best option for those who are short on time and would rather focus their energy on looking for more top-quality wines to add to their collections.
How To Sell Your Wine Now
Collectors, especially those new to the industry, often say, “I want to sell my wine, but I’m not sure where to start.” The answer depends on your current situation.
If you already have a number of bottles in your collection…
Prepare your bottles for inspection and shipment. There are two options available to you:
- Contact a sales expert to visit your home cellar or storage facility and assess your bottles. They can either offer you a quote to buy out the entire collection or have the most valuable wines shipped to the company’s professional storage warehouse.
- Contact the seller with detailed information about the specific wines you want to sell. The seller will send instructions on how to ship the wine to them for closer inspection.
If your wines are accepted, the bottles will be barcoded so you can track them online or with an app like VinCellar. You can either sell the wine as soon as it’s safely in the warehouse, or you can wait as many years as you’d like to put the wine on the marketplace.
If you don’t own many bottles yet…
Shop for wine directly from the seller’s marketplace. This is the ideal way to collect wine you plan on selling at a later date because it’s generally much faster and easier for the seller to manage the wine from its warehouse. Both you and the seller have more control over the wine from the moment it leaves the winery to the date it’s uncorked.
You also have two choices over how your wine is sold:
- Self-service: You decide when to sell and at what price. In exchange for access to thousands of buyers on the marketplace, the industry standard for these services is as low as a 15% fee off of the selling price of your wine.
- Consignment: Experts on staff help you determine the best price for your wine based on proprietary algorithms and market data. And, you gain access to a private mailing list of 30,000 clients who might be looking for that specific bottle. It’s a good choice for those short on time or who want to be sure they’re getting the most value from the sale.
When you work with an experienced seller, you can eliminate the frustration that comes with selling wine online. Leaving the sales details to the experts gives you more time to enjoy the world’s most beautiful wines.
Are you wondering “how do I sell my wine online?” Whether you are starting your high-end wine collection or adding to an established portfolio, Vinfolio is your partner in buying, selling, and professional storage. Contact us today for more information and to get access to the world’s finest wine.
