Reseller Tim Stewart Spotlights WorthPoint as Worthy Tool

WorthPoint’s “Collectors Like You” series spotlights fascinating collectors, resellers, dealers (just like you!), and more in the antiques and collectibles world. Read their stories to discover the who, what, when, where, and why behind what they do.

Tim Stewart, a reseller, content creator, and social media enthusiast, recently posted a comprehensive video on one of his YouTube channels about how to use WorthPoint and its resources. In the video, he talks about the Price Guide, the reselling community, how the app can help sellers and buyers, and other features, like our visual database of over 250,000 identifying Marks and our Dictionary of over 8,000 articles.

WorthPoint spoke to Stewart about the vintage and collectibles resale space, his Over The Years online shop, and why knowing as much as possible about the pieces you come across can boost your sales and expertise.

WorthPoint: First, thank you for talking to us and telling so many of your fans about WorthPoint. Can you tell us about your time in the reselling business and how you made it a career?

Tim Stewart: I’ve been a full-time reseller for about four years. I had been doing it part-time for two years before that, but when COVID hit, I was in the restaurant industry, which crashed hard, so I pivoted to reselling full-time. I have a very diverse résumé, and all of it has helped me build my reselling business.

WP: What lead you to vintage and collectible items?

TS: Well, my parents were antique dealers and collectors, and I grew up knowing about vintage and antique items, so it just seemed normal to me to travel around picking through treasures at yard sales and vintage shops. After years in the business, my mom needed help downsizing some of her items, so I helped her with that, and it just sort of became a business.

WP: What do you think is the best part of being a vintage and collectibles reseller?

TS: I think it has to be the community. You get to know other sellers and meet some of the same people over and over at estate sales or auctions, but there is a community online as well. We sell on several platforms, we do live sales on social media, and the content creation part of the industry is very important for our business.

WP: How do you leverage your online content? Is it more for sales or to gain an audience?

TS: It’s for both, really. The sales videos will bring in buyers, but not all of our reels and videos are about sales. We also put up a fair amount of evergreen content, like the video about WorthPoint and another we did on how to clean Pyrex. That kind of content lets people know who we are. Everyone in the vintage space needs to learn as much as possible about what they collect or sell, and we want to be a part of that learning process.

WP: Sales are important, but what else drives your business plans?

TS: Every reseller has to focus on sales—that’s just a fact—but I also want to provide value to the reseller community. It’s my job, but it’s about more than that. The content can’t just be live sale shows; there has to be more. You have to create content and listings that people want to engage with, and that will encourage others to connect with you. This business is very people-oriented, and we all need to help each other.

WP: What is your best advice for other sellers or anyone considering getting into the vintage arena?

TS: Make it entertaining and educational. Always be looking to learn something new, find a better way to manage your business, and build a following, but make sure to have a good time with how you learn. I love to learn, and I’m passionate about what I do. If you see me smiling, it’s likely because I just had an excellent pick or because I’ve just learned something new that can help me grow.

WP: What parts of the WorthPoint app and website are most valuable to you as a reseller?

TS: Um, all of it? Most sellers and pickers know about the Price Guide, but in the video I did, I also talked about the Marks feature and the Dictionary. And the seven-day trial, go for it! Sometimes, you might come across a figurine, a bowl, or some other vintage décor and not know how to recognize the maker or the brand. That’s when I pull up the app; I probably use it twenty to thirty times a day. I can take a picture of something and get all the information right in my hands.

It’s also a time saver. Everything a collector or vintage seller needs is there. If I buy a vase or a painting, I want to know everything I can about it. WorthPoint keeps me from going down the rabbit hole of research. I can find ten examples of, say, Fenton glass, along with their marks and recent sales trends, all in one spot.

WP: Do you have any good stories about items you’ve found where WorthPoint has come in handy?

TS: I was at a yard sale and saw a figurine I liked. Porcelain is one of the vintage categories that interests me. It was only twenty-five cents, and I thought it might be a Rosenthal, but I wasn’t sure. After checking WorthPoint, I found I was right, and that’s when I knew that WorthPoint was a precision tool that would help me identify and verify pieces I came across when picking. I sold that piece for around $225.

If I talk about something on my YouTube videos or other platforms, it’s because I wholeheartedly believe it will benefit the vintage community. I don’t say something is good if I don’t really believe it’s helpful, but WorthPoint is something I know is useful for buyers, sellers, and vintage fans. There is so much there that the vintage-picking community could use.

Tim Stewart’s business, Over The Years, can be found on YouTube. He sells his vintage finds via live shows and auction site listings on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. If you would like a free trial of WorthPoint, click here.

Brenda Kelley Kim lives in the Boston area. She is the author of Sink or Swim: Tales From the Deep End of Everywhere and writes a weekly syndicated column for The Marblehead Weekly News/Essex Media Group. When not writing or walking her snorty pug, Penny, she enjoys yard sales, flea markets, and badminton.

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