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FAIR
VINTAGE
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UK postal buyer · free insured postage

What we buy

Watches, jewellery, gold, silver, coins, medals, cameras, antiques and inherited collections. Every item is valued separately, in writing, with the reasoning explained.

Fair Vintage pays 80% to 95% of the gold value, with no fees. Your exact percentage is confirmed in your written offer before you decide.

80% to 95% of the gold value. No fees.

Choose a gold price locked by agreement and confirmed in writing before sending, or the average gold price in GBP between 9am and 5pm UK time on the day your parcel arrives.

See exactly what we pay for gold

Gold payout policy effective .

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£5,000insured postage, both ways, included
72 hoursto payment after you accept, or we add 3%
Every itemvalued separately, in writing
On camerayour parcel is opened and photographed

Items we buy

10 categories, each with its own specialists

Choose a category to see what we look for, or open its list for brand, item and guide pages. Not sure where something fits? Email a photo and we will tell you within one working day.

Vintage Omega wristwatch on a leather strap

Watches

Wristwatches and pocket watches, working or not, from Rolex and Omega to Smiths and Seiko. We check the reference, movement, dial, case and any box and papers.

Sell a watch →
See all 35 pages

What we buy

Guides and common questions

18th-century diamond ring with two pear-shaped stones

Jewellery and diamonds

Antique, vintage and modern jewellery, diamonds and gemstones. We assess maker, period, stones and design as well as the metal, and never file or acid-test a piece.

Sell jewellery →
See all 36 pages

What we buy

Guides and common questions

Worn gold wedding ring from 1862, engraved inside the band

Gold and platinum

Gold of any carat, including broken, worn and unhallmarked pieces, and platinum. Signed, antique and stone-set pieces are assessed as jewellery, not only by weight.

What we pay for gold →
See all 28 pages

What we buy

Guides and common questions

Gold coins in clear protective capsules

Coins, bullion and banknotes

British and world coins, sovereigns, silver and gold bullion, commemoratives and old banknotes. Each coin is valued for its metal and for collector interest, so rare dates are not paid at melt.

Sell coins →
See all 12 pages

What we buy

Guides and common questions

Olympus mju-II Zoom 80 compact film camera

Cameras and optics

Film cameras, lenses and optics, from Leica and Rolleiflex to Contax and Olympus compacts. We test shutters and check lenses for haze, fungus and separation.

Sell a camera →
See all 17 pages

What we buy

Guides and common questions

Engraved gold pocket watch from 1820, open to show the inscription

Antiques, clocks, ceramics and glass

Clocks, barometers, bronzes, maps, rare books, rugs and Masonic regalia. China, pottery and glass from named makers only, such as Moorcroft, Clarice Cliff, Royal Worcester, Meissen and Lalique.

Sell antiques →
See all 21 pages

What we buy

China, pottery and glass: named makers only

Guides and common questions

Vintage Tellus sterling silver lift-arm cigarette lighter

Pens, lighters and collectables

Fountain pens, lighters, compacts and handbags; toys, Lego and games consoles; records, hi-fi, radios, typewriters and instruments with collector interest.

Sell collectables →
See all 23 pages

What we buy

Guides and common questions

Gold heart-shaped locket from 1706, with hair under crystal

Inherited collections and house clearances

Whole estates, mixed boxes and house clearances. Each item goes to the right specialist and you get one itemised written offer, with nothing averaged across the lot.

Sell inherited items →
See all 12 pages

What we buy

Guides and common questions

Honest limits

What we don't buy

We would rather tell you now than have you post something we can't help with. If you're unsure, email us a photo first.

  • Everyday china, pottery and glass — we buy named makers only (see antiques, clocks, ceramics and glass)
  • Furniture and other large items — too big to send by post
  • Modern books and comics — rare and antiquarian books by arrangement
  • Clothing — except military uniforms and insignia
  • DVDs, CDs and videos — standard releases
  • Modern electrical items — consumer electronics made after 2000, except notable design pieces
  • Firearms — deactivated antique firearms by prior arrangement only
  • Common vinyl — repressings and heavily played records (rare and first pressings are bought)
  • Furs and taxidermy — not handled
  • Items with export or provenance concerns — including anything that needs an export licence

The process

How selling works

  1. Request a free postage label

    Tell us roughly what you have; a sentence is enough. We email a free prepaid, tracked and insured label the same working day.

  2. Pack and post

    Use any sturdy box and drop it at a Post Office. Your parcel is insured to £5,000 from the moment it is scanned.

  3. Opened on camera

    We tell you when your parcel will be opened. It is opened on camera and every item is photographed before a specialist handles it.

  4. Written offer, then payment

    Every item is valued in writing with the reasoning. Accept what you want to sell and we return the rest free. We pay within 72 hours of you accepting, or add 3%.

The full process, step by step

Comparing buyers

Fair Vintage and Vintage.com

Vintage Cash Cow became Vintage.com in the UK on 1 October 2026. This is how the two services differ.

What mattersFair VintageVintage.com
How you get your offerA written valuation for each item, with the reasoningVerbal offer by phone, with no written record
Time to your moneyPaid within 72 hours of accepting, or we add 3%Offer within 7 to 14 days of your box arriving, then payment within 2 working days of accepting (vintage.com, checked 2026-10-16)
Standard parcel cover£5,000 both ways, included£300 as standard; up to £10,000 subject to their appraisers’ approval (Vintage.com help centre, checked 2026-10-16)
How your parcel is openedOn camera, time-stamped, shared with youIn private, internal CCTV only
How items are pricedEvery item valued separatelyThe box is valued as a lot
Keeping some itemsSell one, keep the rest, no pressurePartial declines vary by adviser
If payment is late3% added, written into the contractNo contractual late penalty

Fair Vintage is a competitor of Vintage.com and wrote this comparison. Vintage.com details with a source were checked on 16 October 2026 on their own website; the others come from their published terms. Their service can change, so check their site before deciding. Read the full comparison · What sellers ask about alternatives

Common questions

Answered honestly

Do I need to know what I have before sending?

No. Many people are clearing an inherited home with no specialist knowledge. Tell us roughly what you have and our specialists identify, sort and value everything. You don't need to know hallmarks, references or makers.

Can I send a mixed box of different items?

Yes. Watches go to watch specialists, coins to coin specialists and jewellery to jewellery specialists. You receive one itemised report covering everything in the parcel, not one averaged offer.

How is my parcel insured?

Your parcel is insured to £5,000 as standard, at no cost, on the way to us and on the way back if you decline. Cover starts when the courier scans your parcel. If your items are worth more than £5,000, contact us before sending and we will arrange higher cover.

What if I don't want to sell after seeing the offer?

You are under no obligation. Decline any or all of the offer and everything is returned to you free and fully insured within 5 working days. You can sell some items and keep others.

How do you compare with Vintage.com (formerly Vintage Cash Cow)?

We give a written valuation for every item and pay within 72 hours of you accepting, or add 3%. Vintage.com says it makes an offer within 7 to 14 days and pays within 2 working days of acceptance. Our standard parcel cover is £5,000; theirs is £300, which they say can be raised to £10,000 subject to approval. The comparison table above has the details and sources.

Do you buy broken or damaged items?

Yes. Broken watches, incomplete jewellery sets, damaged clocks and tarnished silver are all considered. Condition affects value but does not rule an item out. Describe what you have honestly and our specialists will assess it.

How do I know there will be no dispute about what arrived?

Your parcel is opened on camera and every item is photographed, with a time stamp, before a specialist handles it. You and we have the same record of what arrived and in what condition.

Is there a minimum number of items?

No. We consider single high-value items such as a watch, a medal group or a signed piece. For lower-value items a selection works better than a single piece. If you are unsure, email us a photo first and we will tell you before you send anything.

Not answered here? Call 01234 815116 or email support@fairvintage.co.uk. We reply within one working day.

Find out what your items are worth

Free insured postage, a written valuation for every item, and no obligation to sell.

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Photo credits: Jewellery, gold, silver and locket photos: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, public domain. Olympus mju-II photo by 多多123, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Pocket watch photo: National Institute of Fryderyk Chopin, Wikimedia Commons, CC0. Lighter photo by Joe Haupt, CC BY 2.0, cropped.