Consigning Your Antiques in Montreal: How Splits, Payouts, and Contracts Work Before You Hand Over the Piece

Consigning Antiques in Montreal can give an owner access to a dealer’s showroom, clientele, online audience, pricing knowledge, and sales process without requiring the dealer to buy the piece first. But the percentage written beside “commission” is only one part of the deal.

In a typical antique consignment in Montreal, the owner delivers or entrusts an item to a dealer, the parties agree on how it will be offered for sale, and the dealer earns an agreed commission if the item sells. 

The consignor receives the remaining amount after the agreed commission and any properly authorized deductions. If the item does not sell, the contract should explain whether it is returned, repriced, extended, placed on clearance, or handled another agreed way.

That basic description of antique consignment how it works conceals the issues most likely to affect your final result: who controls the asking price, how low the dealer may discount it, how long the contract lasts, what happens if the piece is damaged, when proceeds become payable, which expenses may be deducted, and what happens when the term ends.

For valuable furniture, art, jewelry, decorative objects, collectibles, or inherited pieces, those provisions can matter more financially than whether the stated commission is 40%, 50%, or another percentage.

This guide focuses specifically on those mechanics rather than on where to sell antiques around Montreal. It is general information, not individualized legal, tax, insurance, or appraisal advice.

How Antique Consignment in Montreal Works

The key difference between consignment and an outright dealer purchase is that a consignment shop is normally selling the property on the owner’s behalf rather than purchasing it for inventory at intake.

The Canada Revenue Agency describes a consignment sale as an arrangement in which a consignor delivers goods to a consignee that attempts to sell them. 

Its CRA guidance on consignment sales also distinguishes an agency-style arrangement from a buy-and-resell arrangement and notes that, in an ordinary consignment structure, the consignor continues to own the goods until they are sold. 

A typical transaction looks like this:

Owner submits the item → dealer evaluates it → price and commission are discussed → written agreement is signed → piece is displayed or marketed → buyer purchases it → dealer receives the buyer’s payment → agreed commission and authorized charges are accounted for → consignor receives the contractual net proceeds.

If the piece remains unsold, a second path begins: pickup, extension, repricing, clearance, or another outcome authorized by the agreement.

Canadian legal terminology describes commercial consignment as an arrangement in which a consignor entrusts goods to a consignee while generally remaining owner until the goods are sold under the agreed arrangement. 

The exact legal characterization of a particular Montreal dealer agreement can depend on its wording and facts, however, so owners should not assume a label at the top of the form resolves every legal question.

Quebec’s Civil Code also recognizes the distinction between ownership and merely holding or administering someone else’s property. That is one reason an intake receipt should identify the object precisely rather than merely saying “one cabinet” or “miscellaneous antiques.”

Before consigning a piece whose identity or authenticity is uncertain, use the site’s guide to identifying authentic antiques in Montreal. An accurate description at intake reduces later arguments about age, materials, maker, restoration, and condition.

What Is a Typical Antique Consignment Split?

There is no Quebec law establishing one mandatory consignment split percentage antiques dealers must use, and there is no credible basis for calling one percentage the “Montreal rate.”

Current Canadian consignment businesses illustrate how widely arrangements can differ. Good Things Consignments in British Columbia publishes a 50/50 arrangement. Taste of Time advertises a 40% consignor share on furniture and home décor. 

Montreal’s L’Empreinte cooperative currently states that guest artisans receive 50% of the sale price, although that is artisan consignment rather than antique consignment. Montreal-area Encan West Island publishes full-service auction consignment fees ranging from 20% to 30% depending on the lot value, which is a different selling model again.

Those examples demonstrate variation; they do not establish a Montreal industry standard.

Illustrative Current Market Examples

Item/Profile	Observed Consignor Share or Fee Structure	What Can Move the Split
General household, collectible or antique-oriented retail consignment	Some current Canadian shops publish roughly 40%–50% to consignor	Shop labour, merchandising, expected turnover, item value, storage
Artisan/gallery-style consignment	A current Montreal example pays 50% to artisan	Gallery exposure, staffing, merchandising, location
Full-service auction consignment	A current Montreal-area example charges approximately 20%–30% seller commission	Lot value, research, photography, auction format, handling
High-value or specialist property	Individually negotiated terms may differ	Value, rarity, demand, provenance, specialist expertise

The safest conclusion is therefore not “50/50 is normal.” It is that 50/50 is one arrangement visibly used by several current consignment businesses, while other retail and auction structures allocate proceeds differently.

A 50/50 split can be commercially sensible for one item and unattractive for another. A small signed ceramic object that photographs easily and occupies little space does not impose the same cost on a dealer as a dining cabinet requiring two movers, floor space for four months, repair work, repeated photography, and buyer delivery coordination.

What Moves the Percentage?

Several economic factors can influence a dealer’s proposed share.

Factor	Can Increase Shop Share?	Can Improve Consignor Terms?
High storage/floor-space requirement	Yes	Less likely
Strong designer or maker demand	Less likely	Yes
Excellent provenance	Less likely	Yes
High expected selling price	Depends on shop structure	Often
Heavy photography/research work	Yes	Less likely
Difficult transport	Yes	Less likely
Extensive cleaning/repair	Yes	Less likely
Fast expected turnover	Less likely	Yes
Large group of desirable items	Depends	May improve negotiating leverage
Exclusive selling rights	Depends	Could justify negotiating better economics

Furniture is particularly sensitive to space and logistics. A dealer may be more selective about a large armoire than about jewelry or a small signed decorative object because every week the furniture remains unsold consumes retail space.

Shop reputation matters as well. A dealer with buyers actively seeking a particular category may be able to command a larger commission while still producing a better net result for the consignor because the piece reaches the right audience.

Do not assume the stated percentage is negotiable. Some businesses operate fixed policies. The useful comparison is the entire proposal: likely selling price, commission, discount authority, fees, expected selling period, payout rules, and risk allocation.

Consignment vs. Selling Outright

The strongest way to evaluate consignment vs selling outright is to compare certainty with potential upside.

An outright dealer offer transfers the item’s resale opportunity and resale risk to the dealer. The dealer pays you an agreed price, takes ownership, and then tries to sell the item at a profit. You generally stop participating in future appreciation or resale proceeds.

Consignment works differently. You accept uncertainty and usually wait for a buyer in exchange for the possibility of receiving a larger net amount.

Factor	Consignment	Sell Outright
Payment speed	Usually after a future sale and contractual payout process	Usually at or shortly after purchase
Potential seller net	May be higher	Often discounted to reflect dealer risk and margin
Risk item does not sell	Largely remains an owner concern	Dealer assumes resale risk after purchase
Pricing control	Shared or governed by contract	Ends once dealer owns item
Storage/marketing	Dealer generally handles during term	Dealer handles as owner
Markdown exposure	Important contract issue	No longer owner’s concern
Time commitment	Can last weeks or months	Transaction ends much sooner
Future upside	Consignor participates through sale proceeds	Dealer keeps future resale upside

“Potentially higher” is the important phrase. Consignment does not guarantee that you will earn more.

When Consignment May Pay More

Consignment becomes especially worth considering when there is a meaningful gap between a dealer’s wholesale-style purchase offer and what the item could realistically achieve through the dealer’s customer base.

Examples can include:

• signed or branded decorative objects;
• desirable designer furniture;
• quality period furniture in strong condition;
• recognized art with a reasonably established market;
• jewelry with identifiable maker or material value;
• collections a specialist already knows how to market;
• pieces with strong provenance;
• objects that fit current decorator or collector demand.

The seller also needs enough time to wait.

Suppose a dealer believes an object may retail around $2,000 but will buy it outright only for $1,000 because the dealer must carry the risk, overhead, payment costs, floor space, and possibility of discounting it.

A consignment sale could beat the $1,000 offer—but only if the final selling price and deductions leave more than $1,000 in the consignor’s pocket.

A $2,000 price tag by itself proves nothing.

For a broader discussion of why online asking prices should not automatically be treated as market value, see understanding value versus charm in vintage and antique items.

When an Outright Sale May Be Better

An immediate sale can be the stronger option when certainty has real value.

That may be the case if you:

• are moving on a fixed date;
• are administering an estate with practical deadlines;
• cannot store a large item;
• need liquidity now;
• do not want to monitor a lengthy consignment;
• have an object with uncertain or narrow demand;
• are selling something requiring costly restoration;
• prefer a definite price over a potentially higher but uncertain outcome.

A dealer buying outright needs enough margin to compensate for inventory risk. That explains why an outright offer may be substantially below a dealer’s eventual retail asking price without automatically making the offer unreasonable.

Who Sets the Price?

Pricing should be a negotiation or clearly defined contract process—not an assumption.

A knowledgeable Montreal antique dealer may consider recent comparable sales, current customer demand, maker, period, condition, provenance, rarity, decorative appeal, previous auction results, and the realities of the shop’s own clientele.

The consignor may bring an appraisal, receipt, auction record, family documentation, or previous purchase price.

Those numbers can all be useful, but they are not interchangeable.

An insurance appraisal may estimate what replacing comparable property would cost.

An auction estimate is an estimate connected to a particular auction strategy and audience.

A dealer retail asking price is what the shop believes it should initially request in its own selling environment.

A market-value appraisal may use a different valuation premise entirely.

Pricing Example

Assume these figures are entirely illustrative:

• Previous appraisal estimate: $2,000
• Dealer’s proposed retail asking price: $1,400
• Agreed minimum retail price: $1,100
• Consignor share: 50% for illustration

The contract should make clear whether the relevant economic base is $1,400, $1,100, the final selling price, or another defined number.

If the piece sells for $1,100 and the split is calculated on the final sale price, the hypothetical consignor share before authorized charges would be $550—not 50% of the old $2,000 appraisal.

Resolving Pricing Disagreements

Neither party has to begin a consignment arrangement simply because the other proposes a number.

If the consignor insists on $4,000 while the dealer believes the realistic retail market is $1,500, walking away may be more sensible than signing an agreement built around incompatible expectations.

A third-party appraisal can help when the value is high enough to justify the expense or when attribution, rarity, estate administration, insurance, or another significant issue warrants professional analysis. For modestly priced household items, appraisal expense can consume too much of the expected proceeds.

A dealer’s informal price opinion should not automatically be described as a formal appraisal.

If authenticity itself is uncertain, review the site’s guide to avoiding fake antiques in Montreal before relying heavily on maker or age claims.

What a Montreal Consignment Contract Should Include

The best consignment contract terms answer questions before those questions become disputes.

Quebec’s Civil Code recognizes mandate relationships in which one person represents another in dealings with third parties, and it imposes duties of prudence, diligence, honesty, and faithfulness on a mandatary. 

A written agreement is especially valuable when an antique will remain in another business’s possession for weeks or months. The Office de la protection du consommateur’s Quebec guidance on written contracts recommends obtaining a written agreement because it provides a clearer record of what the parties accepted and can make it easier to establish those terms if a problem develops. 

Whether specific consumer-protection provisions apply to a consignor-dealer arrangement will depend on the facts and legal relationship. 

Whether every provision concerning mandate applies to a particular antique-consignment relationship is a fact-specific legal question, but the framework reinforces why authority and accounting should be clearly documented.

At minimum, a useful consignment agreement should identify:

Clause	What It Should Clarify	Why It Matters
Item identity	Description, maker, dimensions, serial/markings, condition	Prevents mix-ups
Starting price	Initial advertised price	Establishes pricing baseline
Commission	Percentage and calculation base	Determines dealer share
Markdown authority	Timing, percentage and approval rules	Controls discount exposure
Minimum price/net	Lowest permitted retail price or minimum owner proceeds	Protects economics
Term	Start/end dates and renewal	Defines duration
Fees	Repairs, photography, moving, storage, payment fees, etc.	Prevents surprise deductions
Insurance/loss	Coverage, valuation, exclusions and responsibility	Allocates major risks
Returns/chargebacks	How reversed sales affect proceeds	Prevents payout disputes
Payment	Timing, method and conditions	Defines cash-flow expectations
Unsold property	Pickup, extension, clearance or other agreed disposition	Protects ownership
Termination	Early withdrawal rules and possible costs	Defines exit rights
Exclusivity	Whether owner may sell elsewhere	Avoids double-sale disputes

Term Length

A consignment contract should specify the date possession begins and the date the selling term ends.

Published shop practices vary dramatically. Current Canadian policies found during research include 60-day, 90-day, and 120-day terms. Those are examples of business practice, not Quebec legal requirements.

A fixed term is easier to track than wording such as “until sold.”

Check whether the agreement:

• renews automatically;
• converts to month-to-month status;
• requires advance cancellation notice;
• permits early withdrawal;
• charges an early-withdrawal fee;
• changes the markdown rules after renewal.

An auto-renewal provision deserves special attention because an owner may think a 90-day arrangement is ending while the contract quietly continues.

Record the expiry date in your calendar at intake.

Markdown Schedule

The markdown schedule consignment shop provision can change your return as much as the headline commission.

A seller who accepts a 40% commission but authorizes aggressive automatic discounts may ultimately receive less than someone paying a 50% commission under stricter pricing controls.

The agreement should answer four questions:

1. What is the starting price?
2. When can it first be reduced?
3. By how much?
4. Does the dealer need approval before exceeding a stated discount?

Here is an illustrative schedule only:

Period	Price Rule	Approval Needed?
Days 1–60	$1,500 asking price	No change
Days 61–90	Up to 10% reduction	Pre-authorized
Days 91–120	Further reduction	Written consignor approval
End of term	Pickup, extension or separately agreed clearance	Yes

Nothing about this example is a legal default.

Do not rely on a verbal statement such as, “We normally ask before discounting.” If your approval matters, the signed agreement should say when it is required.

Minimum Acceptable Price

Two concepts that sound similar can produce different results:

Minimum retail sale price: the dealer cannot sell below a specified customer price.

Minimum consignor net: the deal cannot leave the owner with less than a specified net amount after commission and defined deductions.

Consider an item with a minimum retail price of $1,000. If 50% commission and $100 of authorized costs apply, the consignor might receive $400.

If the owner’s actual objective was to receive at least $500, a $1,000 retail floor did not accomplish that goal.

For valuable pieces, calculate your minimum acceptable net before signing.

Insurance and Loss Responsibility

This is one of the contract sections most worth reading word by word.

Do not accept “we’re insured” as a complete explanation.

Ask:

• Does the policy cover property belonging to consignors?
• Does coverage apply to theft?
• Fire?
• Water damage?
• Breakage?
• Customer handling?
• Employee handling?
• Off-site storage?
• Transport?
• Delivery?
• At what value is a loss measured?
• Is there a deductible?
• Who bears it?
• Are fragile goods, jewelry, art, or high-value property subject to limits?

The Civil Code contains rules governing deposit of movable property, including responsibility for loss in certain forms of deposit. Whether and how those provisions apply to a particular commercial consignment requires attention to the actual arrangement; a consignee should not be described categorically as an insurer merely because it holds the item.

A strong agreement should specify the standard for loss resolution instead of forcing both parties to debate value after an irreplaceable item has disappeared.

For example, “insured” could mean retail asking price, agreed value, wholesale replacement cost, consignor’s expected net, or an insurer-determined amount. Those are materially different.

Who Owns the Piece During Consignment?

Physical possession is not the same as ownership.

A conventional consignment generally involves the owner entrusting goods to the consignee for sale while retaining ownership until the sale occurs under the agreed arrangement. Canadian legal terminology explicitly describes consigned goods this way.

Quebec’s Civil Code separately recognizes that someone may hold or administer property belonging to another, and that a person can have mere detention rather than possession as owner.

That distinction matters if there is:

• a damage claim;
• a creditor problem;
• a shop closure;
• an insurance claim;
• confusion over inventory ownership;
• a dispute about an unsold object.

Because insolvency and secured-creditor issues can become technical, owners of unusually valuable property should obtain Quebec legal advice rather than assuming that a basic consignment label eliminates every creditor risk.

An itemized receipt and contract are still valuable evidence.

Damage, Theft, or Loss: What Should the Agreement Address?

A practical loss section should address process as well as liability.

Look for answers to:

• How quickly must the shop notify you?
• Who documents the event?
• Who contacts the insurer?
• What evidence of value is required?
• Is compensation based on an agreed value?
• Does a deductible apply?
• Who absorbs the deductible?
• What happens to insurance proceeds?
• What happens if the object is damaged but repairable?
• Can the shop authorize restoration without contacting you?
• Is transit covered separately?

A valuable antique can also lose value through an inappropriate repair rather than total destruction.

If a customer knocks over a ceramic object and it can be professionally restored, the dispute may involve restoration cost and potential diminution in market value.

The agreement does not need to predict every accident, but it should avoid leaving the entire issue undefined.

When and How Consignors Get Paid

One of the first questions owners ask is when do consignors get paid?

The answer should come from the signed agreement.

Current consignment businesses use different models. L’Empreinte in Montreal says guest artisans are paid monthly by bank transfer. Juniper & Oak states that payments are issued during a defined window in the month following sale. 

Encan West Island states that consignment sellers are generally paid within 14 days of auction close when the items have been paid for. These are individual business practices—not statutory Montreal deadlines.

I did not find a Quebec rule establishing one universal payout period specifically for all ordinary antique-consignment transactions. That makes the contractual payout provision especially important.

Payout Timing

A contract might base payment on:

• date of sale;
• date buyer funds clear;
• end of an applicable return period;
• weekly accounting;
• biweekly accounting;
• monthly accounting;
• a defined number of days after sale.

Ask what “sold” actually means.

If the buyer places a deposit today but completes payment next week, which date starts your payout clock?

If the buyer uses financing, when are funds considered received?

If a card payment later becomes disputed, can the dealer delay payout?

The Civil Code provides that, on termination of a mandate, a mandatary must render an account and hand over what was received in performing the mandate. That legal principle should not be confused with a special statutory “14-day consignment rule”—the latter is not something the sources establish.

How Consignors Get Paid

Possible payment methods include:

• cheque;
• bank transfer;
• Interac e-Transfer;
• another electronic transfer;
• cash for limited amounts if the business permits it.

Do not assume every Montreal shop offers every method.

The contract or intake account should identify enough information to prevent payment problems: payee name, email or banking information where appropriate, mailing address if cheques are used, and whether the amount is denominated in Canadian dollars.

Ask about payment fees before signing.

Sale Statements and Deductions

A consignor should be able to understand how the dealer reached the payout number.

A useful statement might look like this:

Line Item	Amount	What to Verify
Gross merchandise sale price	$1,700	Actual price paid before applicable sales taxes
Authorized markdown	$300 from $2,000 ask	Matches contract authority
Shop commission	$850	Correct agreed percentage/base
Authorized repair fee	$75	Previously approved
Other authorized deduction	$25	Contract permits it
Net consignor payout	$750	Math reconciles
Payout date	Stated date	Matches payment record

The exact format will vary.

The important information is the sale date, merchandise price, commission calculation, allowed deductions, net amount, and payment date.

A vague message saying “your piece sold; your share is $650” does not give you enough information to reconcile the transaction.

How GST/QST Can Affect a Consignment Transaction

Quebec sales-tax treatment is more nuanced than saying, “used goods have no tax.”

As of September 2026, the GST rate is 5% and the QST rate is 9.975%. Revenu Québec states that most taxable supplies in Quebec are subject to those rates.

Consignment has special agency rules.

Revenu Québec explains that an agent or mandatary can sell tangible personal property for a principal. Where the principal would have been required to collect GST/QST, the ordinary principal-and-agent rules apply. 

Where the principal is not required to collect tax on the sale—Revenu Québec gives the example of a non-registrant individual selling a personally used boat through a registered merchant—the registered agent is generally treated as selling the property to the buyer and must collect the applicable taxes.

That means an individual consigning a personally owned antique should not assume that because they personally are not a GST/QST registrant, a registered antique dealer’s retail sale to its customer will automatically be tax-free.

Likewise, the tax collected from the buyer should not automatically be treated as part of the amount divided under the commission split.

The contract should say what “sale price” means for commission purposes—for example, whether the percentage is calculated on the merchandise price before GST/QST.

A consignor who is operating a business, regularly dealing in property, registered for taxes, or handling estate/business assets can face different tax consequences. Consult Revenu Québec, CRA, or a qualified tax professional for fact-specific treatment.

What Happens if the Buyer Returns the Piece or Disputes the Charge?

A sale may look final to the consignor while remaining reversible at the retail level.

A buyer could:

• return the item under the shop’s policy;
• allege that it was inaccurately described;
• dispute a card transaction;
• raise an authenticity issue;
• claim damage;
• cancel an eligible distance transaction.

For non-defective goods purchased in a Quebec store, the Office de la protection du consommateur states that merchants generally are not required to offer a refund merely because the customer changed their mind, although a merchant that establishes its own exchange/refund policy must respect that policy. Different rules can apply to defective products and some distance purchases.

A consignor should therefore ask:

• Is payout delayed until the shop’s voluntary return period expires?
• If I have already been paid and a transaction is reversed, can the shop demand repayment?
• Who bears ordinary card chargeback losses?
• What if the dispute concerns authenticity or an incorrect description supplied by me?
• What if the shop voluntarily refunds the buyer outside its stated policy?

There is no safe substitute for writing those answers into the contract.

What Happens to Unsold Items?

An antique that never sells is not a minor edge case. It is one of the expected possible outcomes of consignment.

At the end of the term, the contract might allow:

End-of-Term Option	Who Decides	Possible Cost
Owner retrieves item	Usually consignor under agreement	Moving/pickup cost
Contract is extended	Both parties or automatic clause	Continued commission/fees
New asking price agreed	Usually both, depending on contract	Lower potential proceeds
Clearance begins	Only under agreed authority	Reduced net
Shop returns property	Contract-dependent	Delivery cost
Donation	Only with proper authorization	Loss of future sale opportunity
Storage begins	If contract permits	Daily/weekly/monthly fee

Do not assume a shop may donate or dispose of your property merely because you missed one phone call.

Some current consignment businesses do publish policies under which uncollected goods may eventually be donated, but those are their individual contract policies—not a universal Quebec abandonment rule.

A contract clause purporting to transfer, donate, discard, or otherwise deal with valuable unclaimed property can have serious consequences. Read it carefully and obtain Quebec legal advice if its effect is unclear.

Pickup Deadlines

The agreement should specify:

• when pickup becomes available;
• how the shop notifies you;
• how many days you have;
• whether an appointment is required;
• whether large pieces require professional movers;
• whether the shop can help coordinate transportation;
• what happens if you are temporarily unavailable.

Do not rely on the shop to remind you.

Enter both the consignment expiry date and pickup deadline in your calendar.

Storage Fees and Extensions

Large furniture is costly to store.

A contract may impose storage charges after the selling term or pickup grace period. If so, determine:

• when charges begin;
• exact rate or calculation method;
• maximum amount, if any;
• whether fees can be deducted from other consignor proceeds;
• whether storage changes the shop’s responsibility for the item.

Avoid open-ended wording such as “storage charges may apply” without knowing how those charges are calculated.

Exclusivity and Selling the Item Yourself

Some dealers want exclusive selling authority during the consignment period.

That can prevent situations in which the antique appears simultaneously in the shop, on Facebook Marketplace, on another dealer’s website, and in a private advertisement—each at different prices.

Before signing, determine whether you may:

• advertise the item yourself;
• offer it to another dealer;
• withdraw it when a private buyer appears;
• sell it privately during the term.

The contract should also explain whether the original dealer still earns a commission if you independently find a buyer.

Do not assume such a clause is or is not enforceable in your circumstances. The objective here is to discover the obligation before you create a competing listing.

Transportation, Delivery, and Repair Costs

For furniture, transport can alter the economics dramatically.

Clarify who pays for:

• delivery from your home to the dealer;
• movers and stair carries;
• packing materials;
• temporary storage;
• customer delivery;
• return delivery if unsold;
• insurance during transit.

A $150 moving bill at intake and another $150 pickup bill can erase much of the advantage of consignment on a modestly priced piece.

Also identify the point at which responsibility changes hands. If a mover selected by the dealer damages the cabinet while loading it, which party pursues the claim? If you hire the mover yourself, is the shop responsible before the item reaches its premises?

Cleaning, Restoration, and Repair

Do not assume a dealer may restore an item merely because restoration might make it easier to sell.

The contract should state whether the shop may authorize:

• polishing;
• upholstery cleaning;
• frame repair;
• furniture repair;
• hardware replacement;
• rewiring;
• professional conservation;
• photography or staging expenses.

For valuable antiques, poorly chosen restoration can reduce value.

Set an approval threshold such as “no repair expenditure without prior written approval” rather than discovering a $400 restoration deduction after the piece sells.

For buyers and sellers assessing condition issues more broadly, the site’s guide to common bric-à-brac shopping mistakes in Montreal provides useful reminders about repair, transportation, and condition costs.

Photography and Online Listings

A modern consignment shop may sell far beyond its physical showroom.

Ask whether the dealer may:

• photograph the object;
• post it on its website;
• advertise it on Instagram or other social media;
• list it on third-party marketplaces;
• send photos directly to clients;
• use professional photography services;
• continue using images after the item sells.

These permissions are usually operational rather than a reason to overcomplicate the contract, but they should not become a surprise—especially for unique art, estate interiors, or objects whose photographs reveal private identifying information.

Also ask whether third-party marketplace commissions or advertising charges are deducted from your proceeds.

Provenance, Appraisal, and Authenticity Records

Documentation can make a valuable antique easier to describe and easier to sell.

Useful records include:

• original purchase receipts;
• auction invoices;
• maker labels;
• serial numbers;
• signatures;
• certificates;
• gallery documentation;
• previous appraisals;
• restoration reports;
• correspondence;
• estate inventory information;
• photographs showing earlier ownership;
• known chain of ownership.

Give the shop copies where possible rather than surrendering irreplaceable originals.

A previous appraisal does not guarantee current value or authenticity. Markets change, appraisal purposes differ, and an old appraisal can contain an attribution that later scholarship questions.

If you are still researching a category rather than seeking a formal valuation, the site’s guide to collecting antiques on a budget in Montreal discusses the role of research, condition, and comparable examples.

Red Flags in an Antique Consignment Agreement

A consignment contract does not have to be long to be useful, but the important economics should not be missing.

Red Flag	Why It Matters	Better Alternative
No written agreement	Difficult to prove terms	Signed contract and intake receipt
Vague item description	Creates identification dispute	Detailed item/inventory number
No starting price	No pricing baseline	Written initial asking price
Unlimited discount authority	Net can fall unexpectedly	Defined markdown limits
Unclear commission	Payout cannot be predicted	Percentage and calculation base
“Fees may apply”	Deductions are open-ended	Itemized authorized fees
No payout rule	Payment timing uncertain	Defined payout cycle/trigger
No damage/loss provision	Major risk is unresolved	Written responsibility process
No term ending date	Item can remain indefinitely	Fixed term/renewal terms
Automatic disposal language	Valuable rights may be affected	Clear pickup and authorization process
No statement requirement	Difficult to verify proceeds	Sale accounting
No pickup procedure	Unsold property can become disputed	Deadline and notification method
No signed intake receipt	Weak evidence of possession	Itemized signed receipt

One of the most concerning combinations is broad discount authority plus broad fee authority.

Imagine a consignor agreeing to 50% and assuming that means $1,000 from a $2,000 piece. If the shop may cut the price to $1,200 and deduct moving, restoration, photography, storage, and payment charges without clear limits, the headline split says very little about the real economics.

Red Flags in Shop Practice

The contract matters, but operations matter too.

Be cautious when a business:

• takes valuable items without creating an intake record;
• refuses to photograph or note major pre-existing damage;
• gives all important terms verbally;
• cannot explain how inventory is tagged;
• has inconsistent or unverifiable contact information;
• cannot explain how sold items are tracked;
• gives vague answers about payout records;
• refuses to clarify insurance or loss handling;
• will not provide a copy of the agreement you signed.

None of these observations proves misconduct. They are reasons to slow down and get unanswered questions resolved before surrendering possession.

A professionally run intake process should make both parties more comfortable because it documents what entered the premises, when, in what condition, and under which terms.

Questions to Ask Before Handing Over the Piece

Bring these questions to the appointment:

1. What percentage do I receive if the piece sells?
2. Is the split fixed or negotiable?
3. What selling price do you recommend?
4. How did you reach that price?
5. What is the markdown schedule?
6. Which discounts may you make without contacting me?
7. Can we establish a minimum selling price?
8. Can we establish a minimum net payout?
9. How long does the consignment last?
10. Does it renew automatically?
11. Can I withdraw the piece early?
12. What happens if I find my own buyer?
13. When do I get paid after a sale?
14. What must happen before buyer funds are considered final?
15. How will you pay me?
16. What statement or accounting will I receive?
17. What fees can be deducted?
18. Is my property covered by insurance while here?
19. At what value?
20. Is there a deductible?
21. Who is responsible for theft, fire, water damage or breakage?
22. Who bears transit risk?
23. Can you clean, repair or restore the piece without asking me?
24. What happens if the buyer returns it?
25. What happens following a chargeback?
26. What happens if the piece remains unsold?
27. How long do I have to retrieve it?
28. Are storage fees charged after expiry?
29. Can the item ever be donated, discarded or otherwise disposed of?
30. Will I receive an itemized signed intake receipt?

You do not need every dealer to answer these questions the same way. You need to understand the answer you are agreeing to.

Worked Consignment Example

Consider an entirely hypothetical Montreal furniture consignment.

The owner has a desirable vintage cabinet.

Initial agreed asking price: $2,000
Authorized markdown: piece eventually sells for $1,700
Illustrative commission: 50%
Authorized repair: $75
Authorized delivery-related deduction charged to consignor: $50

First calculate commission:

$1,700 × 50% = $850

Then calculate the consignor portion before expenses:

$1,700 − $850 = $850

Then deduct the two agreed charges:

$850 − $75 − $50 = $725 net consignor proceeds

Now compare that with a dealer’s hypothetical outright offer of $1,000.

In this example, the outright sale would have produced $275 more for the owner than the eventual consignment outcome.

That may initially seem surprising because the consignment retail price was far higher.

Now change one assumption. Suppose the cabinet sells for the full $2,000 and there are no deductions.

At a 50% split:

$2,000 × 50% = $1,000 consignor net

The financial result now matches the $1,000 outright offer—but consignment required the owner to wait and accept uncertainty.

Change the commission to a hypothetical 40% shop share instead:

$2,000 − $800 = $1,200 consignor net

Now consignment beats the outright offer by $200.

The lesson is not that one split is good or bad. The lesson is that sale price × owner percentage − fees − time/risk determines the outcome.

Common Consignor Mistakes

Mistake	Why It Creates Problems	Better Approach
Accepting verbal terms	Memories differ	Get signed terms
Focusing only on commission	Ignores price/fees	Compare expected net
Ignoring markdown authority	Price may fall	Set written limits
Not asking about payout timing	Cash arrives later than expected	Define payment trigger
Failing to document condition	Damage disputes become harder	Take dated photographs
Assuming insurance coverage	Policy may exclude item/risk	Verify coverage basis
Giving away original records	Documents may be lost	Keep copies/scans
Forgetting contract expiry	Pickup/storage issues	Calendar deadlines
Ignoring return rules	A “sale” might reverse	Clarify returns/clawbacks
Leaving furniture after expiry	Storage/logistics costs grow	Pre-plan pickup

A particularly common error is evaluating the agreement using only the words “you get 50%.”

Fifty percent of what?

The initial price? Final price? Price before or after discounts? Before or after marketplace fees? Before or after restoration? Before or after delivery?

A percentage without a defined calculation base is incomplete information.

Practical Montreal Antique Consignment Workflow

A careful consignment process can be handled in 18 steps.

1. Identify the item. Record maker, approximate age, material, dimensions and identifying marks.
2. Photograph condition. Capture all existing defects and repairs.
3. Gather provenance. Collect receipts, certificates, appraisals and ownership information.
4. Research approximate market value. Focus on genuinely comparable sold examples when available.
5. Contact suitable Montreal dealers. Choose businesses that actually handle the category.
6. Compare consignment with an outright offer. Compare potential net proceeds, not retail asking prices.
7. Negotiate or confirm the commission. Determine the exact calculation base.
8. Agree on the starting asking price.
9. Set the markdown schedule. Determine what can happen without further approval.
10. Set a minimum retail price or minimum consignor net where appropriate.
11. Confirm term length, renewal and early withdrawal rules.
12. Confirm insurance, damage and loss responsibility.
13. Confirm payout timing, payment method and buyer-return treatment.
14. Identify every permitted fee and deduction.
15. Sign the written agreement and obtain an itemized intake receipt.
16. Track listing, markdown and expiry dates.
17. After a sale, reconcile the statement against the contract and payment received.
18. If unsold, arrange pickup, extension or another authorized outcome before the deadline.

Montreal Antique Consignment Checklist

Before leaving an antique with a dealer:

• Photograph the item before delivery.
• Gather provenance and previous appraisal records.
• Keep copies of important original documents.
• Research realistic comparable values.
• Compare consignment with at least one outright-sale option where practical.
• Confirm the commission percentage.
• Confirm what amount the commission is calculated on.
• Agree on the initial asking price.
• Establish the markdown schedule.
• Clarify discount approval authority.
• Establish a minimum acceptable retail price or net if appropriate.
• Confirm the contract start and end dates.
• Check for automatic renewal.
• Confirm early-withdrawal rules.
• Confirm insurance and loss responsibility.
• Clarify the valuation method for a loss.
• Identify every permitted fee.
• Confirm repair authorization.
• Confirm transportation responsibility.
• Confirm payout timing.
• Confirm payment method.
• Confirm buyer-return and chargeback treatment.
• Get an itemized intake receipt.
• Keep the signed contract.
• Track markdown dates.
• Track the contract expiry date.
• Track the unsold-item pickup deadline.
• Reconcile the final statement and payout.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Consigning Antiques in Montreal is not just a decision about whether a dealer keeps 40%, 50%, or another percentage. The real economics depend on the final selling price, markdown authority, fees, term length, payout rules, buyer returns, transportation costs and what happens if the piece never sells.

A consignment arrangement can leave an owner with more than an outright dealer offer, particularly when the piece is desirable and the seller has time to wait. It can also produce less after discounts, commissions, expenses and months of uncertainty. An outright sale exchanges some potential upside for faster payment and a clean transfer of resale risk.

Before handing over a valuable object, know the starting price, lowest authorized price, commission calculation, permitted deductions, payment schedule, insurance/loss arrangements and end-of-term procedure.

Most importantly, document the piece itself. A clear written agreement plus an itemized intake receipt and condition photographs gives both the consignor and dealer a far stronger foundation than verbal expectations.