Logo for obvy's consumer magazine

Advice and tips on buying and selling between private individuals

Selling Wine Between Private Individuals: What You Need to Know

Today's environmental concerns and the rise of new technologies have enabled sales between private individuals to develop. Following in the footsteps of car-sharing, furniture and clothing, bottles of wine are now taking their place on the second-hand market. However, the practice is not without its risks... In this article, we give you our advice on this new type of selling.

Discover our advice on selling wine between private individuals by watching our 2-minute video

Want to find out more? Read the full article below.

On the seller's side :

First of all, choose the bottles you want to sell wisely. Your choice of bottles will have a major impact on the sales you make. Wine lovers will only sell wine from one person to another if the bottle is worth the effort. We do not advise you to sell bottles that can easily be found in supermarkets.

Where to sell your bottles:

Online sales platforms :

One of the best ways to sell your bottles of wine is via online sales platforms such as Leboncoin, Ebay or Idealwine. By going through them, you benefit from a large international clientele and gain greater visibility for the bottles you sell. By using this type of platform, you won't have to deal with an intermediary, so you won't have to pay commission. Exchanges with your potential buyers will also be simpler.

Social networks :

Social networks such as Facebook and Instagram have a marketplace where users can buy and sell items online. This is an excellent way of selling your wine.

The price of your bottle :

Estimating the price of a bottle of wine can be tricky. So we advise you to look at your competitors. To be able to sell your bottle, you need to be in line with the market price. You should also find out the original price of your bottle, as this could be a selling point.

On the buyer's side :

Storage conditions :

Buying a good wine is one thing, but if you don't want to be disappointed when you taste it, it's important to know the conditions in which the bottle has been stored. Don't hesitate to ask the seller for this information. You need to be convinced that these precious grands crus have been stored in the best possible conditions.

Storage temperature is extremely important, because although wine is an alcoholic beverage, it is perishable. The temperature of the wine should not exceed 15 degrees. Beyond this temperature, the perfect balance of compounds is disturbed, which will accelerate the ageing process.

Here are the ideal temperatures for different types of wine:

  • Red wine: between 12 and 19 degrees
  • White wine: between 8 and 12 degrees
  • Sparkling wine: 5 and 8 degrees
  • Rosé wine: 14 and 18 degrees

The price :

Some sellers misrepresent the true value of their bottles. So, as a buyer, you need to look at the prices of competing wines. Look at several wine for sale ads on different sites. On the one hand, this will ensure that you don't get ripped off on the real value of the bottle in question. Secondly, this information will enable you to negotiate the price with the seller.

Secure your private transactions with Obvy:

To make transactions, sales and/or purchases, between private individuals in complete security, choose Obvy. Obvy is a secure payment platform designed to eradicate online scams between private individuals. When you make a transaction on Obvy, the funds are only credited to your seller when the buyer certifies the conformity of the goods purchased. If this is not the case, you are automatically refunded and the item is returned to the seller.

By using Obvy to carry out transactions between private individuals, you can also benefit from payment in several instalments.