Second-hand art & collectables in Montreal typically sells for C$6 to C$1,500 (about $4 to $1,100). Restoration cuts the figure sharply on anything collected seriously, however well it was done, because collectors pay for original surface. Decorative pieces answer to taste instead, and there the only question is whether somebody wants it on their wall.
Buying art & collectables in Montreal
Montreal has the most distinctive moving culture in the country: a very large share of leases end on the same day at the start of July, and for about a week the entire city changes address at once. The second-hand market is built around that single date.
Glass, ceramic and plaster travel badly however carefully they are wrapped, and a courier’s claim rarely covers what a broken piece was actually worth. Carrying something home flat on a back seat is the only handling anybody can rely on.
What to check in person
Bring a small torch and look across the surface at a low angle, which throws up overpainting and scratches that vanish under flat light. Ask what has been done to it, since sympathetic restoration is normal and undisclosed restoration is not.
Collecting it in Montreal
It needs a car boot rather than a bag, so agree somewhere you can actually stop for a few minutes. That is easier away from the centre than in it.
The outdoor staircases that front so many buildings here are narrow, steep and often spiral, and they defeat more furniture than anything else. Establish the stairs before the price, and remember that winter makes all of it considerably harder.
Selling your art & collectables in Montreal free
The July moving week produces a concentration of second-hand furniture that has no real equivalent elsewhere in Canada. Prices in the days either side of it are the lowest of the year, and the choice is at its widest.
Shoot it square on in daylight without flash, since a raking light or a colour cast misrepresents the piece and the buyer will notice on arrival. Photograph the back as well, because labels, stamps and old auction tickets are what buyers look for. Steadier than most categories, with a lift around house moves and clearances.
Interac e-Transfer is the norm and is instant and traceable, which suits a private sale well. It is what most buyers will suggest before anything else.
Art & Collectables worth listing in Montreal
Same region (Quebec)
If nothing in Montreal suits, Quebec City, Laval and Gatineau each have their own art & collectables page, and a seller will often meet part of the way for something worth the trip.
More in Montreal: everything second hand in Montreal, or Art & Collectables across Canada.
Prices converted from sterling at the 2 August 2026 rate; sellers set their own price.