But where guides can be of particular use is in preventing you from paying too much. If you see that a particular piece of Roseville pottery lists for $85, you know better than to purchase it from the dealer who's trying to convince you that it's a buy at $200. There are exceptions to this. A few specialty books do list low for what the items sell for in a particular region. For instance, salt and pepper shaker collectors who are members of a club tend to be willing to pay more than book value in my area.
Perhaps you're not interested in collectibles but wish to carry only antiques. Start reading about what catches your fancy the most. Maybe it's Nippon china. Find a book. There are many of them. Photocopy the pages with the identifying back marks (a good book will tell you the years during which these marks were used), and when you go to buy merchandise, check the marks on the particular piece in which you're interested against the marks on the photocopied sheet.
BEWARE OF FAKES
You may even find that the piece you're considering is a fraud—a recent, inferior piece made to mimic an older, more valuable one. Entire warehouse-type, dealer-only establishments are packed with an amazing assortment of new merchandise designed to fool the retail customer. A trip to one of these places is a fine idea as it will open your eyes and help you avoid being a victim. We visit the warehouse in our vicinity about twice a year—not to buy, but to study. On one occasion we found a vase that was identical in all respects—markings and all—to one for which we'd eagerly paid three times the price at an auction. But we were lucky. After seeing that we'd been duped, we marked the vase a reproduction and repriced it at a few dollars more than we'd paid for it. It quickly sold, but it sold for what it was—a reproduction.
Perhaps this is the place to touch on the ethics of selling a reproduction as authentic. We know that some dealers think "all is fair in love and antiques." We don't share that opinion for two reasons. One, it's dishonest. And two, it's a business practice that will repay you with a perfidious reputation.
SELECTING A SPECIALTY
Wouldn't it be nice to be the only antiques and/or collectibles dealer in your area? There's a lot to be said in favor of having a monopoly—ask the old-timers at Xerox, AT&T, and IBM. They'll tell you, you have to pull out all the stops when competition enters the arena. You can bet your boots that the operating costs for running power companies would be drastically reduced in order to lower utility rates if consumers could go elsewhere. In our business, consumers can, and do, go elsewhere, and you can only lower prices so far. So in order to entice more customers to cross your threshold and spend their money with you, you need an edge, a plus, something special. And that's what we advise, give the customers something special—your specialty!
We don't mean that you should carry only one type of merchandise. That can and does work for some dealers, but it is usually a lonely life waiting for those few, select customers. What we're advocating is that you find a speciality to sell along with your general merchandise.
If you're already a collector of something beyond family mementos, that collectible could be your speciality. If not, look around at what collectibles and special lines other dealers in your market carry and find something different. It should be something you are interested in and can talk about with enthusiasm. There should be a demand for it. (Sundials are a fascinating collectible, but how many people collect them?) Learn all you can about your specialty. Buy books on the subject, or borrow them from the public library. Get a current price guide. Then purchase examples of your speciality whenever possible, even if you have to spend a little more money at the beginning. That is, be willing to make less profit at first in order to start the ball rolling.
BE ALERT TO CHANGE
Change is certain. Be aware that the antiques and collectibles market is always evolving. For a year or two, Victorian wares are in, then maybe it's post-WW II modern, followed next by Arts and Crafts, and so on. Interest in the various collectibles also waxes and wanes. As of this writing, Avon and Jim Beam bottles are no longer the rage they were a few years ago, while dolls and toy trucks continue to climb in popularity. An increase in the number of buyers for a given item creates higher prices, which in turn decreases the available supply. If the number of buyers declines, or the supply is inflated above the demand, prices will fall.
In 1985 we met a couple whose speciality was depression and carnival glass. In fact, they had very little else in their booth. Their selection was extraordinary and sales were brisk. However, by early 1988 sales had decreased so badly that the couple was not making the rent. They pulled out of the mall in the fall of 1988 and sent their merchandise to auction.
Two related factors had developed between 1985 and the demise of the couple's business. First, reproductions of depression and carnival glass were flooding the market. Collectors and dealers alike couldn't always tell if the items were originals or reproductions. Second, because of the reproductions (and possibly also because depression and carnival glass had peaked as collectibles in the couples area), interest in those items declined. The result was that while prices for original pieces remained stable, overall demand dwindled.
Had this couple been set up in another market or area, perhaps their sales would have continued at a high volume. But they weren't, and they illustrate what can happen when you put all your eggs in one basket.
Early on in the business, Joan was drawn to Limoges. She bought a book about it and spent hours studying it. She looked for Limoges at garage sales, auctions, flea markets, and other antiques outlets. At first she bought anything marked Limoges. Then with familiarity came selectivity. She bypassed the transfer designs and zeroed in on hand-painted pieces. Then she discovered that all hand-painted pieces weren't created equal. She also learned that all Limoges isn't marked Limoges, Many of the early pieces just have a factory mark. She also found that all Limoges wasn't made in France. It wasn't too long before our booth became the first place people headed when they wanted a good piece of Limoges. We don't carry much Limoges anymore. It's become extremely difficult to find quality Limoges at affordable prices. We've become interested in handling well-executed oil paintings. They don't have to be by listed artists (although that's certainly a plus), but they must have eye-appeal.
We advise you to find that special something for which you feel an affinity. Learn about it, buy it, sell it, but don't overstock and don't make it your only, or even your primary, type of merchandise.
CHAPTER 2
Identifying Antiques:
A Primer for Beginners
and Intermediates
When you're shopping for antique merchandise, it's important to know what to look for in any given item. Some pieces scream quality. Somehow, without knowing just what they are, you know they're valuable. But by and large you need to have an idea of exactly what it is you're seeking. We find that some of the most highly prized antiques appear plain and uninteresting.
The purpose of this book is to help you get into the business and make a go of it, not to acquaint you with all of the merchandise you're likely to encounter over the years. The longer you're in the business, the more familiar you'll become with the many types of items you'll find. And as we've said previously, unless you're a very unusual person, you'll never know everything. But that's the beauty of it—it's an ongoing learning experience.
In the beginning, you should stick to antiques that are easily identifiable—pieces that you can feel certain are what they appear to be. Toward that end, you may want to study the following list. It's comprised of items that you are likely to find in your search for merchandise and includes information to help you learn to recognize them. The dates we supply are as accurate as we were able to make them. Experts in the various specialties often differ about exactly when merchandise was produced.
Glass, Porcelain, and Pottery
ABC PLATES
Made of glass, metal, porcelain, or pottery, ABC Plates were in vogue in the 1700s and 1800s. Each plate displays the letters of the alphabet. They were used to help teach children their ABC's. Often you'll find modern versions at garage sales, but unless they're several