I am often surprised how much "blind leadign the blond" there is in the antiques trade. It seems lame to all of us because we research and follow antiques in our field. But trust me, over 30%, and maybe as high as 60%, of all antique trade is pulled straight out of their a-s, with no hard information whatsoever backing it up.
People make entire careers without ever really learning much of anything specific.
Ambiance and the perception of kindly authority is all it takes.
A dirty dingy store and a hesitant weasely proprietor will go out of business in 6 months.
A clean, light filled store with a genteel ambiance of antiques and an owner who stands up straight without being mean about it, will last forever.
Mary James, an eventual friend of mine, bought an old Victorian mansion on a sidestreet near downtown Yreka Ca. A large rambling old place that was the bell of the block once, but had fallen onto hard times.
The porch and front parlor was first. As soon as the building's face and front porch were repaired and painted, and the parlor just inside was spruced up, she opened the antique shop. (the rest of the building roped off)
Since it was the only shop in town she got lots of local closet cleaning immediately. People bringing in family heirlooms they no longer wanted.
Mary had no idea what anything was actually worth. But being a smart girl in a world of idiots, she just make it up. She bought for much less than she suspected she could sell for. She arranged the stock by order of perceived value. Big showy fancy goods up front near the window. Small showy goods in a glass case near her cash register, top shelf for the most valuable.
She treated her customers with respect, but without insecurity on her part. As if she knew exactly what she was doing.
She set her price and stuck to 90% of it. Unless it was a good customer, then maybe 85. If the item didn't sell in a year, she reevaluated.
She had location, she had inventory, she had a business.
For 35 years that business continued to grow. The whole house was slowly restored and made glorious inside and out. In the end she bought a large empty warehouse adjacent to the back of the property. Filled that up too. Mary learned as she went, her reference library slowly filling.
I bought from her and sold to her. She wasn't stubbornly ignorant. After a while she would take my word for it as far as goods I was selling her. (You can try to sell this for anything you want, but I will sell for XXXX and if you price it XXXX it will sell quickly) and even let me haggle her down into the realm of sanity on certain items that had already sat around a while.
In the end we were pretty close friends.
The thing about the antiques trade is, no one can possibly know everything. If you know tools, ok how about French dolls? Wait, mid 19th century midwestern furniture? Or how about clocks? Kitchen antiques maybe? Pressed glass? Cut glass? Do you always know the difference?
This is how it goes.
yours Scott
