Antiques: Where do you find this stuff, how is it priced and can I become a seller?
We get asked this question all the time. Our customers always want to know how we can put together under one roof such a diverse collection of items covering so many cultures, interests, regions and years. As generalized antique dealers, our inventory is of the quintessential "mile-wide/inch-deep" variety, and we can't just pick up the phone and reorder more of the same. By definition, antiques are almost always one-of-a-kind. As a result, we're constantly looking for new items and there's no specific formula as to what we buy. If you're interested or perhaps have an item — or a houseful — to sell, here's how it works.
Insofar as no one can be fluent in every area, our gallery like many others is a collective of dealers. The hoary definition of an expert rings true in our business: one who knows more and more about less and less until one knows everything about nothing. Thus, we strive to maintain a complementary assemblage of dealers who do not directly overlap one another. For example, our jewelry vendors all have different areas of expertise: beads, primitive, costume or fine jewelry, native American, gold, sterling silver, wristwatches, etc. One specialist per category does fine, but two divide the business and neither does well.
Our vendors all have their own sources, many of which they guard relentlessly. Some go on summer buying trips while others work the local flea markets and antique fairs. Auctions and estate sales are both significant sources of inventory, and several of our dealers buy from out-of-town connections with whom they have longtime relationships. Many sellers are often previous customers looking to downsize their collections or assist a family member in doing same. Not infrequently, would-be sellers simply walk in the door, having found us online or through a referral. When that happens, we route the inquiry to our vendors who deal in that particular category. We'll look at everything and anything, and if we can't buy it will do our best to offer suggestions as to where to go next.
In terms of purchase prices, there's no magic number or rule of thumb. Our dealers buy at prices that will allow them a reasonable mark-up yet keep their retail prices at or below online sellers. Today everyone walks around with a phone in their hand so competition is more transparent than ever before. Especially with unique items, pricing is a crapshoot and buyers must use their own experience to gauge what the market will bear. Because we have so many repeat customers, our business emphasizes turnover rather than margin so that we can maintain an ever-changing inventory. To sell right, we have to buy right. Dealers who do not keep their offerings clean, working, well priced, and relevant to our market do not last long.
As for exactly what our vendors will buy, it runs the gamut but there are some guidelines. Contemporary items made in China are not a staple of antique stores (at least not ours) and we will not buy items illegal to sell in California (e.g., counterfeit luxury goods or ivory). Our best-selling categories include art glass, barware, blankets, coins, crystal, jewelry, lighting, mid-century furnishings, vintage clothing and, well, oddities.
If you're a seller, come on in and show us what you've got. And if you're a buyer, now is the best time of year to find a bargain. The snowbirds are gone and our vendors are looking to sell.
Mike Rivkin and his wife, Linda, are longtime residents of Rancho Mirage. For many years, he was an award-winning catalogue publisher and has authored seven books, along with countless articles. Now, he's the owner of Antique Galleries of Palm Springs. His antiques column appears Sundays in The Desert Sun. Want to send Mike a question about antiques? Drop him a line at info@silverfishpress.com
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: How antiques dealers find and price merchandise, and how to become a seller
