Fakes have been around almost as long as real antiques. If a guy can make a buck on something, he's often led into trying to make more by fudging a bit. Where does that leave the rest of us? We need to be pretty sharp when finding our old antiques.
How can we tell if what we find is a fake? There are some guidelines for wary pickers. First and foremost, spend time with the genuine article. The more you see of the real stuff, the less likely you are to be fooled.
Depression Glass was cheaply made and mass produced and you can usually see mold lines on the real pieces. Often you will see "straw marks" whre the molds were wearing out. Newer glass will have none of the above. Watch out for pieces that appear slick, or thicker or mor grainey than what you would expect.
Bronze fakes are often made of cast iron with a bronze plate. Magnets will easily stick to these items. If it sticks, it's not bronze!
Roseville Pottery is frequently reproduced. Watch the "s" in Roseville. It should have a slant to it. Look, too, at the quality of the glazing. It should not look shoddy or garish.
Furniture--look at the way the piece is made. Is the joinery consistant with its purported age and place of origin? What about tool marks, and hardware? Does the wood have the expected patina? Is there wear where there shouldn't be and none where you would expect it?
Fakers these days are really good at their craft, but they often use cheaper materials or put parts of several pieces together to make a whole, new piece. When I am in a house, I also look at the dust on the pieces. Are they as covered as the rest of the house? I also ask the seller when they got the item and try to find out as much history about the piece as I can. A final thought: some fakes were made a hundred years ago or more. That makes them an antique in their own right! So be careful!
The Picker's Image
by Roger Morse
Recently, the Maine Anitques Digest ran an article discussing the image of antiques, antique vendors in general and the show "American Pickers" on the history channel. It would appear we have a bad rap. And judging by comments I sometimes here when I am out picking, I think it is pervasive.
As a group, and for our livelihood, we must strive to change that image. We must show society in general that we serve a useful purpose and that rather than being a bunch of pirates, we are true business men and women. We need to improve the public's opinion of us.
Why do we need to do this? There are several reasons. The younger generation sees antiques as little more than stodgy old relics. They do not see the value in craftsmanship and so fewer of them are buying. Add to that that older collectors are pinching pennies and (frankly) dying off, and it makes our customer base shrink dramatically. Then, when they sell grandma's old things to a dealer, they are miffed that they don't get retail price--and they "know" what that is by watching the Antiques Roadshow. When we pay wholesale market prices for items and sell for 100% markup, we look like thieves.
How do we combat this misperception? By educatiing the public. Whenever we have the opportunity, we need to remind people that a cup of coffee costs McDonalds about 5 cents to make. (just guessing) And they turn around and sell it to us for, what, $1.00? Now that's a markup, but we blithely pay it without thinking, don't we? Point out that the shoes they are wearing cost probably $3.00 to make and by the time we get them, they cost $80 or more. Talk about overhead with the children of your "collector" from whom you would like to buy that old Victrola. Talk about shelf-life, mileage, car repairs, and any other expenses you might have bringing their heirloom to market. Write articles about the antiques business for your local paper.
It will not be an overnight change, but we must work earnestly to protect our image from the onslaught of television aspersions cast our way!
Home-based Business Idea: Antique And Collectible Dealership
By: Charles Godbout
Before you venture into a home-based business dealing antique collections and other collector's items, it is important that you have prepared and planned for this few months or years earlier to allow you time to fill in your inventory room.
Buying antiques is expensive. If you have just decided to make this your home business, it needs a lot of work and high startup capital, unless you are open to other strategies like consignment from other dealers or private sellers.
The key to a success in selling antique is to have a knack on the antiques you are dealing. Strive to become an expert in your niche such as historical artifacts, antique dolls, oriental pottery and Victorian furniture.
It helps in earning the trust of your customers when they sense your expertise. Master the skills in appraising the value and quality of an antique item, and ascertaining which piece will make a sale. You can learn a lot when you visit exhibits and antique shops.
Collectible items are entirely different from antiques. They are the more recent than antiques, but have been gone from the markets for quite some time. Examples of collectible items are coins, Star Trek's memorabilia created in 1970s, lunch boxes, old movie memorabilia and comic books. Another term for collectibles is collector's items because the merchandises are part of everyday life.
Many home-based business owners engaging in antique dealership have earned huge profits by selling online. They work after office hours or on weekends. If you have been collecting antiques in the previous years, you may have procured many items to sell.
You can convert a part of your home as your showcase room if you have a plan of opening a home-based antique shop. But if you want to deal them online, through referrals or to your friends and relatives, it is enough that you have a separate and secure storage room.
If you have the passion for antique but cannot take pride in having many collections at home, you can still start your home-based business in two ways. First you find a source or sources which can give you the lowest cost. The best places to visit are the flea markets, yard auctions, estate sales and garage sales.
The second approach is to sell through consignment basis with other collectors. If you have a network of collectors who are selling their antique pieces, you can join the marketing.
Either you put a price mark-up on the piece or you receive commission from the collector once you have sold the antique is a great way to earn money without having to purchase a product.
Ordinary people who have in their possession heirlooms can benefit from your dealership skills. They may want you to sell their heirlooms to people and get your cut after the sale.
Whatever approach you have in mind for your home-based business, it is wise to continually study about the antiques and your customers. Pricing your antiques is among the favorite tasks of most home-based business owners.
In most cases, the antique pieces are bought at a bargain prices. Their value, after being thoroughly cleaned and polished, becomes double, triple or even quadruple, depending on their rarity, age and origin.
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives
What Small Business Owners Can Learn From Kiosk Salespeople
by Jessica Swanson
Send Feedback to Jessica Swanson
Request Reprint | Print | About Author | Report Problem | Tweet This
small business marketing
More Details about small business marketing here.
Tweet This I was walking through my local mall the other day, when a woman at a kiosk asked me if I had a minute to try out her special, like-no-other-in-the-world hand cream. I'm the first one to admit that usually I hate being accosted by kiosk sales-people. But, I wasn't in a hurry and she got me on a good day -- my hands were a bit chapped from the Chicago winter weather.
So, I stopped and let her massage her magic cream into my hands. Not only did she rehydrate my dry skin, but she glossed my brittle nails to a top sheen with a nail buffer in one-minute flat. Well, needless to say I walked away from the kiosk with $25 worth of products.
For small business owners there's a lesson to be learned from the aggressive and pushy kiosk sales-people. It's called "product demonstration" and it works -- in fact, it works so well that product demonstrations can increase sales by up to 70 percent.
The philosophy behind the increased sales is obvious. The salespeople in the kiosks understand that most people won't make a purchase simply by walking past their kiosk -- there are just too many stores vying for their attention.
Therefore, kiosk salespeople step out of their kiosk and command our attention by offering to demonstrate their product to us. And you must admit, whether they are annoying or helpful, we can't help but notice them.
And, if they do manage to pull us over for a product demonstration, they know that they are working with a "hot prospect." They have our undivided attention and can show us why we need their product.
Obviously, most small business owners aren't operating a small kiosk in the local mall. We are competing for the attention of online prospects; we want our internet audience to sit-up, take notice, and eventually make a purchase.
To immediately increase your sales, think about ways to demonstrate your product or service to your prospects. Show them why they need your product or service and how their lives will improve substantially once they have purchased it. You can accomplish this through demonstration videos on your website or Youtube. You can inform them about your product or service through audios and podcasts. Or, you can utilize teleseminars and webinars to educate your prospects about your industry and how your product or service will exponentially improve their lives.
Since our prospects are bombarded by ads all day long, a sales page just doesn't cut it in today's competitive environment. In fact, research clearly suggests that less than 1 percent of your online traffic will make a purchase on their first visit to your website. Therefore, it's your job to take them to the next level, education.
So, take your cues from the savvy kiosk salespeople and show your prospective clients and customers what problems you can solve for them; demonstrate why they need your products and services; and reveal the hidden benefits that will make their lives better -- the best part is that you don't have to accost them in a mall to accomplish this!
Jessica Swanson, “The Shoestring Marketer,” has helped entrepreneurs, all over the world, explode their businesses using cutting-edge, proven and completely free marketing strategies. To download your FREE Marketing Kit, which has helped thousands of entrepreneurs, just like you, learn the exact techniques for marketing their businesses for NO-COST, visit: Shoestring Marketing Kit
Contact the Author
Jessica Swanson
Shoestring Marketing
jessica@jessicaswanson.com
More Details about small business marketing here.
The Articles
Coming Soon !
The Antique Picker's Video Course
A series of videos packed with information to make you a better, wiser, savvier picker. Here is your chance to spend time with a seasoned picker and hear his techniques, thoughts, stories from 12 years of picking, finding, selling and loving antiques and collectibles and the folks who own them.
Sign up for the early bird Special: a deep disocut for the first 50 subscribers. (Hurry, there are only 17 spaces left!)
