Ten Things to Know Before You go Antiquing
I have been through antique stores all over this great nation. My personal best is ten in one day. Through my travels I have come up with some tips that will make your next experience in an antique store or mall even more productive.
Plan ahead. When visiting a new town you’ll often find that the antique stores will be found in clusters. Plan your day so you can hit as many as possible.
Stores reflect the town they’re in. Looking for gambling collectables? Go to Reno or Las Vegas. How about western items? You won’t find them in New Hampshire. The major industries of a town will often dictate the kind of antiques you find in their stores. If the area is know for a large bottling plant. Then you have a good chance of finding soft drink collectables.
Location, location, location. How much overhead any business has will affect the prices in that store. Antique stores are no different. If it’s located in the “high-rent” district you can count on the prices there being higher.
Everything is negotiable. If you see something you want and you feel the price is too high, feel free to try to negotiate a lower price. A lot of employees at antique malls are given the leeway to drop the price five or ten percent. The key here is “within reason.” Running an antique store is a tough business. If they don’t make a profit they probably won’t be there the next time you stop by.
The fun is in the hunt. Yes you can find most anything you are looking for on eBay. But what fun is that? Take your time. Look through those stores (antique, thrift, flea markets), it’s that much more enjoyable when you finally find that piece you’ve been looking for.
If you see it…buy it. Don’t walk away thinking you can always come back and get it or that you grab it next time. I’ve passed on some cool stuff never to see it again.
Just because it’s old does not make it gold. The value of anything is decided on two things: supply and demand. Just because it was made in the 1800’s does not make it valuable. If it was sold in a fast food store, chances are there millions out there (I’m talking about you overpriced Looney Tunes glasses). If nobody wants it or it’s easy to find…then it’s not worth much.
Look Up! Antique stores are packed to the ceiling. Booth owners stuff as much as they can in their small rental areas. Often times we walk around with our heads down. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found great things up high on top of everything. Also sometimes going back through at a different direction will reveal all sorts of thing you may have missed.
Don’t expect a lot of turnover. I’ve revisited stores only to see the exact same things in the exact same place. This applies mostly to single owner antique stores. Mall owners are at the mercy of the people who rent from them. There are stores that realize that a constant influx of new items is great for business. You’ll know them when you find them.
Pack an extra suitcase when you travel. Wherever we go we take a huge suitcase big enough to fit the smaller case that has our clothes in it. That way when you are ready to bring your new found treasures home you won’t have to ship. The more expensive or delicate items can come back on your carry on.
