dealers

Holiday Wreath at Jazz'e Junque, Chicago

Antique and collectible dealers often get a lot of flack — which is totally insane. And I don’t just say that because I are one, or because my mom and dad have been in the business for a long time (and no one better knock my folks!); I say it because true dealers are your collecting friends.

At no other time of year is this more apparent than during the holidays, so I think it’s time to defend the defamed dealer.

Because real sellers of antiques and collectibles are professionals who have to profit after they pay for their inventory (your potential goodies) and pay for their overhead (be it store square footage, booth rental, or online fees), they have to be knowledgeable about what they are selling. They have to know authentic vintage items from simply used or previously owned things. They have to be able to tell authentic antiques from copies (both the legitimate reproductions and the out-to-deceive fakes). They have to know these things because their reputations, their livelihoods depend upon it.

You may complain about the “top prices,” but their knowledge doesn’t come cheap.

It comes from hours of squatting over boxes in basements, sorting the good from the bad while inhaling molds most people don’t want to know about…

From years of firmly holding ceramic and glass pieces while gently feeling for cracks and chips…

From decades of hefting fabric for weight while eyeballing fabric patterns, linings and seams for signs of desirable age and undesirable condition issues.

It comes from days of dollars lost to lessons in the cost of repairs and mends that when all is said and done don’t make cents in the final sale.

And searching and evaluating doesn’t include the other investments of time. Like the time spent cleaning and whatnot to make the items more presentable than when they were found.

Jazz'e Junque Kitchenalia

And there are the hours (and mileage) of driving followed by the stiff-legged standing in estate sale lines and then selling in the antique store. Those at antique shows and flea markets also have to pack it all up, put it into the van(s), trot it out on tables for the dog and pony show, and whatever dogs don’t sell, must then be packed up again and driven home.

The online sellers don’t have it much easier. Sure, they sit while they list their items, but those days are followed by the nights spent packing — so they can get up in the morning, stand in line at the post office and do their shipping before they go purchase more shipping supplies.

So, if you’re looking for authentic antiques and real vintage collectibles, in a presentable condition, get thee to the antique mall, shop, or show this holiday season. Or shop from credible dealers who know what they are doing. Sure, you may spend a little more money; but that still saves you the cost and trouble of buying actual junk. Plus you’ll save yourself plenty of time getting those perfect gifts to give.

You can put that spare time to good use by making me cookies. *wink*

Images via Cookejarlayde.

Collecting is a hobby in which the thrill of the hunt is hoped to be rewarded with a trophy, for the wall or otherwise. But unlike big game hunters, we don’t always have a trail to follow — or even know what it is we are looking for. We simply stumble out of (or into) the brush, hoping “it” will be there, and that we will be clever enough, lucky enough, to be able to take it home.

Even when we have a list (and remember to carry it on our person so that the usual trip to the grocery store becomes a serendipitous stop at a yard sale), we may not be any further ahead in getting volumes of The Story Of Civilization. In fact, I personally think carrying that slip of paper (or even retaining the volume numbers) puts a jinx on the whole thing.

Toss out that slip, dismiss the numbers from your mind, and guess what you’ll find at the next sale — that’s right, 3 or 4 random volumes in the series. Then, of course, you have to sweat out not only the conditions of the books, if the price is fair or not, but if any of the volumes are the ones you need. If the price is right you can always sell the doubles (upgrading copies, if possible) easily enough later — you’ll just have to consider the sardonically raised brow of your spouse as part of the price of adding to (or trying to add to) your collection.

You see, The Story of Civilization series by Will (and Ariel) Durant is one of my great collecting passions. It’s not only the classic story of a collector on the hunt, but connects to many other issues in collecting.

Years ago, nearly two decades ago, I ran into the entire set of books — first editions in glorious conditions — at a used bookstore. I coveted those books, daring to touch them tenderly, but was unable to pay the $150 asking price. That wasn’t only, as hubby and I say, “A lot of money back now,” but nearly inconceivable to a twenty-something single parent — it was like the kind of money to buy a house or something! But for months I would window shop the books, wistfully (stalkerishly) checking to see if they were still there… Until one day there weren’t.

Ever since I’ve slowly been collecting the volumes, one at time, three at a time, until now, today, I have seven of the eleven. (I am in need of volumes I, III, VII, XI — and V really should be upgraded as the dust jacket is faded.)

At times I’ve wondered if I’d have been better off paying the $150. Not that I had it, mind you. But I wonder if I’ll ever get close to an entire set, and such lovely copies… But then I remind myself that I am, in fact, ahead of the game.

At $150 for all eleven books, I’m way ahead financially; I’ve never paid more than $6 per book. And I’m ahead in other ways — like the thrill of hoping every time I head out hunting that today is the day. But if I look for them, or remember the volume numbers, I won’t find them. I must stumble into them, discover them by accident.

I think that’s how most collectors, at least of vintage items, feel. We head out each time hoping, but not knowing; almost afraid to think too much about what we desire for fear that jinxes our mission, but quietly searching for a glimpse of them just the same. Like those hallucinatory pink elephants, they are always around us, talking to us…

So we head out excited to discover just whatever it is that we will find that day. Even if that day happens to be more used baby clothes and sports equipment than we care to look at. For somewhere, in a box hidden beneath that table of worn toddler outfits, there just might be what we’ve been looking for.

It could be the missing volumes in The Story of Civilization. Or it could be some new thing to discover.

This weekend I did not find any affordable copies of Will Durant’s books, but I did find this pink elephant.

A huge vintage pink elephant, nine inches tall.

We were already at the check out counter with arm loads of other goodies when we spotted him. He was “behind the counter expensive”, if you get my meaning; but still too impressive to ignore. So I had the clerk stop ringing up our sale and bring him over to look at.

He’s the Jolly Jumbo Elephant Squeeze-Me Toy with Movable Head, by The Sun Rubber Company, dated 1961. He was once, according to the original packaging, safe & sanitary; but now, older than me & found a thrift store, he’s likely a bit too-used to be called either.

I don’t know much about The Sun Rubber Company (other than they were in Barberton, Ohio, from 1923 to 1974 and made rubber toys and dolls). And I don’t collect elephants (yet). But something about his cute face, unusually large size, and glass roller-ball feet, made him special & spiffy enough to take home.

Temporarily.

You see, I can’t keep everything I find. So I’ll be selling this pink elephant.

While many find the practice of an antiques and collectibles dealer abhorrent, I find dealers to be as kind to old things as an animal rescue worker is to animals — we recognize something worthy of salvaging, and we take care of it until the right owner comes along. We dealers see the “pink elephants” that haunt the hunts of collectors, and we keep them safe until the obsessed right collector comes along.

Sure, I make some money dealing in the pink elephants of others; but then those profits fund pink elephant hunts of my own.

So maybe this literal pink elephant will finance my figurative pink elephant and I’ll finally be able to afford the complete set of The Story Of Civilization. Should I be lucky to stumble into them in the brush…

Maybe, somewhere, right now, a dealer has set aside those books just for me. And once I buy them, that dealer will be off in pursuit of his or her own pink elephant.

Once that dealer and I each find our pink elephants, we’ll be off hunting for other elusive objects — new (to us) pink elephants. And as we hunt, we’ll spot the pink elephants of others… Each pink elephant holding another pink elephant’s tail in its trunk.

May the circle be unbroken.

In case you missed the photo links:

* Al Falfa in Pink Elephants, 1937 film at ASIFA

* Pink elephants & other strange frosting concoctions

Auctions: General – Estate – Farm . This arena for collecting requires a good deal of time, but can produce real bargains if you have abundant discipline.

Most auctions are advertised in local newspapers, local “Shoppers” papers, or antiques publications. One widely read in the Upper Mid-West is the “Auction Action Antique News”, another is the “Antique Trader” in both printed form and on the net. Also try “Antique Week”, and search at local antique stores for publishers in your area that provide free trial copies or charge a nominal fee.

The listings often have an overview of the main items that can help you determine if your type of collectible will be available. When the list is available before hand, one can determine the importance of attending and the opportunity to do your homework on the values.

If you have not attended an auction, may I suggest some principals to follow.

A preview time is normally listed along with the start time. Go as early as possible to the preview, (often the venue is open one to two hours before the listed preview time).

Carry a pen and pad, magnifying glass, magnet (if you’re after metal items) and bring along a seat cushion, (folding chair and proper clothes if outdoors), packing boxes and old newspaper for wrapping material. Many of the auctions we attend last all day, food is generally available but a cooler with snacks and drinks is always a good idea.

Most auctioneers do not allow returns even if you think the item was misrepresented; that’s what the preview time is for, so don’t bid if you have not studied the item first.

You will need an assigned number to bid, and there is a small charge for the number. Before you pay, ask if your credit card or check is acceptable. Some auction houses have strict rules on checks. (Some have a liberal policy and even accept wifey’s checks, the one with a rubber plantation as the background picture.)

Many auction services charge a buyers premium, a percentage that’s added to your bid price. Be sure you know the percentage before you start to bid. And keep track of the items you win as a caution not to over-spend your budget and as assurance the auction service did not make an error in tabulation.

Wifey and I separate upon arrival, each with the required equipment. Since she has many collections and sells both on the Internet and through an antique mall, our buying goes beyond just what we want to keep.

I start listing items of general interest, often box lots where the auctioneer has lumped together some like items that may only yield one gem among several also-ran’s. I list the lot or box number or main item of interest and note any flaws and give a “drop out” price. I move to the single items looking for reasons not to buy based on condition. If an item is in perfect condition and interesting, it’s also noted in case wifey didn’t see it.

Wifey looks for things most “sellable”, writing down the item and condition, then moves to the pieces of secondary interest and last to additions for our collections. Again listing the item on paper and mentally assigning a value, (My sense of value is flawed compared to hers).

Just before the gavel drops for the first time we meet at our seats and review the lists to confirm what should be bid on. Perseverance, patience and discipline now kicks in, as your items may not come up for many hours.

The auctioneer will explain the rules that govern the day’s events. Some allow their helpers to bid, some accept proxy bids. (Bids placed on an item when the buyer does not stay). There are rules also on multiple items, and this is important:

1. A Lot = all the items for one price.
2. Choice = Your bid only buys one of the items in the lot, take two or more and your bid is multiplied.
3. Times The Money = Your bid is for only one item but you just bought the lot at your bid times the number of items. If six plates are offered at “Times the Money” your one dollar bid just cost you six, and you own six plates.

After many auctions a sense of familiarity with the auctioneer’s style sets in.

The super fast talker, often leaving out important details of the item for sale.

The slow plotter, thinks of himself as part stand-up comic, with inside jokes to his staff and buddies. He’ll drive you crazy waiting for the next item to come up.

The Informer, slower than the fast talker, informative, with a good business sense, but still plays to the audience.

When at an auction, one tries to judge the crowd. There is always:

The Type A bidder wants to establish his or her presence early, bidding with complete disregard for an item’s worth, hoping to stop other bidding on things they want by inferring they will out-bid anyone. (It is fun to see two of these Type A’s at the same sale.)

The true collector, willing to pay extra if the item fills a hole in a collection. It’s always one of your collections too.

The casual bidder, looking for a super buy, if no one bids on an item, they start.

The local, buys an item for its usefulness, easy to spot, they bid on the Tupperware, chain saw, frying pan and box of never sent holiday greeting cards. These types exist mostly at estate or farm auctions.

The dreaded dealers, you know the type, sitting around till the end when leftovers sell cheap, bidding on box lots. Hoping their rivals need to leave because they have grandkids with a birthday party that day.

The meeky, bids early and drops out after one bid.

The hop-iner, waits till all bidding has stopped then chimes in with one bid hoping to have exhausted the top bidder.

Show Discipline.

1. Be aware, the transactions can move faster than your hand can come down so you over bid your drop-out price.
2. You did not check the item during preview time and now realize it’s damaged or the encrypted description from the auctioneer meant the item was a reproduction.
3. You and two other people decide you can’t live without “This Blue left shoe”.

These occurrences can leave you feeling like a gambler on a losing streak. Attend a “practice auction” before you are ready to jump into the fray. And have an exciting time doing some people watching.

If your selection has not been offered and it’s late into the sale, most helpers will take requests and bring up a prized piece. One service we have attended adds a small charge for this added service.

Once you’re comfortable with the procedure, an auction is time well spent. Many of our prized possessions were obtained this way.

And good luck adding to your collection at a bargain price.

“Gotta Collect? Then You Gotta Connect – Join our Collectors’
Community”

I continue to ask mom & dad, the generalist antique dealers extraordinaire of No Egrets Antiques, a few questions…

What advice do you have for dealers and collectors?

Dad, aka The Dean, has much to say. “You have to go to the antique stores and malls. You must. It’s your education. What do others say its value is? How many times do you see this thing — is it ‘everywhere’? Rarity affects price. Are the same things there visit after visit? Because then the price is likely too high.”

Mom interjects, “He’s always telling me that. I’ll be all excited over something — maybe we have one like it & I am excited by the price on it, and he will say, ‘Yeah, well it’s still here, isn’t it?’” We all laugh and then mom continues. “But you have to go and see. Guides and price lists aren’t as informative as visiting the stores are, and you can still get deals.”

“Our friends are always amazed that we can make a profit off of things we buy at antique stores,” she says. “But we do. Just because it’s in a store doesn’t mean it’s priced ‘right’. We’re generalists, and most dealers are as well. Generalists don’t know everything about everything, but rather have a general knowledge about many things. Sometimes we can find a deal because we knew more than the last guy. Sometimes it’s obvious the dealer specializes in glass and doesn’t know her books very well. If you go to the stores and malls you really can learn as well as get deals.”

When it comes to selling, dad says you have to treat it like any other retail business. “Remember to buy at ‘wholesale’ prices, no matter how much you like it.” It’s the same for antique stores, estate sales and actions. “This isn’t personal; so divorce yourself from what you like and think profit. The same is true for the mistakes you make. Don’t insist on a high price just because your pride’s involved. If the market won’t pay it, the market won’t pay it. It’s all about turning your inventory,” he says.

Mom adds, “If I buy something for $5 and it sells for $35, that’s profit. Even if it sells too quickly. One time, we had a wraught-iron bedframe. The first guy to the booth bought it before we were done setting up for $50. A few hours later, one of our friends who was at the flea market with us came running back to tell us how the guy had ‘ripped us off’ because ‘our’ bedframe was in his booth at $110. I just smiled and said ‘We made our money. Bully for him if he makes his.’ Our friend didn’t understand why we were so nonchalant about it. To him, we had lost money; but to us, we made money — and we didn’t have to lug it back home. (It was still there at the end of the day… no doubt the guy sold it at the price he wanted for it later, but he had to wait.) We were on to the next thing, the next sale.”

Lots of folks ‘blame’ ebay saying it ruined the antiques and collectibles market… Do you agree? Do you think the Internet has had any affect on the market?

“Every year is affecting it,” says dad. “Sure, it may have evened out prices, but that’s because with the whole world ‘in’ we now get a picture of how rare that thing really is. If the Internet has exposed just how rare an item is, it has also thrown a wider net (if you’ll pardon the pun) — which works for buyers and sellers alike. Overall it’s been a good thing, helping us reach a larger audience.”

“It’s what took me from part-time to full-time,” says mom.

What do you love about the business most?

For mom, one of her favorite things is to see items go back home. “The hunt for treasures is fun and keeps the juices flowing and the money is certainly nice. But the biggest kick is finding out that we have sent an item back home, where it belongs! For example, we just sold a calendar to a gent who had worked at the dairy it featured. It was his uncle’s farm and he worked there in 1965! We also listed a vintage print block from a Minnesota Beauty Pageant. The lady that won was excited because her niece had won this very contest in 2005! We’ve connected folks with their name-sakes on numerous occasions: a Johnston Cookie tin to a Ms. Johnston; Blatz beer items to Sam Blatz; a mirror from Ruby Farms to one of the descendants of this prestigious Wisconsin landmark; playing cards from a Snirkles Candy Bar to a granddaughter of the ‘inventor’; photos of a Milwaukee tavern to a lady who recalls her grandfather stopping there; old photographic equipment to a ‘camera museum’; post cards from Louisiana to a resident with fond memories of this park that was destroyed in Katrina; another post card from Florida featuring the hotel the winners spent their honeymoon at in 1949! Stories like this keep us searching for more of the magic connections.”

But both agree, it’s the thrill of the hunt and the joy of discovery, which keeps them interested. Who can know what is all ‘out there’ yet to be discovered? And everything has a story, a history, and if your lucky, you can add to that item’s personal history. But if collecting is addicting, being a seller is even more so.

“It’s a bit like gambling,” says mom. “You can be very lucky and get the right piece at a great price and find the right seller; or you can bet on the wrong ceramic horse. If you don’t want to build a barn for all those horses, you’d better better be able to turn them as inventory fast!”

Do you think the old story that collectors who get ‘too much stuff’ are the ones who become dealers?

Both mom & dad nod their heads. “Sure. Most of them anyway. The thrill of the hunt only increases,” says mom. As an example, she tells the story of another dealer she knows. He got lucky at one auction they were at, and bought a painting for $25. He turned around and sold the painting at an auction in New York for 1.2 million dollars!

But there he was just a few weeks later at the flea market, trying to to negotiate a lower price from mom and dad. My mom laughingly said to him, “Hey, you just made all that money and you’re trying to save 50 cents here?” His reply? “Hey, the thrill’s still there. That hasn’t changed.”

Isn’t that the truth. I bet mom and dad will do the same.

Go here for more on Val and Dean.

Every half-obsessed collector can tell you their favorite estate sale: there’s always one. Estate sales aren’t the casual experience of a garage sale. An estate sale is a feeding frenzy, with the die-hard collectors fighting with antique dealers for the best items, often being allowed in only by lottery or in small groups. An estate sale isn’t something you drive by and stop in (unless it’s the second or third day) – it approaches the compexity of an auction in many ways. An estate sale is an ‘everything must go’ event, even beating that permanently-closing furniture store in your town. Rummage (or ‘garage’ or ‘yard’, depending on your location) sales are generally run by the owner of the property, with the intent of cleaning out the basement or earning a couple dollars. The scope and scale of an estate sale generally requires the skills of an expert, an estate liquidation company who knows the business.

This week I had the pleasure of helping No Egrets Antiques, a Milwaukee antique dealership (and, in the interest of disclosure, are my inlaws), set up an estate sale. I was not privy to the details of the property’s liquidation, but I and my wife were brought in on the first day, for both our antique knowledge and our muscles, to help set things up.

The sale itself is next Monday. At first, I thought that we were starting far too early in preparations. Once inside, however, it became clear that setting up an estate sale is a far more complex endeavor. When preparing an estate sale, it is likely that the home was left as-is, with food in the refrigerator and water in the dog’s bowl. It’s not like there’s a stack of boxes in the garage, ready to be laid out on tables: every nook and cranny of the home has to be searched for sellable items, and the rest has to be thrown away.

First of all are the people disposing of the property. On the first day we were let in by the son of the owner of the home and his wife, who were still claiming the property that they did not want sold at the sale. At first, this seemed like a nice gesture for us to work around them, but it began to pose a problem when a few specific items ‘disappeared.’ In managing an estate sale, we did not buy the property to resell; the property still belongs to the owner of the estate until the item is sold — so the owner still has the right to take anything they like. However, the rate for managing the sale was based on the value of the items expected to be sold at the sale. While the owners in this case were quite understanding and a solution was worked out, a written agreement setting the final date that items will be removed, or a detailed list of ‘owner-claimed’ items, would be wise in the future to avoid losing money on the sale, or confusion about what was and was not supposed to be sold.

Even after the owners are satisfied that they’ve gotten everything they want, sometimes there’s still questions. I’ve known of other estate-sale companies who, once the owners say, ‘that’s all’, toss anything personal in the trash. While the owners may think they’ve gotten all the photo albums and family movies out of the house, once every drawer is dumped out there is always more to be found. Rather than throw out things that might have sentimental value to the owners, we opted to designate a few boxes ‘personal effects,’ and put them aside for the owners to verify that they are unwanted.

The first day consisted of separating the sell-able from the junk. Garbage bag after garbage bag was filled with scraps, damaged items, old food and horrid polyester clothes — but antique tools, art prints, sewing materials, and nice furniture were kept. Nothing was priced, and the four of us worked all day, around 9 hours, simply sorting, opening drawers, digging through closets, and emptying boxes. We left feeling like we hadn’t made a dent.

Coming in Part 2: not enough tables, the junk man cometh, and the pricing of the items.