Some
general tips to follow are:
- Never store your valuables near a heat source
- Clean with care
- Keep original packaging to maintain value
- Dust regularly
- Take photographs and keep them in a separate
location for insurance purposes
Some
specific collectible guidelines
Preserve
your book collection by dusting regularly at the very least two or three times
a year. Hand-held vacuum cleaners are perfect for dust-busting.
One
of the biggest enemies of collectable books is heat. Never leave books near a
radiator as overheating dries out books; the leather and cloth bindings crack
and the book will literally fall apart.
Books/paper
will fade if left in direct sunlight, so keep them in the shade.
Basements
are often the best place to store rare books as they are usually dark and
chilly but beware of any damp as it leads to foxing - a chemical reaction that
can stain paper or result in mould.
Spines
are often the weakest parts of a book so try to avoid pulling old books from
the shelf by their spine.
An
overcrowded bookshelf is one to avoid; you should be able to pull them out
easily.
Clear
acetate covers are an inexpensive way to protect book jackets.
To
prevent brittleness in leather books, apply a tiny amount of leather protector
with a soft cloth, and then add a little leather dressing - this should liven
it up.
Store
paper collectibles like comic books, autographs, souvenir programmes and
postcards in clear plastic bags or polypropylene sleeves.
Wash
your hands before handling paper collectibles.
Never
fold old paper as this makes it even more fragile.
Avoid
using cellophane tape, other sticky tapes, rubber cements, glue, or post-its on
your paper collectibles as they can discolour the paper and attract insects.
Newspaper
collectibles should always be stored separately as the news print and paper
contains acid in the ink.
When
using plate hangers make sure they're not too tight as this will scratch the
plates. If the clips aren't covered in soft material then insert a piece of
cardboard or tissue paper in between the plate and hanger.
Metal
or wooden plate racks are a good alternative to plate hanger but make sure it's
securely attached to the wall.
A
well defined groove in your display shelf will keep your plates in place.
Certificates
of Authenticity and the original box add to the resale value, so try to hang on
to them.
Never
wash your collector plates in the dishwasher. Instead clean with tepid water
and a squirt or two of liquid detergent.
Try
using a small, soft bristle brush on delicate areas or a handheld hairdryer on
a low setting when cleaning porcelain or pottery.
Wipe
ceramic items with soapy water using a soft, damp cloth, and then allow them to
dry naturally.
Store
your jewellery along with its inserts in its original packaging to increase
re-sale value.
Jazz up your jewellery by soaking your silver and
gold in a glass of vodka for a few hours.
Never wash rhinestones with water, as this
tarnishes the foil background and discolors the stone. Instead, use a cotton
bud or soft bristle brush and glass cleaner to dab away dirt. Rub dry with a
soft cloth.
Pop small, loose jewellery items in jewellery
boxes.
There is nothing worse than trying to untangle thin
chains. Dust a bit of talcum powder over it and tease those tangles out.
Avoid winding-up watches too much as this can
damage delicate Ward off warping and splitting by keeping wooden furniture away
from extreme temperature as this damages the wood.
If there's a white ring on a tabletop the finish is
damaged, but if it's a black ring, then the wood itself is damaged. It is
easier to remove a damaged finish than a wood stain
To get the highest price for your doll save
packaging, tags, and inserts as these add to the resale value.
Some dolls come in packaging with acetate windows.
Displaying the dolls in their original packaging is a good alternative as it
helps to protect them.
Check your dolls regularly to make sure they are
insect-free. Creepy crawlies can easily find their way into the dolls stuffing
and clothing.
Don't wash, set, comb, or change the original hair
on a doll.
Don't wash your dolls clothes as they may not be colour-fast.
Try to avoid storing dolls in a damp environment as
this can result in mildew and mould.
Never wash your figurines in the dishwasher; just
give them a quick clean with tepid water mixed with a dash of detergent.
To dust small, delicate figurines try using a
handheld hair dryer set on low to blow away the dirt.
Do not over wind the musical mechanism. If this
breaks it can lower the resale value of your figurine.
Postage stamps are best stored in glassine
envelopes as they are transparent, have strong seams and keep out moisture.
Archive playing pieces and instructions as they
will add to the resale value.
Keep games away from sunlight as it will fade the
boxes.
Store games and jigsaw puzzles flat so that pieces
don't fall out during storage. If the game has been opened, put the pieces into
polypropylene bags to keep them safely together.
Since games are generally popular and inexpensive,
you may as well buy more than one if you plan on playing with it. Mint
condition games sell well.
Do not give old metal toys a lick of paint as this
could decrease their value.
Remove batteries from stored toys, as the batteries
may leak and ruin them.
A-Z of Antiques and
Auctions
Dealers & Dealing
So you want to become an
Antique dealer? Well, what is actually involved in becoming a dealer? There are
many aspects to being an antiques dealer, from the part-timer who has the
occasional monthly stall at an antiques fair or dabbles on eBay to the general
dealer - who has a shop open 9-5 and sells his goods occasionally at large
antique fairs, then there's the up-market specialist dealers who have grand
showrooms and exhibit and sell at all the best fairs. All dealers, however, have
one thing in common - PROFIT!
So let's start with the
first rung of the ladder which is the part time dealer. How do you go about
starting up your own antiques business? For a start you would need to draw up a
business plan and work out a profitability factor. Most dealers work on a 100%
mark up, e.g. you buy something for £50 so on your stall or in your shop you
would price it at £100. Sometimes you would price higher to allow for people to
haggle the price down which is normal in the antique business. Most ticket
prices can be negotiated by 10% - sometimes more!
To start off at the low
end of the antiques market lets say by, having a table at antiques fair; you
would need to have a considerable amount of stock. To make any serious money I
would suggest £3,000-4,000 would be your initial outlay. You also so need to be
good at book keeping, as you will need to keep a stock book, containing the
detail of where you brought the item and how much you brought and sold it for.
Remember it is a business so you will have to pay tax on any profit you make.
So you have the money and
are ready to go out spending but what do you buy? And where do you buy it from?
An auction house definitely offers all of these answers but as I will keep
repeating throughout this book you must research and have a good idea of what
you are going to buy, so study the catalogue and ask lots of questions. You
must think of what will attract people to your stall. If there is one golden
rule for this it has to be…
Display well to sell well
If your stand looks
attractive and is neatly displayed it will guarantee interest from the buyers
at the fair. If you are specialising in one field then the specialists will
come straight to you. This is when you need to have your pricing right, and you
can only price right if you buy right. Do not be tempted to buy something for
£80 with 15% buyer's premium when the highest price you could achieve for the
item is £120 on your stall. I think also that on any antiques stall you should
have something which stands out so as to attract the all important buyers,
whether it's a large object, brightly colored or of a unique shape.
If your stand looks
attractive and is neatly displayed it will guarantee interest from the buyers
at the fair. If you are specialising in one field then the specialists will
come straight to you. This is when you need to have your pricing right, and you
can only price right if you buy right. Do not be tempted to buy something from
£80 with 15% buyer's premium when the highest price you could achieve for this
item is £120 on your stall. I also think that on any antiques stall you should
have something which stands out so it attracts the all important buyers,
whether it is a large object, brightly coloured or a unique shape.
So you have invested your
money, rented your table at the antiques fair and it is your first show. How
much are you going to make. On an average day you should expect to turnover 10 to
15% of your stock in hand, e.g. with your £3,000 worth of stock you should
achieve a minimum of £300 to a maximum of £500.
Lets say you've had an
average day and taken £400, you then need to deduct the initial cost of the
items you have sold, anywhere £200-220, then you need to deduct the cost of the
stall, they average out at £20-40, this would leave you a net profit of
approximately £150, not bad for a days work! Of course you also have to
consider your time and travel costs but once you have built up your confidence
there is nothing to stop you doing three or four antiques fairs a month bearing
in mind that you will have to replace any stock you have sold.
The next step up from this
would be to open an antiques shop. This will allow you more space to display
your items and also would and provide a base for the specialist collectors that
you have got to know to come and see you at any time. The overheads for this
set up would obviously be a lot more expensive and your stock outlay would have
to be increased to cover the profits you would need to make to pay all your
expenses. Once again your target should be a turnover of between 10-20% of the
stock in hand. Although profit margins can be higher if you have a retail unit
it is a very brave step to make and you seriously need to know your stuff
before venturing into your own shop. I would strongly recommend if you fancy
going into the antiques business that you do a years apprenticeship in and
around the antiques fairs and action rooms to get a feel for antiques and
prices before venturing into a shop.
General dealers
General dealer comes under
the category of someone who has possibly got a warehouse or a retail outlet for
their antiques. They do not specialise in any particular subject and buy purely
for profit. I have seen them many times in auction rooms and buy anything from
furniture, silver, china, paintings, anything that is attractive to look at or
which they can turn over quickly at a profit. These dealers need to be very
hard working and quite successful because of the amount of hours they put in. I
know some who work Seven days a week 12 hours a day. yes They do make mistakes
but don't often loose their money as once every few months they will go to a
big antiques fair with a van load of stuff which they haven't been able to sell
in their warehouse, and sell it there at a small profit, sometimes even taking
a small loss. They are definitely the people I most admire in the antiques
world because of the hard work they put in.
Let's not forget the new
brand of dealers, the eBay dealers. eBay has been a phenomenon in the collecting
world and grows daily. On eBay you can sell anything from an electric fan to a
Picasso painting! You will need quite a lot of time to list all your items,
photographing your items, packing them up and sending the items when they are
sold. It is quite a simple process with either a 7 day or a 10 day auction and
your items are listed world wide. eBay would then charge you a commission for
selling the items and a listing fee whether the items sells or not. eBay is
also a good reference site to find out the current prices and trends of what is
selling. Most eBay dealers I known tend to specialize be it Books, Beswick,
Doulton, Wade, Cigarette Cards, Postcards or Ephemera. normally Dealing in the
smaller items as it makes it easier to send the goods out to the buyers and I
do know a few people who actually make a living just selling antiques and
collectables on eBay. A site worth a visit if you are interested in antiques.
Whichever route you decide
to take in becoming a dealer I wish you luck, I guarantee you will have fun
learning along the way. And meet some interesting people and characters and
make some good friends along the way.
Things to remember when starting out
- Not
every antiques fair is going to be busy and you might not make a profit
every time.
- The
best time to take a inside stall at an antiques fair is from September
until May. People tend to visit antiques fairs more in the winter,
especially the indoor events.
- From
May to September I recommend that you do the outside fairs this would
maximise your profits throughout the year.
- When
you have a stall at an antiques fair you will gain early access to the
fair which will give you a chance to look around and perhaps find yourself
a bargain.
- Many
items change hands before the public have even arrived.
Published by New Holland
ISBN: 1845374975
Try to avoid over winding toys, or pulling the
strings of talking toys as overuse may break them
