News & Events
Mid-America
News
Show
Calendar
State Event Calendars
Regular Features
The
Antique Detective
Antique
Detective Q&A
Common Sense Antiques
Refurnished
Thoughts
Traveling with Ken
Good Eye
Books
for Collectors
Directories
& Classifieds
The
Finder: Unique Shops
Lodgings Directory
Museum Directory
Aviation Museums
Wineries in the Heartland
Classifieds
Web
Links
Archived Features
Antiquing
in Colorado
Dealer Profile Archive
Editor's
Notebook
Heirloom
Recipes
Helpful Hints
for Collectors
Is This An Antique?
Past
Cover Features
Reflecting
History
Discover Mid-America — January 2009
I’m sure you’re paying attention
 |
by Bruce Rodgers
If you’re thinking like me, the end of 2008 can’t come too soon. It’s seems this whole year was made up of just two parts — the presidential election and the Wall Street economic meltdown. I can’t seem to recall if the country experienced anything other that those two “happenings” — neither of which seemed to do the antiques and collectibles trade much good except distract people away from shopping.
The coming new year has got me, and I’m sure a lot of you, reflecting on what’s going to happen. My feeling is that things in the antiques trade will rebound somewhat but continue to go through a slow evolution beyond what most view it now.
From my vantage point, there’s a splintering of rationales going on. First, the old dealer-to-dealer network, while still in place, is long in the tooth, particularly on the middle-level antique trade. Publications geared toward that segment are — and I’m being biased here — boring. The same can be said for many antique and collectible price guides. With some, the historical research is shoddy and the lack of personalities, particularly the creative people, are brushed over in place of writing/talking about the value and availability of an item.
Second, many shows dependent upon dealers and serious collectors are suffering in attendance. Part of that is because fewer people are entering into the dealer-only, serious collector segment.
The antique trade’s growth has to come from consumers, in any age bracket. It’s the retail end, not the dealer end, which will grow and sustain the antique trade, particularly at the mid-level. I think increasingly shop owners and mall managers know this. But — and I know what you’re thinking — a good antique retail experience depends upon good antique dealer offerings.
I can’t deny that but I do know that the days of just owning an antique shop as a supplemental revenue source to add to one’s retirement income are fading.
Antiques are a viable retail segment — very much unorganized and without any unified, collective approach in how to do business with the public. As Peggy Whiteneck points out in another of her excellent “Good Eye” columns this month.
“It would really be a service if one or more trade associations, either existing or yet to be formed, could step up to provide leadership in helping antique dealers plan for the sustainability of their business. There’s a bigger role for these professional associations than printing antique shop guides and running antique shows.”
I couldn’t agree more. As a whole, those of us who love antiques and are in the business of antiques are mainly just stumbling around hoping things will get better. To me, this type of know-nothing thinking, combined with a big lack of education on the part of consumers who may be attracted to antiques because of the economy, hurts any realistic assessment of what’s going to happen in 2009 and beyond.
For 2009, here’s hoping the antique trade starts to mature as a business category and drops the romantic pretense that’s its way outside the realm of other retail businesses.
Bruce Rodgers can be contacted at publisher@discoverypub.com.
> Refurnished Thoughts Archive — past columns
©2000-08 Discovery Publications, Inc.