How To Be An Antique Picker
(Page 7 of 9)
July/August 1971
By the Mother Earth News editors
A usual side benefit of farm auctions is the food that's generally provided by the local Ladies' Church Society. The pies are fantastic and there's nothing quite like the feeling of sitting there in the shade eating a big piece of home made cherry pie, listening to that old auctioneer and thinking about all the antique picking you're going to do.
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Once you've gone out and bought a few things, your next step is to sell them to one or more of your shops. If time is no problem, you might even consider refinishing a few of the items. It's not hard to learn (MOTHER NO. 6, LIVING THE GOOD LIFE), and a good refinishing job can greatly increase the value and salability of an antique. Many shopkeepers haven't the time nor the desire to do their own repair and refinishing. And many of those who do restoration work don't do it very well. And thereby hangs a brief digression:
If you really want to get into the antiques thing, it would well warrant the time spent learning to do really fine, old-timey craftsman-type repair and refinishing. I'm not saying that it's necessary for you to refinish everything in order to be able to sell it. In fact, knowing when not to refinish can be one of the most important things of all. But if a few hours work can mean that you get fifty dollars for that chest instead of five, it's at least worth your consideration. If you decide to do it though, do it well. I've seen an unpleasant number of first-rate antiques messed up with third-rate work.
If you don't refinish, at least clean your antiques well before setting out to peddle them. Just taking off the years of dirt can make quite a difference in the appearance and, consequently, in the salability of antiques.
The last step on your road to untold riches is to sell at a profit those things which you buy. If you've learned your shops well, you should have no trouble.
Never try to rush a sale. Chat with the shopkeeper a bit, then tell him that you picked up a few things the other day that might interest him. The sale will usually take care of itself from there on . . . if you've learned your shops well.
Frequently the dealer will tell you that your price is high, that the merchandise isn't worth much, that such and such isn't a very good piece or isn't in good shape. Don't be put off by this sort of thing. A little haggling is in order, and by turning it into a game of wits (like auctions), it can become an enjoyable part of the procedure.
What do you do if you can't sell something? Take it home and use it. You can try to sell it again in a few weeks or months. The market changes often, and sooner or later there'll be a buyer for whatever you have. In the meantime, enjoy it. This is one of the fringe benefits of being a picker. You can furnish your place with antiques and by selling whatever there is a current market for, your decor never becomes monotonous. How many other people can afford to redecorate with fine antiques every few months?
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