Antique Dealer - Career Advice - Retail and Hospitality

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Antique Appraiser / Valuer
Antique Shop Manager
Andrew Whitehead - CAMEO

Antique dealers buy and sell old or antique objects and collectors' items such as furniture, art, jewellery and china. An antique dealer is a person who sells and buys items that are over 100 years old. They may also clean, restore and value antiques. Antique dealers are passionate about historical items, and like the idea of buying and selling. Decline

ANZSCO ID: 142112

Alternative names: Antiquarian, Antiquities Dealer, Antique Collector, Antique Trader

Specialisations: You could work with a wide range of objects or specialise in a particular area, such as jewellery, glass, furniture, silver, paintings or china.

You may choose to focus on buying and selling a particular type of object, such as:

furniture or sculpture
ceramics and glass
paintings, prints and drawings
objects made from silver, gold or other precious metals
toys and games
clocks, watches or scientific instruments
antiques from one country or region

Runners: those people who purchase antiques on behalf of their dealers are known as runners. The name was given to them because that is precisely what they do; they are constantly on the run looking out for great pieces. The dealer gives the runner a fixed price and it is his job to get that particular item within his budget.

Traders: traders do not have their own shops but prefer to trade at antiques fairs and markets that are open year round. In addition, some traders sell their items at flea markets. However, when you are dealing with these traders, ensure that you make a paper trail on the item to protect your customers as well as yourself.

Watch and old books
(Source: My Job Search)

Knowledge, skills and attributes

To become an antique dealer, you would need:

a passionate interest in the items you deal in
to combine an interest in history and design with business skills
an eye for a bargain
willingness to research, study and learn from others
knowledge of antiques – either generally or in a specialised area
good negotiating skills
good judgement and the ability to make quick decisions
business sense and a good sales technique
to be able to get on well with people
excellent communication skills
to be willing to travel around and a full driving licence

Antique Dealer
(Source: Careers Wales)

Duties & Tasks

As an antique dealer, your work could include:

buying items from salesrooms, auctions, markets, trade fairs and private owners
determining product mix, stock levels and service standards
selling items to the general public from shops or from stalls in antique centres and advises them on product use
formulating and implementing purchasing and marketing policies, and setting prices
negotiating purchases and sales
buying and selling items online
promoting and advertising the establishment's goods and services
carrying out minor restoration work
researching the identity and value of objects
advising owners on the value of their antiques for insurance or sales purposes
maintaining records of stock levels and financial transactions
undertaking budgeting for the establishment
controlling selection, training and supervision of staff
ensuring compliance with occupational health and safety regulations.

Cataloging items
(Source: Your Career)

Working conditions

Antique dealers might work for a private company or own their own business. You would not normally have set working times, and you may have to work long and / or unsocial hours, including weekends and evenings.

You would normally work in an office or in a store, or they may sell items online. Usually they do a lot of travelling, visiting clients and going to auctions and antique fairs. This could involve spending nights away from home.

You could also work from home, buying and selling to suit customer orders. They can offer services like antique appraisals and procurement.

Working with high-end estate sales and auctions, antique dealers should dress professionally and wear formal attire like a suit with a jacket and slacks.

Comfortable clothes and shoes are recommended because an antique dealer is bending to inspect pieces and walking a lot when shopping for antiques.

Tools and technologies

Antique Dealer
(Source: Fish Bowl Inventory)

Inventory management software is essential when keeping track of items. Gone are the days of writing it all down on paper!

You can use the following features found in inventory management software to keep a close eye on your antiques:

Tracking criteria
Multiple locations
Barcode scanning
Consignment
Point of sale

Education and training/entrance requirements

You do not need any particular qualifications to be an antique dealer. A good knowledge of antiques, sales skills, the ability to spot saleable items, and funds for starting up are more important than formal qualifications.

You could start in this career in one of the following ways; working in an antiques shop, working in an entry level role in a salesroom or an auction house and gaining experience over a number of years, collecting and researching antiques as a hobby.

Another option might be to study for a degree or diploma in a related area such as fine arts or art history to develop your knowledge, although this is not essential.

Employment Opportunities

You could work in an antiques shop as an assistant to learn on the job. You could also start in a salesroom or auction house as a porter, clerk, cataloguer, valuer or auctioneer.

Antique dealing is a specialised occupation, and many people in this profession are self-employed.

The prospects for employment in this profession will always be directly related to the economic conditions for discretionary purchases such as antiques, as well as the current 'fashion' of the day for antiques and other collectibles.

Did You Know?

What is the Difference Between Antique, Vintage, and Retro?

If you want to learn about antiques, it is important to understand exactly what the term means. Just because something is old, does not make it an antique.

To be considered an antique, an item must be over 100 years old. The word “vintage” comes from the wine industry and not only implies the age of an item, but the quality as well. Cheap, poorly made items are rarely considered “vintage”. Vintage items imply the best of that particular time period. If you see clothing that is “vintage 1950’s” it means that the style was some of the best or most popular that the 50’s produced. Usually items that are older than 20 years, but younger than 100 are referred to as vintage.

If an item is between 20 to 40 years old it may also be considered “retro” which simply means a style, fashion, or design from the recent past.

Learn About Antiques Through Famous Artisans

To truly learn about antiques, you must learn about the artists who created them. Throughout history certain artisans works have held their value and become highly collectable. One example is the pottery and tableware created by Josiah Wedgwood.

Wedgwood Pottery

(Source: On this day)

More than just a potter, Josiah was an inventor and was the first to create a method of mass producing high quality pottery. In his early 20’s Josiah began experimenting with a variety of pottery techniques and kept an experiment book on various clay mixes he tested. He held his production to very high quality standards and would smash any piece that did not meet his expectations. Today, antique Wedgewood pieces can sell anywhere from $200 – $20,000.

The most highly prized antiques were made by artisans of great skill and inventiveness. The list below is just a few of the people you may wish to study:

James Bowie – knives
Antonio Stradivari – violins and stringed instruments
Andre Charles Boulle – furniture maker
George Adams – silversmith
Antoni Patek – watch maker
Horace Smith and Daniel Baird Wesson – guns smiths
(Source: Curiosity Untamed)

Read about Chippendale - Master Furniture Maker

Antique shop managers assume responsibility for activities and staff in specialised shops. FutureGrowthModerate

ANZSCO ID: 1421

Alternative names: antiques and collectibles shop manager, antiques showroom manager, antiques and collectables shop manager, antiques gallery manager, collectables shop manager, antiques shop manager, antiquities store manager, antiques store manager, antique furniture shop manager, antique furniture store manager, antiques and collectibles store manager, antiquities shop manager,

Specialisations

Exhibitors: those people who own shops that are open for a specific amount of hours are known as exhibitors. Sometimes they hold exhibitions for a short period of time. Exhibitions are generally held at large venues. These exhibitions generally display items that are rich in quality. Due to this reason, exhibitions are not held regularly because it takes time for these exhibitors to find suitable antiques.

Shop Manager Sydney
(Source: Best Antique Shops in Sydney)

Knowledge, skills and attributes

Sales activities: The supply of goods, sale of goods and the related financial aspects. The supply of goods entails the selection of goods, import and transfer. The financial aspect includes the processing of purchasing and sales invoices, payments etc. The sale of goods implies the proper presentation and positioning of the goods in the shop in terms of acessibility, promotion, light exposure.
Employment law: The law which mediates the relationship between employees and employers. It concerns employees' rights at work which are binding by the work contract.
Art history: The history of art and artists, the artistic trends throughout centuries and their contemporary evolutions.

(Source: Best Antique Shops in Sydney)

Duties and Tasks

Provide information related to antique items: Accurately describe antique merchandise, estimate its value, discuss aspects of the antique item such as ownership and history.
Ensure customer focus: Attitude that puts customers at the centre of the business in all cases.
Oversee promotional sales prices: Ensure that sale prices and promotions are passed through the register as they should.
Maintain relationship with customers: Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with customers in order to ensure satisfaction and fidelity by providing accurate and friendly advice and support, by delivering quality products and services and by supplying after-sales information and service.
Ensure compliance with purchasing and contracting regulations: Implement and monitor company activities in compliance with legal contracting and purchasing legislations.
Maintain relationship with suppliers: Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with suppliers and service providers in order to establish a positive, profitable and enduring collaboration, co-operation and contract negotiation.
Apply health and safety standards: Adhere to standards of hygiene and safety established by respective authorities.
Use different communication channels: Use various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the aim of constructing and sharing information and ideas.
Supervise merchandise displays: Work closely together with visual display staff to decide how items should be displayed, in order to maximise customer interest and product sales.
Examine cost of antiquarian goods: Assess the price and value of second-hand or antiquarian items; purchase in order to resell.
Study sales levels of products: Collect and analyse sales levels of products and services in order to use this information for determining the quantities to be produced in the following batches, customer feedback, price trends, and the efficiency of sales methods.
Measure customer feedback: Evaluate customer's comments in order to find out whether customers feel satisfied or dissatisfied with the product or service.
Maximise sales revenues: Increase possible sales volumes and avoid losses through cross-selling, upselling or promotion of additional services.
Negotiate buying conditions: Negotiate terms such as price, quantity, quality, and delivery terms with vendors and suppliers in order to ensure the most beneficial buying conditions.
Ensure correct goods labelling: Ensure that goods are labeled with all necessary labeling information (e.g. legal, technological, hazardous and others) regarding the product. Ensure that labels respects the legal requirements and adhere to regulations.
Order supplies: Command products from relevant suppliers to get convenient and profitable products to purchase.
Manage staff: Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
Obtain relevant licenses: Comply with specific legal regulations, e.g. install the necessary systems and provide the necessary documentation, in order to obtain the relevant license.
Negotiate sales contracts: Come to an agreement between commercial partners with a focus on terms and conditions, specifications, delivery time, price etc.
Manage theft prevention: Apply theft and robbery prevention; monitor security surveillance equipment; enforce security procedures if needed.
Monitor customer service: Ensure all employees are providing excellent customer service in accordance to company policy.
Estimate restoration costs of antique items: Estimate the price of the restoration process of antique products taking into consideration the time required for restoration.
Set up pricing strategies: Apply methods used for setting product value taking into consideration market conditions, competitor actions, input costs, and others.
Sell antiquarian products and other printed goods in retail outlets, through specialised catalogues or at different locations such as trade fairs.
Adhere to organisational guidelines or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.
Manage budgets: Conduct cost estimates and budget planning. Monitor the budget, as well as costs and expenses. Forecast the budget development continuously. Report on the budget.
Recruit employees: Hire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.
Research market prices for antiques: Do research to stay informed on the market prices of antique items, in order to set correct prices for antique merchandise.
Set sales goals and objectives to be reached by a sales team within a period of time such as the target amount of sales made and new customers found.
Apply procurement: Undertake ordering of services, equipment, goods or ingredients, compare costs and check the quality to ensure optimal payoff for the organisation.

Potts Point Shop
(Source: Best Antique Shops in Sydney)

Working conditions

Shop hours depend on the location. The shop could be open 7 days a week or 5 1/2 days. The shop manager will have to be available to identify the techniques used to design handmade goods. The shop manager will also need to attend auctions and know the specifications of auctions and different auction types, e.g. open vs. closed auctions; bidding strategies such as chandelier bids, bid shading, etc.

Tools and technologies

An antique shop manager will need to maintain e-catalogues of antiquarian goods - make up inventories of antiquarian products in order to facilitate the search of customers. Cataloging databases will be essential knowledge.

Education and training/entrance requirements

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as antique shop manager.

An art appraiser verifies the authenticity of a piece by either inspecting it or having an art expert perform an assessment. You may also research the market to find sale or auction prices for similar works. In this career, you often work with a dealer, but jobs may also available at galleries, museums, insurance companies, tax agencies, or with individual art owners and investors. Future Growth Strong

Art appraisers examine paintings, sculptures and antiques to determine their market value by identifying the creators and the quality of the art objects. They examine the artwork's colour values, brushstrokes, lines, engravings, etc. in order to identify the artist and date of creation.

Art valuers give advice on how much a piece of art, collectible object or a collection of art or objects is worth. A valuer might value paintings, sculptures, china, jewellery, books or furniture, for buying, selling or insurance purposes.

ANZSCO ID: 224512

Alternative names: Art Valuer,

Specialisations: Art valuers often specialise in a particular period of history or a particular type of artwork, and their reputation is based on many years of experience.

Knowledge, skills and attributes

To become an art valuer, you would need:

strong interest in and knowledge of arts and antiques
in-depth knowledge in a particular specialisation
excellent communication skills
close attention to detail
persuasive writing skills
up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation.

Fake or Fortune?

Is This £1 Thrift Shop Painting By 20th Century Italian Master? | Fake Or Fortune | Perspective
https://youtu.be/Q402QNZ8wVU

Duties and Tasks

As an art valuer, you might:

check the origin of an object or collection
carry out research, using reference books and the internet
assess the age, quality and condition of an object or collection
check whether objects have been restored or changed in any way
keep up to date with current prices and demand
prepare written valuations and reports.

Working conditions

Art valuers often need to work irregular hours based around their clients, including evenings and weekends. They attend art auctions and workshops to stay aware of what art objects are for sale and their prices, and advise clients who wish to buy such objects.

Art appraisers may specialize in particular categories of art or in specific types of artistic articles they appraise.

You would generally be based in a dealership or auction house, but would be required to travel to clients' homes or businesses to carry out valuations. You may travel locally, nationally or overseas, depending on your clients.

Did You Know?

There is an Encyclopedia of Silver Hallmarks!

Tools and technologies

Art appraisers analyze paintings, sculptures, antiques & tapestries for private owners, museums and auctions to estimate their value and price if they were to be sold.
They examine the work for colour values, style of brushstroke, esthetic correctness, and other characteristics, to establish the art period and/or identify the artist. Art appraisers judge authenticity and value, based on their knowledge of art history, materials employed, techniques of individual artists, and current market. They may illuminate the work with quartz light to determine whether discoloration is present and x-ray paintings and perform chemical tests on paint samples to detect forgery or to authenticate the work.

They provide owners with certification of the authenticity of the art works that are used for insuring the objects and provide documentation when objects are sold.

Look at the following video from the BBC show "Fake or Fortune" and note down the technologies involved to prove or disprove the authencity of the painting.

FAKE OR FORTUNE VUILLARD
https://youtu.be/GkZnI0o3FNo

Education and training/entrance requirements

Valuers specialising in art, collectibles or antiques usually complete a degree in a relevant subject, such as art history, fine arts and restoration, or fine arts conservation, and undertake additional professional training in valuation. To get into these courses you usually need to gain your senior secondary school certificate or equivalent.

Entry roles in this profession can be very competitive so people often work and study part-time while learning on the job.

Art valuers may apply to become members of The Auctioneers and Valuers Association of Australia. The association offers industry qualifications in the valuation of goods, collectibles, fine arts or antiques.

Andrew Whitehead - Appraiser: CAMEO

This article is taken directly from Riotact

"Local Leaders Art & Antique Appraiser"

Andrew Whitehead

Not all of us are lucky enough to find a career that we’re passionate about and can make a living from. But for Andrew Whitehead, an obsession with antiques has led him from a weekend job as an antique dealer, to being one of Australia’s most respected art and antique appraisers.

Having had a soft spot for collecting at a young age, Andrew would proudly amass shells and preserved creatures which he displayed in his own private natural history museum (located in his family’s garden shed).

A boarder at Canberra Grammar in the 1980s, Andrew diligently completed a Degree in Applied Science, though his heart wasn’t in it. He much preferred his weekends – driving from town to town searching for antique pushbikes and parts which he then spent countless hours restoring.

“I was always a tinkerer,” says Andrew. “I loved to fix things, pull them apart, and see how they worked. Being a keen cycler, I was fascinated with bikes and the idea of restoring them. It was like giving them a new lease on life, without forgetting the fine quality of how they were made.

“In the ‘good old days’, items like bikes were a major purchase for most people. They bought one to last a lifetime, and they cost a fortune compared to the average wage. I think nowadays we have a more disposable take on purchasing. But back then, you usually only bought one, and that one was expected to last.”

Old Bike
(Source: Gumtree)

Andrew’s first job was at the old Canberra Brickworks, which had an antique centre open on weekends. After completing his degree, Andrew continued to work there, eventually opening his own shop.

“Back then I spent my weekdays travelling to source stock in country areas or at the Sydney auctions. Then I would repair or restore them all ready for Saturday morning. It was 1991 and antiques were really popular. The Brickworks store led to a larger store in Fyshwick, which I ended up running until the year 2000.”

From dealer to appraiser

Obsessed with learning as much as he could about the origins of antiques and how to value them, Andrew subscribed to all the trade magazines and travelled as often as he could.

He formed friendships with experienced antique dealers in Sydney, who shared their extensive knowledge and helped him fast-track his career as an appraiser.

“Some of the people I was lucky enough to meet had been in the industry for generations – going back to the antique trade in 1800s London. I received some great mentoring, which gave me a huge head start as an appraiser.”

Andrew decided to get his certification, and was soon asked to join Lawsons auction house in Sydney as head appraiser.

“At that point I began moving beyond basic furniture to more artistic antiques, such as Asian and Islamic arts. This is a different level of appraising because you’re considering something more than its intrinsic value and taking into account its cultural value.

“I started getting invited to appraise collections all around the country. In some cases, this meant seeing things through from a valuation to a sale that fetched into the millions of dollars.”

The Canberra antique trade

Andrew is now a highly sought after appraiser based in Canberra. He is also the head appraiser for local online auction house ALLBIDS.

“The auction trade has always been a well-established part of buying and selling antiques in Sydney, but has taken longer to grab a foothold here in Canberra. Only in the past decade have people realised its potential.”

Andrew says those interested in getting a valuation generally need it for one of two reasons – insurance or to sell. And for those looking to sell, there really isn’t a better way than via auction.

“What something is worth depends on what someone else is willing to pay for it. In the case of auction, the auction house has a strong network and marketing budget which allows them to attract quality bidders.

“When it’s online it is even more valuable, because that’s how most people search for antiques these days. It’s all about being able to describe an item correctly so that the right audience can find it.”

For those looking to sell a piece of art or an antique, ALLBIDS will arrange for Andrew to do a free appraisal, before photographing, listing and marketing it to a local and international audience.

“Auction is accessible,” says Andrew. “Whether you’re keen to buy or sell, it’s the easiest way to go about it without needing to set up your own store!”

Of the local market moving forward, Andrew says antiques and collectables have become a symbol of affluence, with cultural pieces (such as Asian antiques) in high demand.

“Collecting can be a great investment, and some pieces have a lot of sentimental value when they date back centuries within a particular culture. This is always going to be a particularly exciting and valuable area in the antique trade.”