On the hunt for an antique bargain? You can try scouring antique stores and auctions, where negotiating will often lower the price a bit — or you can get creative with where exactly you’re searching for those much-loved collectibles. Hidden gems aren’t always in the most obvious places, right?
Thrift Stores
You can find some great antiques hiding on thrift shop shelves. Prices are typically pretty reasonable since the items benefit a good cause.There’s a good chance you’ll find some high-quality antiques with a little bit of digging.
New stuff comes in all the time — so you can visit your favorite thrift shop over and over, without it getting old!
Yard / Garage Sales
The perfect place for finding bargains because you can also negotiate. If someone’s trying to get rid of their stuff — especially if it’s a moving sale — then that seller is likely pretty flexible about price (and probably already has marked stuff pretty low). Try to get there early so you don’t miss out on anything good, and check the ads themselves to see if any items stand out so you can ask about them right away (and skip the digging).
Antique Shows
One of the best ways to find out about antique shows(crafts fairs, and the like) in your area that sell mainly antiques is to check online event calendars provided by a variety of antique publications. Don’t forget to check the calendar when you travel too, to find out which markets to hit while you’re on the road.
Plus, antiques shows can be great places to learn from other dealers, do market research, and see things you won’t run across every day.
!! Mark in your calendar the Antique, Vintage & Flea Extravaganza (October 1-4. 2020, Yamhill County Fairgrounds) !!
Live Auctions
The trick is to arrive early to inspect the goods you might be interested in bidding on to make sure the pieces are authentic (nothing stings like buying a reproduction at an auction) and in good condition. Take notes of lot numbers, and determine how much you can reasonably pay for a piece and still turn a decent profit. Refrain from bidding on pieces you didn’t get to inspect if they are selling low.
Comments