Is the Antique World changing? or is it just Nashville?

Is the Antique World changing? or is it just Nashville?

The buzz among dealers in the Nashville area is all about what the next trend will be for the Antique world.  Really we’ve been asking this for the last year or so.  Many say the industrial chic is out and midcentury isn’t selling as well.  Several say words that hurt my ears…shabby chic is waning too!  So what’s the next “it” item??  Primitives?  Farmhouse?  Rusty?  or just the plain ole Functional?  I cringe when I see all the midcentury oranges, reds, and avocado greens – I hope that’s not it!  Furniture that has been selling, is at much lower prices than even 4-5 years ago.  A large painted mahogany chest of drawers used to command $350 minimum, and now barely begs $175.  It almost makes me ask, is all the work worth it??  Oh, it’s fun, and a passion for sure, but it’s getting more and more challenging to stretch the dollars, and to just find the good junk to sell.  It has become a somewhat complicated issue I’m trying to solve, or at least understand a little better.

I still sell quite a bit of painted furniture, and even paint for people who want to repurpose something they already have.  As I mentioned above, it does seem like it is taking longer and longer to sell higher priced pieces of furniture – and by higher priced, I mean anything over $300.  Chest of drawers, dressers, buffets, and tables are all items that I used to sell for $300 to $600, but now they sit for 6 or more months before they might sell.  It does depend on the store location and customer base too.  I had a larger 5 drawer French Provencal chest of drawers that I purchased, hauled home, painted white and distressed, took it to one antique mall, priced it at $285 and it sat for 6 months, with several offers of $200, but I just wouldn’t let it go for that price.  I finally took it to another antique mall that was literally 4 miles away and sold it the next day!  Different customer base and different overall store vibe.  I was happy, but was it worth it to hold out or should I have given in to the cheaper offers?  I’ve been selling the heck out of mismatched teacups, saucers, plates and platters.  I feel like I’m becoming the Queen of Smalls.  Should I focus more on selling these types of items, versus a piece of furniture that requires more work?  More smalls versus fewer larges?  These are questions I ask myself.

Pricing and cost of goods has also been a topic.  Some dealers like to mark up their items 1.5 times cost, or $30-50 over cost, while others are firm on 3 times cost.  High turnover/cheaper prices versus higher priced items that might sit a few months.  Which are you?  Several factors weigh into this equation.  How much time do you have to restock your booth – quick sales from more modestly priced items require more work, especially if they include big pieces of furniture versus tea cups and plates.  Always an issue is how much cash you have available for restock shopping, or do you have a storage unit/garage to pull from?  Do you paint your furniture, or have handmade items?  If so, how much work space, time, supplies on hand are needed?  Can you afford to let a higher priced item sit in your booth for a few months?  or do you feel pressured to accept a lower offer from a customer?

The Antique Mall world of Nashville has also experienced a huge price increase in rent and commission fees over the last few years.  We’ve heard from many out of town dealers, that we have the highest they have ever heard – $3.15+/sqft and up to 14% commission, plus other miscellaneous fees for marketing and special events that sometimes equal $10 extra per month.  We know it, but what can we do?  There’s no where else to go.  It really makes many a dealer wonder if it’s worth it right now to make a few extra dollars.  Sometimes fees are 1/2 of the total months sales.  Yes, I said that!  It shocks me too.  Many are looking at alternative venues for sales – not to completely get out of an Antique mall, but to supplement.  Some of these include local flea markets, pop up sales, craigslist, and social media like Facebook groups and Instagram.  Which is a really great way to make an extra sale, but does require additional time.  I’ve heard of one dealer who even drives 2 hours away to sell in an antique mall in a bordering state.  Wow!

Is it better to just do barn sales and pop up markets?  That’s a whole other post!  Can a dealer make it on mall/store sales alone?  It depends on the lifestyle you want to maintain, how many direct tv channels you need, how many of your favorite restaurants can visit less frequently, how much you love gel nails, how much you love get facials and massages, how well you really love that wrinkle cream, how well do those Goodwill clothes look now, you get the picture, and what you decide you can do without; a spouse with a good income and insurance is very desirable – but lacking for me.  I have a dog that doesn’t work, hmmm, wait, maybe there’s something I can do with that…he is really pretty!  For me, I still have to have some “real” world income at least on a part time basis.

Thanks for reading about my little dilemma…I’d love to hear what’s going on in your antique world! P.S. I need any tips for using Live Writer and posting to the blogpost page!  I can't get it to work anymore!!! And I can't remember how to watermark pics!! It's been too long since my last blog! I feel like a newbie...Thanks!

Your Fellow Junker,