Become a Jewelry or Antiques Dealer
Posted by tbViews on June 28, 2009
My mom and I both do a little bit of amateur dealing in antiques and collectibles, mainly as collectors selling off what we no longer want. But I can totally see the appeal of going into business part- or full-time as a jewelry, collectibles, or antiques dealer.
One thing that is extremely important before you go into business is knowing a lot about whatever you are going to be dealing in. There are many books on the market about antiques, furniture, jewelry, and various types of collectibles. It is imperative that you read, study, and memorize key points from these books before you go into business. You can check some out from the library, but don’t forget to keep the receipts for any that you buy, as they qualify as business expenses.
It’s important to know what you are looking for because the biggest way to get a good profit from buying and reselling these items is to buy them cheap when no one but you knows what they are. In order to do this, though, you’ll need to be able to recognize them on sight. For instance, if you buy and sell gold jewelry you’ll need to be able to recognize jeweler’s marks and styles, and you might want to consider carrying with you the equipment to test for gold, diamonds, and other valuable materials. Many dealers also carry their reference books with them in the car, so that they can verify the identification of an item if they aren’t sure or can’t do it from memory.
You’ll also need to do some research into the market, in order to be able to estimate what items are selling for when they are properly identified and offered to the right markets. Many reference books are also price guides, but you should also plan on doing some market research of your own, by keeping tabs on auctions, antique malls, and online sales. For instance, it is valuable to know the going price for gold if you are planning to sell gold jewelry for cash.
Antique Desks said,
Excellent starter tips for those wishing to start collecting antiques, thanks!
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