I was startled when she told me she was 91. She didn’t look a day over 75. Sharp as a tack with brilliant taste. I try to buy privately as much as I can, usually by referral. It’s the easiest way to acquire new merchandise for me. Emotionally, it’s not always easy. Today I met Doris. I learned about her life. It was the story of a solid happy life. I bought some vintage clothing and handbags. The furniture and
There is competition in business. No doubt. The vintage industry is no exception. Any niche market you decide to get involved with, will be filled with people who are interested in what you do. If there is demand, there will be competition. If you are in a niche with NO competition and you are killing it, it won’t be long before it shows up. What does that mean in the Vintage world? This is really simple and important and if
Part 2- My Experience as an antique store owner if you missed part 1 click here In Part 1, I told you about my experience opening a store in Metro Detroit, and some of the things I wasn’t prepared for. Now.. let’s talk about what I know now and what I wish I’d known. What should I have done? Done the math. How much was this going to cost, on paper. Then double it. I remember thinking, oh that rent
Many dealers open a vintage store to improve their business overall. If you’re a dealer, you might be considering that idea right now. It might feel like a natural progression. There are many things to take into consideration before taking the plunge. I had a vintage store north of Detroit in the early 2000’s. When the bottom fell out in 2008, the Detroit area was hit hard. But honestly? I wasn’t happy before that. Being a brick and mortar wasn’t
IKEA You Not. We Want Your Parent’s Stuff: A Vintage Response By Melissa Sands with Duane Scott Cerny For 24 months there has been an influx of articles about how nobody wants their parent’s old stuff. Every time I see this and read how IKEA has killed our industry, I wonder how much two years of misinformation from influential publications has hurt the vintage and secondhand industry. We are a niche market without the marketing budget of IKEA.