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Discover Mid-America — April 2005

Learning experience
by Bruce Rodgers, Editor/Publisher

Spending time with antique shop owners and dealers is always a learning experience for me. My early March attendance at the monthly meeting of the Topeka Antique Association was no different.

I came armed with more questions than answers. What answers I had — and let’s be sure that my “answers” were of a flexible determination — had to do with advertising, both in print and on the Web. I was more interested having my questions about the antique business addressed. As I said, I was there to learn.

Here are a few things we talked about:

Pricing. How flexible is pricing of items or categories of items? A number of factors, I was told, influence pricing — the season of the year, the market, popularity and rarity of certain items, future investment predictions (or hunches) and eBay. In my mind, add to that the simple experience of the shop owner.

Another factor was the customers’ experience in buying. “Customers are learning to bargain; they ask for a discount,” said one Topeka mall owner.

Realizing this, some shop owners mark up 20 percent or more than what they’ll accept for an item.

How about salespeople? Every owner at the meeting stressed the importance of having knowledgeable staff people. That asset both serves the business owner and the customer because, as one shop owner said, “Some people have no clue what they want.”

The mention of customer profile will get some shop owners talking. For the most part, the consumer-end remains dominated by women, generally middle age. But increasingly, I was told, men are shopping for antiques and collectibles also, but the choices can be very specific oriented. “I see more men and people shopping for useable items in their home,” said one shop owner.

There were more factors we discussed — topics for future columns — but I did ask how everyone felt about business in 2005.

The loose consensus was that it would be better than previous years. That’s the guarded feeling I have also.
* * *
A couple of things need to be clarified/corrected about last month’s Best Of competition: Liberty Quilt Shop is no longer in business. The Painted Lady (runner-up winner in Best Historic Hotel or Inn) is located in Jamesport, MO, not Texas; and reader and gift certificate winner Dana Neutz is from Spring Hill, KS.

And finally, congratulations to Country Meadows in Independence, MO, which scored the most wins/runner-ups in the most categories.

Contact Bruce Rodgers at
publisher@discoverypub.com

> Editor’s Notebook Archive — past columns