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Discover Mid-America — December 2009
Time to organize
 |
Commiserating with shop owners seems to be a thing I do on a weekly basis these days. Though not everyone is complaining, the din is loud enough that it can’t be ignored, plus, I too, know the pain.
During one of those recent empathy sessions, I talked with Michelle Staley, owner of My Granny’s Attic in Lenexa, KS. We came to agreement that while some shop owners are going into a bunker mentality in dealing with the recession, what is needed is for antique business owners to return to the days of helping the trade as a whole and treating fellow business owners not so much as competitors but as partners in seeking to expand the interest in antiques and collectibles to a wider market of consumers.
So what is the best way to do that, we wondered.
My immediate thought was creating an antique dealers association for the greater Kansas City area. Chamber groups and merchant groups are good vehicles for antique shop owners, but promoting an antique shop isn’t the same as publicizing a lawn sale at the hardware store or an upcoming special at a salon. Selling antiques and collectibles doesn’t quite compare; the appeal more esoteric and one that has to be nurtured through knowledgeable practitioners and the telling of history behind the item.
An example I gave to Michelle was the Topeka (KS) Antique Dealers Association, founded in 1946 — yes, 63 years ago! Members of this successful nonprofit group are weathering the economic storm quite well.
“We support one another is the biggest thing we do,” said Junior Price, president of TADA and owner of B& J Antique Mall in Topeka. “We advertise together and also direct customers to other member shops.”
Every TADA member displays a membership plaque in their shop, a visual reminder to customers that they can be assured of the reliability of this antique dealer.
TADA has yearly dues and criteria for joining. “A shop has to have been in business a year and to join (current) members visit the nominee’s shop and then must come to agreement that this shop belongs in the organization,” said Price.
In 2009, TADA sponsored three events. In 2010, said Price, the group plans four including antique shows/flea markets and their annual Christmas gift certificate promotion. Price acknowledges that advertising as a group takes the pressure off individual shops in getting their shop’s name out there.
TADA is a good model for the greater KC area or any area with antique shops. Why Kansas City, with its numerous antique malls and shops, lacks a similar promotional organization like the Topeka group seems somewhat strange, particularly for a city that likes to hype the history attached to it.
If you’re interested in forming an antique dealer association, call Michelle at 913-825-1938. Of course, Discover Mid-America and myself would be available to help.
Bruce Rodgers can be contacted at publisher@discoverypub.com.
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