It is now nearly 50 years since I first got seriously interested in antiques as a business. Having four children, it was never my only source of income and I always had a ‘proper’ job until I retired 7 years ago. I decided to fulfil my ambition and took the shop in Crossgates, it is mainly my hobby but I love the excitement of never knowing what people are going to bring into the shop.
You never stop learning about antiques and collectables and I certainly learn something new every day even after 50 years. There is a downside in that fashions change quite rapidly and it is difficult to keep up with trends. The difference between now and 40 or 50 years ago is the internet. I am a dinosaur with technology but it is now a world-wide market. I personally do not buy or sell on the internet because you can’t tell from a photograph whether something is genuine or damaged. You need to pick things up and inspect them before handing over hard earned cash, as another massive problem is fakes. The market on the internet is flooded with fake antiques, many of which are produced in China.
Going back to fashions, 10-20 years ago fine china ornaments used to sell quickly but now you practically have to give them away. The same applies to cut glass and items made of brass and copper, unless they are unusual or rare items. Doulton lady figurines used to sell for £20-£30 but you can now buy them at auction for £5. The most saleable things are small collectables such as coins, medals, old mechanical watches working or not, items of silver both large and small, old toys, old postcards, and the most valuable of all gold jewellery, even broken pieces. A few years ago, everyone had a cabinet full of trinkets, that is a thing of the past now, no one wants either the cabinets or what went inside them! It appears that the younger generation do not like clutter around the house. Perhaps in another 30 years fashions will change once again as they have done for centuries.
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