Antique Dealer

Antiques represent our history. Whether it’s a piece of black folk art from the pre-civil war era, or a trunk that was hauled across treacherous waters aboard the Mayflower, antiques tell a story. If you have a passion for those stories, combined with some business savvy, a job as an Antique Dealer might be for you.

Most Antique Dealers start out by specializing in one material, Artist, era, or design. For example, you might focus on Tiffany glassware, 16th century paintings, coins, or Victorian furniture. Whatever your specialty, it pays to know your stuff. The more you develop your eye, the more successful you’ll be at identifying objects with value and the better an Antique Dealer you’ll be.

To find those items, you scour eBay, craigslist, local and online classified ads, thrift shops, estate sales, and auctions for items of interest. With a potential purchase in hand, you look for markings, color, shape, and other factors that authenticate it. Because you’re familiar with the merchandise and what type of market there is for it, you quickly estimate a value and try to purchase it for a good price.

The satisfaction you get from your job stems not only from handling the antiques that you love, but also from making a profit off of them. You use a storefront or the same classified ads and auctions that you purchased from to resell the items at a higher price. This involves handling the money exchange, and arranging for delivery or pickup.