ON BEING DELUSIONAL AND LIKING IT! ANTIQUES HAVE A WAY OF MAKING PEOPLE CRAZY!
A FEW MORE CONTROVERSIAL OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THOSE WHO PRICE TOO HIGH FOR THEIR ANTIQUES AND COLLECTABLES
CONSIDER THIS CRAZY SCENARIO. IF A GROCERY STORE, AS A CUSTOMER EXPERIMENT, WAS TO PRESENT, AS AN IN-STORE PROMOTION, SOME BAKERY BUTTER TARTS IN A SPECIAL DISPLAY, AT THE FRONT OF THE STORE, TOUTING THEM TO BE THE BEST IN THE WORLD, WITH A PRICE TAG OF $18.00 FOR A HALF DOZEN, HOW MANY DO YOU THINK WOULD SELL IN A WEEK? NOW KEEP IN MIND, THAT THESE BUTTER TARTS ARE THE SAME ONES AS YOU CAN BUY USUALLY FOR AROUND $6.00, ANY DAY OF THE WEEK. BUT THE PRESENTATION AT THE FRONT OF THE STORE, SUGGESTS THAT THESE TARTS ARE, BY DESCRIPTION AND PRICE, SUPPOSED TO BE MUCH BETTER THAN ALL OTHERS IN THE BAKERY. I'M WILLING TO BET, THAT SOME OF THESE TARTS WILL BE SOLD FOR THE ASKING PRICE, AND SERVED ON A SILVER PLATTER, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW DARN GOOD THEY ARE. RIGHT? WHY ELSE WOULD THEY BE PRICED NEARLY THREE TIMES HIGHER? PROBABLY USED REAL RUM NOT JUST ARTIFICIAL FLAVORING. I'M REASONABLY CONFIDENT HOWEVER, THAT MOST WISE CUSTOMERS WOULD FIGURE OUT, BY CLOSE SCRUTINY, AND COMPARING THE INGREDIENTS WITH LESSER PRICED TARTS, THAT ASKING $18.00 FOR SIX BUTTER TARTS IS EXTREME; AND REFUSE TO BUY THEM. WOULD YOU AGREE?
I HAVE USED THIS AS AN ARGUMENT A NUMBER OF TIMES, WHEN I'VE GIVEN APPRAISALS FOR THRIFT AND CHARITY SHOPS. TIME AND AGAIN, THEY WILL SAY TO ME, "YES BUT WE SOLD A CUPBOARD LIKE THAT THE OTHER DAY FOR $400.00, SO WE SHOULD PRICE THIS SIMILAR CUPBOARD AT $450.00." I TRY TO QUALIFY THE PHENOMENON, OF PEOPLE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR CERTAIN PIECES, BECAUSE THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND ANTIQUE AND COLLECTABLE VALUATIONS……AND SIMPLY ACCEPT WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE CORRECT AND FAIR ASKING PRICE. HONESTLY, IT MAKES ME CRINGE TO THINK OF HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE OVER-PAID FOR ITEMS WORTH LESS THAN HALF THE ASKING PRICE. JUST LIKE THE SEVERAL FOLKS WHO MAY HAVE PURCHASED ORDINARY BUTTER TARTS FOR A HIGHLY INFLATED PRICE. THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE OF THE EXPERIMENT, IS IF FUTURE PRICING POLICY IS BASED ON THE ACTIONS OF THOSE FOOLS WHO OVER-PAID, VERSUS THE SEVERAL HUNDRED WHO REFUSED TO BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF. WHAT MOST OF THE THRIFT AND CHARITY SHOPS OPT FOR, IS THE SUCKER BASED PRICING, BECAUSE OUTRAGEOUS PROFIT TURNS THEIR CRANKS.
OUR FAMILY IS OFTEN APPROACHED TO OFFER BALL PARK APPRAISALS ON ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN PURCHASED AT THESE SHOPS, IN THEIR SILENT AUCTIONS, AND THROUGH VARIOUS ONLINE SITES. AND YES, THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM OF BUYERS GETTING SUCKED INTO OVER-PAYING. FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD A LADY ARRIVE AT OUR SHOP WITH A COUPLE OF INSTRUMENTS, PURCHASED FROM A SILENT AUCTION AT ONE OF THE LOCAL THRIFT SHOPS. SHE WANTED TO KNOW FROM ANDREW, WHO REPAIRS VINTAGE GUITARS, IF SHE HAD MADE A BIG SCORE, BUYING THESE OBVIOUSLY OLD PIECES. THE SHORT ANSWER IS "NO," AND THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE CONSIDERABLE WORK AND MONEY TO REPAIR, SO THAT THEY COULD ACTUALLY BE PLAYED AGAIN. SHE WAS UNDERSTANDABLY UPSET, BECAUSE SHE HAD BEEN TOLD THESE INSTRUMENTS WERE BOTH VALUABLE AND PLAYABLE…..WHICH WAS WRONG ON BOTH COUNTS. HONESTLY, WE DON'T WANT TO BE THE BEARER OF BAD NEWS, BUT WE CAN'T LIE EITHER. AND BY THE WAY, ANDREW FIXED BOTH THOSE INSTRUMENTS AND PROVIDED A SUBSTANTIAL DISCOUNT. I SUPPOSE IN A WAY, WE WERE TAKING A CHEAP SHOT AT CHARITY BUSINESSES, TO MAKE A POINT ABOUT FALSE ADVERTISING AND OVER-PRICING.
WE GET THIS KIND OF TRIAL, TRIBULATION AND CONFESSIONAL, AT LEAST FOUR OR FIVE TIMES EVERY MONTH; WHEN THESE ILL-INFORMED FOLKS GET FLEECED BY SELLERS, WHO OFTEN MISREPRESENT THE ARTICLES IN THEIR ONLINE LISTINGS, AND IN SILENT AUCTIONS; WHERE BY THE WAY, ARTICLES ARE LOCKED AWAY FOR SAFEKEEPING. I REMEMBER ONCE ASKING AT A LOCAL THRIFT SHOP, IF I COULD SEE AN ITEM IN THE SHOWCASE, TO CHECK ON CONDITION BEFORE MAKING A BID. SHE SNARLED LIKE A HUNGRY WOLF, BUT RELENTED AFTER I TOLD HER THAT IT WAS A BIDDER'S RIGHT TO SEE THE AUCTION PIECES, BECAUSE AT THE TIME, THERE WAS NO CONDITION REPORTS BEING OFFERED IN THE AUCTION BOOK. THIS IS ALSO A GOOD OUT, AT THE END OF THE AUCTION, BECAUSE IF THE ARTICLE WAS NOT PROPERLY REPRESENTED, THEN THE BIDDER CAN SIMPLY REFUSE TO PAY AS A RESULT. I HATE TO SEE PEOPLE RIPPED OFF.
I'VE ATTEMPTED MANY TIMES, TO EXPLAIN TO THRIFT AND CHARITY SHOP MANAGEMENT, THAT WHILE THEY SEEM FRANTIC MOST OF THE TIME, TRYING TO PROTECT AGAINST LOSING A DIME OF VALUE, ON THEIR DONATED INVENTORY, THEY MAKE FUNDAMENTAL ERRORS IN PROTOCOL WITH THEIR REGULAR CUSTOMERS. THEY FORGET JUST HOW MUCH REVENUE THEY MAKE FROM ANTIQUE DEALERS AND COLLECTORS EVERY YEAR. THEY SEE DEALERS AS PESKY BARGAIN HUNTERS. THEY COULDN'T CARE LESS IF THEY OVER-PRICED AN ITEM, A DEALER MAY WISH TO PURCHASE, BECAUSE IT MAKES UP, I SUPPOSE THEY BELIEVE, FOR THE OTHER ANTIQUES AND COLLECTABLES THAT WEREN'T PRICED HIGH ENOUGH. FAULTY LOGIC. IT'S AN EPIDEMIC OF OVER-COMPENSATION, AND LACK OF SENSIBILITY.
I TOLD ONE MANAGEMENT INDIVIDUAL A WHILE AGO, THAT WE OFTEN GET FOLKS WHO HAVE PURCHASED ITEMS FROM THEIR SHOP, DROPPING IN TO OUR ANTIQUE AND VINTAGE MUSIC BUSINESS, ASKING FOR RE-APPRAISALS. I MADE IT CLEAR THAT WE WILL NOT PROTECT THEM, IF WE ARE ASKED OUR OPINION OF THE PRICE THEY PAID FOR THE ANTIQUE OR COLLECTABLE. IF THEY PAID DOUBLE THE EVALUATION FOR AN OLD TABLE, I'M GOING TO BE HONEST WITH THEM. IF I BELIEVE THEY PAID TOO MUCH, THEY DESERVE AN EXPLANATION. AND I WILL SUGGEST THEY SHOULDN'T BUY ON IMPULSE EVER AGAIN. SERIOUSLY. ANTIQUE DEALERS AND COLLECTORS ARE TRAINED TO BUY ON IMPULSE, AND IT TAKES MANY YEARS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SPLIT SECOND DECISIONS, LIKE FLYING COMBAT MISSIONS IN AN F-18. WHEN WE TELL CUSTOMERS THEY'VE OVERPAID, IT'S THE LOOK ON THEIR FACES THAT SAYS IT ALL. "YOU MEAN WE GOT RIPPED OFF?" YUP. IT'S THE RESULT OF A SERIOUS COCKINESS ON THE PART OF THESE SHOPS, BECAUSE LIKE THE SEVERAL BUTTER TART PACKAGES THAT WERE SOLD, IN OUR HYPOTHETICAL PROMOTION, SELLING AN OVERPRICED ANTIQUE TO SOMEONE ISN'T ON ITS OWN, A TREND SETTER. ALL THE OVER-PRICED BUTTER TARTS DIDN'T SELL, AND THE BIG DOWN-SIDE, IS THAT THE GROCERY STORE THAT WOULD PROMOTE SUCH A CASE OF GOUGING, WOULD PAY THE PRICE BY REDUCING CUSTOMER CONFIDENCE. I DON'T HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE PRICING POLICIES OF ANY OF THE THRIFT AND CHARITY SHOPS I VISIT. I'M OFTEN ASKED WHAT I THINK OF THE PRICES BEING ASKED, BY SOMEONE ON STAFF, AND I POLITELY DECLINE TO ANSWER. ULTIMATELY, THEY WILL HAVE TO FACE THE CONSEQUENCE, OF OVER PRICING THEIR WARES SOONER OR LATER; ESPECIALLY FROM THOSE WHO HAVE MADE THESE BIG PURCHASES…..ONLY TO FIND OUT LATER, THEY WERE FLEECED AND TATOED AT THE SAME TIME. MANY CUSTOMERS VISITING THESE SHOPS, WOULD BELIEVE THAT THE VINTAGE OR COLLECTABLE PIECE IN QUESTION, WAS RESEARCHED AND EVALUATED BY SOMEONE WITH A BACKGROUND IN ANTIQUES. MOST OF THE OFFENDING PIECES AREN'T ANTIQUES IN THE FIRST PLACE, BY DEFINITION, AND THOSE WHO ARE ATTACHING THE PRICE TAGS AREN'T ANTIQUE DEALERS……THEY JUST ACT THAT WAY.
IT'S ABOUT SENSIBLE PROPORTION AND THE LACK OF IT!
It's frustrating to deal with these situations of over-valuation. We are constantly being asked, by folks who have no intention of spending a dime in our shop, to evaluate musical instruments and antiques, that are being advertised online. In other words, getting our advice on sale items before they bid or make calls of enquiry……and eventually make the purchase. We again politely decline. But from what we have witnessed and discussed with hundreds of bargain hunters, those selling the subject pieces are about as deluded as you can get. Darn thing is, it's true. A sucker is born every minute. We hate to break their high hopes, but what we find, you see, is that a lot of buyers are speculating……thinking that they can buy at thrift shops, online, at auctions, yard sales and flea markets, and then sell them to the "antique dealer" for a nice, quick and substantial profit. I'm here to tell you, in case you want to do the same thing……please take the time to review the past few blogs, and if you haven't read them yet, feel free to archive back. When you are in Rome, as they say, then "do as the Romans." If you want to speculate on neat old stuff, to supplement your income, then you'd better understand the inherent dangers of the antique and collectable profession. Or you will be burned, like all the nice folks who visit our shop grinning, and leave with a frown or tears. It's why we work hard to improve our knowledge of antiques and collectables, and never believe for a moment, that our required learning can ever truly be achieved within the fragile limits to mortal time on earth. It sure looks easy to be an antique dealer.
Look at how the thrift shops have mastered the antique trade without doing the homework. Well, of course I'm being sarcastic. They do actually believe we antique dealer-types, just decided one day to attach the title to our names……in order to win friends and impress others. I'm not kidding. They don't have any idea just how deep and profound the learning experience has been for us veterans of the profession, and just how expensive it's been for most of us, who have screwed up, and been taken advantage of, due to our own shortfall of knowledge in certain collectable areas. We may not have physical scars to show you, but we've got some dandy ones on the inside, from swallowing our pride, when we have to admit to making horrendously stupid decisions…….and buying things that were fake, broken, reproductions, and Frankensteins. A Frankenstein is a mismatched multi part item. For example, buying a beautiful vintage press glass compote with lid, and arriving home to discover that the top and bottom don't match. If you paid five bucks for this, then you just got a five dollar lesson. A bargain. If you paid a hundred bucks for it, we'd be delighted to extend our crying towel. We've used it plenty. Son Andrew has bought several Frankenstein guitars, that had been altered by a former owner, without this being declared by the seller. "We should have looked closer," are the words most recited, on drives home after our buying trips. We all make mistakes. But I really like the idea of being pro-active, and it's why I will let thrift and charity shop management know, they have grossly over-priced something on their shop floors……and if I was asked my opinion by a potential buyer, I would tell them to back away, and save their money for a better deal.
If these shops worried, like I do about our family business reputation, they would never allow something to be sold, that is grossly over-priced. I don't care if it's a vintage lamp or a set of billiard balls. They are retail businesses just like all the other ones on the continent, regardless of what they sell, and should follow the same basic business protocols, of looking after the needs of the clientele……not massaging their wallets to make just a little bit more. For some reason, they have got this idea, that because they're selling what they believe to be antiques, they are thusly elevated to some enhanced degree of retail I'm not familiar with. In my world, we know what it means to buy and sell antiques and collectibles, and we do it based on the insight, that many of our tutored customers, will know right off the bat……one step inside our door, if we are gouging on our wares. We will qualify our prices for any customer who feels we are higher on some items than the comparable pieces in other antique shops. If we need a kick in the ass, we'll take it with a smile, and then make you a good deal with a lower price. Most thrift and charity shops won't consider offers…….because management is locked in their delusion without an exit strategy, other than to sell whatever it is, and move on to the next piece to exploit.
As I've mentioned before in these blogs, I've never fought for lower prices to suit our buying habits. We can roll with whatever they want to throw at us, in pricing, and we'll simply find the "sleepers," they know nothing about…..which is of course to our general advantage. My issue is with the way customers to these shops in general, are being taken advantage of, because management has a mandate to make the big bucks……on the flimsy integrity of misidentified and misunderstood antiques. If the same kind of price gouging was going on at a grocery store, or hardware emporium, these complaints would be brought to the attention of management and then head office. For some reason, in these charity shops, most people who are perturbed, just grumble to themselves, and never make a point of reprimanding management for over-pricing. Some buyers will purchase an antique because they believe it was properly appraised before it was afforded a price tag. So there is a false sense of security at times, and I can see how errors in judgement are made. Antique dealers know all about trial by fire. And oh yes, how it burns.
When I complained about these outrageous prices, on some antique articles on display at a local thrift shop, I was told rather bluntly, well, "Buyer beware!" Nice touch. I never forgot that advice and it has stood me in good stead for a lot of years. But in the spirit of Christian goodwill, is this really what's it's all about? Making money from someone's vulnerability? Something is wrong with this profile, and it should change. It seems to me the drift apart these days, between store management policy and christian values, which they tout when threatened, has become quite a deep chasm, broadened by greed. I won't agree to do formal appraisals for these shops ever again, based on some bad experiences in the past……trying to bridge this same chasm, with no luck.
Bless you for joining this old curmudgeon, belly-aching about unfair pricing practices. Does it do any good? Not a bit! Do I feel it's a waste of time to drone on about it? If several people who read this blog, take it seriously, and walk these same miles through the thrift and charity shops of this part of Ontario…..possibly it will serve as a reminder, how bad these folks are….. at being antique dealers. See you again soon. I'm looking forward to this week off, for Suzanne, and we've planned some short buying trips a tad out of the region……as a little early spring treat. I love the countryside jaunts, and I use the opportunity to gather material for two other publications I write for; "Curious; The Tourist Guide," and "The Great North Arrow," two great little feature papers. See you soon. Drive careful out there.
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