With one half of local Internet searches done on a smartphone, it’s time for dealers to check if their shop’s website is mobile compatible. Columnist Wayne Jordan says that luckily, the cost to optimize your site is far less than you paid to create it in the first place. Read More +
Columnist Wayne Jordan recently had a nice chat with Chip Averwater, author of “Retail Truths, The Unconventional Wisdom of Retailing.” A retail “truth” is something that can only be discovered through experience. You can’t learn these truths in business school. Here are 10 of Jordan’s favorite retail “truths” and how they might help you improve your antiques business. Read More +
You can always win an auction if you must. All you have to do is outbid the competition. But, winning doesn’t always mean paying a higher price. Outbidding the competition is as much about strategy as it is about price. Read More +
American popular culture loves a catchphrase. Always has. In the 1890s, businessmen were anxious to “get down to brass tacks,” and a well-heeled customer who was satisfied with his purchases was “as happy as a clam.” In the 1990s, if … Read More +
When it comes to antiques, price doesn’t reflect value: proper identification relating a good story tells prospective buyers why an item is valuable. Read More +
Columnist Wayne Jordan argues haggling is bad for the antiques business and explains customers and dealers would be better served by negotiating: Haggling is all about price; negotiating is about an exchange of value. Read More +
Did you know dealers can produce a video of an antiques business for next to nothing and increase the chance the business will show up in Web searches? The primary purpose of video promoting your antiques business is to drive traffic to your website or online collectibles store, not to sell your item from the video. Wayne Jordan shows us how easy it is to make a video to take advantage of the low-cost online promotion opportunities: If you can take a digital photo then you can make a video for your shop or store. Read More +
The Uniform Commercial Code says you may retract a bid before a lot closes, but whether you’re legally clear to back out depends on the type of antiques auction: “reserve” or “absolute.” In this column Wayne Jordan reviews both and highlights how a savvy buyer can use sloppy auctioneering to their advantage. Read More +
No matter what you think of the Occupy Wall Street movement, it holds the seed of a successful holiday sales season for antique dealers as shoppers eschew corporate retailers. Dealers must capitalize on selling one-of-a-kind, unique gifts that can’t be purchased at a big-box store. Read More +
Antiques businesses can follow these eight steps to protect themselves against check fraud, which can account for 2 to 3 percent of losses every year. Read More +