posted on June 1, 2003 02:40:55 PM new
There is an antique mall in my area that I stop by and visit about every 3 weeks. The mall is owned by a corporation that owns a total of four malls spread out over two states. The mall is inside an old converted school house, two floors of vendors, and well-maintained. I was at the mall about 3 weeks ago. Yesterday I stopped by the mall again and found out that the owners evicted over one dozen vendors for: 1)not turning over their inventory and 2)not maintaining their area. Out went the old vendors, and in came new ones who were on the mall's waiting list. For me, as a buyer, I had loads of new stuff to look through and prices were less than half what the old vendors had on their stuff. I made an offer of $100 off the listed price of one item, a large 19th century footed blue glass bowl, the clark called the seller, and the seller said yes, just like that with no haggling.
I am curious, for antique buyers, is the same thing happening at the antique malls in your area?
Does anyone on this Board maintain a mall space and been evicted? I wonder what that is like.
Anyway, looks like prices at the antique malls are dropping becase eBay prices are dropping.
I am not hotcupoftea on eBay.
[ edited by hotcupoftea on Jun 1, 2003 02:42 PM ]
[ edited by hotcupoftea on Jun 1, 2003 02:46 PM ]
posted on June 1, 2003 02:51:07 PM new
Most of the generic antique malls in New England are always looking for replacement dealers. I know some people have been evicted for non-payment, etc. More common is when dealers aren't selling well to be late with the rent or telling the manager to "take it out of my sales".
Unfortunately, whether neat and clean or messy pits, most all seem to have the same generic "stuff" - e.g., mongrel depression era glass and china, second hand furniture, low end victorian, etc. The ads always have "quality dealers wanted".
The exceptions are ones focusing on niche markets, or more high end with a good following. And when these places have an opening, you don't know it, since they don't resort to "this space for rent" signs like I see all over. They make sure that all the spaces appear filled, even if some area available. And in my opinion, in a professionally run mall, you would never have been told about these evictions.
posted on June 1, 2003 03:06:08 PM new
Hi Damariscotta, I think I found out about the evictions because the clerk who was helping me appeared to be a high school girl and rather young to the work place. I said, "Wow, it is great that your vendors finally got new and exciting inventory." I mean I was really happy about it. That is when she started chatting with me and told me about all of the evictions, and thus new vendors and new inventory.
The antique malls like you described, most of them in my area have gone out of business. They were mom and pop owner operated. The really good antique malls that I go to regularly and always spend money at, anywhere from $500 to $5000 in one visit, those malls always have a waiting list of vendors a mile long just waiting to get a spot inside the mall. The good malls get the collectors, dealers, interior decorators and others who visit more than once a month, just like I do.
The vendors at the antique shows are really dropping their prices and willing to haggle too. And they are bringing their good stuff from their homes because they are hungry for cash. This is really a good time to be buying high-end antiques.
As you can tell, I am really enjoying my summer, finding lots of wonderful things for myself and to resell to customers.
posted on June 1, 2003 03:21:34 PM new
What part of the country are you in? When we travel, we don't usually go antiquing, but usually stop in at least one place while playing tourist.
One thing I have learned is that the import houses must ship all over the country! Repro tin signs, fake flow blue. What is "old" is mostly generic kitchen ware, etc.
We do have some very fine shops in the Northeast, but as I have seen on my travels, most are "lease the old shopping center and set up some partitions and showcases" ilk. And as you have found out, the best buys are good items that will have resale potential. Some of my most profitable buys were from one of the fanciest antique shops in my area - the dealer was realistic and business-like - she knew she would be getting more inventory in so she didn't have to squeeze the last nickel out of everything. She only carried first rate merchandise and she was running a store - not a museum.
posted on June 1, 2003 03:37:49 PM new
Damariscotta, I live in the Northwest. I only go to the antique shops and malls that keep good inventory. The antique malls like you described, with the reproduction stuff that comes in by the shipload through the ports and auctioned off at the live auction houses, those type of malls are here too, I just don't go to them because it is a waste of my time.
Like you, I get my best stuff at the high-end "true" antique shops and malls.
Sometimes I go with one of my good friends, and recently we both made a few very good acquisitions. He purchased some rare Moser for under $400 and two 19th century Venetian glass cherub plates for under $100 each. I got a Royal Copenhagen chocolate pot, Old Paris or Meissen style, late 1800s to early 1900s, with a lion on the handle, extraordinarily beautiful and unique.
