Types of Antique Shoppers

I was thinking about types of customers for antique shops today and thought I might make a topology of them. It started with two but grew to three. I imagine I might think of others in the future. I have been all of these types so I think I can guess at their experience. But figuring out how to market to them is the step after identifying them.

Type 1: The Searcher

This antique shopper is searching for a particular type of item. They like organization because it helps them find the thing they want. Sometimes they are a collector of particular items, table salts, ice cream molds, or a larger category, Victorian.

Type 2: The Wanderer

This antique shopper is searching for whatever hits their fancy. They are there to look, pick up experience. They don’t have a particular thing in mind but if something strikes them in the right way they will pick it up. 

Type 3: The Sharpshooter

They want an 18^th century vase from the lower Danube in Bavaria in blue with handles. Or they read some decorator magazine and now want a wooden tramp made box just like the one that was posed on the tableau of the shelf int hat one picture in the may issue.  They will most likely be disappointed in the vast majority of antique shops in the world.

Perhaps Type 4: The Just Walked In

They don’t know why they are there, they thought it was a fruit store, well you did name it the Apple Orchard. (please before you name your shop read Reis and Trout)

I think Type 1 and 2 are the core market for antique stores. Both are good shoppers and a wide variety of material appeals to both of them.

Type 3 is good if you have the item. You can charge them a premium but their needs are more suited for the online purchase and auctions. If you can convert Type 3 into Type 1 you will have a good and loyal customer. But that is a matter of teaching them that decorator magazines are better used as a creative inspiration rather than to be used as a form of direct copying.

What do you think? Other types? Perhaps Type 5 should be the Status Buyer…

or The Clueless "my wife likes old things and its her birthday" 

Topology of Antique Retail Spaces

Topology of Antique Retail Spaces:

            This is an introductory topology of retail spaces for the antique market. These are brick and mortar shops that are open to the public. This list does not include auctions and temporary retail spaces (such as antique markets, flea markets etc.) It also does not include retail through auction. However, often retailers will employ the store, market, and auction triad to expand their sales.

Class One Retail Reseller:

This is the highest end of antique store. 

They sometimes specialize in one singular subject (e.g. silver, art deco, colonial furniture).

They employ people with a high level of expertise gained through a lifetime of study.

They employ persons with professional certifications (such as appraisers).

They deal in materials considered fine art as well as antique material objects.

Museums rely on their expertise and inventory.

Many are also auction houses.

Reputation is key to their business model.

May have a national market for their goods.

Find objects specifically for their clients.

Class Two Retail Reseller:

            Larger owner operated shops.

Do not specialize in a singular type or period of object, but maintain a diverse inventory.

Inventory is of high quality objects.

Staff has a high level of knowledge about inventory and some subjects, but lacks recognition of expertise by larger community or professional certifications.

Shop does not employ professional appraisers.

Class Three Retail Reseller:

            Multi-dealer shops.

            Inventory is a mix of high quality objects and vintage, collectables.

Retail functions similar to a non-antique retail shop with little or no professional expertise. Staff exists for checking out customers.

Shop contains large volume of objects.

This volume of objects assists volume of trade, but many objects create a hodge-podge of eras, quality and prices.

Customer must do the searching for object types they desire.

Class Four Retail Reseller:

Sells a mix of high quality used contemporary objects, vintage, and collectables.

May or may not recognize the value of any antiques they resell.

If they do recognize an antique, it is often overpriced because it is “an antique”

May be a single owner shop or a multi dealer shop.

Retail space clean and somewhat organized.

Cleaner and brighter than a class five shop.

Sells ‘used’ goods.

Thrift shops are an example of this type.

Class Five Retail Reseller:

            Sells a mix contemporary objects, vintage, collectibles, junk and  garbage.

            Inventory is tossed on shelves, stacked on floor and may be hard to navigate.

            Inventory is not organized.

            Retail space is disorganized and cleaning in negligible.

            Often prices are not clear.

            May be single dealer or multi dealer.

            Antiques may be mixed into the piles of inventory.

            Customer must dig to find material.

May have an outside area where objects become exposed to elements reducing their value.

True junk stores.

You will want to wash your hands after searching for things here.

I have turned over a stack of blankets in a shop like this once to find a rats nest and have my hands covered in stale urine.