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"