As we approach the fall season, people sometimes ask us why we take a few weeks off from conducting estate sales to do antique shows.
Things that we find at antique shows are often the very best things. We're often approached by consignors who need to sell a specific high-caliber item or collection, and the antique shows offer a chance to bring a higher price for our client. We sold a Florida client's C. Jeré wall hanging at July's Portland Expo Antique Show; she then referred us to a friend to hold an estate sale. Shows help us grow relationships which eventually lead to estate sales our collector buyers love.
Yet, things that we find at antique shows are often not things at all. Combing the antique show is more than a fun hobby for us; it's how we keep abreast of the market, which is in an ever-changing state of flux. Knowing current retail prices, trends and fads helps us identify and price correctly, so both the client and our shoppers at a Tampa Bay Total Estate Sale feel good about what we're helping them buy and sell. (By the way, '50s chalkware brain models currently go for $95 each.)
Fortunately, the Florida antique show season starts this fall, where we'll be selling consignments for client estates and exploring the market for our mutual edification. You can find us next at St. Petersburg's Sunshine City Antique Show at the Coliseum on October 17–19.