By DOUG SCHMITZ RICHMOND, Mass. —Thirty years ago on a sunny day, David Anthony woke up and decided to go to a garage sale. This was the beginning of his career as an antique dealer. “I remember the morning with vivid clarity,” recalled Anthony, owner of David Anthony Antiques in Richmond, Mass. “I believe I bought a 1960s Tonka Toy dump trunk and some Depression glass that clear and sunny day.” The Buffalo, N.Y., native said he had been helping his mother set up at flea markets since his teenage years “and I guess the business just soaked into me without even knowing it.” “I was fortunate that I still lived at home without many bills or responsibilities, so I took advantage of that, and worked hard and learned as much as I could, with many mistakes along the way,” he said. “My college days were over and my musical aspirations had been extinguished, so I just went for it.” Eventually, Anthony moved to Dingmans Ferry, Pa., which is a 90 minute drive from New York City. It was there, he said, he received his education. “I had many customers by then from the city, and in between making deliveries, I would visit many museums and galleries,” he said. Anthony said the single most important aspect of that time was previewing the sales at Sotheby’s and Christies. “At first, I was intimidated by the starkness and formality of the environment,” he said. “But eventually, I realized that the attendants who worked the showcases didn’t know who I was and didn’t care. They were only there to prevent theft and collect a paycheck.” As a result, Anthony was able to “handle and study a countless number of beautiful objects,” which established a level of quality that would stay with him to this very day. “Sometimes, I would stay over at a friend’s only to go back and study some more,” he said. “I became interested in American art, and in previewing these sales, I could take paintings from the wall, observe the backside and take in all of the details that the painting entailed. It was truly a priceless – literally – education.” As the decades passed so did the way people did business and Anthony realized he also needed an online presence. “Some of the many long-running shows I participated in were now gone (i.e., The NYC Pier Show, Atlantic City, etc.), so I needed to do something,” he said. “I decided to open an online shop on RubyLane.com. “I tend to buy a wide range of items, given that my interests have evolved over my 30-plus years in the business,” he said. “I started out dealing in toys and advertising, but as time went on, I was introduced to mid-century modern, Art Deco and Art Nouveau.” During his time in Pennsylvania, a friend of his became his mentor, and introduced him to a more traditional line of antiques, “but always with an emphasis on quality,” he said. “These days, my inventory tends to favor fine quality European decorative arts,” he said. “I handle glass, porcelain, silver and bronze articles, but especially enjoy techniques such as micromosaic, pietra-dura, fine enamel work, etc. Anthony said he’s been fortunate to have been collecting paintings and sculpture, along with other categories in between, since around 1990. “I don’t have any children, so these works of art are my children, so to speak, and I feel a great sense of responsibility to preserve and protect them,” he said. “I also married a wonderful girl who is also in the business (Robin Stephens Antiques) and a collector at heart, so between the two of us, there is a lot to look at.” As the years have gone by, Anthony said he found there are so many categories in which the market has just ended, or at the very least, prices have fallen drastically. “Many categories from the Victorian era, such as the more common art glass, silver-plated wares such as napkin rings, pickle castors, bride’s baskets, etc., along with the more pedestrian decorations have been harder to sell,” he said. “Victorian majolica has become very difficult to sell. “A lot of these dealers/buyers have either died or retired, and there is absolutely no interest from the next generation to fill the void being left,” he added. “While mid-century modern is very popular, the market for earlier machine-age American design has completely disappeared – a category in the late ’80s and ’90s I could not keep in stock.” “As for me, I remain optimistic and continually try to upgrade the quality of my merchandise and buy the best of what I can afford,” he added. “I’m going to continue to buy the things which speak to me, rather than try to jump on a trend which I’ve never been very good at.” “I believe many dealers just price themselves out of today’s market, hoping for the high-flying days of yesteryear to return,” he added. “But they need to realize that the asteroid has landed, the dinosaurs are gone, and it’s a whole new world out there.” Contact: (716) 435-3973 www.rubylane.com/shop/daa |