By Susan Emerson Nutter Because the antiques and collectibles industry is not considered essential, antique mall owners, shop owners, show managers and auctioneers had to figure out new ways to do business during a pandemic. Some businesses just shut their doors or events and decided to wait until business could open as usual. Others, however have worked to learn new ways of doing business and how to master technology that would allow them to operate in a virtual world. More than 30 years ago, antiquers bemoaned the internet and said online transactions would be the death of the antiques industry. Now businesses are looking at technology with new appreciation. Let$rsquo;s start at the top. In April Sotheby$rsquo;s New York enjoyed the highest-ever sale total for an online auction featuring 20th century design. It was also a sale that saw nearly halces offered sell for more than their highest estimates — the final tally being $4 million, a new online record for the company. Sotheby$rsquo;s London enjoyed a similar experience in April. According to www.news.artnet.com, “After going digital, Sotheby$rsquo;s $rsquo;Contemporary Curated$rsquo; sale brought in $6.4 million — an online auction record for the company. It was also the biggest London edition of the sale ever; live or online.” In another innovative move, on April 28, Sotheby$rsquo;s debuted a new online sales platform for blue-chip contemporary art galleries. Called Sotheby$rsquo;s Gallery Network, the organization will take a flat commission from galleries based on sales. As reported by www.artnetnews.com, “$rsquo;The greatest innovations and best partnerships come out of challenging times,$rsquo; said Sotheby$rsquo;s contemporary specialist Saara Pritchard, who spearheaded the initiative. While all aspects of the art market have been challenged in recent weeks, “this is crippling for the galleries,” she says. $rsquo;Without organizing exhibitions and no art fairs, they have no way to drive new visitors. We already have the e-commerce platform and ability to do sales.$rsquo;” Regional auction houses have also continued with online only auctions to great results. “With people at home wishing they could instead be out shopping and collecting, being able to do so from home is a comfort,” said Wes Cowan of Cowans of Cincinnati, Ohio (www.cowanauctions.com). Cowan$rsquo;s online only sales are also seeing strong final numbers. Jeff Jeffers of Garth$rsquo;s Auctioneers & Appraiser of Columbus, Ohio, (www.garths.com) agrees adding, “We really miss seeing our clients, but we are encouraged by how well our online only auctions have done.” Antique shops and co-op owners and dealers are having to think outside of the box. The New Hampshire Antique Co-op (www.nhantiquecoop.com/shop-online.html) has taken on the shut down in earnest by helping their dealers set-up web presences via Ruby Lane, Instagram, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist among others. Getting this all in place has kept the group busy these past four weeks. Navigating contact-free transactions, video shopping, curbside pickup, shipping, delivery, and storage until pick-up in person is available are all part of the process as well. Owner Susan Mocker along with business partner Devon Cretella of Extending Grace in Hubbard, Ohio, (www.extendinggrace.net) has really stepped out of her comfort zone in order to stay connected to customers. “We love the one-on-one aspect of selling; seeing people in our store, talking to them about their interests and pointing them to pieces we have. That$rsquo;s our fun and what we really miss,” Mocker said. The shop specialize in antiques, collectibles, and also rents space to other dealers and artisans. “With the stay at home order, we had to think of something and looked to other smaller shops to see what they were doing to continue to stay viable,” Mocker said. “Another shop in Mentor, Ohio, called Schoolhouse Salvage (www.schoolhousesalvage.com), its owner, Amy Cseh, began using the selling platform Comment/Sold during live Facebook sales about a year ago when she noticed traffic to her shop was slow on certain weekday afternoons,” Mocker said. “Amy began hosting live sales every Wednesday and then with the shutdown, added sales during the week and weekend as it caught on. Amy helped us navigate using this platform for our own weekly in-store, live sale, and though it was a huge learning curve for us, we are getting better every week, our customers love it, and we will continue doing this even after Ohio opens back up.” And how about antique shows? Some show managers are skipping doing shows for May and June. Others are still waiting to see what happens when things begin opening up, and then there are promoters who are trying new things. For example, Brimfield will not be taking place this spring, but collectors can still shop the show via Instagram by following the hashtag #thebrimfieldshow or @thebrimfieldshow during the same time period as Brimfield would have taken place. You can also find the show on Facebook. The Antique Dealers$rsquo; Association of America (www.adadealers.com) held an online show April 24-27 with participating dealers posting pictures of items for sale with descriptions, dimensions, prices, and contact information. The show was open to anyone, and the response was impressive. This was not the first time the ADA did an online show, so the organization was prepared when dealer/members asked if it could be held again due to COVID-19. The show ran around the clock from start to finish, so no matter the time; shoppers could shop. The ADA touted the event had, “No crowds, no lines, no traffic, no bad weather, no tickets” with the show being available from any location be it one$rsquo;s computer or smartphone. And since it was an ADA event, each item sold with a guarantee of authenticity. As the nation begins to slowly and carefully open up and the antiques and collectibles industry follows suit, if nothing else, this quiet time brought out the innovative nature synonymous with those in business for themselves. Those who make their living “hawking wares” just might have discovered several new ways to make their businesses even more productive; a positive during a not-so positive moment in history. |