How to Be an Antiques Dealer

Becoming an antiques dealer can provide you the opportunity to develop an interesting passion while running a successful business. As TV shows like "Antiques Roadshow" inspire more interest in antiques, the business of buying and selling rare and precious items from the past is booming. If you are looking to be an antiques dealer, follow these steps to start a successful antiques business.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Create a business plan. Even though you might have an excellent eye for antiques deals, make a business plan that maps out every element of your antiques business. Your business plan should include projected costs and revenues, your specific market and how you will advertise yourself as a dealer.

2. Learn all you can about antiques. Even the most knowledgeable antiques experts admit that there is always something more to learn. Keep up to date with antiques literature, such as Antiques Info Magazine, and attend auctions whenever you can to see what various items go for on the market.

3. Find the correct location. Even if you choose to make your location digital by putting your store online, you still need to find the right place to put it. Whether you're opening up a store front, running a catalog or using a website to sell your antiques, you need to find a way to get potential customers to your store.

4. Constantly improve your supply chain. If you really want to distinguish yourself as an antiques dealer, you need to be able to get your hands on rare and unusual items. Create a strategy that allows you to get to the goods first, whether it involves showing up to estate sales early or shopping for antiques in far-off and obscure places.