Antique Dealer Essentials

Video Transcript

"So you're an antique dealer and you're not quite sure of the essentials that you need behind your counter. I'm Blake Kennedy with Kennedy Brothers Estate Services and I'm here to help. Every antique dealer doesn't necessarily need to know how to refinish furniture, how to strip furniture, but if you knew how to do a little touch ups and how to make that piece just a little bit better. Behind every counter at the antique shop, there are things that you should have. Things that you can't live without are these things that are called touch-up markers. By Guardsman. You can't get these at any Home Depot or Lowe's, but they come in different colors depending on the color of the wood. If you have a little scratch on your piece of furniture, you know pick out the color, it's just like putting in a little marker. But you got to have the color markers for touch-ups. Another thing that you got to have is scratch cover, good Olde English scratch cover with a nice cotton rag, you know you put that on there and it just covers up the whole surface. Make sure you don't do it too greasy because when people put their hands on things, they always say, if they put their hand on a piece of furniture and they keep that hand there, then you have a pretty good shot at selling that piece. But if they put it on there and it feels sticky and tacky, you know make sure you wipe up all that, all this scratch cover on it, but it'll seal that scratch nicely. Another thing if a wood feels dry, it's just like skin, you got to make sure you oil it and put some nice orange oil on it, but I also like to put a nice wax on it, a paste finish on that. I like to get this special dark - I use a lot of dark woods - but you can get a nice neutral color, but just look to see what color you're going to buy, and just again, wipe it on all over if it's nice and dry, then put a good wax on it, always have a pair of gloves around if you're working with chemicals. If you need a nice smooth finish I always have extra fine steel wool with me, I like to use steel wool more than sandpaper, 'cause sandpaper really works at the wood, steel wool just kind of knocks off all the imperfections that that piece has on it. But always have these little things behind your counter, always have a good cleaner behind the counter, because everything needs to be touched up, a good dust rag, just keep all our furniture and all your figurines and everything you're trying to sell clean and fresh looking. I hope that helps. I'm Blake Kennedy."