Do you need an education to be an antique dealer?

Answer 1

You do not need to have any formal education to become an antique dealer. With that said, good pieces are expensive and hard to find. The best dealers will have a large selection so you will need to make a substantial initial investment. Once you establish a reputation within the trade most dealers will be willing to consign some of their inventory to you so would not have to buy every single piece but you have to bear in mind that dealers will consign items out for a higher price than they would if you were to write them a check right there (but it is good way to fill-up the store).

Remember, today's products become antiques in 100 years. What is an antique now is an item your grand parents or great grand parents possessed. There are specialties: furniture, art, crystal, glass, ceramics, tools, farming equipment, automobiles, war and (WWI recent 100 year old that would be the Edwardian & Titanic Era... the investment next WWII Surplus best prices was snatched up 1970-1980.) The best haggle items are those of great condition of 50-75 years.

In the antique industry, your reputation is the most important aspect. Learn about antiques before you begin since any mistakes in your understanding could very quickly translate into a disastrous situation. You could always intern or work for a reputable gallery before embarking on your venture.

Enlist the aid of a dealer to assist you with buying and introducing you to the different "players" in the industry (for the first couple of years at least). Some people are very shrewd and learn networking. Knowing a critical specialty category in your region and filling a niche requires education.

There is formal training in art guilds and internships in auction investment appraisals and in curating antiquities. It is imperative to be able to identify stolen goods (war related, national treasures, and even modern thefts and forgeries). It's best to acquire education in many ways. There are voluntary preservation guilds where one learns restoration. Craft guilds show how the pieces are made, identify the elements to decipher real from forgeries, or how damages apply to reclaim or restore an item to its true value or lot appraisal.