It takes a certain type of tenacious individual to be an antiques dealer. Like the gritty soldier who must have victory or a pitcher determined to get that one last strike to win the game, the most successful dealers never give up the hunt.

There's also an adventurous spirit that you either have or you don't. I'm talking about traveling miles to meet strangers who might have something “good” for sale, venturing out in a flood to go to a country auction in another county or getting up at the crack of dawn to camp out in line at an estate sale that doesn't open for hours.

And of course, you have to be somewhat of a packrat or it's not going to work for you. I've been dealing with antiques dealers most of my life and I've never seen one that employed a minimalist decorating technique, including my own mother.

If you've never asked a dealer this question, then check with one the next time you're in a shop. If they've been in business a good while, they've heard it before, many times. No, make that many, many times.

This query came up again for me last fall when I did a small fundraiser type show for a women's literacy group in San Antonio, Texas. The program was designed to educate novice collectors about vintage costume jewelry. A couple of people asked me where I got all the “stuff” I had on display.

Then at work that very same week, at my “real” job, one of my co-workers mentioned she had recently asked a dealer where he got his glassware. It was just an out-of-curiosity question, but it made me cringe a little bit because I've heard that phrase uttered so many times before.

When I was asked at the show last fall, I looked around at my table and realized that dedicated antiques dealers find things everywhere.

There were items I had found at church garage sales, flea markets and antiques shops included in my inventory combined with those purchased from mysterious strangers, flooded auctions and the early morning estate sales mentioned above. I had even dug around in my own stash of goodies to rummage up a few of the things that just sold minutes before.

Of course, there are the actual shopkeepers who might have folks bring the wares to them occasionally, but that's not usually enough merchandise to keep them in business. And even if it was, sitting and waiting for merchandise to come to you goes against the very nature of what most dealers crave. The thrill of the chase is often what keeps us interested year after year.

So maybe you've thought about gathering up a few things or clearing out your own packrat home to take a stab at wearing the antiques peddler's hat. I wish you all the best.

But remember, it takes a lot more drive, determination and tenacity than you might think to stay in business. And, you can't get mad when people ask, “Where do you get all this stuff?”

Photo by Pamela Wiggins

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