Featured Article: Small Antique Stores Dying Out In Vermont

Vermont’s small antiques stores are disappearing
https://vtdigger.org/2020/01/26/vermonts-small-antiques-stores-are-disappearing/

Fairly long and well written article documenting the decline of antiques and collectables industry in Vermont. Could be talking about many locales in the U.S. and around the world since many of the same trends are happening across the board everywhere.

 

On Facebook Marketplace - In a small beach city in Southern California. Antique Shop for sale.

 

Would love to manage/own an antique store but unfortunately I'm a middle class collector and doubt the economics would work out in my favor. Would be a great retirement job for someone who didn't need the store to make a profit to keep food on the table or the rent bill paid.

 

I was just giving you an example of the loss of yet another small antique store even in an area where people have a lot of money.

 

These small stores would be fairly hard to sell especially if the financials are not too good. As the article states, tourists are likely only interested in smalls and things they can easily fit into their car without make the rest of the trip uncomfortable. Those display cases look really cool! I wonder if having too much glass between the customer and the item hurts sales enough to not justify keeping everything safe from shrinkage.

 

Hi Joe,
I used to do the Vermont small local stores several times a year in the 1970s. Then the major highways moved in and the local stores are closed. I then started to do local Canadian stores in the late 1970s. Once I went to many yard sales my car was stuffed with bags with one saucer in one bag, a lot of pitchers in a box and other stuff just wrapped in paper when I tell you the car was stuffed after a long weekend. Coming back through customs the officials just shook their heads when I pulled up. They opened a few bags and then backed away from me. I guess they thought I was a'Bag man" and insane also. I could hear them whispering about what they should do. They decided just to wave me on and let me be someone else's problem.
greg

 

This is a very astute comment.
I find I lose enthusiasm trying to work out what something is made of or if it's of interest if it's behind glass. Or craning my neck to see the upside down price tag.
I fully understand the reasons why due to the thieving rats who have no respect or morals but when the person with the key is at the front of the shop serving customers it's too much effort to ask them to open a cabinet unless I'm really keen.
I also tend to assume most things behind glass are going to have a hefty price tag and as I'm queen of the bargain hunters so I don't bother.
At antiques fairs I understand why properly valuable stuff is under glass but not the low value stuff.
Most of the antiques shops round here are stupidly expensive when you can sometimes pick up similar items for a tenth of the price online. That goes for most of our high street stores though. So many empty shops with huge overheads that can't compete with online.

 

I moved into a space in a co-op in downtown Plymouth less that a week ago, sales are much, much stronger than I expected. I paid rent in advance for Feb. through Sept. and have already recovered half of it back. Plymouth is celebrating 400 years this summer with loads more tourists expected than usual.
I went to finish hanging some paintings yesterday, thinking it would be a quiet time to do so, wrong, the place was packed.

 

That’s fantastic! Sounds like you have what people want

 

I don’t sell online and all my merch is fresh to the market, I’m getting lots of positive feedback from the employees.

 

Agreed x2 on glass but I also wouldn't leave my "valuable" smalls laying out. You could easily lose thousands in the blink of an eye.

As a great example I would have almost definitely purchased a silver fruit knife at an antique mall the other day if I had been able to touch it. If it was coin silver I would have 100% taken it and if it were .925 and looked as good in hand as in case I would have. However they were closing and the girl would have had to walk all the way back to front of building then all the way back to unlock it. I told her not to worry about it and that I would buy it if I were back again. Which if I am wouldn't be until April at earliest.

 

And if you sell at a reasonable price, out it goes. One local store keeps trying to charge high prices in this era. The stuff sits.

 

I’ve been to malls that had only showcases, one that had a button to push to alert the attendant at each case, much better than wasting time walking back and forth to the front counter.

 

I was trying to explain it from an honest buyers perspective , I understand the security reasons but glass disconnects the potential buyer from the item and reduces the chances of a sale. As always the dishonest ruin it for everyone!

 

Same round here. I went into a shop I hadn’t been into for at least a year and the same stuff was there!. Won’t go again.

 

dis one.....?

https://main-street-marketplace.business.site/

i had fun shmoozing there....

 

or here.........

https://www.yelp.ca/biz/main-street-antiques-plymouth

had fun here too........

 

the bars on main street get a little loud....and full of bikers , when the weather warms up....

 

eat here.....

http://www.kkaties.com/menu.html

 

That’s the one, there was a few really stale booths there up until last year, especially upstairs. I’m on the first floor in a corner space, lots of wall space for paintings and wall hangers.