a little about Replacements

I have a friend who still sells to them. He drives up there 2 to 3 times a year to drop off a load so he must be still turning a profit on the pieces.

It sometimes amazes me that they are still obviously going strong with the competition they have from eBay Etsy, etc. Given that you can usually find it for less from individual dealers.

I know they sell on eBay but I wonder if they also sell on Etsy?

 

I got prices from them on some items I had to sell and their offers where very very low. They must have a huge margin on sales.

 

They also have to have massive expenses. Their warehouse space alone costs a fortune. The offer 10 cents and sell for $20, probably, but I bet shipping supplies also cost them a fortune.

 

They definitely do not pay the folks they buy from anywhere near to what they sell their pieces. I heard that it depends on how long you have been selling to them & how much you sold to them in the previous year. So if you had never sold anything to them you would definitely be at the bottom rung. I have known Rick for about 18 years & I think he was selling to them before I knew him so I would think he would be at the top of the ladder. I know at one time they would give their sellers a catalog with the different levels they would pay but now it is all online. Obviously, my friend must be happy with what he gets because he is still going up there.

 

Being a dealer myself I realize that 1/4 or so of a selling price is what’s typically paid to buy clean stock but they offered a lot less than that. If you pick stuff up very cheaply maybe it can work. I do appreciate that they are preserving things for others to enjoy.

 

I actually did sell them some dishes but it was through him. He also owns a consignment shop here in Columbia & he will occasionally sell a consignor's items to them if he can get more money than he can get in his shop.

 

Just hold average ambient temperature in mind. They need cooling in summer and heating in winter as to not endanger their stock (not only porcelain but especially the fine stoneware which is prone to glaze cracking) ... and all that with the rising energy costs. Still, their prices are insane and they offer nothing towards a shopping experience in return.

What irks me with Big R is their arrogance. I do not know how many people (and producers) in total have contacted them on false IDs or misnamed patterns but - as far as I learned - they simply ignore them. Imagine not reacting when somebody like Rosenthal or Villeroy & Boch comes up and says "here, that's wrong". Sounds pretty stupid to me ...

Their "database" (the sad excuse they have online) is also buggy as heck, with obviously present items not being found in searches, etc., not even starting on the various pattern name errors. And then we have studio- or hobbyist-redecorated items offered as "original"; e.g. Heinrich items claimed to be Pickard (lol!), but not pointing out the truth or cross-referencing other items (some items listed under one handle are not present in the other, meaning that customers may lose out or miss something). Plus the rather misleading use of self-created codes when the original codes are plainly visible on-item (e.g. "Edelstein" products).

Finally, my pet peeve: Winterling. Having potential customers wade through tons of pages just because some manager is incompetent? A simple step would have allowed seperating the independent "Winterling Group" items from those of non-related "Heinrich Winterling" goods, DRAMATICALLY cutting back on search overhead and clutter.

Okay, you may simply say that I don't have to deal with them. Ah! But that's not up to me; I am speaking of all the people completely misguided or misinformed by Big-R which then end up in my inbox or on my phone, whining about unlocatable series, peculiar search results or "rare, one of a kind" items (per Big R) which are actually mass produced (and actually pretty much worthless). I have long given up on Big R and will not offer any support for their site or their search results; when asked I simply point people back to their website. What? They DON'T offer support for the nonsense they spread? Well, I guess that's not *my* problem ...

 

They're OK to start a search with, but don't end there. End with someone who knows what they're selling. Big R is fine for finding common items or standard manufacturers, if not for standard prices, but the unusual pieces....go elsewhere.

 

I know Bob personally (and his life ex-partner - they separated about a half dozen years ago) they (now he) does the majority of his buying in antique shops - shows - flea markets etc - he buy tons of stuff and he isn't a hardcore haggler - if he is close he will ask - if it's to way to much he just moves on to the next opportunity - he buys a LOT from local dealers and travels extensively - he has bought thousands from me when I was active in the antique mall scene - he isn't a cheapskate - the margin isn't as great as some would think - he buys quality stuff when it is within reason - not a single bad thing to say about him - he even supplies his own packing materials and wraps his own purchases - class act