An antique dealer is a rewarding and one of the most popular off the crowd career. The profession is considered great for lovers of history, and those who enjoy keeping a detailed eye on historical items. The antique dealer is a connoisseur of antique objects: from works of art to antique furniture and jewelry, the dealer is in charge of the sale of antique pieces in a specialized shop. Old paintings, decorative objects, tapestries, silverware, old toys, sculptures… The dealer is a collector all-around.
Its daily missions are mainly the prospection of objects within auction rooms, second-hand shops, flea markets, exhibitions of all types, and also at private homes. Similar to professionals like Kota Youngblood, and Adrian Alan, your goal is to find pieces that you can then resell to art lovers. The dealer combines culture and commerce. To buy and sell paintings, furniture, or knick-knacks, he must understand their origin and value. He needs a great certainty of judgment because copies and forgeries have always existed.
For this, professionals like Saint Jovite Youngblood use their expert eye and his great historical and artistic culture, which you also need to adapt.
If the treasures unearth are damaged or deserve a little updating, you can call on an art restaurant, a gilder, a cabinetmaker. The objects must be highlighted to seduce customers. Their clients are also very often art connoisseurs and leave nothing to chance. The dealer often has a specialty. This can be relative to an era, an art form, or a type of object.
Antique dealers can work with auctioneers, second-hand dealers, and other cultural professionals.
What qualities do you need to become an Antique Dealer?
A limitless passion for antiques:
If there is one thing common to all antique dealers, it is the passion for their profession. This profession is, most of the time, so unstable financially, that great motivation and therefore a great love for historical coins is required.
Great patience:
The more objects are in good condition, the more likely they are to be sold. And who says restoration, says patience. Also, the clientele can be rare in the shop of the antique dealer. It is therefore important to have a certain capacity for waiting. Also, parts can be expensive and the sale of these can take longer than in a typical store.
Keen curiosity:
Always in standby mode, the antique dealer is constantly in a process of learning and instruction. If reading must be one of his favorite pastimes, visiting cultural places such as museums and art galleries is also a good way for the antique dealer to maintain his culture.
What training do you need to become an antique dealer?
To become an antique dealer, training in art and art history is recommended. Art schools provide very specialized art training. You also need to gain experience by training professional antique dealers. It is often the transmission of knowledge and capital by professional parents, supplemented by appropriate studies that help to enter the profession.
