How Does an Antique Picker Spend a Workday?

I still stop at yard sales and keep an eye out for treasures on the side of the road. My most recent roadside find was a Kazak rug admittedly in rough condition. It needed cleaning and a bit of repair but it still brought me $240 after a bit of haggling with the rug dealer. Anywho, the article below will tell you about how someone might break into the buying and selling biz to make some extra cash...or even start a very fun  and profitable primary or side business.

By Linda Johnson, eHow Contributor

A Picker's Picks

An antique picker like Joe picks up antiques and old stuff wherever he can find it. He's the guy in the station wagon or pickup cruising the curbs on trash day, or doing some "alley picking" in old neighborhoods. He goes to flea markets, garage sales and auctions, too. He also checks out the ads in the paper, looking for antique sale items. He has a good eye, and knows how to buy things right, so he can sell them for more to the antique dealers he knows.

Joe Is on the Lookout for Treasures in Trash

Joe is doing some curb cruising and alley-picking today. He keeps an eye peeled for an assortment of stuff at the curb that indicates somebody might be moving. If he finds a treasure-trove outside your house, he might just knock on your door and ask if there is anything else you want to get rid of. If you advertise a garage sale and list "collectibles," he will probably show up.

Antique Shops Are on the Lookout for Joe

Antique dealers cannot always take time to go to auctions and sales. Or maybe they don't have a truck they can haul something big in. That's where Joe comes in. He is always out looking for good picks, and he knows which dealers are interested in what antiques. He brings his finds to antique shops and sells them at a profit because he knows what things are worth and what the traffic will bear. Without Joe, his antique dealers would be short on merchandise to sell.

Joe Develops Niches

Joe may have started out with $5 and a junk car, but over the years, he has become a specialist. That's why you'll see him at estate sales. He knows where to find the antiques he is most knowledgeable about. That royal blue Depression glass you see comes and goes in favor with antique aficionados. When it's out of favor, Joe buys it and holds it until it's popular again. He is also somewhat of an expert on old oak furniture. If he finds out you have an old oak secretary or icebox, he will want to buy it from you. Be prepared to come down in price, because shrewd haggling keeps Joe in business.

Advice from Joe

Joe would tell you that his success as a picker comes from his good eye and reputation. He goes around to antique shops, making a note of the kind of inventory they keep. He is good at small talk, and soon has dealers telling stories. He finds out how knowledgeable they are and how much they like to pay.The next time that dealer sees him, Joe will have something to offer that the dealer wants, and at a fair price.

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