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Antique Dealer

Do you want to become a Antique Dealer? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:

Job Description - Print Page

Antiques are old objects that usually have some aesthetic, historic or financial value. An object must be over 100 years old to qualify as an antique for legal purposes such as duty free import and export, but many objects and items sold by antique dealers are merely collectors' items and not sold as antiques.

• Antique dealers buy and sell a large variety of such objects. They buy from auctions, markets and trade fairs, and sell to the general public through their own premises, usually a shop.
• They may deal in a wide range of antiques, or specialise in a field such as jewellery, glass, furniture or china.

Antique dealers work long hours, including weekends and evenings. Most of the work takes place indoors at shops or salesrooms. Dealers may travel, so a driving licence is essential.

Earnings range from £12,000 to £50,000.

Antique dealers should have:

• a passionate interest in the items they deal in
• good judgement and ability to make quick decisions
• business ability and good sales technique.

There are over 20,000 antique dealers in the UK, working from shops, antiques markets and fairs and from home. Most are self-employed, some are part time and a few combine dealing with restoration work.

There are no full-time courses specifically for antique dealing. There are a number of ways to start, such as joining one of the smaller or medium-sized antique or auction houses as an assistant, or gaining some experience through work in a salesroom or an auction house as a porter, clerk, cataloguer, valuer or auctioneer.

It is common for older people to go into antique dealing. This can be the result of a long-term hobby or experience in an associated field such as art dealing.

There is no promotion for self-employed antique dealers - their success depends on increasing sales, turnover and profit.

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