Antique Dealers Bingo

Although just about everyone in the business thinks that the antiques trade is the best in the world, sitting in a village hall for seven hours on a Sunday can be mind numbingly boring. There is only so much coffee you can drink and once you have realised that you cannot complete the crossword desperation can set in.

Therefore, we have antique dealer’s bingo; every dealer has a card and the one who has crossed off the most by the end of the day wins a piece of chocolate cake.

To explain from top left.

“Cheaper on Ebay.”

It may be but is it the same, can you inspect it on Ebay, have you taken postage into consideration?

“I Have one of those but mine is bigger”

Most furniture is worth more the smaller it is.

Asks where you bought your collection

What every item for the past 30 years?

Dealer pretending to be public

A dealer has spotted a bargain and plays dumb not to inform the seller

“50 what, pence”

Trying to impress wife or girlfriend

Asks what the item is despite it being described on ticket

Dealers bad handwriting probably due to too much wine the evening before

“Drew Pritchard would buy that”

Most dealer are too busy to watch antiques television shows so do not know who Drew Pritchard is.

Googles what you have just told them

Some people trust no one

Taps item as strolls past

I do not understand why

You will never get that for it

This is what we do for a living and the price is probably correct – too much Antiques Roadshow breeds “Experts”

Points to an item and names it wrong

It is best to just nod and smile

Stops looking as phone rings

Another lost sale

Asks price even though it is on ticket

Inform of ticket price

Tells you it would be better as a pair

Thanks for that

Member of the public pretending to be dealer

Hoping for a discount - which more commonly dealers are not asking for.

My Mum and Dad had one of those.

Very interesting

Asks if you buy these as they have one.

Well, of course

Is that what it is worth

What do you think?

Photos it without asking

A please goes such a long way

Ignores your “Good morning”

Benefit of the doubt – perhaps hard of hearing

Has unrelated chat with friend at stall

Blocking sales, thanks for that

Starts uninteresting anecdote

Smile nicely

“I have only just got here”

There may be many things here that I like more than your stock

Names item correctly

Smile and try to sell it but they already have that model

Holds item up and makes joke to friend.

Thanks

Offers 50% of the price

No, once again too much daytime TV

Inspects as a CSI inspector

And does not buy

Puts down in disgust at seeing price

Some things rise in value, some things fall.

Puts item back not as it was found

Must put sandwich down to re place

Handles item carelessly

“Well its priced at £60.00 so it’s only worth £10.00”

Top tips for buying at antique fairs and markets.

Get there early as no one is going to save their best stock for you browsing after lunch.

With the larger fairs try and get hold of a preview evening or day invitation.

Ask for no more than 15% discount.

Do not try and pay cheque if you are not known to the dealer.

Do not claim to be an expert when you are not, dealers can tell

Smile and be polite – it will be returned tenfold.

As with all my blogs and the sell-my-antiques website I hold the copyright.Please feel free to email me for permission to reproduce in whole or part.cashwaiting@sell-my-antiques.co.uk