This is the beginning of a three part series on antiquing. No, it’s not all about antiques, but about cool things I’ve learned while antiquing. Today I’ll talk about how I got into antiquing and how it is important to do something you love.
As I’ve mentioned earlier in my post on the Aggro Crag, I have a little antiques business as a side hobby. My life has also gotten better as I’ve incorporated more things in it that are not so single-focused such as just law school or law-related things.
I’ve always liked antique and vintage things, and my aunt who raised me recently passed away leaving me with a pile of things to get rid of. I’m never one for getting someone else to do something for me that I can do for myself, so I decided to sell her stuff on my own instead of hiring an auctioneer or estate salesperson. The problem with this was, her stuff wasn’t very valuable, just a bunch of things she personally liked (such as pig figurines and chicken figurines…). In order to start a business with this stuff, I was going to have to acquire a few marquee pieces.
So I started going to live auctions in central Virginia, and it has become a great pastime. I thought I knew a lot about antiques and collectables from watching every single episode of Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, American Pickers, Auction Kings, and Antiques Roadshow. However, I didn’t really learn the trade until I started frequenting auctions.
Before I started going to live auctions, I had a small money-making side venture where I ordered lots of vintage jewelry off of ebay and picked out the scrap gold and sterling. Almost every single pack had at least one piece of precious metal in it that I could sell for 10-100x what I paid for the lot. This was at the height of the gold bubble. Personally I think silver is a better investment than gold, so I sold all of the scrap gold I found for spot price and have kept the silver as an investment.
Buying things at a low price and selling them for a higher price has always been, and always will be one way to make money no matter how the economy is going (just be careful and know when the market is at its peak i.e. why I don't invest in gold). The prices you pay and will be able to sell for are what will fluctuate, not the activity itself.
However, I guess I only had an edge for a year or so because after I spent a summer neglecting my hobby and working in New York, the prices on the lots shot up and people realized they were tossing gold and silver away for $3-$10 to a hustler. It is no longer profitable to order an entire lot of jewelry on ebay to flip the gold. My jewelry ebay-ing was a lot of fun, but also left me with a ton of vintage and contemporary costume jewelry that was not melt-able metal. At one of my auctions, I found a jewelry display case and now sell jewelry at my stand, too. It’s proven to be my biggest seller!
Buying things at a low price and selling them for a higher price has always been, and always will be one way to make money no matter how the economy is going (just be careful and know when the market is at its peak i.e. why I don't invest in gold). The prices you pay and will be able to sell for are what will fluctuate, not the activity itself.
However, I guess I only had an edge for a year or so because after I spent a summer neglecting my hobby and working in New York, the prices on the lots shot up and people realized they were tossing gold and silver away for $3-$10 to a hustler. It is no longer profitable to order an entire lot of jewelry on ebay to flip the gold. My jewelry ebay-ing was a lot of fun, but also left me with a ton of vintage and contemporary costume jewelry that was not melt-able metal. At one of my auctions, I found a jewelry display case and now sell jewelry at my stand, too. It’s proven to be my biggest seller!
My stand is at Rivertown Antiques Mall in Scottsville, Virginia and it’s called “Eileene’s Treasure Trove.” It’s a really fun side venture because I get to go out actively searching for stuff to flip.
Promoting my antiques stand was not the point of this post, though. It's to encourage more young adults (and older ones to) to make time to do things you love. Don't put off rewarding and possibly life-changing things today because you think you do not have the time or ability due to some larger commitment such as school or career. It's very possible and very reasonable to do everything you love to do.Taking time away from your primary life activity also helps to make that activity more rewarding as well.
I started my antiques business as a way to do a lot of my hobbies at once, and to also build something out of the loss of my aunt. It’s been a lot of fun and big challenge. I have inventory and price lists of all of my items, compiled from hours of researching the market and the items.
I started my antiques business as a way to do a lot of my hobbies at once, and to also build something out of the loss of my aunt. It’s been a lot of fun and big challenge. I have inventory and price lists of all of my items, compiled from hours of researching the market and the items.
Going to auctions and meeting with the veteran dealers who frequent them has also been helpful. I’ve learned that older people can be a huge resource and most all of the people I’ve met at auctions seemed very excited to see a young person joining the mix.
So I’m writing this post to encourage everyone, no matter how busy or stressed, to start doing what you love and adding aspects to your life. I’m not saying to quit your job or quit school, but find a way to make what you like to do a more integral part of your life. Who knows, it may make you better at the normal things in your life and help you enjoy them more.
I can tell you first hand that my life is much better since I’ve integrated more things into it, not just from antiquing. I lost myself for a while in the beginning of law school because I was adhering to standards set by other people. I stopped thinking creatively and thought that by going against the standard I was somehow a failure. I believed I had to have the same goals and interests and had to work towards those same goals all the time. I forgot what really made my life more fulfilling and happy. Now it’s different. Everything I want to do, I try it. I don’t let it become my life, merely one aspect of it.
Now a lot of people probably thought I was being hair-brained by starting an antiques business while being a full-time law student. If anything though, it’s made me a better student because I have something else to get excited about instead of having a one track school/party/school/law stuff/school mind.
Make time in your day to do fun stuff and to become more dynamic. Everyday I try to set a goal for myself. Sometimes I complete them, sometimes I don’t. But usually I’m a better person at the end of the day for trying.
Since I’ve started antiquing on the side, my life has drastically improved, my personality is what it really is, and I wake up each day excited instead of with dread at the same mundane things. I’ve met new people who’ve given me advice that can be carried into many aspects of my life and for that I’m thankful.
So, do what you love. But do it wisely.
(Pardon any typos, I'm writing this post during an hour break between spinning and NYC sightseeing).
