What will you do?
You appraise pieces for their value and origin, prepare them for sale and display them attractively in the shop. Sometimes you restore an object before selling it. You welcome customers, analyse what they are looking for, handle payments and keep the sales administration in order, always trading according to the rules of the antiques business.
- Track down antiques and evaluate pieces and collections
- Prepare objects for sale and display them
- Welcome customers and analyse their request
- Sell products and take payments
- Keep the sales administration up to date
- Maintain the sales area and stay alert for theft attempts
Skills to develop
- Knowledge of art styles, materials and periods
- Commercial insight and negotiation skills
- Accuracy in appraisals and administration
- Customer focus and discretion
- Alertness on the shop floor
Your foundation for this occupation
Antiques dealing requires object knowledge and restraint in claims. Begin with a specialism such as furniture, ceramics or silver and learn materials, styles and repairs. An appealing story is not evidence of age or provenance. Seek practice comparing real objects with documented references.
From preparation to your first day
Develop the practical skills
Build a sample record with photographs, dimensions, marks, condition and provenance evidence. Separate observation from inference. Compare documented examples and seek specialist assessment where significance or value is uncertain. Do not immediately clean or restore, since intervention can alter useful evidence.
Check your work
Check descriptions for accuracy and disclose visible repairs or missing parts. Maintain purchase and sale records. Distinguish asking prices, completed sales and valuations. Protect objects appropriately during transport and display.
How can you grow?
Specialise by period, material or object group, or work with collections and auctions. Carefully researched object records demonstrate expertise better than sale prices alone. Stock costs, provenance research and reliable agreements matter for independent trade.
Frequently asked questions
Is an old object automatically valuable?
No. Material, maker, condition, rarity, provenance and demand interact. Age alone is insufficient. State uncertainty and seek expertise outside your specialism.