In our rather interesting time, the question of how to make money on antiques is very relevant. Under the concept of "antiques" fits a lot of completely different things. This is not only furniture, dishes, weapons and all kinds of archaeological values, but also various pre-war objects, badges, buttons, brands, produced in the 1930s and 1940s.
If you are interested in this area, and you understand the pre-revolutionary technology and postcards of the last century, then you should think about how to make money on antiques by organizing your own business.
Global market outlook
It should be noted that the domestic market occupies an insignificant part in this industry. And if you want to open your own business on antiques and earn a lot, then you should be guided by the market of Europe, America and Asia.
In this case, truly endless prospects will open before you. Of course, in order to work in the global market, you must have a little command of English. Only after that you will get an excellent opportunity and prospects, you will be able to make a profit not only as an intermediary and consultant, but also to work as a proxy, fulfilling the client’s instructions to search for and purchase valuable antiques. In addition, through mediation and consultation, you can earn start-up capital to open your own store.
Ways to create an antique business
There are several ways to make money on antiques. The first is an investment in valuable items and their further resale. In this case, your profit will be approximately 25% per annum of the invested amount. You can also get a specialty “appraiser of antiques” and work in this direction.
The services of such a specialist are estimated at 100-150 dollars per hour. Many people think that only those who have a degree in museum work and art history can deal with antiques, but in fact, everything is much simpler. You can finish special courses in antique business and become a professional in this field.
Treasure hunt
There is another interesting option, how to make money on antiques - the search for treasure. In this case, your profit is determined by the quality and quantity of the treasures found. You can search for anything from copper coins to rare gold jewelry. But you must understand that not all old coins will be valued at a decent amount.
Their cost depends on how rare they are. But jewelry and jewelry can bring really good income, but there are nuances here. The price of such jewelry is set taking into account their condition and the possibility of restoration.
Sales of antique items
Antique art experts recommend selling their finds through special antique auctions on the Internet. Here the cost of rare items can increase many times. In addition, there are forums where treasure hunters, collectors or just lovers of antiques communicate. With their help, you can sell or buy antiques, but, of course, you need good experience. It should be noted that really valuable and rare finds are not often found, these are isolated cases.
Where to learn antiquarian
One of the organizers of the antique courses is the Gelos company. At this auction house there is an institution of the same name in which you can master such specialties: "Business Valuation in the Field of Antiques", "Methodology for Determining the Values of Antiques".After successfully mastering the program, students receive a diploma-license to conduct valuation activities in the field of antiques.
But before retraining for a specialist in antique subjects, you should consider that appraiser courses are quite expensive. You only have to pay $ 1,100 for attending an elementary course, and more in-depth training at annual courses costs about two thousand dollars.
You can study for antiquaries right after graduation, you will not have to take exams and tests. But basically this activity is interesting for those who already have an education and want to change the scope of activity. Institute leaders assure that the basic education of applicants for training is completely irrelevant. As a rule, courses are designed for people who previously had nothing to do with their chosen specialty.
Training
For experienced students with diplomas of art historians and culturologists, the auction house offers a more in-depth training program for the specialty "Antiquarian Appraiser". In addition to Gelos, a specialty in the field of antiques can be obtained at the Knowledge - Prechistenka training center.
To get a four-month course and get a major in arts and crafts, you have to pay about $ 230. Here you can also take a two-month course in the Soviet art of painting and the history of iconography. Such courses will cost you $ 600.
Of course, you can take an introductory course in antique affairs at the International School of Design and learn to distinguish valuable objects from fakes, but this will not make you a good specialist in this field. You can get a certificate of completion of courses in antique affairs at the Moscow Linguistic Center. Having paid a thousand dollars, you can listen to the course of the corresponding lectures.
Features of the antique business
Of course, you should not count on the fact that after a course of training in special programs you will immediately become a qualified antiquarian and begin to earn really serious money. Professionalism in this area is acquired for many years through experience. Nevertheless, you will not be left without such a profession.
You can open your own antique business to evaluate, buy or sell antique objects, or you can gain experience so necessary in this area in one of the many companies specializing in antiques. Even a novice specialist can count on a salary of one or two thousand dollars a month, which will quickly pay off the money spent on education.
And the profit of a professional and experienced appraiser of antiques ranges from three hundred to one thousand dollars a week. For services for the evaluation of antiques that are put up for sale, you can earn about $ 100-150 per hour. In addition to income from determining the value of the goods, the appraiser is entitled to a certain percentage of the transaction concluded through its mediation.
Professionalism, experience and authority
In the antique market, in addition to professional qualities and experience, credibility is extremely important, which is extremely important to acquire during the activity. At the initial stage of establishing your business, you will have to work for a small fee, but over time, after you acquire a name and authority in the antiquarian circles, you will be able to expect a significant increase in income.
It is worth paying attention to the strict specialization, which is noted among the antique dealers. For example, a specialist in painting will never take up the evaluation of antique furniture, and vice versa. Such an attitude makes it possible to study the selected field in more depth and become a truly professional appraiser.
