Photo Credit: Svadilfari

It’s not often that place you go to search for and buy antiques, turns out to be one itself. Yet this is exactly what Antiques Alley in West Monroe is.

Mentioned in the AAA Southern traveller’s Magazine, it is a place with a substantial amount of history, that quite aptly, sells antiques. The Antique Alley Merchants Association consisted of 6 merchants in 1987 who had put together their finances in order to pay for the advertising for their shops. From that beginning, the association has grown to 40 shops with antique malls, stand alone antique shops, and restaurants.

The History of Antique Alley began in 1959. It is the favorite antique hunting place for a lot of folks, as they walk through it’s memory filled streets. Louise Carter, owner of Louisiana Treasures feels that it’s the vintage jewellery that draw people to the Alley.

“People just love the old street,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be fancy for people to enjoy it.”. There are lots of plans afoot for the area, which recently obtained government status. This will allow a mater development plan to be built for the area.

In any case, they will have to change it carefully so that it retains it’s historic flavor. Places like this need to be kept intact, as they provide us with a glimpse into a forgotten past.

It looks like the Bloom is wearing off, and dealers who gave up their brick and mortar stores to sell and auction their antiques online, are coming back.

Photo Credit: china_puwa

Antiques USA, which is an antique mall in Maine, is seeing several dealers who had left it when the Internet was still fresh, return after having had terrible experiences selling their wares online.

The reasons apparently, are that sellers are not able to get the prices that they were able to command when the Internet was new, and everyone was trying it out. In fact, several sellers have not been able to get any bids on their products at all.

Another reason cited, is buyer fraud. This happens when the buyer wrongfully claims that the item was received in a damaged condition, or not at all. The Seller then has to replace the item, or lose their reputation, which definitely hurts honest sellers.

In addition, there are several associated costs with selling your items online like fees and administrative costs. These may seem small when taken individually, but they really add up and eat into your bottoml-ine. This is another reason why sellers are now resorting to old fashioned sales.

There’s nothing like roaming around a shop, smelling the pieces, holding it, and making the purchase.Looks like some things just don’t change.

You just can’t get some people down. And when you’re born to sell antiques, you just have to. Even if that means you have to move three times to do it.

Photo Credit: tamburix

Karl Langer has been selling antiques since 1979 where he owned Ann Arbor Stamp and Coin right up till 1986, when he sold it. From that time for the next eight years, he sold antiques in malls, and on eBay. But since eBay’s rules have changed, he wanted to consolidate his operations in one place. He said that anyway, he was paying rent for the previous places, and that in his new location, it was a much more close-knit community.

Now he is settled on Liberty Street at Antelope Antiques and Coins. His new location he says, gives him thousands of people walking by every day. Langer deals with gold and silver bullion, and he says that the market has never been higher. He also has two consignment dealers inside the store selling modern items, and movie posters.

In his previous location, the market he found was mixed. In some months, there would be great sales, and then suddenly a drought for the next few months. Predictably, sales picked up during Christmas, spring, and summer.