Antique dealers will always exist

Re: Ottawa vendors say antique business is dying, June 1

Similar to Mark Twain’s quip in 1897 that rumours of his death had been greatly exaggerated, reporter Adam van der Zwan exaggerates the death of antique collecting and selling in general.

The merchandising of antiques has changed in the last 30 years. Steadily increasing rents and operating costs have made it extremely difficult for antique dealers to operate stand-alone antique stores in urban centres like Ottawa.

To counteract this trend, we have seen a move to shared spaces in large group antique malls where the associated costs can be split among the dealers.

It’s true some antiques and collectibles are out of favour, but it is misleading to suggest that this is the case across all categories. Decorated stoneware, redware, folk art, decoys, mid-century modern items, outdoor collectibles, advertising signs, vintage fashions and country furniture, in original paint, to name only a few categories, are selling well.

The internet has changed the market for antiques, linking buyers and sellers through any number of e-commerce platforms. Progressive dealers have recognized this and are leveraging these platforms.

As we continue to see in our Ottawa-based antique market, hundreds of antique collectors want to see the items in person. They want to touch the object, examine it closely and talk to the dealer. This is all part of the fascinating process of collecting, and I for one do not see any end to that.

In the world of antiques and collectibles, the “rare” item will always sell. The “very good” items bring “very good” prices. That’s been true for generations and it continues to be true to this day.

The challenge for dealers, or those who wish to be dealers, is to focus their efforts on items of merit and to communicate with the collectors in innovative and creative ways.

David Smith, owner, the Ottawa Antique Market