MY ANTIQUES BUSINESS WAS INSPIRED BY THE TRAVEL BAN
Ethan Svirsky, 18, from North London, started his online antiques business Marshgoodland Antiques (marshgoodland.co.uk) last October
I was in my final year at school and had some money saved for travelling when lockdown happened.
I’d been interested in antiques for a while as our house is filled with nice things and I loved the stories behind them. I went to stay with my aunt for five days as she has an antiques business in Petworth, West Sussex, and she taught me the basics of upkeep and restoration.
I had £1,500 that I used to start my website, buy stock and the equipment I needed for restoration, which was mainly waxes, woodworm treatment and brass polish.
I spend a lot of time online searching auctions and have to put in a lot of requests for extra photos and condition reports because the last thing I want to do is buy something that’s missing a back panel, for example. Most of my customers found me on Instagram – I worked really hard in the first few months to build up followers.
The first big piece that I bought was a 17th-century side table, which cost £200. I had to learn fast. I had no experience in product description or taking photos and editing them. Product descriptions are particularly important at the moment because there is no person-to-person interaction when buying.
The whole antiques community was extremely welcoming. The most useful advice was to buy what you like and everything will be OK. Don’t buy into trends – that way you’ll generate your own customer base.
I store the things I buy in my bedroom or they are dotted around the house. I still live with my parents and they’ve been very supportive. My mum used to have a stall at Portobello Market and helps me out.
My advice to any young people who want to start a business would be to use this time in lockdown to do research. Starting a business is daunting. The more familiar you are with what you’re trying to do, the more comfortable you will feel. And ask for advice from people already in your industry.
I’ve made a profit of around £2,500 so far. I’ve also secured a place at St Andrews University for business management and I plan to keep things going while I’m there.
MUM SAMANTHA SAYS:
We’re really proud of Ethan. He has always thought outside the box and has the determination to make a success of everything he does.