Customer Reviews

Buying & Selling Antiques: A Dealer's Inside View

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2 star:		(1)
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Sara Pitzer and Don Cline map out an easy-to-follow trail of tips, etiquette, and guidelines for beginning antique enthusiasts. Even those not planning to become antique dealers will benefit from the sound advice in this book.

The chapter on auctions was an eye-opening book in itself. I only wish I had read this book before I found myself at my first auction, the dreaded estate auction. As I read this book, I cringed at the novice mistakes and blunders I made at that first auction. Ms. Pitzer and Mr. Cline are kind enough to let the reader in on some of the blunders and mistakes Don and other experts have made in the past. They point out how you can learn from their mistakes.

Thank you Sara and Don, you have taught me I can inch my way into the business. Your advice is sound, and the mistakes were reassuring. With your book, I now feel ready to face the auctions again!

This book is excellently written with many enlightening stories to illustrate the authors' points about buying, selling, negotiating and more.
As someone who is toying with the idea of opening a booth in an antiques mall, I appreciated reading about the other selling options available such as holding antiques yard sales, picking for other dealers, or attending flea sales.
Although this book is not very long, it is the most helpful title I've found and is well worth its price. The authors concentrate on what the reader really needs to know: how to get started without getting in over one's head, how to buy and where (with the inside scoop on auctions and estate sales - fascinating!), how to sell most items at a profit and get rid of the mistakes, dealer discounts and possible sidelines to earn extra income.

The general tips on the business are good, but this book was written during a very different time in the antiques business. A lot of the what is discussed is out of date and does not apply to today's market. The manner in which the information is presented is annoying because the book is written by Sara Pitzer, but the knowledge of the business comes from Don Cline. Pitzer ends up saying "Don says this..." and "Don tried that..." and so on. Very annoying.