My Stay At Home Business:Antique and Collectible Business
by Dawn
(Warsaw, MO)
Noritake Cup and Saucer
Hello there, my name is Dawn and I am a stay at home mom who also runs a small collectible business. Most of my sales are done via the Internet, which can be time consuming as well as allow me the opportunity to schedule sales at my convenience.
I began my business while taking care of my mother in law who had ALS. Because of the constrictions of being a full-time caretaker I was unable to pursue outside work. While shopping at an Estate Sale I was presented with an opportunity to purchase a beautiful dinnerware set.
After some research on the Internet and Antique books from the local library, I found that I could triple my investment and thus began my business. For me, the main expenditures included some antique and collectible books for research, a digital camera for taking photos and, of course, the investment money to begin.
One of the hardest parts of starting my business was learning how to differentiate between items that were real and those that were reproductions. Because most reproductions were produced as an almost identical replica, it was at times very difficult to spot the minor flaws.
In time, my skills became sharpened as I began to concentrate on one area of specialty (for me, dinnerware) as opposed to many (i.e. shakers, toys, etc).
My advice to anyone desiring to begin in the Antique and Collectible business is first, decide what area you would like to concentrate on (i.e. dinnerware). Secondly, scan your local Antique stores to see what is offered there.
Next, research what is selling from online auctions, such as Ebay. Finally but most importantly, start small. Let your business build itself instead of investing fruitlessly. If you do your research and purchase accordingly, you should have no problem seeing a profit, which can in turn be used to purchase additional items.
Personally, I have benefited greatly from my business. Not only has it allowed me to remain a stay at home mom but has given me the confidence to say so with pride
