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 Richard
Gardner
A dealer
who keeps up with the times.
 Richard
Gardner (pictured left) is a leading light of the Petworth Antiques
Dealers’ Association, although he started in the antiques trade
as a second career. He believes that this was an advantage rather
than a handicap as his earlier experience taught him that a proper
businesslike attitude and planning can help dealers to weather
the economic storms.
Ten years ago Richard started
his antiques business after working in insurance then catering
and publishing. He was coming to the end of a contract and he
wanted to make a career change to something he enjoyed. He was
an enthusiastic collector of Staffordshire figures so he decided
to deal in them. As he worked out his contract he started part-time
which gave him the opportunity to learn the trade without being
financially dependent on sales.
Richard’s first years as a dealer
were not easy. The economy was in recession and things were tough
financially for most people. Surprisingly, he says, "It was
a struggle... but this did help as the only way was up."
Initially doing three-day fairs, he observed that the dealers
who were doing well were those dealing in furniture. So he started
selling furniture too. Richard
did fairs for about four years but never really enjoyed them.
He wanted a permanent base to sell a wider range of antiques as
well as upgrade the quality of his stock.
"I could see that trade would become more difficult in the
future and I had to trade up to my present level in terms of quality,"
he says.
Furniture 1876
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His present shop in Petworth started
seven years ago with two showrooms, now expanded to six. He still
specialises in Staffordshire figures as well as fine furniture
from 1690 to 1835 with some Edwardian pieces. Also there is an
extensive selection of bronzes and paintings, over forty Wyllie
etchings and unusual items like singing birds in cages, crocodile
handbags or suits of armour.
Because Richard had an orthodox
business background, he applies the same basic business methods
to antiques dealing. He says that it is not enough to open an
antiques shop, even in such a good location as Petworth, and then
sit back and wait for customers to come through the door.
Even prospective antiques dealers
must have a business plan so they know how they are going to buy
stock, pay rent and rates and, most importantly, how they are
going to attract customers. "We have an advertising plan
for the year, have exhibitions, brochures, a web site and PR.
I expect my business to grow every year, and touch wood, it has
done so. I think the main difference is that I treat it as a business
selling antiques."
Does he see the trade developing
and changing?
"Yes, I do see the trade
changing in the next five years. I believe that shortly there
will be one or two large, high quality showrooms left in each
region, such as the South, the Cotswolds, the Midlands. The ones
who run their businesses as a business will be the ones who survive."
At the moment, some people in
the antiques trade are debating whether the internet will have
a large part to play in selling antiques in the future and many
believe that it will never have a major impact. Richard disagrees.
He believes that the internet can help and launched his
own site in May 1999. He now believes that his is the largest
single dealer site on the web. "The internet has had an impact
on our business, but not the major change everybody expects. It
is like opening a new shop, the first week you might have five
customers, the next six, then seven and so on....We now sell on
average two items a week from the website and this is increasing
at a steady rate."
Richard feels that the website
is also a valuable tool for helping to keep existing customers
because they can see new stock on-line without having to visit
the showroom. With the aid of a digital camera, the site is updated
weekly and has 90% of current stock featured on-line. Another
important result of the web is that it brings people into the
showroom who have seen the website. "I believe that the internet
will have a major impact on the antiques trade in the long term,
especially when access to it becomes free in this country and
available on digital television. Until then, I believe the bulk
of any business will come from the USA and then the rest of the
world," he says.
Like many dealers, he has problems
finding good quality stock but he believes that as the problem
increases it will work to his advantage. "As good quality
antiques become harder to find more people will try to find that
rare piece for their home or collection by using the web."
Copyright © 2002 by Carol
Fisher All Rights Reserved
Picture of Richard Gardner: Copyright © 2002
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