Five years ago, Toma Clark Haines – CEO of The Antiques Diva & Co – was asked in a surreal moment to speak at the House of Parliament at the LAPADA conference. The purpose of the talk was to discuss how to sell antiques to the American buyer. Toma started the talk by saying, “If you want to compete in today’s market – you have to be willing to change.”  Today's guest on the podcast, Steven Favreau, represents that change in the way we sell – and decorate – with antiques.

Steven Favreau is a top interior designer known in both Boston and San Francisco. His work with both residential and commercial clients has been awarded accolades and has been featured in Design New England, The Boston Globe, California Home + Design, San Francisco Chronicle Stylemakers, Houzz.com, among others.

The expression “Making Antiques Modern” is overused and often under-explained. Antique dealers understand that, in order to be successful in selling antiques today, they must take a fresh approach to selling – and displaying – antiques. Gone are the days of dusty doilies and grandma's antiques. 

 Theatrical in personality, style, and design, Steven Favreau is NOT SELLING your grandma's antiques. His approach to the Business of Antiques seamlessly merges the gritty alongside the sleek – antiquity with contemporary.  He makes antiques modern by juxtaposing styles so that each genre elevates the other. In this episode, Steven talks about the evolution of his interior design business. 

 During the conversation, he tells about launching the Favreauleus Factory in Boston – an 11,000 square foot loft in the heart of Boston’s Innovation and Design District. More than an antiques store,

it was an event space that awakened the senses and challenged the possibilities of dynamic interior design. When the pandemic hit, Steven was stuck with a difficult choice: he had to close the Favrealous Factory. Using this time to reevaluate his business and his life – he chose not to close the factory but to relocate it to Hudson, New York – a small town in upstate New York, which is being dubbed the ‘New Brooklyn’. It’s hip and cool, and the town was ready for Steven’s look.

Steven and Toma talk about this decision to relocate. The challenges of being too far ahead of the competition.  Of not just following the trends – but setting them – and being trailblazers in their own ways.

 Visit our sponsor, The British Shop!

The British Shop transports fine art, furniture and antiques by air, land and sea around the world. David Hockney once said “Art has to move you” and The British Shop offers a service which moves ART AND ANTIQUES with attentive personal care delivering delicate items around the world. Whether you’re shipping an entire container yourself or you need to ship a few items via consolidation – The British Shop is your solution for shipping antiques from Europe to the USA (or wherever else you happen to be located when listening to this podcast). Don't let the name fool you. This international antiques shipper might be called The British Shop… but they don't just do shipping from England. The British Shop does collections in France and Belgium with regular collections ALL across EUROPE. Schedule a CALL with Malcom Disson of The

British Shop by visiting their website https://thebritishshop.com/. Tell them you heard about them on the Business of Antiques Podcast to receive a special offer on your Insurance for your delivery!

Toma Clark Haines - CEO of The Antiques Diva & Co has a tenant - “Follow Your Heart.”  Her constant advice to antique dealers taking her international antique buying tours is “If you don't love what you’re selling - then dont sell it.”  Belgian Antiques Dealer and 4 Rooms TV Star Bie Baert is a prime example of how selling what turns you on is the foundation for success. 

Bie Baert is one of Belgium's most famous antique dealers, and she always follows her heart which is why Toma chose to interview her on Valentines Day (even though this episode drops a few weeks later). Bie explains that she's an autodidact - a self-taught dealer having learned how to be an antiques dealer with hands-on training. And she’s convinced that the Business of Antiques can be taught. Antique Dealers are made - not born. Her biggest piece of advice? Make mistakes. You learn the most by the things you do wrong.

She and Toma discuss how her eponymously named business has evolved over the last 28 years.  Lucky for Bie, when you google her name, she's the only Bie Baert who shows up. She was an early adapter to the world wide world developing her first website over 20 years ago when her competitors said… “no one will buy antiques online.”  It took time to develop her following, but Bie has developed one of the most loyal followings in the world. 

Her clients love her. They love her charming personality and quirky style, and they love that she can always explain why she bought a certain object.

Bie currently sells antiques in a multi-prong approach - on Instagram, her website, and 1stDibs - as well as out of her home near Antwerp. Inviting customers into her home to see inventory in situ and how items look in a home has always been a hallmark of how she does business. This means she is constantly redecorating her house with inventory that is coming in and out of the door. Toma asks Bie’s zodiac sign and Bie confesses that change is in her nature. She's a Gemini. 

By having a business model that sells antiques direct from her home, as well as extensively online, she has been able to continue to operate during the pandemic - socially distancing with clients allowing them the opportunity to source antiques even when antique fairs and stores were closed due to lockdown. When asked about her best investment back into her company

- she explains that investing in the cost of a booth rental for selling at antique fairs in the beginning helped her build her following and gain exposure. Today she only does one antiques fair at Chateau Deulin. It's an intimate fair and a great way to connect with her retail clients. 

Bie understands her demographic - which means she sells to both the trade and the end buyer. But what the end user buys is really different from what her trade clients purchase.  Understanding her target market is one of Bie’s secrets to her success. 

Her decision to establish her store in her home started long before the pandemic. She talks about the pros and cons of selling antiques from your house, how it’s not for everyone - imagine one day waking up and not having a dining room table! She explains how being an antiques dealer is an act of love. “It’s like raising a child,” she says and Toma concurs saying “The Antiques Diva is my baby - well it’s become a teenager, as AD&CO has grown up.” 

As the old saying goes, “If you do what you love you’ll never work a day in your life”. Which is not to say Bie doesn’t work hard - in fact, Toma wagers that Bie is one of the hardest working people in this industry. Bie talks about how when you’re an antiques dealer, you need to respond to clients night and day. As she’s going to bed, sometimes a client from Japan texts or a client from the USA inquires about an object before she wakes. Bie explains, “Good customer service is essential if you want to be a successful antiques dealer.”  

A Dutch newspaper wrote, “Bie Baert is one of the few women who stands her ground in the antique business.” While Toma says there are a lot of women globally in antiques - including many of her clients - who do this, she understands what the article meant when it described Bie this way.  Bie is a force to be reckoned with. She has been fearless over the years and her contribution to the antiques industry has paved the way for many more women antique hunters to be bold and follow their dreams.  

Toma tells the tale of how Bie Baert is 1st in line at the antique fairs - and Bie says “Like the postman, when buying antiques you stand in line to be first in the trade fairs come wind or rain.” 

For the last 30 years Bie has been traveling Europe, following her nose, as she selects inventory for her store that makes her heartbeat a little faster.

Sidenote: She got her start buying in the UK - and is a fan of the Bath Decorative Fair as well as IACF’s Newark, Ardingly etc. 

Her colorful (and charming) personality is felt in everything she buys and sells. 

Toma has long been convinced that energy is infused in antiques - and Bie’s energy attracts just the right buyer. Bie specializes in 20th century European furniture and special objects, but she is always open to exploring new horizons. Whether selling 18th or 20th century - Bie takes care to photograph the inventory with care to show it’s true colors. Her photography studio for antiques is in her home. She photographs 3 days a month, and all photography is done with natural Northern Light. She uses props in the photos - her nieces and nephews - as well as herself to show scale and to give depth and personality to the pieces. Having the right team behind her - a great photographer and restorer - have been key elements to her success. Toma advises that if you want to learn how to be an antiques dealer - “Remember it takes a village.”

Bie Baerts' business has evolved from being behind the camera to in front of the camera over the years. This is especially since 10 years ago when she was hired to be a star on the popular TV series 4 Rooms. She confesses that antiques TV has become the new porn with millions of viewers watching antiques TV! She explains what she’s learned about the need to change your business as your brand and antiques business grows. Evolution is essential. 

Bie has chosen to keep her business small as she wants to touch and feel antiques every day - and doesn’t want to become a glorified manager - but she understands that you have to evolve if you want to be a successful dealer. “These aren’t your grandma’s antiques,” Toma quips as she explains, “At The Antiques Diva & Co, we are on a mission to make antiques modern, sexy, fun, and profitable.”

Thanks for listening to another episode of the Business of Antiques. As always Toma asks wherever you’re listening to this podcast that you leave a 5 star review - but, more importantly, write a written review to let other isteners understand why you like this podcast. Your review and your comment helps The Antiques Diva & Co to continue to produce each great episode.

Visit Bie Baert https://www.biebaert.be/ Or on Instagram @BieBaert

 Visit our sponsor, The British Shop!

The British Shop transports fine art, furniture and antiques by air, land and sea around the world. David Hockney once said “Art has to move you” and The British Shop offers a service which moves ART AND ANTIQUES with attentive personal care delivering delicate items around the world. Whether you’re shipping an entire container yourself or you need to ship a few items via consolidation – The British Shop is your solution for shipping antiques from Europe to the USA (or wherever else you happen to be located when listening to this podcast). Don't let the name fool you. This international antiques shipper might be called The British Shop… but they don't just do shipping from England. The British Shop does collections in France and Belgium with regular collections ALL across EUROPE.

Schedule a CALL with Malcom Disson of The British Shop by visiting their website https://thebritishshop.com/. Tell them you heard about them on the Business of Antiques Podcast to receive a special offer on your Insurance for your delivery!

In this episode of The Business of Antiques Toma Clark Haines - CEO of The Antiques Diva & Co and Angela Somwaiya owner of Paul's Antiques in Bangkok discuss Angela's journey as an American expat running an antiques store in Thailand. 

Paul’s Antiques is Bangkok's best antique shop popular among diplomats, expats, tourists and collectors. It’s a veritable cornucopia of precious objects and furniture from South East Asia. Tucked in a quiet soi off bustling Sukhumvit, the store has an unparalleled collection of Burmese colonial pieces, Thai teak furniture, rare textiles, collectibles, and eclectic finds.

Angela shares her story how she, as a Chicago native, adopted Thailand as her home and her decision to buy Paul's Antiques. She was raised shopping in flea markets and thrift stores in the USA so, when and her husband were decorating their Bangkok home, she frequented Paul's store to buy antiques. When she heard he was considering closing his store - she offered to buy it. This is a decision that changed her life.

Paul’s Antiques was founded in 1994 by Paul Vail, an American expat who settled in Thailand and fell in love with Burmese colonial teak furniture. Originally selling at exhibitions only, Angela and her husband were among Paul’s first customers. Paul went on to revamp a 100-year-old teak house, which served as the first home for his vast eponymous collection complete with an in-house workshop for restorations and repairs. In 2008, Angela bought the business at its latest location in Sukhumvit Soi 13. She made her mark by expanding the collection to include pieces from all over Asia, such as lacquerware, statues, found-art, architectural salvage, and hard-to-find collectibles. She developed a revolutionary workshop and established a loyal customer base including some of Bangkok’s most beloved hotels. 

Holding a Bachelor's Degree in Japanese Studies and a Master's Degree in Thai Studies, Angela’s passion for the cultural relevance of each object shines through when you inquire about a piece. Angela talks about the importance for antique dealers to know their inventory, understand the stories, and also relate their cultural significance. Educating her clients is at the core of Angela's business.

Toma and Angela discuss Angela's decision to buy an established antiques store instead of starting her own business from scratch. They discuss the pros and cons of this situation -the pros involve optimized SEO, an established client list, and reputation; while the cons mean you have to set your own ego aside if the store is named after someone else. In the case of Angela, her store is named Paul’s Antiques - so when clients walk in the door - they are looking for Paul.  Angela details how, as she gained confidence as an owner of the store, people stopped asking for Paul and began looking to her because they could see by her confidence that she is the proprietor. Toma tells a story of how Angela is the essence of confidence when she walks through (and drives!) through the streets of Bangkok. They discuss the thrill of the hunt detailing how to buy antiques in Asia. Why Bangkok, Chang Mai, and Bali are the best places to source antiques in Asia and encourage you to book an antique buying tour in Asia. Toma tells how she and Angela first met and why she asked Angela to be the head sourcing agent for her antique buying tours in Asia.

They talk about what it means to be “ahead of the curve”. How being first in a market place is not always easy and they discuss the future of antiques.

Spoiler alert: the future is so bright, you have to wear shades.

Visit our sponsor, The British Shop!

The British Shop transports fine art, furniture and antiques by air, land and sea around the world. David Hockney once said “Art has to move you” and The British Shop offers a service which moves ART AND ANTIQUES with attentive personal care delivering delicate items around the world. Whether you’re shipping an entire container yourself or you need to ship a few items via consolidation – The British Shop is your solution for shipping antiques from Europe to the USA (or wherever else you happen to be located when listening to this podcast). Don't let the name fool you. This international antiques shipper might be called The British Shop… but they don't just do shipping from England. The British Shop does collections in France and Belgium with regular collections ALL across EUROPE. Schedule a CALL with Malcom Disson of The British Shop by visiting their website https://thebritishshop.com/. Tell them you heard about them on the Business of Antiques Podcast to receive a special offer on your Insurance for your delivery!

In this episode of the Business of Antiques, CEO Toma Clark Haines not only debuts her singing career (spoiler alert: she sings off key), but she also talks about how her business – The Antiques Diva & Co – can help you. Toma explains why you should book a FREE 1 HOUR Business Consultation to discuss your antiques shop and explains in detail what happens in that free session. She also explains what she wants to get out of that phone call. 

 She answers frequently asked questions about her services at The Antiques Diva & Co and explains what The Republic of Toma is. 

The Republic of Toma is her personal diary she shares where she talks about life, love, and other mysteries – think Eat Pray Love (yourself) meets Elle Decor plus a dash of Goop and pinch of Entrepreneur. The Republic of Toma is technically the parent company of The Antiques Diva & Co, and it’s mostly a placeholder for all those future projects she’s working on – from her lighting collection to her fabric collection to the memoir she's writing. And it’s her website for her business consulting for collateral services beyond antiques – i.e., helping you design and develop your lighting collection or develop a furniture collection. 

She explains how The Antiques Diva & Co Buying Tours work, what an antique buying tour costs as of Feb 1, 2022, and guarantees all pricing verbalized through May 1, 2022. She tells about how, in addition to antique buying tours, they offer concierge services for your travels helping you plan a vacation for some design inspiration after the buying tour. She then flips the switch and explains what a VIRTUAL Antiques Buying Tour is – or buying services when you can’t – or don't have time – to travel overseas. She explains how these antique picking services work, and why you should book a virtual tour instead of just click and buy online. She explains how she and her team get first access to vendors’ new inventory, and how you’re missing out on the best inventory and best prices if you’re not sourcing with The Antiques Diva & Co.

Toma is transparent. She explains exactly how she and her team get paid – transparency is the name of the game at The Antiques Diva & Co. She explains the commission process and how to ship antiques from abroad. She warns you what the problems are and what the potential delays are. She discusses the serious delays in the shipping process; the increased pricing for international shipping due to this COVID backlog; the shortage of storage spaces in warehouses for antique dealers; and how, now more than ever, it’s important to have a team on the ground helping you to not only take care of logistics but to also help you get space on a cargo ship to ship your goods! She tells the price of the international shipping. She tells how much to expect it to cost to ship a container of antiques from Europe to America. She gives worst case scenarios on shipping delays. 

She explains that her Antique Dealer Training Program is essentially business coaching for antique dealers – and she explains how each session works and what you should expect to get out of the mentoring sessions for antique dealers. She discusses the various topics they cover over the 20 hours of private business coaching with her and her colleague Margaret Schwartz of the Modern Antiquarian.  She explains her credentials and why she is one of the leading experts in the world for the Business of Antiques.

Lastly, Toma explains how her business is a reiteration of a reiteration of a reiteration – how it has continued to evolve to meet the needs of her client base. The thing Toma is better at than anyone is that she knows LISTENING to the needs of the antiques industry and coming up with SOLUTIONS and SERVICES address problems. She’s an intuitive and an empath and so when you talk she doesn’t just listen to you – she hears you. 

Her business has evolved to offer website development and marketing services for antique dealers to meet the needs of her clients. They offer content and social media management for antique dealers. She’s even posed as her clients (by logging into their account) on Instagram to help them engage in conversations with the right buyers to develop relationships, and she has written blog posts on their behalf. Her team can develop a marketing plan for you that either they or you can implement – it’s a step by step plan with proven strategies that work to grow your antiques business. 

At the end of the episode, she asks for your help – she asks you to rate, review, and share her podcast.  In order to continue the podcast, she needs more exposure to gain more listeners – and you as a listener can help spread the word about the Business of Antiques.

Visit our sponsor, The British Shop!

The British Shop transports fine art, furniture and antiques by air, land and sea around the world. David Hockney once said “Art has to move you” and The British Shop offers a service which moves ART AND ANTIQUES with attentive personal care delivering delicate items around the world. Whether you’re shipping an entire container yourself or you need to ship a few items via consolidation – The British Shop is your solution for shipping antiques from Europe to the USA (or wherever else you happen to be located when listening to this podcast). Don't let the name fool you. This international antiques shipper might be called The British Shop… but they don't just do shipping from England. The British Shop does collections in France and Belgium with regular collections ALL across EUROPE. Schedule a CALL with Malcom Disson of The British Shop by visiting their website https://thebritishshop.com/. Tell them you heard about them on the Business of Antiques Podcast to receive a special offer on your Insurance for your delivery!

Today we are talking to Sophie Wood – the fair director of the Chelsea Antiques Fair & Fine Arts taking place March 23-27, 2022. And let’s talk location location location because Chelsea is held in the Old Town Hall in London on Kings Roach in an iconic building. When 2 Covet – an online aggregator site for fine art, jewelry, collectibles, and antiques – bought the Chelsea Fair, they married technology with experience giving their vendors at the fair a multi-prong approach to selling antiques in the 21st century. As a fair director Sophie Wood, understands that it’s all about the experience – not just the for the customer but the vendors. 

Toma and Sophie discuss how Sophie’s international background gives her an edge in dealing with a diverse client base as well as how at its core antiques is a people business. As Toma always says, people do business with people not businesses. If you want to get ahead in antiques, it’s about networking and ever judging a book by its cover! Sophie confesses she started an online floral business during the first lockdown and she talks about that entrepreneurial spirit. Toma adds that a florist plus antiques dealer is a genius idea and shares other ideas such as a clients antique shop slash wine store. Sophie agrees that you’re not just selling antiques, you’re selling a lifestyle and that includes passions and hobbies as well as art, antiques, and collectibles.

 The Chelsea Antiques Fair & Fine Arts has some of the best dealers in the world selling at the fair, and Toma tells that if you can’t travel to London you can still shop the fair. Book a Virtual Shopping tour with Antiques Diva Vice President Gail McLeod to do customized trade sourcing at the fair. Sophie explains why a personal shopper can be an added advantage. And she goes on to give tips to dealers who sell at fairs – explaining how booth installation makes a difference. She encourages vendors to edit edit edit and remember less is more – as well as keep restyling and rearranging the booth. Toma emphasizes the importance of holding inventory back for the fair so buyers at the fair get never before seen inventory. 

Toma then explains that The Antiques Diva has grown up. The two discuss how the Chelsea Fair elevated the market positions of the Fair and the Antiques Diva & Co through good marketing and branding. The The Antiques Diva & Co now offers a full range of marketing and social media services from helping to build newsletter templates to assisting with Instagram or building new websites for antique dealers – in addition to their in person and virtual antique sourcing tours. 

Elevating your brand is essential for antiques dealers to garner new business and catch the attention of sophisticated client bases. It’s not just about what you sell but how you sell it. Sophie closes the podcast by telling potential fair directors important advice on if they want to start their own antiques fair.

 Visit our sponsor, The British Shop!

The British Shop transports fine art, furniture and antiques by air, land and sea around the world. David Hockney once said “Art has to move you” and The British Shop offers a service which moves ART AND ANTIQUES with attentive personal care delivering delicate items around the world. Whether you’re shipping an entire container yourself or you need to ship a few items via consolidation – The British Shop is your solution for shipping antiques from Europe to the USA (or wherever else you happen to be located when listening to this podcast). Don't let the name fool you. This international antiques shipper might be called The British Shop… but they don't just do shipping from England. The British Shop does collections in France and Belgium with regular collections ALL across EUROPE.

Schedule a CALL with Malcom Disson of The British Shop by visiting their website https://thebritishshop.com/. Tell them you heard about them on the Business of Antiques Podcast to receive a special offer on your Insurance for your delivery!

Visit our sponsor, The British Shop!

The British Shop transports fine art, furniture and antiques by air, land and sea around the world. David Hockney once said “Art has to move you” and The British Shop offers a service which moves ART AND ANTIQUES with tentive personal care delivering delicate items around the world. Whether you’re shipping an entire container yourself or you need to ship a few items via consolidation – The British Shop is your solution for shipping antiques from Europe to the USA (or wherever else you happen to be located when listening to this podcast). Don't let the name fool you. This international antiques shipper might be called The British Shop… but they don't just do shipping from England. The British Shop does collections in France and Belgium with regular collections ALL across EUROPE. Schedule a CALL with Malcom Disson of The British Shop by visiting their website https://thebritishshop.com/.

Tell them you heard about them on the Business of Antiques Podcast to receive a special offer on your Insurance for your delivery!

Often on The Business of Antiques Podcast Toma Clark Haines – CEO of The Antiques Diva & Co – uses a specific phrase. She tells clients that if they – as an Antique Dealer –  “beat their own drum”, then the right buyers who are interested will come. Every antique dealer has their own audience. It’s the Field of Dreams – “If you build it they will come” meets The Pied Piper of Antiques. That phrase “beat your drum” comes from a line in Henry David Thoreau’s Walden – “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” This idiom essentially encourages you to act or behave in a manner that does not conform to the standard. 

When Andy Fullen and Tommy Hall told Toma they wanted to open an antique store, they immediately began discussing plans for a buying trip abroad with The Antiques Diva & Co. “Let's go to France!” They looked at 18th C French period pieces, but something didn’t resonate with their store vision. These were high-end pieces, and, as they began the buying process, Andy said “This isn’t the direction I am ready – or want – to take my business. I want to sell inventory priced to sell. And I fear this inventory will outprice my customer. I want to be a good deal for rich people.  And I’d prefer to strategize my business for more locally sourced goods in need of restoration than sourcing older pieces from France at this stage in my business.”

Andy is a skilled craftsman and is able to do his own restoration work. It took vision and bravery to reevaluate his true desires for his store so that the inventory acquisition proceeded at a speed and price-point he was comfortable with at the beginning stage in his business.  

Buying abroad isn’t for everyone at every stage in their business. In this frank conversation, Toma, Andy and Tommy discuss when not to buy antiques abroad and what the real costs of buying abroad can be. Making sure you’re prepared for the costs of sourcing and shipping internationally is an important element in sourcing antiques in France.

In this episode Toma, Andy and Tommy talk about staying true to the vision of the antiques store you want to build, and why it’s essential to have a business plan and strategy for your antiques shop. And they explain why Fullen-Hall became an overnight success in Dallas.   

Helping clients define their business strategy is one of the most important elements Toma does as a Business Coach for Antique Dealers. She explains that having a strategy helps antique dealers define the business they want to run while clarifying their values and purpose. Toma explains, “Understanding what success looks like for you means listening to your heart and understanding your personal definition of success.”  Toma explains how it's important to understand the clients’ goals in order to help create a map of how they will achieve them. Andy agrees that you have to think about how to deal with your competitors, look at the needs and expectations of your customers, and consider the long term growth and sustainability of the antiques store. By creating a business strategy, an antique dealer can create a competitive advantage and ultimately understand more about themselves and where they are going. Andy and Tommy discuss that they would like to buy French antiques abroad when the time is right for them personally, their business and their client base. They share secrets on styling their booth – explain why location location location is everything – and how they want to make Fullen-Hall a household name – one restored item at a time.

Visit our new sponsor, The British Shop!

The British Shop transports fine art, furniture and antiques by air, land and sea around the world. David Hockney once said “Art has to move you” and The British Shop offers a service which moves ART AND ANTIQUES with attentive personal care delivering delicate items around the world. Whether you’re shipping an entire container yourself or you need to ship a few items via consolidation – The British Shop is your solution for shipping antiques from Europe to the USA (or wherever else you happen to be located when listening to this podcast). Don't let the name fool you. This international antiques shipper might be called The British Shop… but they don't just do shipping from England. The British Shop does collections in France and Belgium with regular collections ALL across EUROPE. Schedule a CALL with Malcom Disson of The British Shop by visiting their website https://thebritishshop.com/. Tell them you heard about them on the Business of Antiques Podcast to receive a special offer on your Insurance for your delivery!

 Happy New Year’s guests….Today's guest puts the ho-ho-ho in the holidays. For our first guest of the new year 2022 – we have an Emmy Award-Winning Television Personality and Designer joining us. He is a stylist. A fashion designer. New York Times Best Selling Author. As well as a World Class Equestrian.

You might know him from Rupaul’s Drag Race. Or the Original Queer Eye. Or one of Toma’s personal favorite shows - How to Look Good Naked. (Ever since she confessed to doing Naked Yoga on the Business of Antiques End of Year episode - her team has been joking that I’m the Naked Antiquer).

Maybe you’ve even watched him on Carson Nation – a TV project he launched in collaboration with his good friend Oprah Winfrey. Our guest literally just jetted home from Israel where he was an MC on Miss Universe.

About a month ago today’s guest - Carson Kressley - left a comment on Toma’s instagram page when she announced that THE BUSINESS OF ANTIQUES podcast WAS BACK. Carson Kressley left a comment saying I would love to be a guest on your show.  She had to think a moment – do I want to interview Carson Kressley on the Business Antiques? Uhm… is the pope catholic?

We learn throughout the conversation how Toma is Carson’s doppelganger – listen to the full podcast to learn all about how! Toma and Carson begin their conversation talking about how they both are highly selective in their personal buying during traveling - the want and need be truly curatorial about an item to have true souvenir quality. In French, the word souvenir means ‘memories’, and that’s what they are looking to buy – a memory of their trip.

Carson absolutely loves shopping for antiques, something many may not know about him. In all his travels, he always tries to go to the local flea markets and antiques shops. Going to a new flea market is like Christmas morning for him. He tells us about his love of foxes, old Chanel pieces, and mixing and matching – his home apparently is a collection of antiques and TJ Maxx.

Carson describes his love to go to Round Top in Texas for shopping and how shipping companies, like our sponsor The British Shop, make antiques buying so much easier (don’t forget to mention The Business of Antiques podcast when using them for a special deal on insurance!). “Do not fear - keep shopping!”, as Carson tells us.

Toma asks Carson also about his thoughts on dealers using Instagram. While Carson has a love/hate relationship with social media himself, he loves the idea for dealers – especially new ones. Going into stores can be intimidating – connecting on direct message can make the experience more personal, build relationships, and give new dealers a chance.

 The conversation closes on a great note for the new year – empowerment. Toma works for this with her Antiques Dealer Training Program – helping new dealers grow their business. With all of Carson’s work with Queer Eye and other shows, he aims to empower all to feel confident in your own skin. You don’t need to make excuses. Be you, you are enough and fabulous.

Happy New Year all and stayed tuned for the next episode.

Visit our new sponsor, The British Shop!

The British Shop transports fine art, furniture and antiques by air, land and sea around the world. David Hockney once said “Art has to move you” and The British Shop offers a service which moves ART AND ANTIQUES with attentive personal care delivering delicate items around the world. Whether you’re shipping an entire container yourself or you need to ship a few items via consolidation – The British Shop is your solution for shipping antiques from Europe to the USA (or wherever else you happen to be located when listening to this podcast). Don't let the name fool you. This international antiques shipper might be called The British Shop… but they don't just do shipping from England. The British Shop does collections in France and Belgium with regular collections ALL across EUROPE. Schedule a CALL with Malcom Disson of The British Shop by visiting their website https://thebritishshop.com/. Tell them you heard about them on the Business of Antiques Podcast to receive a special offer on your Insurance for your delivery!

On today's episode we are talking to an antiques dealer whose talent is more than antiques.  James Gooch is a COOL HUNTER. James left his career in film to pursue his passion for vintage treasures and antiques and created a theatrical - almost cinematographic - antiques shop named Doe & Hope.  He hasn’t left his first career entirely behind - he’s rented props to many popular movies and TV shows.  Game of Throne fans don’t geek out too much… But James supplied more than a few of these props. His store has been voted one of the TOP 50 Antique and Vintage Shops in the UK by Homes & Antiques Magazine.

A cool hunter is someone who identifies and sets future trends. When Toma Clark Haines, CEO of The Antiques Diva & Co and founder of Republic of Toma first met James at the Bath Decorative Antiques Show (following the Antique Young Gun Awards in London months earlier) she noticed he was a trailblazer. While every other booth in the fair had painted furniture James’ booth was dark and moody. Filled with brown wood furniture - which at the time wasn’t popular - James went against the grain. Young and just starting out in the trade - James did what Toma calls “the Gentrification of Antiques.” Just like when artists move into a formerly less expensive neighborhood and make it hip - James Gooch made those classic good quality brown wood pieces cool again with his distinctive cinematographic dramatic style.

James talks about his on the job training in antiques. He worked in an antiques mall several days a week while starting his own store. This gave him time to slowly build and finance his business. 

He attributes one secret to his success as his ability to communicate.  Starting from his website - he writes a perfect about description for his store:

Doe & Hope specialise in decorative, rare & unusual antiques and fine art from around the world with a particular interest in the atmosphere that surrounds an object, taking a cinematic approach in the presentation of our inventory. Our house style is probably best described as theatrical; being a concoction of old money, dramatic decorative, and faded gentility, with common themes of both humour and the macabre running through our inventory, that includes both academic and playful objects.

James shares his secret formula on how to write the perfect product description for selling antiques.  Meanwhile his photography has a consistent feel - which gives him a signature style - and builds his brand.  James discusses his multi-prong sales approach.

At the midway point in the podcast - James and Toma experience technical difficulties and their interview is cut off.  They reconvene a few days later to discuss ANTIQUE SOURCING SECRETS.  James explains that Buying Antiques is basically like Gambling. He shares 3 tips on what he as an antique dealer buys

1) Objects that change the mood of the room

2) Unrestored Items that tell a story

3) And Stranger Things - the rare and the unusual.

James confesses that the strangest thing that's passed through his shop is a vampire slaying kit which got stopped at customs in America and he had to explain what it was over the phone. And Toma tells about her refusal to smuggle human remains from Belgium and doing some accidental human trafficking. 

To close, Toma recaps how to be a Cool Hunter. First you need to have crazy curiosity, keen observation skills, intuition and self confidence. James reconfirms his status as a Cool Hunter by Forecasting the Antique Trends of the Future. 

In this edition of #AsktheShipper, Toma talks with Malcom Disson - Managing Director of The British Shop - about import taxes and duties: what are they and how much are they? For antiques imported to the US, anything that is over 100 years old is free from duties when imported from the UK. However, you will have to pay taxes on your items. If shipped by sea, there are 3 things that make up the tax cost: 1) merchandise processing fee, 2) customs bond fee, and 3) harbor processing fee. These typically come to 1% of the value of your items. Stay listening for an amazing special offer on your insurance when you mention The Business of Antiques podcast with The British Shop.

VISIT OUR SPONSOR:

The British Shop transports fine art, furniture and antiques by air, land and sea around the world. David Hockney once said “Art has to move you” and The British Shop offers a service which moves ART AND ANTIQUES with attentive care delivering delicate items around the world. Whether you’re shipping an entire container or you need to ship via consolidation – The British Shop is your solution for shipping antiques from Europe to the USA (or wherever else you happen to be located when listening to this podcast). Schedule a CALL with Malcom Disson of The British Shop by visiting their website https://thebritishshop.com/. Tell them you heard about them on the Business of Antiques Podcast to receive a special offer on your Insurance for your delivery!

Toma Clark Haines – CEO of The Antiques Diva & Co and founder of The Republic of Toma – talks about END OF YEAR PLANNING for your life and business. Doing a year end review is a way to hold yourself accountable, to better understand your life goals and values, and to manage your work and life tasks consistently.

Toma encourages you to write your vision statement – an aspirational statement for your business that articulates what you would like to achieve. It guides the direction of where you put your effort in the next year. In order to achieve your long term goals, you have to set short-term actionable goals

A dream written down with a date becomes a goal.

A goal broken into steps becomes a plan.

A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.

Your calendar is the key to your success. Once you learn to manage your calendar – you’ll learn to achieve your goals. But Toma tells the truth. SOMETIMES a goal isn't really a goal. She asks “Are there goals you have that you don't necessarily care about?”

She points out the difference between short term vs long term planning for your business. When you have a long term vision of your company, you have the things that you are doing today that everyone sees – and things that no one sees because they are a work in progress.

Toma explains how in her own business she’s employed the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80-20 rule. She encourages you to prioritize the 20% of factors that will produce the best results. Core Values should drive those 20% of actions. Your core values are your set of guiding beliefs upon which your business is based.

As your antiques business grows, your values need to evolve to reflect how you have changed personally and professionally. Maybe some of the values you defined early on in your business don’t define your business today.

Lastly, running an antiques store takes a village. So many antique dealers make the mistake of trying to run a business alone. Putting the right team in place can help you achieve your goals faster. The Antiques Diva & Co offers website development, marketing, and social media services as well as business coaching for antiques dealers in addition to their popular antique buying tours and virtual sourcing services.

Toma closes this episode by talking about the money.  After all, if you’re not making a profit, your antique shop is just a hobby. Think about if you’re focusing on maximized profitability or maximizing growth? Book a Free Consultation with Toma Clark Haines, CEO of The Antiques Diva & Co by emailing [email protected]

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:

• How did I do this year? What were my goals for this year and did I achieve them? If not, why not?
• How does your business support your life goals?
• What are your long term goals for your antiques business?
• What type of antiques store do you want to have?
• Does your current store fit your dream store?
• Where does your long term vision and immediate situation connect?
• And how do you want that store to support your life?
• What type of money do you want to make?
• Is this supplementary income or do you need to pay the mortgage?
• More importantly, what will make you happy?
• Do you have a vision statement for your company?
• What did you do consistently this year?
• What SMALL STEPS did you take to get further along with your goals?
• More importantly, what small steps did you plan to do – but NOT do – because you didn’t enjoy it?
• This year where did you spend the majority of your time?
• Was that leading you in the direction of your dreams? (Personal or Professional) If not – why not?  
• What are your Core Values?
• What are the VALUES you want to bring into 2022?
• Make a list of everything you do in your company. Every function. Every role.
• How do you do it all? Rhetorical question: The truth is you don't.
• Ask yourself these questions – Does this task or goal still make sense for my business? For the way I want to live my life?
• If it makes sense – can you schedule it on your calendar going forward?
• What would you have to drop in order to make this priority a goal?
• For the things I'm adding into my calendar I have to ask: Have I set realistic timelines for each task?
• For each task ask yourself: Am I the right person to work on this project/activity?
• Am I at a point in the company where I need to maximize my growth or maximize my profits?

Also, on this episode’s special segment of #AsktheShipper, Toma talks with Malcom Disson of The British Shop about container sizing and what actually fits, a question we all want to know. Most containers are either 20 or 40 feet or, in other words, roughly 1,000 or 2,000 cubic feet – Mandarin to most of us. Malcolm breaks this down in a way we can understand: about 30-35 average-sized chest of drawers for the smaller container and 70-80 for the larger. He then describes shipping needs for those who don’t want or need to fill a whole container and what those options can be. Stay tuned to listen for a special deal for those who mention The Business of Antiques podcast!

VISIT OUR SPONSOR:

The British Shop transports fine art, furniture and antiques by air, land and sea around the world. David Hockney once said “Art has to move you” and The British Shop offers a service which moves ART AND ANTIQUES with attentive care delivering delicate items around the world. Whether you’re shipping an entire container or you need to ship via consolidation – The British Shop is your solution for shipping antiques from Europe to the USA (or wherever else you happen to be located when listening to this podcast). Schedule a CALL with Malcom Disson of The British Shop by visiting their website https://thebritishshop.com/. Tell them you heard about them on the Business of Antiques Podcast to receive a special offer on your Insurance for your delivery!

When you’re running a small business there is one secret to success - surround yourself with people who know you more than you do. On this episode Toma Clark Haines, CEO of The Antiques Diva & Co and Founder of The Republic of Toma, is talking with Jason Roske of KC Auction Company https://www.kcauctioncompany.com/. She starts the conversation with a confession - she is almost an auction house virgin! Jason has over 20 years of experience in estate liquidation, buying and selling fine art and antiques, and helping clients through the auctioning process. And Jason teaches Toma all the ins and outs of teaching at auction as well as gives fabulous marketing advice to antique dealers.

Auction Houses are a great source for antiques dealers when it comes to sourcing antiques, art, estate jewelry, and so much more. Because KC Auction Company handles estates and private collections, they have incredible access to things that have remained in families for generations - giving you as a dealer access to never before seen inventory.

For buyers at auction, Jason reminds clients that all items are sold as is, so it’s important to do your homework before you buy. He encourages buyers to read the full catalog description, to visit the preview in person whenever possible, or to contact the auction house for a condition report before bidding.

Remember auction houses don't take returns.

He explains the fine print, and auction fees and who is responsible for paying which fee, ie, the buyer is responsible for a buyer’s premium, which is a fee that is added to the hammer price. Each auction house has its own premium percentage and scale, but industry standards are normally around 20 percent. Buyers are also responsible for paying sales tax as well as any applicable delivery or shipping costs.

Jason also explains that as the owner of an auction house, he has both clients and customers - when it comes to marketing that’s serving two proverbial masters. This is similar to The Antiques Diva & Co in that as an antique buying tour company we work with both our dealers selling inventory to our clients as well as our buyers. For our antique dealer listeners they have to juggle their marketing relationships with both retail and the trade. Marketing to two audiences can be extremely difficult, but Jason has navigated it by putting communication first - in educating your buyer, setting realistic expectations among the seller, and communicating with all clients. He explains that at core while he may run an auction company - his service is marketing. And he explains why marketing is the most important thing you as an antiques dealer can do.

In another edition of #AsktheShipper, Toma talks with Malcom Disson - Managing Director of The British Shop - about how shipping costs are calculated. Of course, each case is unique, but there are a few factors that go into determining the shipment of your antiques. The concentration of locations will greatly affect the cost - the more locations, the higher the cost. An additional factor that can increase your cost is your final destination. If more land transportation is needed after the sea freight, costs increase. The British Shop, however, has a partnership that has monthly service from the UK to NYC, and the client only needs to pay for space on the boat - a fantastic service per Toma. Finally, import taxes are a factor in the final price, and they are a percentage of the total amount. Mention The Business of Antiques podcast when using The British Shop for a special deal on your insurance!