“The old order changeth, yielding place to new, And God fulfils himself in many ways, Lest one good custom should corrupt the world.” Alfred Lord Tennyson, “Morte d’Arthur.
We are prompted to write after reading the report on the LAPADA conference. One can detect in it a note of barely veiled cynicism towards the new cyber-reality in which we live. Just in case this view is more wide-spread amongst AAD readers, we want to mention just one or two points to get people to smell the coffee. This is not just a passing trend: the way business is done has changed for good. This is not an optional matter that one can afford to tolerate like one does a neighbour’s naughty child, knowing that they will go away in due time and you can return to what your were doing before the disruption.
1. Comet, Jessops, Blockbuster, HMV and now Republic are some UK High Street names we will not be seeing any more. That’s 1311 UK stores closed, and over 19,000 people out of a job. And, guess what, they all had websites and they all probably paid for SEO strategies and the rest. What went wrong? They embraced the form without embracing the implication of the new order. We have entered the information age and the old rules don’t cut it any more. A website is not a brochure, only cheaper and easier to update. That’s old thinking. These big names went out of business because people could get what they were offering from the comfort of their living rooms. How much longer before people are able to buy what you sell without needing to leave their living rooms?
2. ‘Send me the Jpeg’. Anyone in the art market will be familiar with this phrase, which is being repeated with alarming frequency these days. Why is this happening? Two main reasons can be offered: Who wants to enter an empty gallery in Bond Street, where a posh lady in a black number and perfectly manicured nails eyes you like a vulture at meal time? It’s much easier to avoid the intimidation and shop from a distance – because you now can! A second reason will be that the art market has been successful in positioning paintings as an investment. It is rare for a painting that has been authenticated by experts to lose value. So, if you are buying as much for investment as for pleasure, you don’t need someone to give you the big sales spiel. Antiques have yet to attain that status: TV programmes related to antiques show that people buying in order to re-sell often lose money. Knowledge is the key! As soon as someone manages to convince the buying public that antiques and luxury design will not only hold value, but will increase over time, dealers too will start hearing the refrain ‘send me the jpeg’. And physical premises will be less relevant than cyberspace as the window to market.
3. In the new order, in which millions of pieces of information are available to millions of people in an instant, no one can afford to be narrow in their outlook. This was one of the areas that KEMZ Project was banging on about three years ago, and what we have attempted to grasp on this site. One needs to break out of the narrow silo thinking because the buying public has done that. With some rare exceptions, no one is creating a museum to the past. The modern collector is happy to mix Louis XIV, with Phillipe Starck and Damien Hirst. The information age has spawned the ‘Lifestyle Sector’. To believe that one is operating in the ‘antiques sector’ is evidence that one has not grasped what the open information revolution has done: no one can operate in a narrow dark corner. No secrets, no possibility of ring fencing knowledge. No silos. Ask interior designers if they think in silos! Now ask yourself what it would mean to how you conduct your affairs if you saw yourself as part of the massive lifestyle sector instead of the narrow antique market: how would your organisation’s culture, practices and network of relationships change? How would you now use technologies?
4. This leads smoothly to the final point worth making: in the new order, the idea of ‘my mailing list’ or ‘my precious client list’ is a joke. Do you really believe that the collector who buys from you is only on your list? The jealous hoarding of information is no longer tolerated by the information age collector who surfs the waves of the internet and social media technologies as second nature. The person looking for Louis XIV furniture simple goes to the cyber oracle and types in ‘Louis XIV furniture’ and the search engine will produce (when I just did it) 1,130,000 results. When I added the word ‘dealers’ to my search, it gave me 1,660, 000 results! Search for antique silver dealers and the number jumps to 2million. Do you really believe that your precious ‘gold list’ with, at most, a couple of thousand names is any protection? What are the implications of pooling lists? What is the value in sending your customer to a ‘competitor’? What happens to the word ‘competitor’ in the knowledge age?
None of the above is to say that it is not possible to build a specialist, niche brand reputation around a focussed offering. It does raise, however, a question about how sustainable such a model is. It could be likened to a person falling from the top of the London Shard and shouting to people on each floor on the way down: ‘See, I’m still here!’ How much and how fast you discount may be important in the very, very, very short term, but understanding what people today are really buying is the only long term guarantee of survival of the sector.
The old order has changed, start flapping.
Best wishes,
Elliot Lee & Peter Bonnici
lovejoy57
February 20, 2013
Good Lord, are the old guard still at it? I thought that was over and done with years ago. I remember talking to Dealers on King’s road back in 2000 that were scrambling then to get on board with the whole online market.
Lewis Baer
February 21, 2013
Everything you say is true, with many more issues in the fight to survive as a dealer. So what kind of dealer will there be in 10 years, certainly a lot less will be around. Technology has and will continue to cannibalize the stand alone dealer, but in my opinion (1) capital to invest in inventory and operations, (2) the current and still going strong minimalism design trend, and (3) fewer people with real knowledge are cause for alarm about the future of this industry and decorative arts in particular.
As an outsider I find dealer organizations, both English and American can’t get their arms around these issues and turn a blind eye as to what their future membership will be, at the expense of keeping those surviving member in “good standing”.
Frida
February 21, 2013
This is assuming that the audience now buying contemporary art will shift to antiques by themselves. This will not happen until something is done to link the two – as in developing a relationship between various forms on a very substantial level. One way to achieve this – antique fairs in the US begin to show contemporary art with various forms of antiques. Unfortunately, unless this happens, contemporary forms will likely continue to dominate modern tastes and attract investors on a larger scale. Tech alone is not the answer.
lloyd princeton
February 21, 2013
My experience shows that you are correct in many respects, but the value of relationships, human contact, has remained intact. People just have more options to find sources, and sometimes we have to work harder to get the business, but getting out “there”, into the public stream still works (thank God!)!
Peter Bonnici & Elliot Lee
February 21, 2013
Lovejoy, you are right in observing that many have already gone online, but the point we were making in the piece was that this is now no longer sufficient on its own (as Blockbuster, HMV, et al have found). The implication of the internet and other social media needs to be fully understood and responded to appropriately if the sector hopes to ensure a healthy future.
If there’s validity in Lewis Baer’s contention – that the trade organisations are turning a blind eye to the real situation – then how can change happen? Frida is right too: change will not happen by itself. It needs a proactive joining the disparate disciplines in the sector. So how does this happen?
And, of course, Lloyd makes perfect sense in pointing out that the value of personal relationships cannot be overestimated! This too is something we tried to highlight in the piece. We asked ourselves the question: can the current ‘protected’ relationship – me and my jealously guarded client list – survive the information age? If not, what next?
Hopefully we find that people who respond to this thread have the key and are willing to share their insights into new ways of doing business in the information age: beyond the website!
Tom Higginson
February 21, 2013
I have to agree 100% with Lloyd.
Celia Lendis
February 21, 2013
Fabulous article! Enjoyed it thoroughly.
http://www.celialendis@me.com
Clinton Howell
February 21, 2013
Human relationships will forever trump random information. The key is being found so that you are able to establish them. Hence the value of the Internet.
iananthonyharris
February 21, 2013
On-line is very important, but not entirely the answer. Paintings, especially, tend to look different in reality from a JPEG. Everything sent from an on-line sale or appro has to be shipped, and if not liked, may be returned. This is the law in EU, if not in USA. It’s even more difficult with furniture, being heavy and bulky. Most people find it very difficult to visualize what something will look like or how it will fit in to their home. Jewellery, which I sell, is easy. It usually looks better in reality than in a picture and is simple to send or return. We used to sell lots from our annual mailed out brochure, but then we had an 8000 mailing list, and distributed up to 150,000 brochures in high-end magazines. Since I gave up before emailing really came in, I now have a pathetic little list of under 500. It is easy to buy company lists, but almost impossible to obtain lists of private buyers,so this is a difficult way forward, but a group of non-competing-discipline dealers could share their lists-except don’t all our websites promise we won’t share our email addresses? Using one UK and one USA website results in the only very occasional sale from a new buyer. Most of my business is from reference, old customers, looking for things people collect, or sometimes reselling something they bought many years ago. My company was well known, but once I no longer had a shop, or did fairs, my public recognition has quickly faded, except with former customers or people with long memories!
Frida
February 21, 2013
The answer is not in sharing mailing lists though…. it’s in dealers ability to grow them. On-line resources (which are already numerous) only contribute further to the fragmenting of visitors to each site and the inability for dealers to distinguish themselves from one another. Revitalize shows to a significant degree and this is one step in bringing new eyes to the material. But this will also likely require a significant outreach program to younger consumers – which could be achieved, in part, on-line – though as many have pointed out, learning and buying in person is still vastly superior for numerous reasons. The internet has brought to the consumer the ability to consider almost far too many options, without providing adequate clarity in what they are actually looking at – but the biggest issue of all is diminished numbers.
Peter Bonnici and Elliot Lee
February 21, 2013
Ian, you raise a fair point about the sharing of email lists. And, at the same time you recognise the requirement for collaboration between ‘non-competing-discipline dealers’: everyone’s active list is small, so you are not alone here. This is where we may have to step outside our comfort zones and start to trust one another more. To get over the ethical problem of sharing lists, maybe we need to learn to trust our alliance partners to send out our mailing to their client list, making the collaboration transparent! And directing responses to us instead of through themselves. That’s the sort of paradigm shift implied by the information age. Can anyone think of a viable objection to this line of thinking? More importantly, is anyone prepared to make the move to this sort of collaboration? And how will it happen?
iananthonyharris
February 21, 2013
Well, I would n’t mind doing that. There are two ways-either recommending another dealer’s website as someone with an interesting and reliable stock-if you know them well enough-or forwarding an email send-out or link, which might be the better way, as you can add your own recommendatory message with it. I do these email sendouts too infrequently, using Mailchimp, showing two or three recent acquisitions, or something interesting from stock. They do usually bring in a sale. I would n’t mind paying a 10% commission on a sale made through a colleague, either. I think I should!
Frida
February 21, 2013
It won’t work. Present buyers don’t want to be pummeled with more spam offers. If anything it will push them further to the auction venue where they would have more privacy. The trade will have to do the hard work of creating new buyers.
P. Morris
February 21, 2013
This is the forum ?????????
No it isn’t. A blog is not a forum.
Editors
February 21, 2013
AAD was set up to provide a platform through which people in the sector can express themselves freely. Since its inception in June 2011, AAD has become a trusted channel to market, and it serves as a connector and a virtual meeting place for Art, Antiques and Design professionals. It is a bridge for integration and learning between these three markets, and its reputation is built on independence and far-sight.
The site’s audience crosses traditional market segments, both in the UK and abroad, and it comprises a wide variety of art market professionals, interior designers, collectors, and a large number of exhibitors, dealing in antiques, as well as in historic, modern and contemporary art and design. We currently receive between 4,000 and 6,000 visits per week, with numbers rising steadily.
Tom Higginson
February 22, 2013
The internet is not the beginning or the end of anything in our industry, its just another useful tool & like all tools it can be used wisely or badly. Nothing will ever replace human ‘face to face’ contact and nobody can read the body language of a website, so vital when ‘doing a deal’. Dealers have always worked together, formally or informally and even today I am seeking a certain type of mirror for a long standing Dublin client. I don’t have one but I think I know a man who has and we will ‘sort something out between us’.
As humans we have short lives and even shorter memories. This is a recession and like many old fogies I have lived through quite a few of them over the years. As the man said ” a rising tide lifts all boat’s” and one day this recession will be over and it will be back to business as usual. Younger people not buying ? Don’t worry they will, tastes change as we get older, mature and have more money to spend. I see that in my own family and how many of us have ever sold much to the under 40′s anyway ?
Blog , Forum or whatever, its a great site Elliot and we are all very much the better for having it. Thanks…..
Alex
February 22, 2013
Dear Elliot, Peter and colleagues, many thanks for very amazingly interesting article with beautiful photos as illustrations, and for discussion!
Good luck and nice weekend to ALL-! =:)))…
Alex (from London).
Deen Teer
February 22, 2013
Great article that encourages thoughtful reflection on the changes in our industry. Thank you.
Kathy
February 22, 2013
Thank you for the insight. As a ‘newbie’ in the world on antiquing, it has been a lifelong dream to do and with the job market the way it is, I am taking advantage of my current ‘employment’ situation to make a go of it. I have wondered if a website would work since I truly believe that many customers, even though enjoying the ability to shop from home while wearing the fuzzy, pink slippers, would still want to ‘touch’ the item to ensure that it’s not damaged in anyway. My hope is to open a website to offer those who do not live/travel close to me, but that takes more time then to tag and display the item in a store. I do hope that when the economy does improve and the shoppers return, I will be stocked with a wonderful inventory and armed with the knowledge to explain and sell the wanted items for those customers.
Kathy – Pennsylvania, USA
Johan
February 23, 2013
Lewis’ concern about the dwindling number of people with knowledge has been,in part, addressed in recent years by Sotheby’s MFA Program. I am not familiar with the number of students which are involved each year, but I understand that they now have added a location in California to round out their present locations in NY and London. Presently they offer four programs – Art Business, American Fine & Decorative Arts, Interior Design and Contemporary Art. In speaking with career advisors who specialize in the arts, their belief is that the biggest problems with developing a career in the industry overall are the rapid turn-over which is rampant in the industry, lack of professional development opportunity and institutional memory and the low pay scales in relation to the type of professionalism and knowledge it requires. In addition, the decline in popularity of antiques over the last decade compelled those newer to the industry to pursue contemporary art as opposed to earlier forms. Those with Masters degrees in Art History continue to find employment in the museum field difficult at best – there may be some cross-over there into the sales end of the equation.
Deborah Best
February 23, 2013
You’re input and wealth of info/knowledge is right on! We cannot bury our head in the sand anymore! The thing is though, if we sit in our warm livingrooms, no human face to face contact, putting on 15 lbs everyyear, (no fresh air , exercise), we may as well either be the”Boy in the Bubble” (John Travolta Movie”) or a Hermit. We need human contact. People will forget how to interact with one another! It’s bad enough now,road rage etc.. No wonder people have more allergies, staying in a house 24/7! Anyway enough of the soap box…. Getting back Yes technology is good but everything in moderation. It brings with it new health problems etc. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket! People still need to see the product, before buying (certain items for sure!) How can art truly be appreciated! The colours textures etc. have to have the right back drop, lighting, the same with fashion really, you have to try it on. There is no such thing as one size fits all!!!! Thank you for you’re input everyone!
Peter M. Thornber
February 24, 2013
Peter and Elliot, firstly thank you for this post and, by the way, I do like your quoting Tennyson!
1. Comet, Jessops, Blockbuster, HMV, & Republic are at the other end of the spectrum from the antiques trade, as far as business model, market sector and modes of trading are concerned. They are, or rather were, multi-branch big businesses who have imposed their prominent presence on the High Street of town after town, the length and breadth of the UK and thus contributed to the homogenising, debilitating, ultimately deadening ‘clone-town’ syndrome. Their presence has been helped by property being in the hands of similar scale, compatible, largescale landlords and of banks who have shredded their local links, loyalties and letting and lending decisions; these landlords have favoured their commercial compeers who could ‘give good covenant’ in the form of rent and banking covenants. Now that these multiples presumably can’t keep covenant, they are out and the bailiffs, administrators and brokers,men are in.
Jessops’ market for photgraphic equipment, and HMV’s for vinyl gramophone records, have collapsed under the onslaughtof digital alternatives. Also, big business is more vulnerable to the temptation of resting on its laurels. Certainly HMV seem to have gone awry strategically; their appointment of a popmusic, rather than a booktrade, man to run Waterstones seemed ~ and proved ~ perverse. Likewise, when needs must, big business may not be nimble enough to change or to backtrack. In darwinian terms, the demise of the dinosaur and dodo (maybe, in this case, rather, the don’tdo!)
Whether or how far this may open High Streets to the return of small shop such as antique shops is open to question. And, whilst some antique dealers prepare, positively, to answer that question by looking for physical shop space with an high street or market place location, this austerity or recession is not the best ime to start selling.
2. Remote trading on the strength of a computer image, a jpeg or just a photograph has its shortcomings. You have to trust the seller who would be tempted to choose the best view, to say nothing of the scope for airbrushing-out, or otherwise diguising or downplaying, any flaws.Furthermore there is no substitute for having the object in front of you where you may see it close up and in the round.
Wesley reckoned the world as his parish: computer technology,the Web, the Net and all that makes it our marketplace; albeit it gives us, in terms of publicity, global reach, it cannot teleport either object or buyer to be in the same place, face to face. And often the dealer will still need somewhere to display his wares and to meet a customer face to face and build up that rapport on which an ongoing, longterm trading relationship might be firmly built.
3 & 4. Given everybody might have his or her own particular preferences, tastes and specialisms, the trade is comphrehensive, it covers antiques, art and design; a Louis XVI Bonheur du Jeur or an eighteenth/nineteenth century North Country longcase clock, a Francis Bacon or Andrea del Sarto’s ‘Beheading of John the Baptist’, contemporary minimalism, Gothic Revival, Biedermeier, country cottage or what have you. The Trade is also collegiate and coollaborative and may involve referrals between dealers, ad hoc alliances for a particular deal or deals.
As ever, we meet our market or we make it.