Antique dealers are not really a rare breed. We don’t hear very much from this population but many great salespeople are on hand to help us with our antiquing experiences. Finding a good antique dealer in your area is simple and this may be one of the most important contacts you can make if you are serious about antiquing.

My husband loves to refinish old furniture. We thought that it would be a great idea to get acquainted with antique dealers in our area for his hobby. This resource is wonderful and the friendships we made are not only valuable they are profitable as well.

We never thought that his hobby would wind up being a supplemental income but with the connections we have made with our local antique dealers his hobby has brought in some cash. Of course, my husband isn’t about to quit his day job any time soon.

There is a significant investment in supplies including the pieces of furniture that will be restored. As a general rule, my husband merely looks to break even considering his time and the cost of materials. Our local antique dealers find him to be a great asset.

There is some satisfaction that he gets from restoring old furniture. Items that would normally wind up in a landfill are given new life and sent back to our local antique dealers who find homes for the objects. The simple process of bringing the furniture back to life is satisfying enough.

Knowing that the object will bring joy to someone is thrilling. As a general rule, my husband only purchases items that are really inexpensive and ones that are not covered in paint. Wooden furniture that is painted can be a bear to restore to its original state. In fact, in some cases it is impossible.

Our antique dealers find great prices on unpainted objects just for my husband. They also wait eagerly for him to get the job done. One of our antique dealers suggested that my husband try selling the restored furniture directly and while the suggestion is well received it just isn’t in our nature.

There are too many problems associated with going into a business like this on the side. He just doesn’t have the time to invest in the hobby full time. The antique dealers are best at selling. My husband will stick to the restoration for now.