On Antique/Vintage/Modern Retail Theater: What are you really paying for?

Retail theater.  I love the term.  It is most often used in fashion, specifically in discussing one method by which stores like T.J.Maxx (or T.K.Maxx in the UK) can sell the same items as department stores for less.  The department stores invest money in retail theater - window displays, stylist marketing, personal shoppers, designer sections, etc. whereas T.J. Maxx is lucky if they have sorted everything correctly by gender.

It is useful to think of retail theater in antique shopping as well.  The cheapest finds are always in the places that are not investing in decor - thrift stores and yard sales.  The average auction may also find itself grouped in this category (more on auctions in a later post).  These cheap spots are also the ones where you have to have the most patience and enjoy a game of chance.  More often then not you will strike out if you are not open to finding more than one very particular item.

The most expensive spots? Galleries and high-end shops.  What distinguishes these from the mid-range shops?  They are considerate of staging, marketing and personal relationships.  The curators and proprietors of these establishments take pride in themselves and their collection.  They won't be displaying a signed Picasso print behind a beat-up Walmart frame. The price they charge will reflect the effort it took them to source it, acquire it, clean it, hang it and keep it well displayed.  (I will conveniently ignore the complex and inscrutable algorithm that considers past sales, the market, condition, rarity, overall aesthetics, etc.)

Why does this matter to you?  After all, I am not advocating that everyone avoid galleries to exclusively shop at thrift stores.  I for one, plan to eventually be in a position where I do not have the time to search low and high to source my collection, but will (fortunately) have the funds to acquire them in the most convenient (and best curated) locations.  It is worth noting that I do not expect to reach this position through the antique industry.

Consideration of the premium cost of retail theater is key to considering your own decorating budget.  How much is your time worth? (No, seriously.  If you were at your computer, on the phone with a client, in the OR, on the stage or anywhere else instead of picking through items in someone's garage, how much would you be making?)  If you are in a position where you have the luxury of time on your side, you may benefit by learning to shop without the theatrics.

Are you willing to pay extra for a the perfect convenient find or do you enjoy the thrill of the hunt?

Elle Decor Trend Alert: Quilted Everything

I have a slight addition to my Elle Decor subscription.  I read it more than I read Elle (though, admittedly, I may rely  a little too heavily and frequently on online sources for both fashion and gossip).  During my hiatus from stuff, I viewed each issue in a different light - mostly critiquing their intentionally askew and overpacked bookshelves. Having detoxed sufficiently this month, I returned to the January/February issue ready for design inspiration.  

The magazine's full page spread (see online slideshow here: http://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/trends/quilted-design-2013-design-trend#slide-1) featured many unexpected incarnations of quilting. What both the print and online "Tastemakers" supplement failed to find was the most unexpected and ubiquitous quilted object this winter season - the Starbucks holiday mug.

I bought the mug intending to hold it with the impressed logo hidden.  I would have paid them extra to have a simple quilted white mug, sans branding. I had to have it.  It was the one item I could provide to nosy relatives about my Christmas list.

I love white china.  I love quilting and the feelings of coziness and warmth it evokes while still maintaining a rigid, clean pattern.  I have a (not so) slight caffeine problem. 

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Meet my new office mate:

Image from Starbucks.  Sold out. 

Perhaps I hoped this issue would show me the error of my stuff-averting ways with a packed issue of beautiful spaces.  Instead of perking me up, it left me craving a latte.  

The War on Stuff: A Six Month Hiatus

Cornelis de Bailleur, Interior of a Collector's Gallery of Paintings and Objets d'Art (1637).  In the collection of the Louvre, image courtesy http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/b/baellieu/collecto.html. 

I have been surrounded by stuff for my entire life.  Whether it is stored inventory for The Trent Collection or a Trent Estate client's possessions, I am no stranger to stuff.  However, those experiences have made me incredibly conscious of my own stuff.  So much so that, after a summer move, I decided I needed to take a hiatus from stuff and writing about stuff - no matter how valuable or aesthetically pleasing.

This hiatus lasted 6 months and created a blank Christmas list.  I just could not fathom any more stuff.

Rule #1 of purging:  If you are serious about getting rid of stuff, don't acquire new stuff during the purge.

While moving, I was confronted with belongings I had stored prior to a cross-country move a year ago. One of the easiest ways to evaluate whether or not you want an item is to pack it away for a year and decide how you feel about it.

Before I moved a single box out of storage, I took a look inside.  The storage unit became reorganized rapidly.  Either a box would go to my apartment or to a charity donation center or dumpster.

Tip: Don't lift a box until you know what it is.  This works for both safety and sanity.

I conducted this move and purge without any assistance and it paled in comparison to some of the jobs Trent Services has had.  Despite this, it led me to reflect on advice for anyone deaccessioning.

Once you have realized you need to downsize and committed to doing it, you should ask yourself a few questions: 

• Why do I still have this? 
• Does this hold any memories?
• Will I still want this a year (or more) from now?
• Do I need this?
• Is keeping this worth $(continued storage cost)?

All of this advice assumes an individual has realized he has too much stuff (or just more stuff than he wants).  The most difficult part of working with clients is not when they are sorting what to sell (or eventually donate) and what to keep, but getting them to accept the need to downsize (whether due to selling a relatives house, a move or financial concerns).

How have you fought the war on stuff?  Even within the antique business, I have found that you must always keep stuff in perspective.  If a wall of paintings is preferable to blank paint, wonderful.  If you reach a point where you want some breathing room, feel empowered to clear wall space, floor space or shelf space.