It seems as if all of the dealers that I speak to lately are pretty happy with the level of business that they’re doing lately. Sure, we all complain about the lack of available merchandise, but that will never change. The fact is, most of the active dealers that I know have noticed an uptick in their businesses this year. I say “active dealers” because there are plenty of dealers who don’t rely on this business for their actual income and are not aggressively beating the bushes every day to pay the bills. I am certainly one of the the later. What outside force do we attribute the increase in business to? I’m not sure. Perhaps people are feeling better about their portfolios, or real estate is moving again. Maybe we’re all tired of sitting on the sidelines.
Our office has seen a dramatic increase in the number of calls or emails from designers who need to fill orders. We can’t seem to keep up with requests for specific objects. I don’t attend too many auctions, particularly not the smaller venues. I get my auction reports from my friend and Colleague Phil Zexter, who is about the most active, plugged-in picker/dealer I know. He tells me that the prices on entry level pieces at auction, although still way down, have taken a jump. I believe we have hit the bottom of the market. There are opportunities to be had, so don’t wait too long.