It’s always good to educate yourself on how to shop in different stores and locations that aren’t your usual retail stores to make sure you are getting the best deal you possibly can. This could be anywhere from auctions, estate sales and antique stores. Each one is out of the normal way of shopping so it can definitely prove useful to know a few tips from experts, especially if you have no idea what you’re doing. Some experts call shopping, finding the right pieces and getting them for the price you want kind of like a fine art. It takes time, experience and practice to get it right and can be a bit of a challenge but once accomplished, the rewards are well worth it.

The first thing you should know is that not every antique shop is the same and some may only deal in specific things. Maybe this isn’t that surprising just like an average retail store doesn’t deal with the same products so do antique stores. Some could only deal in fine art, where others could feel like one big trash pile. Don’t be too quick to disregard the trash pile though, sometimes some real gems can be found, the trick is to know what you want, what you are looking for, what store you should be in, and what kind of budget you have.

Another thing you should know is that every antique shop is usually composed of individual booths that someone with a passion for selling antiques can rent out to sell their items. Most of the time, the owner won’t be there so bargaining could prove to be a bit difficult. Some higher end places prefer to sell their items on consignment, but if you want to find a bargain you should ask whoever is on site when the owner of the item you like will be on site to rearrange or bring things in so you can deal with them personally. Most people are more likely to drop the price on something when they can see how much you love an item.

Most people will get up early to go start looking for deals and bargains, when most vendors are actually more likely to be there after lunch time. So there is no need to take a whole day off work, you can leave a couple hours earlier and are more likely to run into the right people. Anyone who collects and buys antiques frequently, knows that most estate sales and auctions happen in the morning hence anyone who is selling anything will usually come in after lunch to put their new items on display. So running into new items and the people who are willing to bargain with you, will be there.

Although bartering or bargaining seems like a not very nice way to do business, the fact is that most people who deal with antiques are used to it. Most vendors are what some would call addicted to buying and selling antiques, so most of them just want to get rid of a piece so they can find and display new treasures. You don’t have to pay an overly expensive price, bargain. If not sure how to start, here’s a tip, most people start in half and slowly go up from there.

Most vendors will get their items from either an auction or estate sale which are usually held over the weekend so for those vendors who like to buy and sell every weekend they try to sell their pieces in the antique store quite quickly to make room for new finds. Their last day to get rid of things is usually around a Wednesday, so try making it to your favourite store then. Even if the vendor is usually quite stubborn, if they are an antiquing regular, they might just bend the rules for you on this day. It’s also a great day to find things on sale.

The last and final tip for someone who wants to go and get into antique shopping is don’t be afraid to ask the vendor to hold a pricier item for you if you need to make sure your things are in order. If you are willing to pay the original price on something then a vendor will usually not have a problem with waiting a few days, you never know if you don’t ask. So go out, find your favourite antique shop and try out some of these tips today, you never know what bargain you might find.