Image: Clair Strong Interior Design
Welcome back to my guide for buying antiques. In Part 1, we covered the importance of research and the different ways in which you can buy antiques. In Part 2, I want to share some tips on negotiating a price and my favourite spots in Bath for antiquing. Let’s dive in!
Learning to Haggle
I’d like to preface this section by saying that while the majority of dealers will expect to negotiate on the price, not all do. Please respect any sellers who do not wish to haggle.
Haggling can be a difficult art to master, especially for us chronically polite Brits. Simply follow some basic rules and you can get a good price without offending the dealer.
- Be friendly. A smile and a compliment (of their collection, or the piece) will go a long way. Show them you’re genuinely interested and not just wasting their time. If you can build a rapport with the dealer now, you might get even better deals in the future.
- Go low, but not too low. Every deal is different, but somewhere between 10 and 15% lower than the listed price is acceptable. The bigger the item, the closer to 15% you can go. A really low offer might be seen as cheeky, and you’ll possibly offend the dealer affecting your ability to get a good price later. I wouldn’t suggest haggling on anything under £20.
- Dealers will usually offer an ‘all-in’ price if you buy more than one piece. This might lead to a bigger discount than if you bought just the one item. Of course, this is only worth doing if you genuinely want the other pieces and you can afford it.
- Timing is everything. You’ll likely get a better price later in the day, when a dealer is more eager to make a sale. This is especially true at antique fairs. Of course the risk here is that you might lose the item to someone willing to pay a higher price.
Bath’s Best Antiquing Spots
Now you know what to do, it’s time to go out and do it. Here are some of Bath’s best antiques shops, fairs and auctions to get you started. Please feel free to add your own in the comments below!
Bath Decorative Antiques Fair (3-4 March 2017): an extremely well-established antiques fair that has been running for more than 20 years. Lots of dealers from near and far, offering an “eclectic mix of decorative antiques, textiles, folk art, mid century design and garden antiques”.
The same organisers also run a fair in nearby Bruton every October.
Bath Vintage and Antiques Market: on the first and last Sunday of every month a vintage and antiques market comes to the historic Green Park Station. This is a well known market, thanks in part to its starring role on an episode of the Antiques Roadshow.
Antiques Centres: there are a couple of these in Bath. Antiques ‘centres’ are larger showroom style shops that supply goods from a selection of dealers. Old Bank Antiques is located on the London Road and has 7 independent dealers. Bartlett Street Antiques Centre is a bit of a hidden gem, known for its selection of high-quality items and fair prices.
The Small Shop: a very small, very interesting shop selling unique artefacts, taxidermy, fossils and more. Great for curios and one-of-a-kind pieces. It is located on the London Road close to Old Bank Antiques Centre.
Quiet Street Antiques: a traditional antiques shop selling high-end pieces at high-end prices. Ideal if you’re looking for something very special or unusual.
Antique Textiles and Lighting: a very well-respected antiques shop, known for its knowledgeable owner and the quality of the pieces. Find it at 34 Belvedere, Lansdown Road.
Tetbury: a beautiful village just outside Bath absolutely crammed with antiques shops. Perfect for a day out.
