Antiquers Retire?

A funny thing has happened during the last 37 years of running a business:  I've discovered that I don't know how to retire!  No one has written a book yet on antique'rs and retirement.  I always thought there would be an obvious end point some day and I could walk on into that beautiful sunset and slip away in my kayak.   Such is not the case though.  Silly you say?  Well let me explain.

Most folks work for an employer during their career life and many of the lucky ones also get a change to build up some kind of monetary retirement fund.  My 401K is currently neatly stacked in a well maintained storage unit in banana boxes and on racks!   Wall Street never dreamed of having a bank account like this!   It requires a different kind of "transaction" process for sure.  What I may have once called "the end of the lot" over 20 years ago has now become a stock of choice.  Time is such a funny transmuter!

Could I run it into an auction?  Yeah, probably and I'd likely received an amount equivalent to the crash of 1929!  Because certain kinds of old items are of specific interest and value to specific people, the only way to liquidate these vintage goodies is to find that special person.   I like to call them kindred keepers.

Drum Roll - Welcome to the 21st Century of internet selling!  Not only can I find that special someone, I can do it on my own time!  Now the challenge is to be a good photographer, marketing guru, computer tech and creative online seller.  And that is in addition to all the older hats that a sole proprietor wears to operate a small business.  Sounds like a lot but it keeps the heart pumping and the brain intrigued.  What more could you possibly ask for?


Who ever thought retirement would be so much fun!  Oh I suppose there will be a day when I do call that auctioneer...but not in the immediate future.  It's fun learning new things and meeting people from all around the world.  I never would have dreamed 30 years ago that someone as far away as Australia would also love my vintage treasures!  That's very exciting!