Talk the Talk
What makes someone a MARKET WARRIOR? Our pickers will tell you that if you want to walk the walk, first you have to know how to talk the talk. So if you're wondering what it means to be picker, or asking yourself, what in the world is bric-a-brac? Read on!
Here's some insider language from the antiques and collectibles business to get you started!
Pickers: Pickers are specialists who travel to flea markets, garage sales and estate sales looking for items of value. They often work for auction houses or antiques stores, where the items they purchase are put up for sale, so in order to make a profit, first, they have to find the best bargains. To succeed, pickers must be knowledgeable about a variety of antiques and collectibles and have a keen eye for detail, so they can detect flaws or even potential fakes. They also need to know how to beat the competition. All good pickers have their own tactics for nabbing the best finds and negotiating the best deals.
Dealer: In lots of different trades, the word dealer is used to describe a person who sells or doles out goods — there are car dealers, card dealers, and even seedier types of dealers, who will remain unnamed, but you won't see any of them on MARKET WARRIORS! The only deals and deal-breakers made on our show are related to antiques and collectibles, and in the context of a flea market or antiques show, a dealer is simply someone who sells these types of goods.
Bric-a-brac: Imagine decorative plates and teacups, small vases, statuettes and miniature paintings, all clustered together on a living room table or arranged in a display case. Bric-a-brac is a term used to describe this kind of collection, made up of small decorative items with sentimental or ornamental value, but often very little monetary value. The term and the design sensibility might be a bit outdated, as bric-a-brac reached the height of popularity in the Victorian era, but a close relative can still be found today in many American homes, the knick-knack!
Smalls: In antiques terminology, smalls are decorative objects that can be described simply and broadly as anything smaller than a breadbox. Generally, smalls have only modest monetary value, but if a picker buys low and sells high, over time, smalls can mean big business!
Haggle: Haggling is another word for bargaining. A buyer can haggle with a seller to try to lower the price of an item. This usually starts with the buyer and seller stating the lowest and highest prices they would be willing to settle on; then the haggling begins! Both sides try to move the other party closer to their target price until either an agreement is made, or someone chooses to walk away. Of course, haggling is really only effective in an environment where prices are negotiable, like a flea market or antiques show. Haggling at your local grocery store about the price milk or loaf of bread might have less successful results.
Written by MARKET WARRIORS production coordinator Margaret Aery.
