Auctions and Other Methods of Purchasing
Article by Kyle Widner
The purchasing of goods at auction is rather limited for those who are in business at any distance from New York City. While there are auction rooms located in some of the larger western and southern centers, the goods that are sold do not compare in quality to those handled by the large auctioneers in the East. Auction buying demands a certain amount of experience and at the same time is an invaluable lesson in price gauging. The auction room is one of the best schools for the young professional interior decorator. It is however only valuable to the decorator who handles antiques, and whose clientele will value and pay for such articles. From an educational standpoint, the decorator should attend the exhibitions of the goods before the sale, purchase the catalog, appraise the pieces and note the appraisal value on the catalog. These prices should be compared with the actual prices obtained at the auction. Some of the most famous auction rooms in the world are Christie’s in London and Hotel Drouot in Paris. All classes of articles are sold in these places, and the largest decorators have agents in both of them to attend the sales constantly.There are three principal methods of obtaining manufactured articles, and by using these methods the decorator obtains by far the greatest supply of all kinds of goods which he uses, particularly furniture reproductions, textiles, and floor and wall coverings. These three methods are as follows:By special purchasing trips made periodically by the decorator or his purchasing agents to the large manufacturing centers;By the appointment of resident buying agents in the manufacturing centers;By the traveling agents of the manufacturers, who make periodical trips covering the whole country.The buying trips made by the decorators themselves are not absolutely necessary from the point of view of purchasing goods, as salesmen from any of the large manufacturers will call on the decorator in his own establishment, if requested to do so, but the buying trip, possibly made only once a year, gives the decorator an opportunity to see to much better advantage the latest developments in the decorative arts, and has a tendency to refresh and develop his mind, which if he remains continually in his own locality is of course impossible.The second method is appointing a resident buyer in New York City, is followed by a great number of decorators, decorating departments, and retail furniture stores throughout the country. These resident buyers usually represent a large number of firms, and their officials, by the very nature of their business, are in constant touch with the manufacturers and importers, and are able to give better service on stock goods than the purchasing agents sent out by the decorators themselves.There is a very huge group of “Buying Representatives” in New York, and the best way to obtain their names and addresses is through the advertising column of the various trade papers. The third method, that of receiving the sales representatives of the manufacturer, is perhaps the most common method of the three. It, however, does not prohibit the adoption of either or both of the other methods if so desired. The manufacturers must of course be notified in order to have their representative call a decorator for the first time. Since the novice decorator will not know whom to communicate with, it will be necessary to give a brief list of some of the leading firms, although far more complete lists may be found in the advertising columns of the trade publications. The addresses of the following firms are the latest obtainable, but are of course subject to change. They are all in New York City, except as otherwise noted. Many of them also have branch establishments in other cities.
About the Author
This author is a freelance marketing writer based out of San Diego, CA, specializing in interior decoration, home improvement, and landscaping.Get more information regarding purchasing.