Toronto - Auction sales are the primary source of wholesale antique purchases, along with estate or house clearances, but they are not the exclusive source.

    Obviously antiques exist in antique stores but this is retail, not wholesale. So, for the person who has time and doesn't mind driving, good value can sometimes be found at garage or yard sales. The goods represented at these sales will range from good household items to pure, unadulterated junk - with the emphasis on junk.

     The average householder doesn't know the difference between an antique and old furniture. However, every once in a while a choice piece is found among a stock of old bottles, and broken kitchen chairs.

     It is possible to spend an entire day going from sale to sale and not find one antique piece, and that is one of the reasons I don't often do it. Surprisingly though, people do find items of antique value at garage sales. When you are lucky enough to find a piece at a sale, it is usually dirt cheap. If you barter, the price might still be negotiated lower.

    Similar to an auction, the risks associated with a yard sale are dependent upon the ability of the purchaser

to properly identify and authenticate a piece.

    The risks are about the same at a yard sale or auction, but hard-earned cash can still be launched in the river of no return if foolish mistakes are made. Not all yard sales are amateur productions. There are persons who hold sales on a regular basis. The enterprising souls who run regular operations scour the countryside to locate pieces for resale. Usually they find them at other yard sales, or at auctions.

     They also tend to overprice the items as they have had to buy the goods rather than just get rid of unwanted items. I am not suggesting that there is anything wrong with this type of operation; it is a type of hobby/business. However, it does not create many bargains and the collector must soon become aware of the obvious, and discriminate between the types of yard sales he or she attends.

     Flea markets represent another alternative to the antique store. They are often great fun and a grand source of free recreation on a Sunday morning. Again, however, they are not the best place for antiques. The merchandise is usually low end of the line and not terribly expensive. My experience is that the cost of most antique items of any value are grossly overpriced at the flea markets, because the stall or table owner doesn't know the item's true value, and so inflates the price to protect himself.

    Antique wholesalers are found in various areas of the country. Such wholesalers, for the most part, merchandise container loads of European goods that are often picked and packed for them abroad and shipped to Canada and the U.S.

     When the dollar had a great deal more virility than it has had in recent years, these operations were a good source of reasonably priced antiques. I myself brought many container loads over in the 1980's which I personally picked on trips to Europe during the cold winter months when my own business was closed. This is all finished now except perhaps for the dealers who are venturing into Eastern Europe, where the dollar still commands a bit of respect!