News : Antiques Magazine Editorial, May 2006

7-June-2006

We take a look at what's happening in the online world and find out how the trade is making the best use of the World Wide Web

The growth of the internet in the 1990s was accompanied by the inevitable doubters who thought it would remain the preserve of the 'geeks'. Either that, or the bubble would surely burst. It is true that we experienced a 'dotcom bubble' that did just that, but the net has continued to defy the doom mongers and has become a part of our lives. We use it for shopping, for research and for leisure - recent surveys have found that in a significant number of households it has displaced the television.

The statistics speak for themselves. According to a recent survey for the Office for National Statistics, 64% of adults in the UK (29 million people) accessed the internet in October 2005, representing 92% of those who had ever used the net. Of adults who had been on the net in the three months before the survey, 61 % had bought or ordered goods, tickets or services. Younger people were, perhaps predictably, more likely to buy online. However, even in the over 65 group deemed least likely to shop on the internet, 41 % of users in this age group had done so.

It has to be said that the art and antiques trade often has a stuffy and even reactionary image, and is not always quick to seize the opportunities available: For those in the trade that have, and there are many, it is good business to be had. In this feature, we take a look at some of the companies and individuals who are offering useful and often time and money-saving services on the Web, and at the impact the internet has made on individual dealers.

Live Auctioneers

LiveAuctioneers.com is the brainchild of Briton Julian Ellison, whose company is based in New York but has clients worldwide, including a growing number in the UK. The site teams up with Ebay Live Auctions and offers live, real time bidding for more than 400 salesrooms worldwide. LiveAuctioneers are art and antiques specialists and it is possible to search all of these salerooms to find what you are looking for (and interested in bidding on) in one click. UK auctioneers that have signed up to LiveAuctioneers include Ewbank, Bloomsbury Auctions and Peter Wilson, and numbers are growing. The ability to search so many salesrooms at once has obvious benefits for the bidder, but there are many advantages for the auctioneer too.

For Julian Ellison, customers' ability to analyse and assess where business is coming from is a major benefit of the LiveAuctioneers system, and this makes it very cost-effective. "We get people saying they can add 15-35% to their bottom line. They can do one or two sales to try us out first and come back when they see that it works." Ellison compares the development of Internet bidding with the telephone - people were initially uncertain of whether telephone bidding could really work, but they soon became used to it and it is now an established part of salesroom life. Julian Ellison is clearly passionate about auctions; he has a background in the business (he was a fine art packer and also worked at Christie's) and this, he believes, gives him a distinct advantage. "We're not venture capitalists, nor are we publishers who see this as something they would like to get into - we are in the auction business." He started up in New York largely because he wasn't sure that the UK was quite ready for this kind of development at the time. Now auctioneers on this side of the Atlantic are joining LiveAuctioneers and numbers are growing all the time. But there is more to the LiveAuctioneers concept than selling. "It's also about establishing an online brand name. Small auction houses are no longer restricted and can compete globally with the big boys. We also have shipping companies wanting to promote us to clients and dealers like it too - it cuts down on travel, they can save money and plough it back into better stock." One of the great assets of LiveAuctioneers is its database; between 12,000 and 15,000 items per day are uploaded onto the system, resulting in an enviable decorative arts database. "Searching the database is absolutely free of charge and will remain so" says Ellison. "The archives drive business into the auction rooms. We have a very specific business mmodel, which involves charging a listing fee and commission, so I don't feel we need to restrict access to the database - we've already been paid."

Essex's finest

For art dealer John Brandler, based in Brentwood, Essex, the advent of the Internet is further proof of something he has known for some time- that you don't need to be in London's West End to offer quality works of art. He has sold to leading galleries and top London dealers who come to select stock without the Capital's overheads. "They can view a vast selection on the Web, but they also know that the gallery physically exists, so there is a solid base to the business", says John "From Damien Hirst to David Hockney, Constable and Gainsborough to Maurice Cockrill, the selection is huge and the gallery is known for selling artists before a major push by London galleries." Other artists featured include Andy Warhol, Carel Weight, Elizabeth Frink and many more. Brandler Galleries also offer original book illustrations featuring characters from Dr.Who to Black Beauty and from Noddy to wind in the Willows characters. This is a growing area of collecting and has proved very popular with visitors on and offline. You can take a look at John's online stock at www.Brandler-Galleries.com.

'If you build it they will come'

This may have been true for Kevin Costner in the movie 'Field of Dreams' but it is certainly not true for a website. A dealer, like any business, can spend a lot of time and money developing a website only to find that very few new clients know that it exists let alone visit it. Search engine rankings are crucial for bringing new users to a site. A successful website has to be built in such a way that the search engines find it easy to include the entire contents of any site and have it ranked on the first three pages, or people will never find it. The art of search management is the subject of university courses and whole library sections and is especially crucial for niche brands. To compound the problem, unless the site is well designed and reflects the quality of the dealer's brand, users may actually come to your site and leave immediately because they have no sense of trust in a brand they don't know. If they do like what they see on the site, they may bookmark it in their favourites and return a week or so later. If the site hasn't changed since they last visited they may leave and never come back as they are not interested in viewing the same stock they saw last time. With all this in mind, One Galleries has developed a vision to allow dealers to generate successful online business and the proof of the pudding is that the dealers are selling through it. This vision stems from a unique engine which currently runs the BADA and LAPADA websites as well as over 200 individual online galleries for dealers. Before the new LAPADA site was launched in March, Google only had 97 links to the site Within two months the new engine has created over 39,000 for them and the BADA site now has 100,000, making it far more likely that an interior decorator in New York will find the dealer's goods. The easy-to-use tools allow each dealer to change the stock of their online gallery on a regular basis. Dealers who tend to get the most success from their galleries are the ones whose clients tell them they keep returning because they know they will find new stock. 'If you build it they will come' ... Online Galleries aims to do just that for the trade-creating a central site which empowers the dealers to create a much greater client base for themselves.

Hunting for Antiques

Antiqueshunting.com brings together the stock from a variety of dealers around the globe onto one website, making it easy to browse the stock of many dealers at once. It is simple to use; antiques are listed by category and you can view stock online, with the asking price and contact the seller directly. Antiqueshunting.com has spent considerable time and money researching the market, and has found that many in the trade still fail to make the best of the technology available. The 2004 LAPADA member survey carried out by the firm found at fewer than 10% of dealers attracted more than 10,000 visitors a year to their websites. Many dealers who do have websites have only some simple pages designed to show off typical stock.

Some can take payment, but most require the customer to contact the dealer directly to arrange payment and delivery. Seventy percent of UK dealers have a website, but only 9% say they can take payments online. Most dealers say they do not have the time to commit to running a website properly. Research suggests, not surprisingly, that smaller items such as ceramics, glass, pottery and other small items sell best online. However, even large pieces of furniture can sell over the Web, and a Web presence is a perfect shop window to entice customers to visit "offline". Perhaps the biggest advantage of a site like antiqueshunting.com is that it enables a number of dealers to club together under one large website, so that search engine optimisation and marketing costs can be shared. The company's research shows that people often start with a small purchase before going on to spend more, and are ultimately prepared to spend a lot of money online.

Goldentreasures

Books are among those objects that are readily sold on the Web, being small and portable, easily described and simple to post. Among those who have discovered the advantages of book shopping on the web are the thousands of customers of Golden Boot Group, who are members of both LAPADA and the PBFA Originally at www.goldenbks.co.uk. the firm now has a new site at www.abook4all.com. Golden Books Group has been selling used and out of print books since 1991, and has a vast selection to choose from on most popular subjects. The company also specialises in Antiquarian library building, creating tailor made libraries with the finest leather bound books. Selected paintings and antique library furniture is also (available for purchase through the site, as are early prints and old maps. The Golden Books Group originally began amongst a society of market traders, booksellers and collectors, growing in experience and expertise before opening a shop in London; a second followed in Camden Passage in the mid-90s. The Internet made easier to reach more ppeople from any location; today, the company is based in North Devon amid rolling green hills, but still offers the same level of service.

It is a particular feature of the GoldenBooks Group site that new listings are being added all the time. It is therefore wise to check regularly to see what new goodies are available; and judging by the continuing growth of the site, clearly, people do. A2Z of antiques Britain, Germany and France are united on the site of a2zantiques.com, which includes antiques listings for all three countries. Go to one site and you can search for items offered for sale from dealers not only in the UK, but on the continent as well. If you don't want to browse through items you may have already seen, you can opt to search for recently-listed items only. Another useful feature of this site is the ability to search for items that are priced at under £100, making it ideal for bargain hunters. You can also search only for items from the UK if you wish. The site charges a small monthly fee to the dealers listing on the site, which is run by a team with over 20 years experience in buying and selling antiques, as well as considerable expertise in Web design and development.

Collectors are revolting

A 'collectors revolt' against one of the leading auction sites led to the creation of specialistauctions.com. It was founded by group of avid collectors that had used the site for a number of years, but became increasingly disillusioned. As the site became more popular, they say, the sheer volume of items that were not what they were supposed to be increased. As a result, they established specialistauctions.com in late November of 2005, with the aim of creating an auction site designed specifically for specialist and collectable items. Unlike many online auctions, there are no charges for a standard listing, and there is an end of sale fee fixed at 3%. Bob Clements, who runs specialistauctions.com says that where they really differ is that each area on the site, when fully populated, will be "moderated" by a leading industry figure. The moderator will remove fakes and replicas, give advice on how to describe items and provide valuation guidance. The idea is that even someone who has no expertise whatsoever can feel confident in buying from the site. If a buyer is not happy, there is a post-sale mediation service. In addition, there is a"report this item' button, which members' can use to bring a suspect item to the attention of the moderator and siteowners.

The site is currently keen to hear from potential moderators in several areas; moderators receive a percentage of final sale fees in return for their input. Although it has only been online for about six months, this site is already making an impact. By March 2006, it had grown quite substantially, notching up a million individual page views and 1.4 million page views in April. The sale has around 3,000 new users looking at the site daily, with many loyal members logging on four or more times a week. There are currently between 3,000 and 3,500 items on the site, and this is constantly growing. Objects offered on the site are varied, and include some genuine rarities, including Chinese terracotta figures and Ancient Greekartefacts - Bob Clements says he is well aware that many people are nervous of buying over the internet, and offers the following general tips: "Ensure the site you are buying from has a valid Security Certificate. Naturally, we have secure site using the latest encryption methods to ensure the safety and security of our users. Visitors will see the logo of Comodo on every page of our site, they are an independent online security specialist who provide their services to us. "Ask questions. If a seller or buyer is not prepared to answer your questions quickly and in a pleasant, business like manner, walk away from the deal. If you are buying a watch or clock, ask the seller to take a picture of the item with the time set at one you specify and send the picture to you by email. If they can't do this, they may not have the item in their possession You could extend this to requesting an item be photographed on a copy of a newspaper with the date clearly showing. Ask for references from other buyers - particularly for higher priced items. Call the referee yourself, ask questions, be polite. Check feedback ratings as a buyer and a seller. If available, look at feedback from more than one site. In our case, a seller's feedback for both our site and another firmly established site is available. If problems are encountered, contact the site owners. Responsible business people will always listen to their clients and take whatever action they need to, to resolve a problem.

Issue 1088 20th - 26th May 2006 Antiques Magazine