Business Series: An Inside Look at an Antique Co-op

Vintage Indie would like to welcome Karla the delightful proprietress of Polka Dot Rose. Karla also participates in a local antique co-op and has given us an inside look on what it means to be apart of the co-op.

Hi Karla, thank you for joining us here at Vintage Indie. Can you explain to us what an antique co-op is exactly?

An antique co-op is
an antique store with many different dealers represented. Normally
there is an owner that will have his or her own merchandise. Often an
antique dealer will start with her own shop; it can be difficult to
keep a large shop stocked with fresh and inviting inventory. Having
other dealers bring in their own unique merchandise can really give a
boost to an existing shop.

Since we could no longer meet the demands of full time
shopkeeping, becoming part of a co-op was perfect for us. We started in a
well established shop in a neighboring town. It was a small shop with a
few select dealers and an established clientele. We were able to set up
our portion of the shop (often referred to as a 'space' or 'booth') to
reflect our personality and to highlight our particular type of vintage
goods.

Although there are many different ways to set up and maintain an
antique co-op, the basic idea is that it is a cooperative effort
between a few or many different dealers. The shop is divided into separate areas or spaces, often of
varying size. Rent is established by the owner and will vary according
to size and perhaps location within the shop. An agreement is set up in advance and will usually involve working
in the shop a number of days per month. This time is considered part of
the 'rent' and is therefore obviously, not a paid position. We are
members of a co-op, rather than employees of the shop. A few of us in our current co-op formerly owned and operated our
own antique or vintage shops. A few have only worked in a co-op
situation, but have been involved for years. There are a few
who are just starting out. After seeing their private collections
grow beyond what they can store or display themselves, a co-op provided
an outlet for that collecting hobby.

We do have a set location. We have been in many different
shops throughout our county. The location where we are currently
located is fairly new for us, therefore we have joined a business with
other dealers. Many of them have been with the shop since its
inception.  Since we are relatively new in this particular co-op, we
have a fairly small space and are located to the back of the shop. We
hope eventually to be able to acquire a space closer to the front, we seem to be always wishing we had more room!

It can be daunting to get as much merchandise as we would like
into a limited amount of space. It does teach one to be creative with
display! There are many advantages to being in antique co-op. Many of the
long established dealers have their own following and established
customers who frequent the shop; this benefits all the dealers.  It is also a wonderful way to become educated in areas of
collecting that may not be your particular niche. It is also
informative to see what people are looking for and what they buy.  We are fortunate in our co-op to have a group of dealers who are
respectful of one another and genuinely interested in each others
success. A successful co-op enterprise is one where all dealers prosper
and thrive plus we have a lot of fun!