A New Dealer Initiative - Midcentury, Antiques UK Co-operative

Lyn Chapman from Lynways contacted ANF with news of a collaborative event to help fellow traders through the dark days of lockdown when it seemed back in April that the fairs calendar landscape looked very uncertain. She spoke to several dealers and asked if they would be interested in forming a Co operative to support each other and hopefully get a few sales.

In total 9 dealers agreed and the Facebook Group Midcentury, Antiques UK Co Operative was born with dealer members Lynways, Sue Gray Antiques & Collectables, Decodave, M and D Moir, Art Nouvocative, Granta Art, Solo Antiques, 20th Century Glamour, Scarab Antiques and Antiques by Design.
 
Lyn told ANF: We wanted to create a fair like feel in the group and agreed that only UK dealers affected by the lockdown who normally sell direct to the public could post items for sale as authorised dealers. Any one can join, but only authorised dealers can sell.  In this way we can give customers confidence that all sellers are genuine dealers and they are supporting small sustainable businesses.

We help dealers who have never used social media to post items and participate in the group, which has been a much bigger challenge than we had first expected. Encouraging sharing of other dealers stock and advertising the group far and wide has also been a challenge, but once sales started sharing and commenting increased dramatically. Rather than damaging their business, as many feared it would, it has increased their followers and customers.
 
We have also created an Instagram page to help increase the reach of the group and to highlight dealers in the group and the fabulous items they have for sale.

C20collector - A Tilgmans Marian Zawadzki 478 Bowl c1957/8 Sweden Swedish MCM. A great design which does not appear that often in the UK. Zawadzki created a technique using a of carving fine lines into the background. Grey and light coloured glaze created a unique textured ground which has become a style associated with Tilgman’s in their early period. Condition is superb. No chips, cracks or crazing. No visible wear marks on examination with a magnifying glass, Dimensions: 21.5 cm by 17.5 cm by approx. 6 cm high and base diameter 8.7cm. Purchased personally in Sweden. £69 plus your preference of |Royal Mail postage.

 
To promote the group we ask every member to engage on both items for sale and adverts for our monthly virtual fairs. This has helped to increase the group from 9 members in April to 386 member today and 32 authorised dealers.
 
We allow buyers to tell us what they are looking for and to get over some of the issues with using Facebook. Items are posted in both the Selling platform and in Discussion using topics to aid customer searches.
 
The virtual fairs help to focus activity and give dealers the opportunity to present their area of expertise. This was so successful at the first fair with two presentations we have decided to increase the fair to 3 days and have 7 presentations by different dealers.
 
The dealers are a mix of vintage decor, midcentury and antique dealers. We don't allow clothes sales, high end jewellery or banned products and all electrical items must be PAT tested or stated as decorative only. 

Our next Virtual Fair is the 5-7 June with presentations on Bohemian Glass Blues, Art Moderne, The story of the Diving Dolphins, The Wiinblad Ladies, Art Deco Style and me, Keith Murray Designs by Mappin and Webb and bespoke jewellery. The fair opens at 10 and closes at 16.00 on the 7 June.

Scarab Antiques - This tulip vase was made by the French glass company Schneider. Made in the 1930s the pink coloured bowl has an acid etched geometric pattern and the foot and short stem is in a deeper pink/purple colour. It is signed "Schneider".