LOGANVILLE – The antiques market is on an upswing due to a recovering economy says local business owner Braxton Roberts of Braxton’s Enterprises and the recently reopened Braxton’s Antique Mall.
On Thursday, the Mall will host its first Dealer Dicker Night from 6-8 p.m., providing an unique opportunity for buyers to directly negotiate prices with sellers.
His empire has been 28 years in the making and includes multiple focuses including The Gold and Coin Company, Braxton’s Auctioneering, Braxton’s Clock World and the recently re-opened Braxton’s Antique Mall.
“As the economy has changed we see that there’s a little more interest in the antiques,” Roberts said. “Now we’re starting to make the swing back up and we thought it was a good time to get back into it.”
For many, antiques and the like are seen as a luxury and falling in line with typical economic downturn patterns, those types of things are first to go.
On Jan. 1, his company decided it was time to return to the business. This involved taking back over the top mezzanine area that housed another antiques group, Repurposeful Antiques.
“My mom and dad started the antique business 28 years ago. They did antiques and little clocks and three years after they were into it, I had graduated and did apprentice work at a clock shop in Marietta,” said Roberts. “When I took over, the name became Braxton’s and we just expanded.”
Roberts decided to keep the business going when his parents retired and is continuing the legacy, at least for now, with auction night help from his three children, Braxton Jr., 17, Gaines, 16, and Myla, 14.
Since then, the business has been a hallmark of the Main Street area of Loganville and served the community with some of the best furniture and antiques – much of which has been collected from throughout the Northeast by Roberts.
The business has dealt with a few challenges during the reopening the antique mall. They have had some trouble recollecting and updating information from former buyers and auctioneers.
“Our biggest challenge is when we closed the antique mall over 7 or 8 years ago, we had a mailing list of over 3,000 people and when we use that mailing list now only about 80 percent come back,” Roberts said. “Our biggest challenge is getting the word out that we’re back.”
Another change has been in the definition of a current antique. The stipulations change throughout the years and according to Roberts, the American Oak period of first few decades of the 20th century are on their way out.
“It used to be anything that’s at least one hundred years old was an antique but what’s really hot nowadays is 1950s, 60s and 70s,” Roberts said. “Mid-century modern, the 1950s and art deco are all pretty in.”
Robert’s advice to people looking to start collecting is to be patient and figure out what speaks to them.
“Stick to something you know or you like doing,” Roberts said. “Study and become very, very knowledgeable in that one area then branch out. Buy what you know.”
Roberts and his crew are excited at the re-emergence of antiques popularity and will be conducting a few auctions each month to satisfy the public.
“Everyone who walks into our building says it’s bigger than it looks,” said Roberts. “The main thing is just getting the word out and getting people to keep coming back in.”
Braxton's Antique Mall is located at 303 Main St., Loganville. For more information call 770-828-8012 or 770-466-0748.
Source: www.waltontribune.com
On Thursday, the Mall will host its first Dealer Dicker Night from 6-8 p.m., providing an unique opportunity for buyers to directly negotiate prices with sellers.
His empire has been 28 years in the making and includes multiple focuses including The Gold and Coin Company, Braxton’s Auctioneering, Braxton’s Clock World and the recently re-opened Braxton’s Antique Mall.
“As the economy has changed we see that there’s a little more interest in the antiques,” Roberts said. “Now we’re starting to make the swing back up and we thought it was a good time to get back into it.”
For many, antiques and the like are seen as a luxury and falling in line with typical economic downturn patterns, those types of things are first to go.
On Jan. 1, his company decided it was time to return to the business. This involved taking back over the top mezzanine area that housed another antiques group, Repurposeful Antiques.
“My mom and dad started the antique business 28 years ago. They did antiques and little clocks and three years after they were into it, I had graduated and did apprentice work at a clock shop in Marietta,” said Roberts. “When I took over, the name became Braxton’s and we just expanded.”
Roberts decided to keep the business going when his parents retired and is continuing the legacy, at least for now, with auction night help from his three children, Braxton Jr., 17, Gaines, 16, and Myla, 14.
Since then, the business has been a hallmark of the Main Street area of Loganville and served the community with some of the best furniture and antiques – much of which has been collected from throughout the Northeast by Roberts.
The business has dealt with a few challenges during the reopening the antique mall. They have had some trouble recollecting and updating information from former buyers and auctioneers.
“Our biggest challenge is when we closed the antique mall over 7 or 8 years ago, we had a mailing list of over 3,000 people and when we use that mailing list now only about 80 percent come back,” Roberts said. “Our biggest challenge is getting the word out that we’re back.”
Another change has been in the definition of a current antique. The stipulations change throughout the years and according to Roberts, the American Oak period of first few decades of the 20th century are on their way out.
“It used to be anything that’s at least one hundred years old was an antique but what’s really hot nowadays is 1950s, 60s and 70s,” Roberts said. “Mid-century modern, the 1950s and art deco are all pretty in.”
Robert’s advice to people looking to start collecting is to be patient and figure out what speaks to them.
“Stick to something you know or you like doing,” Roberts said. “Study and become very, very knowledgeable in that one area then branch out. Buy what you know.”
Roberts and his crew are excited at the re-emergence of antiques popularity and will be conducting a few auctions each month to satisfy the public.
“Everyone who walks into our building says it’s bigger than it looks,” said Roberts. “The main thing is just getting the word out and getting people to keep coming back in.”
Braxton's Antique Mall is located at 303 Main St., Loganville. For more information call 770-828-8012 or 770-466-0748.
Source: www.waltontribune.com