Member Spotlight - RC Antiques

Name, Shop & Blog Links:

Hello, my name is Linda Caricofe, my shop is RC Antiques: 

http://www.rubylane.com/shop/rcantiques

My blog page is for Polyvore sets, my old blog about antiques is still available, however, I seldom post there anymore, so, instead of a blog page, here is my video channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/rcantiques?feature=mhee

How long have you been in the business? What made you decide to start selling online / start your website?

I have been in the antique business for about 30 years. I have sold on line since 1997. I added selling online as soon as my husband told me about eBay, which was 1997.

What are your favorite ways to find items to sell?

I do not go to auctions much anymore, but, in the early days, I went to auctions every week, in fact, several times a week. In the 1990's we were able to buy estates directly from the families (at that time we were partners of a huge antique mall in this area, Beaver Creek Antique Market).

These days, I enjoy going to other antique shops (we sold our share of Beaver Creek Antique Market 6 years ago) and the antique shows... I also love buying for my collections online. Online shop dealers really do go the extra mile to give the best service possible. I have many favorite sellers from 3 sites, Ruby Lane, Etsy, and eBay. I enjoy the hunt for a good buy, to sell, or to collect.

What types of items can usually be found in your shop?

Due to collecting all these years, the items in my shop are actually from my own collections, or from estates we purchased years ago. Most of the items in my shop at this time are vintage, such as jewelry, hats, purses, and fine antique to vintage luxury items.

For example:

Vintage Walborg Rhinestones Purse

 Vintage Designer Signed Wide Luxury Collar Necklace

I plan to continue to sell online, and have the hope that my treasure hunting online and offline will never end. 

What are your goals and plans for the future?

As far as goals, I am fortunate to have reached the goals I have set for myself when I began  to sell online. I was in the first eBay magazine as a featured power seller... I became a Platinum level Ruby Lane shop owner in 2 years, which requires 1,000 sales to attain that level.

So, instead of goals, I look forward to attaining the online status of a recognized image, which is why I have always used a photo of myself wherever I post. I refer to this as branding myself, so, people that come to my shop, have the sense of actually knowing the me, the RC Antiques shop owner, so they are assured I will give them the best service possible.

If you could give one piece of advice to a seller who is just starting out, what would it be?

My tip to all sellers and shop owners, oh my, I have many tips, but, the main key to success is build the road to your shop so people can find you and remember, your shop is an extension of you. I do have a prediction that is good news for all sellers on line. Buying goods online will become a natural form of buying as time goes on. As far as antiques to vintage, I feel that it will keep steady in it's course as the people who love antiques to vintage find they enjoy staying home to buy, instead of taking trips to buy.

Browsing for anything online is a favorite pastime of all ages. And best of all, everyone always enjoy receiving something in the mail. So, although the postal costs have gone up again, much to the dismay of both buyers and sellers, receiving a package in the mail is still a thrill.