An FYI About Everything Must Go!Adding new items as we get photos so come back often to see if there is something you Correen, Everything Must Go, Nov 2009

It seems impossible that a company that has been in existence for around 250 years although it merged with Waterford Crystal in 1987 to form Waterford Wedgwood.

A direct descendent of Josiah Wedgwood, the company’s founder, has criticised recent management decisions. Tom Wedgwood has said that the company has a strong market in Japan and China which it has been unable to meet. However, since production has been moved from Wedgwood’s traditional home of Stoke-on-Trent to Indonesia, demand in these countries has fallen. He argues the Chinese and Japanese want genuine Wedgwood made in the UK. He also says that the company was struggling before the present recession.

Whatever the reasons behind its problems, it is very sad that it should find itself in trouble.

What must be understood is that American dealers, coming here and filling containers to sell in the USA, has been one of the driving forces of the UK’s antiques trade. When they stopped coming, so trade became more difficult. Over the last 7 years, antiques fairs (shows) have gone out of business or cut back on the number of events each year. In the middle and top of the market, dealers have cut back on the number of fairs they were willing to do. Just covering the stall (booth) rents and other costs involved has become harder. Making a reasonable profit for the risk and time has become something of a miracle.

Meanwhile, stores and antiques centres have closed and many older dealers have retired.

Tastes have changed. Now brown furniture is hard to sell for a decent price. Many other antiques are no longer particularly fashionable either. Over the last 10 years, here in the UK, we have seen minimalism become fashionable in home decorating and it’s a style that doesn’t suit many antiques. Of course, Art Deco and other modern items do fit in with this kind of decor and prices have risen in some areas.

Now the recession has started to bite. Banks are unwilling to allow small businesses, like antique dealers, to have overdrafts. Without this facility, dealers can’t buy fresh stock so their stock doesn’t change. If they do fairs, they are taking much the same things to fair after fair and regular visitors have seen it all before and don’t buy it. Prices for many antiques are low in the auction rooms too so offloading ‘tired’ stock there won’t raise much.

It’s not all doom and gloom for everyone. Some dealers have transferred their businesses to eBay and their own independent websites. They have adapted their stock and prices to the new conditions and so can make a living and, in some cases, a good profit.

The very top dealers, with good client lists and contacts among the richest collectors, can still sell profitably but these don’t generally have the trickle down effect on the rest of the trade that can come from a healthy middle market in antiques.

When the kind of dealers who do the Olympia Fine Art & Antiques Fair, Penman Fairs and other good multi-day fairs sell well, they then go out and look for new stock. They buy from smaller fairs, dealers and antiques centres. In turn, these dealers need to restock and start visiting the one day fairs, car boot sales and part time dealers. This is the trickle down effect.

The other factor against the antiques trade is the fall in the housing market. Whenever this has happened before, the sales of antiques has fallen. If people aren’t moving house, they don’t buy much furniture or other objects.

Is there any hope? I don’t know. The most enterprising dealers will survive the recession with their businesses intact but probably not without changes. It will be interesting to see how those dealers alter their buying and selling habits to run successful businesses.

The prestigious Royal Worcester and Spode company has gone into administration. Makers of fine quality ceramics for over 250 years, the company numbered the Queen of England among its customers.

It filed for administration late yesterday (Nov 6), apparently another victim of the worldwide recession. It leaves 388 workers, mostly in Worcester and Stoke-on-Trent (England) wondering what is going to happen to their jobs and, indeed, will they still have jobs.

Price Cooperhouse, the Administrators, are trying to find a buyer for the company and said, “The business has a great heritage, a great product range, a Royal Warrant, and while we cannot guarantee a sale we will do all we can.”

How sad that such an historic company, makers of high quality pottery and porcelain, should finally succumb to current economic circumstances after withstanding wars, downturns and recessions for more than two and a half centuries.

Read about the history of Spode.