My father recalls the time he was in the middle of an intense bidding war with another antique dealer over an item. He was in an auction house in Acushnet, Massachusetts and was sitting in the way back of the spacious barn that had been converted into an antique auction house. He was smoking a cigarette with the other smokers (it was the early 90s – that was allowed back then!). Though he could not recall what the item he was bidding on was, he remembers he knew he wanted it for his antique store, but was being constantly outbid by another dealer who was in the front row of the auction house.

Meanwhile, I was in my usual stomping ground: the kitchen area, watching “Big Bill” the auctioneer moderate the bidding war between my dad and the other bidder. I loved going to antique auctions with my dad because the people at the auction house treated me like a prince. Everyone was really nice and they would let me play with some of the (less valuable) antique toys, and Big Bill would let me have a cheeseburger on the house. To this day, my mom and I still talk about how good those cheeseburgers were. Big Bill was a presence. He was loud and totally in charge of the auction that night. I remember that for less valuable items, he would start the bid at $1 and would say “let’s start this bid at a bawk bawk bawk bawk” and start imitating and clucking like a chicken. I was seven at the time, and this silliness NEVER got old with me.

My dad would not be outdone, but abruptly during this bidding war, Big Bill yelled out “Tony, are you and your wife speaking to one another?” My dad was totally perplexed; why would Bill ask this kind of personal question in the middle of an intense bidding war?” Bill, in his booming voice said “because you keep bidding against your wife!!” The mystery dealer in the front row? That was my mom. They were bidding against each other on the same item, and did not even know it. EVERYONE got a good laugh. Bill said “Oh… and Tony” then slammed the gavel down, ending the bidding war “Your wife wins!”

Further proof that my mom always wins.

My mom and dad opened their antique store, “Tomorrow’s Treasures” on Billings Road in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1990. The library was an important place to my dad back at this time, because it gave him free access to books on antique items and pricing. This was of course during a time before the internet was as established as it is today. To be effective in the antique business at the time, you had to know what your items were worth, and this meant a mix of doing your homework, experience, and, as my dad put it, embracing the “thrill of the hunt.” He explained “I loved the thrill of the hunt. Just going out and searching for items that were unique and different. It’s so exciting when you come upon something special, something one of a kind, and then owning it. The fun is that you never know what you will find, or where you will find it. Sometimes you find it at yard sale, or an auction, or at flea markets, you just never know.”

I hope you will enjoy the interview I conducted with my dad about his experience owning an antique store in the 90s. The Library continues to be a place of great information and resources for both the professional antique dealer and those who are curious about antiques in general. Be sure to check out the resources at the end of this article for more information!

Brian: What inspired you to become an antique dealer?

Tony: Before enlisting in the Marines during the Vietnam War, I was an accordion teacher. When I got out of the Marines I thought I would go back to teaching, but interest in the accordion had greatly diminished after the war, so I went to work with your grandfather at “DeFelice Movers” in Waltham. Though we were a moving company, we also doubled as a used furniture store as well. Back in the 80s students didn’t dorm like they do today, they group rented apartments, which meant our #1 customers were Brandeis University students looking for affordable used furniture. Along with the used furniture, I started to buy antiques, and I realized we could not keep the stuff in the store! When your grandfather sold DeFelice Movers in 1987, I decided I wanted to go into business. That’s how I opened “Tomorrow’s Treasures” in Quincy.

Brian: Any particular items you were most proud to acquire?

Tony: Your mom and I got this Hoosier kitchen cupboard that was amazing. Most Hoosier cupboards were made of pine or oak at the time. The one we owned was green oak, so it still retained some of the natural green that was found in the oak it was made of. It had been done over a bit, but the guy who had restored it was a true professional. I had found the piece at the Brimfield Flea Market and I remember paying around $800 at the time. I loved it, but I was a salesman, so of course I wanted to turn a profit. I recall a woman in Carver was interested in it, so I put it on the truck and drove it out to her to see if she was really interested. When she saw it, she just loved it and said to me, “get that in my house and do not damage it!” She paid $1,500 for it, a $700 profit.

Brian: Ah! Brimfield. I remember we used to camp out in the back of a moving truck to go to that. Tell me about your experiences at the Brimfield Flea Market.

Tony: I believe it is the largest, if not, one of the largest flea markets in the U.S. Yes, we would set up a spot for about 4-5 days in a row, and as you remember, we would sleep in the back of a moving truck. If you had the goods, there is no way you could NOT make money in Brimfield. Your mother and I would clean the house in Brimfield. People would come from all over the Nation to see your items. Because of this, you would get people interested in items that might not necessarily be popular in New England. For example, at the time, I found people from California were really interested in “Empire Style” couches and chairs, perhaps because they were not as common in the West. Also, some items had international interest. I used to deal with a Canadian dealer who loved Mahogany sets. I had a solid mahogany dining room table that had about 4-5 leaves. The chairs had a Queen Anne style back style with buttercup legs. There were about 12 chairs. He bought it on the spot. I guess Mahogany furniture was in vogue in Canada at the time.

Brian: Any advice you would impart on people interested in the antiques business?

Tony: Never bid against your wife! (he laughs). You start to learn a bit at auctions as you go to them, and realize that sometimes the person you are bidding against might actually be the seller of the item trying to up the price of their own item. Let’s say I put something into the auction for $200 but it’s really worth $300. Let’s say the  item is about to sell for $250 and I put in a bid for $300 to try to up the price, I would bid on my own item, hoping to at least break even, or at best, illicit a bidding war to make more money. Yes, it’s possible that no one else would bid, and I would effectively have not only bought my own item, but would have lost some money (during that time it cost $20 to put an item to bid) but it’s much less of a loss than the $70 loss I would have incurred had it sold for $250. If bidding, set a max price in your head that you will pay for the item and do not go over. Remember, the person you are bidding against just might be the owner.

Some items might not be worth much to some, but are worth quite a bit to a particular collector. For example I had a customer who loved Elvis, but before the internet, you had to go to auctions, flea markets, or stores to acquire Elvis memorabilia. She worked many hours, so she did not have the time to go out and find items for her collection. If I found anything Elvis-related that I knew she did not have, I would buy it on the spot. She would buy any Elvis collectible she could get her hands on. Some items have a particular niche buyer.

Brian: So, what ended up happening to the store?

Tony: We were in business for about 3 years, from 1990-1993. Your mom and I worked so so hard, but the store, in the end, was a financial disaster. Times had changed and people were no longer as interested in antiques. You could get something more modern looking (but cheaply made) at a cheaper price. People become more interested in new things.

Brian: Do you regret opening it?

Tony: No, not at all. First off Bri, if you don’t try something in life, you will never know if you could have been a success or not. Your mother and I worked hard, and we learned so much, but we also made some truly great friends who made a big impact on our lives. What I lost financially, I made up in friendships. The real “treasure” in “Tomorrow’s Treasures” was the experiences we had, the thrill and fun of the hunt, and especially the great people we met along the way.

Ready to start your journey into the world of antiques? Check out the following titles at the Morrill Memorial Library and start your collection today.

Miller’s Antiques Encyclopedia, by Judith Miller

The Kovels’ Antiques and Collectibles Price List, by Ralph and Terry Kovel

The Magazine Antiques

Brimfield Rush: The Thrill of Collecting and the Hunt for the Big Score, by Bob Wyss

Brian DeFelice is the Information Technology Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, MA. Look for his article in the February 20, 2020 issue of the Transcript and Bulletin.

Anthony DeFelice Jr. is a retired U.S. Marine, antiques dealer, and accordion player in Plymouth, MA