Yeoman's in the Fork Blog

This past year has brought many challenges, but over the whole we are very happy with the direction of this business. Purveying rare books in America's current economic climate would seem to be a horrible business to be in, right?? We were prepared for the worst, but we have been pleasantly surprised that our business has not only held strong, but is showing all the signs of growth! Why is this? Why are new collectors entering the business in today's world? Is it to turn a quick profit or is it to simply diversify what it is they spend their discretionary income on? Why would you buy an old book and/or document when you can download one in a few seconds?

While we talk often about the state of the rare book and document industry, we have never devoted much time to TV talk. It is no secret that television can be a game-changer when it comes to success. It seems that we have many major television shows airing everyday to remind folks that collecting and/or dealing in historical items of all kinds is more than alive and well. Mike and Frank in the American Pickers van have been from the hills of Tennessee to the Ed Sullivan theatre in NYC! Rick and the gang from Pawn Stars have a veritable treasure trove of historical items on display and have frequently invited expert guests from the antiquities field on to authenticate as well as share a tip or two here and there. The bandwagon has rounded out with shows like 'Auction Hunters', 'Hard Core Pawn', 'Cash for Cari', 'Antiques Roadshow' and 'Auction Kings'... There are others I know, but this list gives us a great starting point of the power of television and the desires of television show viewers, if the networks are truly catering to the fans as I believe they are. We are all coming out of the woodwork and it is a glorious time to be making a living buying and selling tangible pieces of history!

Has everyone seen Brad Meltzer's new show 'Decoded'? The television powers that be have created entire networks for our demographic folks! For small independent stores like ours, becoming part of any of these shows most assuredly has a tremendous affect on business. We have heard the stories of Mike Wolfe and Antique Archaeology in Iowa... We have seen the lines around the corner to get into Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Vegas. Even here in the woods of Tennessee, we have entertained many clients who have seen us on 'Auction Kings'. THE END GOAL OF GETTING MORE AND MORE YOUNG COLLECTORS IN THE ANTIQUES BUSINESS IS BEING TACKLED SLOWLY BUT SURELY BY EACH OF US AND BY MAJOR TELEVISION NETWORKS. We are fighting the good fight and are so proud to be part of this renaissance of selling and sharing pieces of our past via modern methods!