I learned years ago that when you are marketing something extremely narrow, you must have passion and authority to earn the respect of your clients. Tell me a little about your journey over the years in establishing your vision into a successful business
It’s been a very interesting journey indeed. Buying, selling, and creating products are extremely rare and difficult to find while keeping up with supply and demand. This genre of antique that Mike, Evan and I deal with is not exactly plentiful or easy to accumulate. It is a full time job just making the connections to locate these items – we scour flea markets, auctions, and estate sales. Sometimes we drive 5 hours to a flea market at 3am hoping that we will find that one “rare gem” - unfortunately sometimes we invest hours searching for the gems and come home empty handed. It’s when these situations prove successful that it makes this business worthwhile.
I have been buying, collecting and selling since I was very young. I used to find interesting things at yard sales and take them home, clean them up and resell them to local antique stores. As I got older I refined the process and became more knowledgeable about specialty items and how to resell them. Naturally the next step for me was to it the next level – So I started a legitimate business.
The biggest lesson from a marketing sense is to trust your vision. I see the enthusiasm that resonates between you and the customer. How important has this been for you attracting and retaining customers?
In a way we have created our own community of people fascinated with this stuff. It is truly exciting when we talk to a people who are as genuinely interested and well versed in these obscure items as we are. The best part is the information exchange that happens within this community - There is such a broad spectrum of knowledge to be shared. We value our cliental dearly!
Do you think that your own love of the obscure is the true success of your business?
It is a major component for sure. We have all been doing this for a very long time now. We have slow periods and then busy times. But we have always been true and kept our business alive and moving along despite the “troubled economic times”.
What marketing strategies do you use now? And in the past?
This has always been a word of mouth business. Whether it be a reference to "Obscura" or to my own personal osteological business. I think the objects have always spoken for themselves.
I love to see how business is done on your show and especially love your reverence for the client. I also enjoy the length you will go to satisfy your customer absent the amount of money they are willing to spend. I try to impress on my students not to judge any client. I have found that by treating all my clients equally, I have a higher success of repeat business. People’s financial situations change all the time and just because they first purchase is small does not mean that the next one will be. Have you found this to be true in your business?
Of course - we have a very broad and loyal client base ranging from eccentric regulars who live in the area, tourists who come visit from all around the world, hardcore collectors, to famous musician and celebrities. We treat everyone with the same enthusiasm and respect.
Has there ever been a customer that bought something small that you went out of your way to find come back later and spend a substantial amount of money based on your customer service?
Somebody may collect a particular type of item and sometimes we may only have one component pertaining to it, in the future we may get the other pieces so we “build” the finalized item in time – creating a returning customer.
There is something genius about the delicate back and forth negotiating between you and the customer on price. I find the classy way you handle such a delicate issue to be inspiring. Artists are often afraid to ask for what they are worth or to negotiate price to make a sale. What advice would you give, based on your experiences?
Stay true to what you do. If you have in your possession a product or item that is extremely rare or sought after then demand what you think its worth. The Osteological pieces that I make are so one of a kind that I am aware of only one other person creating similar objects in the world. They are very time consuming and every piece of detail is represented thoroughly. Given those facts I charge accordingly. I initially started making these preparations as a result of their rarity and the incredibly high prices they were demanding.
How do you deal with a failed sale?
It happens. You cannot win them all. This is the same as any other business whether it be selling cars or selling dog skeletons. Sometimes a customer follows though and sometimes it just doesn’t work out. This occurs when buying antiques occasionally. People decide they want to sell an item, but then change their mind mid way through the transaction. Perhaps they decided they couldn’t part with a particular item, realized it was worth far more than the asking price, or “think” it may be worth a lot more than it actually is. These types of things occur all the time. If you are interested in an object buy it immediately, as the time it takes you to think about the purchase is the same time it takes to be sold from under you.
Most artists deal with continual criticism from friends and family concerning their career choice and eventually abandon their passion. Did anyone early on criticize your decision to specialize in “oddities” rather than a run of the mill antique store?
It’s not for everybody. People either love this stuff or are turned off by it. All in all I would say folks are pretty respectful. I’ve never had anyone be repulsed as of yet.
What kept you focused and believing in your vision?
I don’t believe I had a choice in the matter. I have always gravitated towards the macabre, bizarre and obscure. I knew very early on that this would become my life and passion.
One of the main reasons I wanted to interview you, besides the fact that Mrs. Armusik and I really love the show, is that it is so amazing to see the items you are selling being sold with such class, sincerity and even humor. There isn’t even a hint of snobbery. And though your market is narrow your audience is so diverse in age, sex, and lifestyle. How have you established this perfect chemistry over the years?
I think it just comes second nature for me. I have found that just being yourself, and not being selfish with your information has always been respected and appreciated by customers. There really is no need for snobbery. People that behave in that manner I just simply will not deal with. I am very happy and honored to be excited every day and happy with my “job”. I have never considered what I do as a job, but as a lifestyle.
How long did it take to break the fear of loosing a sale? For instance, when a client has a different idea on price and you know you cannot go any lower.
It’s all about coming to a healthy medium. There is only so much haggling before you are only getting mere pennies above what you originally paid. The key has been to find the items as inexpensively as possible so we can price keep them at a reasonable price and still be able to turn a profit.
How do you deal with the nightmare client?
It does not happen very often. We are lucky in the fact that nobody (at least in the general area) is dealing with this type of collecting and product. But if someone is constantly complaining, harassing, asking for too much or just all around being rude, you just stand your ground. Make it clear that this is your business and that they must be respectful.
Was there ever a client that tried your patience to a high degree but ended up being a favorite client afterwards?
I personally deal with a many items including a skeletal preparation (exploded skulls) that nobody else specializes in. The best statement I can make to a "stubborn" client is "Try finding this elsewhere". People who really want this stuff will eventually come back down off their holy horse and realize that with out respect and gratitude they receive no item.
Thank you so much for your time and for your insight, Ryan.
Great interview Eric. Nice job, well done.
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