Marketplace
The economy began to tank in late 2008, at the time we were developing this website. The warning signs had come earlier for Indian artists, with rising silver and gold prices, and less commissions from galleries. Although most artists had good show sales for the summer, including the all-critical Santa Fe Indian Market, a number reported poor sales in events held in October, November, and December 08. Nevertheless, collector business continued as usual, with dealers and traders employing more caution in what they took on as inventory.
The Indian arts marketplace is always subject to varying trends, however. Fashions for certain forms of jewelry and arts will create mini-buzz in the field. The good news is that the marketplace continues to attract newcomers, while regular customers provide a steadying bottom line. Good artists maintain loyal followers. The antique Indian arts market follows a more variable path, with reliance on moneyed customers and dealer ability to find desired objects from estate sales and time-proven sources.
To those just starting in as collectors of Southwestern Indian arts, questions often arise about marketplace practices and trends. This feature will act as a forum for such queries.
Question: I’ve noticed in recent trips to the Southwest that customers often bargain in stores and trading posts, especially in places like Gallup and Flagstaff. Can I also bargain with artists at Indian art shows?
SS says: Bargaining is an established practice at many Indian arts stores, especially in reservation border towns, and at some trading posts. Usually, however, these places have already posted discounted prices on their inventory, so don’t expect any significant climb-down in final sale amount. At the same time, exercise extreme caution in bargaining with Indian artists. They are already sensitive to the discounts that many consumers feel entitled to, but they are also selling work they’ve made themselves, thereby knowing the costs they’ve accrued and what they anticipate as a fair price for sale. Remember that they are artists, the creators of the item in question, and don’t insult their hard work by trying to get an unfair price reduction. Some artists may be willing to lower their prices at the end of an art market just to get the pieces off their hands, but don’t take this for granted.
Tourists may expect that Indian artists are used to selling their works with discounts, but you can no longer count on this in our contemporary world of art school-trained and business-savvy individuals. Many artists have dealers (and collectors) competing to acquire their works, so why should they stoop to bazaar-style haggling? There’s a big difference between bargaining with Native peoples selling crafts at highway rest or beauty spots and artists mindful of their reputations showing works at established art festivals and markets.
Question: Is it still possible to find good antique American Indian arts at antique shows around the country?
SS says: It’s possible, but not very probable these days, unless you’re attending a specialty antiques show that features American Indian art, like the ones held in Santa Fe in August close to the annual Indian Market. We remember going to the big Brimfield Market in Massachusetts in the mid-1990s and finding almost nothing. Talks with antique dealers revealed that dealers who specialized in this area had already come and carried away anything good before we, the public, ever arrived. Demand is so high that virtually everything of quality that comes on the market passes into the hands of one of these specialized dealers. It turns out they have their own radar and connections for obtaining arts. See our Profile on the Antique Tribal Art Dealers Association (ATADA).
If you have a question about the Indian arts marketplace, email us at:
info@southwesternsouvenirs.com
We’ll either answer it ourselves or consult an expert to give you an accurate reply.