It was the one that got away. In his early days as a trader, Irish Pickers host Ian Dowling came across a copy of The Good Friday Agreement, signed by all the participants in the historic deal. Ian flipped the document for what seemed like a decent price at the time and he's been regretting the sale ever since, as he told Ryan Tubridy today.
Ian was in studio today to chat to Ryan about the TV series Irish Pickers. It's a version of the show American Pickers, which follows two antique dealers as they criss-cross the States, buying up quirky items for re-sale. In the Irish version of the show, Ian and his best mate Mark Butterly are on the road across Ireland, hunting for antiques and collectables that both tell a story and yield a profit.
Ryan says he's "mortified" by haggling over price and asked Ian for a few insider tips. The experienced dealer told Ryan that people shouldn't be afraid to haggle, as most traders expect it:
"I certainly enjoy that kind of tussle. And most people who are in the trade, like it's par for the course. This is it, I enjoy it, I love it and I'm amazed that some people shy away from it."
Traders will sometimes be persuaded by matching up an item with someone they think will look after it, and that it's not always about the money (good to know!). Ian says he likes the process of matching special items with people who will really treasure them:
"I get a massive kick out of making a profit and making money along the way. I get a big buzz out of that. But I also get a huge buzz from connecting somebody with something they genuinely will love. And I also, if that meant taking 50 quid less for something, I mean, I've done that in the past."
It comes down to respecting the items you come across, and the personal histories behind them. Ian has sometimes kept items that he feels are of a very personal nature, like the time he found a suitcase full of a man's Second World War Memorabilia. He says the value of such items is not always measured in money:
"You could pay 20 quid for a whole life's worth of love letters."
Respect for the items and respect for the people in the trade is also important, says Ian. Ultimately, the key to a good haggle is minding your manners. Ian says rudeness will get you nowhere:
"I just think being rude is kind of the worst thing. Being rude is the worst way to go about things. If you're nice and polite, no matter what it is, I just think that's the best approach."
Ryan asked about Ian's antique dealer's bucket list. There's only one thing that Ian is determined to get his hands on at some point in the future:
"The number one target for me is getting a Good Friday Agreement. It's the one thing that I really regret selling and it's the one thing that I want to acquire again."
Get more useful tips on how to haggle, find out more about the unique and quirky treasures Ian has found and re-sold, including a job lot of whiskey shot-dispensing machines and more details on Irish Pickers in the full interview with Ryan here.
The show Irish Pickers featuring Ian Dowling starts on Blaze on 19 March 2020.
Ruth Kennedy