Toma Clark Haines is The Antiques Diva® – Chief
Executive Diva of The Antiques Diva® & Co European Tours – Europe’s largest
antiques touring and sourcing company.
As an American who has lived abroad nearly 15 years, it has been said
Clark Haines is conquering countries faster than Napoleon. Working with a team of 18+ locally-based
agents, The Antiques Diva® & Co offers customized antique buying tours in 8
countries (and counting) working with both the public as well as the
trade. Her favorite part of her job is
stocking clients antique stores and creating new trends in home fashions.
When this Global Tastemaker is not taking some of
the top names in the design industry on buying tours, Clark Haines is also a
freelance travel and design writer, an international public speaker and a
social media guru. She is a champagne
connoisseur, a vintage Chanel addict and her hobbies include driving fast cars
and gourmet cooking. Traveling
extensively for work, she divides her time between her home in Berlin, Germany
and each of her companies tour countries as well as quarterly visits to the
USA. Her long-term goals include
expanding her company into Asia. Her
greatest challenge in life is remembering when she wakes each day whether to
greet the day with a Buogiorno, Bonjour, Guten Tag or simply Good Day.
Meet Toma Clark Haines, The Antiques Diva.
Faten Abdallah (FA): What
inspired you to go into antiques?
Toma Clark Haines (TCH):If I think about my life history, antiques and
travel were always intertwined in my mind. My mother was a third generation
American. Her grandparents moved over from England and my whole life I grew up
hearing stories of far-away places and long-ago times. The past was always a part of my
present. As a child we ate with the
silverware my grandparents carried over on the boat when they moved to America. I have always been a traveler – whether in
my mind or in reality. I’ve traveled in
more than 45 countries – and to me antiques are another way of traveling. They transport you. Antiques transport you to other times, other
places and give glimpses into other lives. They tell a story - they’re more
than decor - they take you on adventure
to someplace less ordinary. That’s the
intent behind the tours my company The Antiques Diva & Co offers…. We are the largest antiques touring company
in Europe - offering one on one customized buying tours to both tourists as
well as the trade in 8 countries - France, Belgium, England, Italy, Germany,
Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden. Our
goal is to give our clients an opportunity to culturally cruise a country
through antiques - the pieces one buys on tour give glimpses into what life is
like inside those villa windows and Parisian apartments making their adventure
part of a greater story.
FA: What makes
antiques unique and valuable?
TCH: There are several rules of thought when it comes to
what makes antiques valuable. Die Hards
will tell you - “In order to be antique it must be 100 years old.” Working
internationally customs officials often accept “Almost Antiques” (those items that are 75 to 99 years old) as
an “antique” when it comes to import and export restrictions. And the antique trends as of late are bringing
Vintage into the modern day. Technically
- to be vintage an item should be from the 1940’s, 50’s or 60’s - but 1970’s
and 80’s ceramics and furniture are ruling the market at the moment. When it comes to what makes antiques unique
and valuable - I’d say exactly what I told myself on my 40th birthday…. “Age
Doesn’t Matter.” Whether it’s a piece
from the 1760’s, the 1860’s or the 1960’s - quality counts - how well it’s
constructed, the lines, especially anything hand-made or limited edition add
value, but decorative appeal counts most of all in todays market place. People today buy based upon an asthetic -
it’s less about pedigree and more about style.
While there are millions of fabulous antique value guide books giving
estimates on antiques - my opinion - the value of an antique - especially in
those decorative pieces - is entirely subjective. The right price for an antique is what they
buyer would be willing to pay - and working internationally - I know that price
changes by country and/or region. Value
changes according to country and their taste preferences - in France long lives
the Louis'… Gilt-wood still demands top euro.
Meanwhile in Holland where the Dutch like clean lines and interiors
anything Rococo is practically given away.
A Louis XV style console in France that might sale for 1500E in the
Netherlands might sell for 500E and then… bring that same item to America and
the vendors will multiply their purchase prices by a mark up of 3 to 5 times
their cost. So if you ask me… The real
value in antiques comes down to Love Sweet Love. If you buy what you love you’ll never regret
your purchases and it will always keep it’s value.
FA: What's the
most interesting antique you have found, purchased or sold?
TCH: 1 in 5
queries coming into our company at the moment by clients seeking European
Buying Tours are architectural salvage tour requests - antique dealers,
architects, interior designers, developers, hoteliers and restaurateurs are
all dying to source architectural pieces to use in projects. - these could be
doors, mantles, windows, flooring, roof and flooring tiles, stairwells, bricks,
etc. The most interesting antique I’ve
ever helped a client buy was a Neo Gothic Cathedral Ceiling coming out of a church
in Maastricht - the client was searching for a painting ceiling she could use
in the renovation of her home and this piece was perfect. For 16K not only did it go into her own home
- she (a designer) was also able to use parts of the piece in numerous clients
homes as well!
FA: Advice on
finding the best purchase prices for antiques.
What about those who would like to sell some of their pieces?
TCH: We’ve all heard the expression… “It’s Not What You
Know… It’s Who You Know.” When buying
antiques as with most things in life… getting the best price comes down to
relationships. If you find a vendor
whose style of inventory you love develop a relationship with them. They may not have that exact item you’re
looking for right now… but if you like their vibe/ their look then you can
entrust them to search for inventory of your behalf. The more you buy from one vendor inevitably
the better of price you get from that vendor when you buy multiple items. And returning customers are always given
priority in pricing. Be memorable. Chat
with the vendor. Most antique dealers
are in this business because they love what they do - and if they know you love what they do - they’ll appreciate
you appreciating them! When you return to their store - remind them what you
bought from them and why you love it. My
grandmother always said, “You can catch more flies with honey.” When buying Be
Nice. (Heck, regardless of what you’re doing in life… Be Nice… Life’s Too Short
For Anything Else!). Some of the worse
advice I’ve ever heard on antiquing is “point out the faults of what’s wrong
with piece.”… Don’t do this! First of all - it’s not nice - and doesn’t endear
you to vendors. Second of all… that 18th
C Spanish Console is Scratched??! Oh No! The vendor might need to RAISE THE
PRICE THEN - You’re paying extra for that PATINA. Antiques aren’t perfect - just as when we age
we get wrinkles and gray hair…. that’s what happens with antiques and those
signs of a life-well-lived are often what creates the patina that raises the
price not decreases it! Last but not
least - always - always - always - ask for a discount. If you don’t ask.. You dont receive. The polite way to ask for a discount (if you
dont feel comfortable negotiating) is to say “Is that your best price?” It’s
easy, direct and to the point - if the vendor has room in their profit margin
it puts them in control of choosing what discount to give you. And… sometimes you’ll be surprised. Once I
was going to offer a vendor 40Euro for an item marked 50E - but when I asked their
best price they responded 30E!
FA: What
should someone look for when purchasing an antique?
TCH: When you buy antiques ask as much information as
possible. Find out the age, the
material, where it was made, how it was originally used, who would have used
it. Ask where the vendor found the item
- who they bought it from - gather as many details as possible about the story
of the piece. Also google your purchases…. the internet is an amazing wealth of
information on antiques!
FA: What have
you learned about yourself as you made a career switch?
TCH: While today clients and readers know me as The
Antiques Diva (R) - Chief Executive Diva of Europe’s largest antiques touring
(and sourcing) company - I haven’t always been a diva! In a past life I worked
in marketing and advertising working with clients such as Dunkin Donuts,
Target, McDonalds, and Pearl Vision. This background has been fundamental in
the growth of my company as I knew how
to market my services. I’ve always thought of myself as a creative person - and
never gave myself enough credit as a business woman. But what I learned about myself through
starting my own company was that I actually enjoyed the process of running a
business - making strategic decisions about the direction the company would take
and implementing them. I’ve also learned
in running a company - that it’s not all about me - it’s about my team. While I’m the face of the company - our
business could not operate without the body.
I have a team of 18 people who work with me and while we operate as a
whole - I’ve learned that I shouldn’t micro-manage them as in order for them to
operate at their peak performance they needed to have ownership in their
roles. I’ve learned I dont have to do it
all myself. Just because I can do something - doesn’t mean I have to do
it. I’ve learned to trust others, ask
for help and listen to others as getting outside opinions has been instrumental
to my companies success…. And last but not least… I’ve learned to Trust My
Instincts. Just because you ask for
advice - it doesn’t mean you have to take it.
As an entrepreneur you have to be both wise enough to ask for advice and
strong enough to trust your instincts on whats right for your company.
To Book an Antiques Diva European Buying Tour visit
www.antiquesdiva.com or email toma@antiquesdiva.com
YOUR PANIC BUTTON: Take a look at what happened to 
UPGRADES, COCKTAILS AND DEALS APLENTY: Because agents deal with large volumes, suppliers have an interest in making sure the agent’s customers gets the best value and experience their money can buy. This translates into more opportunities for upgrades, better amenities, food and beverage credits, and more. Agents can potentially set you up with hotels that pick up bag fees and may even suggest carriers that count two ski equipment bags as one — saving you upwards of $60 one way. 
HEY, THIS MAY BE THE BIGGEST TICKET PURCHASE OF THE YEAR!: Travel is often the single-most expensive purchase made in a year, aside from a home purchase or automobile. Just as you would see the advice of tax experts and legal experts for those high-stakes events, it’s in your best interest to work with a professional travel expert who can ensure you get the most out of your investment. 
SO HOW MUCH TO WORK WITH AN AGENT?: In general, agents do not charge for their services because they are being paid commissions by their suppliers. Those commission fees are accounted for in the price, and because the industry follows a “parity pricing” model, everyone essentially pays the same price whether they book through an agent or on their own.
