We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sara Brand a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Sara , thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?
There are definitely many challenges to profitability when you are in the antique field. The most current issue is the new, large companies that are creating brand new light fixtures that are made to resemble the antique versions from the early 1900s. They are taking these unique models, created over 100 years ago by original designers, and re-fabricating them to sell for lower than the antiques themselves. On one hand, it is great to see there is a demand high enough to warrant new models being produced, but on the other hand, it is difficult to sell a pair of antique sconces for $525, when there is a brand new identical pair selling for slightly under. This world I work in will always rely on the people who still seek the authentic, original, truly antique pieces of history.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Aside from being a wife and dog mama, I am a full time musician and antique lighting gallery owner. To keep things simple and separate, I go by my first name Sara, for our music side and my middle name Liz, for my antique lighting side. My husband, Seth Brand, was actually interviewed recently by CanvasRebel for his studio work (OFF Brand Productions) and for our musical duo, so I won’t touch too much on that side of my life. But for those who have not read it and might be interested, we are a modern-western duo, ‘Seth and Sara’, who spends half of each year traveling the country and Canada playing our music to anyone and everyone. You can find our full story at sethandsaramusic.com. We are actually taking our first year off from touring since 2018 to stay home and put more focus into our other businesses. My main area of focus is, ‘Smoke and Bells’, an antique lighting gallery. I used to work at a prominent antique lighting gallery back in St. Louis, Missouri when I lived there, some 10 or 12 years ago. It was there that I was taught how to properly restore chandeliers from the professionals. From learning about the different periods and styles, to re-wiring, paint touch-ups, proper care and handling techniques, all the way to packing and shipping them for online sales. I was fortunate to have been schooled in all areas of lighting and it quickly became a passion of mine. So, years after leaving the lighting gallery and missing it terribly, I started my own antique lighting gallery called, ‘Smoke and Bells’. Currently, Smoke and Bells it an online gallery, but I am hopeful to change that down the road. A “smoke bell” is generally a glass (though sometimes metal) bell-like piece that would hang above an oil lamp, preventing the rising smoke and soot from blackening the ceiling from which it hung. I love the time period when oil lamps lit up a home and made it glow from the inside out. It was romantic, simple, and beautiful. So, I incorporated it into a name that I felt suited my gallery.
Smoke and Bells operates from a small workshop outside of Asheville, North Carolina. I take in all sorts of styles of lighting styles so long as they were made between the ages of 1800- 1950. I then clean them and restore them to what they originally looked like. Albeit, sometimes I leave a bit of wear on them if the look suits it. I then rewire then and adorn them with new switches and parts for safety in modern homes. For now, it is just me with occasional help from my father. One thing I never learned at the gallery in St. Louis was soldering and metal work. He has taught me invaluable techniques to help save lights that might have been lost forever just because of a broken arm, leaf, or scroll.
Needless to say, dealing with such old and fragile pieces of history isn’t always an easy job! In fact, there are many difficulties for antique sales in this day and age. For one, there are many shops out there selling antique lighting. Some you can find for a steal and others are out there to rob you blind. They both hurt the market for the small galleries like mine. When people see a pair of Gothic Revival sconces or an Arts and Crafts style chandelier for an outrageous cost, it generally scares them into buying new and cheaper from a big box chain. On the flip side, when stores price the fixtures well beyond their worth, it lessens the value of these precious pieces of time. One thing Smoke and Bells does differently is always pricing our fixtures at what they are currently worth, and often those prices change as the market fluctuates. If there are no others like it in the market, it may be a bit higher, if it is cast aluminum or an easy to find piece, then it will simply be lower. I always do extensive research on every fixture that comes in before restoring it and offering it up for sale. I want my clients to know exactly what they are getting and if possible, where it is from. I also take every bit of time and care with each fixture, from the wiring to the hand-painting, to the packaging, though my favorite part of the process is the restoration. There is something magical about taking an old light fixture that is covered in 50-120 years of dirt and grime, and transforming it to its original, gleaming beauty. Fortunately, I have had consistently happy clients and glowing reviews thanks to the time and effort I am able to put in. Customer service has been, and will always remain a staple of Smoke and Bells. I just want the buyer to fall in love with their purchase and provide a home for that piece of history to live for many years!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
My husband and I are full time musicians. As you may have read earlier, for the past 4 1/2 years we have been leaving home to tour the country and Canada for half of each year while we play our music anywhere and everywhere. I already had my lighting gallery running by the time we headed out on our second tour for three months, so leaving to play music also meant leaving my lighting gallery, Smoke and Bells, on the sideline. It looked like I would have to shut our doors for 2-3 months several times per year if I wanted to continue being a touring musician as well. But, I didn’t want to lose the precious clients I already had or the hopeful clients who have been window shopping and vowing to come back and purchase soon. So, I found a way to be able to both tour the country and maintain my antique lighting gallery! I safely boxed up all of my restored fixtures and asked for help with the shipping from my ever-amazing parents. I numbered each box, and when one sold, I relayed the the box number to either my mother or father, and they kindly grabbed it and took it to the proper shipping office. While we were out on the road for those three months, and then every couple months after that, this system worked perfectly! Although I was unable to actually work on any lights while I was gone, I was able to find some truly unique pieces all over the country! It is such a blessing to have a family and husband who all fully support your work and the time you need to put into that work and I thank God every single day for that.
How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.
When I first began selling fixtures, before Smoke and Bells was even Smoke and Bells, I used Ebay. However, due to the high cuts that Ebay takes, and lack of seller protection, I quickly made the switch to Etsy. I love Etsy for the fact that you can use their advertising for as little as $1 a day, and it actually works. I also love the fact that they specialize in selling vintage, in fact, you are not allowed to sell new items unless they have been handmade. That means, unlike Ebay where my antiques are shown alongside brand new, and often lesser quality light fixtures, Etsy shows them right in line with other fixtures from the early 1900s. It is a truly unique shopping experience! Unfortunately however, they have raised their fees since I have started selling with them. Since business has grown, I decided it was time for Smoke and Bells to have it’s own website, plain and simple- SmokeandBells.com I now have a new, beautiful website to market to clients and due to the lack of fees from a third party, I am able to offer my fixtures at lower costs. I do still sell on Etsy, because again, they have fantastic advertising capabilities, but I am thankful to not be tied to them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.smokeandbells.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smokeandbells/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smokeandbells/
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SmokeAndBells