Unlock the secrets to 7-figure online businesses Special offer: Join Starter Story

6 Antique Business Success Stories [2023]

6 Antique Business Success Stories [2023]
Start An Antique Business

Owning an antique and vintage business can be fulfilling and profitable for those targeting the elite.

Antique businesses focus on procuring items at a low price and restoring them, then selling them at a profit. The items can include old toys, cars, bikes, household items, crafts, vintage jewelry, etc.

Opening an antique item store may seem somewhat daunting. However, once you have researched the items available and acquired the necessary skills and expertise, you will be ready to kick off.

For some, a storefront with enough storage for antique items might fit the bill. For others, an online store will work pretty well. Regardless of your approach, the secret is applying your entrepreneurship strategies to an overall framework for success.

Here are some real life success stories of starting a antique business:

1. Hoosierboy Restorations LLC ($180K/year)

Tim Showalter (from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA) started Hoosierboy Restorations LLC about 10 years ago.

Revenue
$15K / month
Team
1 founders / 4 employees
Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Case Study

In 2013 I decided to start a company where I would restore antiques and antique toys. After 25 years of working in education and information technologies, I decided to cash out my 401K savings to start Hoosierboy Restorations. I began in my mother's garage and quickly began receiving projects to restore. I quickly outgrew the small 2 car garage and expanded my operations to my present 2200 sq.ft. facility.

7 years later, we have restored hundreds of projects. Everything from 100-year-old toys, to historical furniture, to a T-33 Airforce jet ejection seat.

how-i-left-a-25-year-career-to-start-a-15k-month-antiques-restoration-business

2. Antique Restoration and Sales

  • Business rank: #13.7K

Check out their full website ➜

Learn more about starting an antique business:

Where to start?

-> How much does it cost to start an antique business?
-> Pros and cons of an antique business

Need inspiration?

-> Examples of established antique business
-> Marketing ideas for an antique business
-> Antique business slogans
-> Antique business names
-> Antique business Instagram bios

Other resources

-> Antique business tips
-> Antique business calculator

4. Ruby Lane

Stroll down Ruby Lane's cobblestone streets to buy and sell quality Antique & Art, Doll, Vintage, and Jewelry items from the world's largest curated marketplace since 1998.

  • Website traffic: 1.67M/month
  • Business rank: #43.6K

Check out their full website ➜

5. Antique Farm House

Find the perfect accents for your home. From our vintage shoppe to seasonal farmhouse décor, we have the perfect pieces to make your house a home.

  • Website traffic: 800K/month
  • Business rank: #143K

Check out their full website ➜

Pat Walls,  Founder of Starter Story
Want to find more ideas that make money?

Hey! 👋 I'm Pat Walls, the founder of Starter Story.

Get our 5-minute email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.

Starter Story
Unlock the secrets to 7-figure online businesses
Dive into our database of 4,418 case studies & join our community of thousands of successful founders.
Join thousands of founders