7 Days a Week by Appointment
In a word, Italians Do It Better. Shop the Italian flea markets and antiques warehouses in Tuscany, Emilia Romagna, Lombardy, the Marche, and beyond while delving into life with an Italian local learning La Dolce Diva.
La vita è bella. Vita means life in Italian, and life in Italy is beautiful. But it is also chaotic, with times and tempos ever changing. Up is sometimes down. And down is sometimes up. There is a way of life in Italy that both enchants and evades foreigners. Antiques buyers coming into Italy without the introduction of a locally-based antiques sourcing guide will get just a taste. When you are on an Antiques Diva Italian Tour, we take you to the sweet center.
Everything in Italy is a dance. Shopping at the right source doesn’t just mean to get the right price – it starts with a conversation. First you need to listen to the information about the piece you are interested in, then you must get to know the antiques seller. And then, and only then, you can start a discussion about the price. By coming with us, you are introduced as a friend. You are brought into the fold. We not only translate, we negotiate, and we understand the intricacies to negotiating that guarantee you the best results.
Our long term relationships – some of which go back generations – allow us first access to antiques inventory. We will take you places your competitors will not find. Vendors who are not online and who are not currently selling to the export market. And when you buy what you are looking for – we will fill out the purchase orders, provide documentation for your records, and liaise with international antique shippers. We work with the Belle Arti to get export permission for your purchases. Don’t forget that every antique leaving the Italy needs permission to do so.
In addition to antiques, contemporary lighting is a top seller in the export market. We take you to some of the top factories in Murano that are producing inventory for some of the leading brands in Europe and America. We can help you develop your own product line, source from existing inventory, or source vintage and antique Murano.
While you can book 1-day antiquing in Florence, Venice, Milan, or Parma, we suggest maximizing your time by booking a multi-day itinerary sourcing the antiques markets, warehouses, and by-appointment only antiques stores. We visit prop shops for antiques used in movies and tv shows filmed locally, as well as the storage sheds dealers use for their backlog of inventory to stock their own stores. These sheds are never available to the general public.
Email info@antiquesdiva.com for more information
WHAT YOU WILL FIND
From mid-century modern furniture and lighting to garden antiques and architectural salvage, religious relics, painted and brown furniture, rustic Italian furniture, or fine Italian antiques, Italy is one of the best places in the world to source antiques.
WHY SHOP PROVENCE WITH THE ANTIQUES DIVA & CO?
Family. Exclusivity. Experience.
The most important word in Italy is Famiglia. Family. When you shop in Italy with The Antiques Diva & Co – you are given access to Italian vendors not as a client but as part of The Antiques Diva Family.
Business in Italy is conducted through relationships. Having the right relationships almost guarantees you better pricing and gives better access not yet online. American antiques dealers importing antiques from Europe are often concerned about antiques history – not just the period and patina – but the digital history. Has this piece been burnt? Meaning, is there a trail of where this antique was sold online? Buying inventory that has never been sold before online gives you access to inventory never seen by your competition.
In addition to exclusive access to antiques and quality craftsmanship, an Antiques Diva Buying Tour in Italy is Fun. La Dolce Diva = La Dolce Vita! Part of being accepted into that inner circle offers you an experience you simply would never have on your own in Italy. Our friends become your friends. Your nights linger over one more glass of vino rosso, resulting in midnight strolls and magical memories.
PRIVATE TOURS
- Our ITALY ANTIQUING TOURS are private 1-on-1 fully customized tours organized for the trade.
DURATION
- Trips can last from 1 to 7 days.
- Shopping hours vary according to day but typically are 8 hours unless indicated otherwise. A typical tour can be organized between 9am to 7.30pm but due to the local culture, it does require a lunch break. Antiques stores in Italy typically often close between the hours of 1pm – 4pm. We can ask vendors to open especially for us at 2pm on appointment only with sufficient advance notice.
- Evening hours dining with your guide are frequently suggested and at the expense of the client unless otherwise indicated.
ANTIQUES DIVA GUIDES
- Our Guides are fully fluent in Italian and English. They translate, negotiate on your behalf and liaise with international shippers.
- All our guides are locals with long established reputations sourcing antiques with referrals from both sides of the pond.
WHEN
- Tours possible on reservation 7 days a week with advance notice.
- Italy has lots of antiques fairs to consider and when you tell your desired inventory style and price point, we can recommend flea markets which coordinate with your travel dates or suggest best dates to travel.
BOOK A TOUR: EMAIL info@antiquesdiva.com
LISTEN: PODCAST
Meet Chiara Antiques Diva Tour Guide in Florence to talk about La Dolce Diva
Season 4
https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/the-business-of-antiques/id1483674915
La Dolce Vita – Florence
- 7 X per year – email for more information
Florence has so much to offer that we’ve designed several itineraries that delve into the various ‘contradas’ of the city, from small artisan workshops to mid-century and vintage antiques. Our Guide takes you beyond Santa Croce’s narrow alleyways and through the Oltrarno and Beccaria into the shaded streets lined with noble residences and hills nearby. We introduce you to our favorite antiques boutiques and artisan studios as we visit antichità located in ateliers tucked tightly out of sight. We’ll visit gilders and wood carvers, silversmiths, framers and print-makers, and shops carrying everything from period antique furniture to quirky collector’s pieces, as well as antiques warehouses, by-appointment only stores, and antiques shops galore. Perfect if you only have 1 day to shop!
Email info@antiquesdiva.com
Multi-Day Tuscan Antiques Tour
- Wednesday to Sunday by Appointment
While all our private tours are customized – this sample itinerary gives you an idea of what you can expect from an antiques buying tour in Tuscany. While this tour is also open to non-professionals, it’s ideal for the antiques trade. Buying in Italy allows you access to a wide range of inventory at diverse price points whether you are shopping flea markets, antiques shops, or roll up off the grid antiques warehouses.