When History is Taxed: The Quiet Cost of Tariffing Antiques

What Tariffs Could Mean for the Antique Industry: A Small Business Perspective

We’ve received numerous questions about the newly enacted tariffs and their potential impact on antique importing. This is a complex and evolving situation, and like many small business owners in this space, we’re monitoring it closely. Here’s what we know so far, what we anticipate, and why this matters—not just to us, but anyone who values thoughtful, storied living.

1. Prices Will Increase—Affecting Both Businesses and Consumers

As of April 5, 2025, the United States has implemented a 10% baseline tariff on all imports, including antiques. Also, starting April 9, 2025, higher tariffs are being imposed on specific countries, such as a 20% tariff on European Union imports (where we all love to source antiques). This means that imported antiques from Europe and other affected regions will increase in cost. For small businesses like ours, which operate with tighter margins than large corporations (Target, Amazon, Walmart), these added expenses will inevitably become a shortfall. This doesn’t just go for one shop or one community. This will be universal.

We want to be abundantly transparent: with these new tariffs in place, costs are rising behind the scenes. That said, we don’t plan to increase OUR prices – at least not now. We are doing *everything* we can to absorb those shifts without passing them on to you. But like many small businesses, we’re looking closer than ever and adapting as needed. Our priority has always been offering meaningful pieces at thoughtful prices, and that won't change.

2. What We Stand to Lose

If tariffs are applied across the board – even to pieces over 100 years old – it could have lasting effects on the antique world. Not just on prices but on access. On small shops. On thoughtful interiors. On creative work. Even if you purchase antiques from shops with inventory that is already stateside – pieces that the new tariffs haven’t directly impacted – those prices will still rise – despite whatever Charish says. Why? Because the supply chain will start to shrink. With fewer dealers able (or willing) to import, the pool of available pieces will tighten. Scarcity drives price, even when the cost didn’t start with you.

Less importing of antiques means fewer stories told—it means small businesses (many of them women-owned, family-run, and built from scratch) will start to disappear. And with that, an entire corner of the economy that thrives on beauty, not scale, will disappear.

The tariffs on antiques could discourage their importation, leading to a decline in small businesses specializing in these unique items. This would affect the livelihoods of those directly involved and diminish the diversity and richness of the cultural artifacts available in the market. It may inadvertently encourage the production and purchase of mass-produced items, which lack the character and sustainability of antiques. Those big companies? They can stomach the import fees and recreate the antique demand with mass-produced goods from whatever country has the lowest tariffs.

3. The Importing Process Will Become More Complex

With the introduction of country-specific tariffs, the importing process now requires meticulous tracking of each item’s origin and corresponding tariff rate. A vase sourced in France but made in England will need to be appropriately documented, and a corresponding tax rate must be calculated. Customs declarations must be more detailed, and even personally transported items (antiques in suitcases – or any purchased goods for that matter) may face increased scrutiny. This added complexity transforms what was once a relatively straightforward process into a more cumbersome endeavor, potentially delaying the arrival of these antique pieces stateside.

4. Antiques Have Historically Been Tariff-Free—For Good Reason

Antiques over 100 years old have traditionally been exempt from tariffs, recognizing their cultural and historical significance. These items are not mass-produced commodities but unique artifacts that enrich our homes and lives with stories from the past. Applying tariffs to such items overlooks their value and role in preserving history and promoting sustainable living.

Antiques aren’t commodities, and they shouldn’t be treated as such. Tariffs are traditionally designed to regulate the flow of mass-produced goods, items that are manufactured by the thousands, easily replicated, and driven by SCALE. Antiques, by their very nature, are the opposite of that.

Each piece carries the marks of time, craftsmanship, and use. It wasn’t made for a department store but for life: a cabinet that’s survived 120 winters, a mirror that’s reflected generations, and a table worn and soft by thousands of dinners.

You can’t manufacture that, reorder it, or plug it into a USA-made supply chain and get another.  

To tax antiques as though they are just another importable good is to misunderstand their value. They aren’t disposable. They aren’t trending on TikTok Shop. They aren’t the problem of overproduction – they are a solution by being inherently sustainable, long-lasting, and rooted in history.

5. Navigating the New Landscape

Adapting to these changes is essential for those of us committed to preserving and sharing antiques. This may involve exploring alternative sourcing strategies, educating clients about the value and significance of antiques despite increased costs, and advocating for policy considerations that recognize the unique nature of antique goods.

6. Why This Matters (Even if You’ve Never Bought an Antique)

This isn’t just about logistics. It’s about values. About preserving a way of doing business that’s personal, intentional, and rooted in history. Believing that what’s old still matters – and that bringing something home from France is more than a transaction. It's about the culture we want to preserve. When you walk into a space filled with antiques, you feel something different. It's collected; it's lived in. Layered. Human. 

It's about connection. To bring history into our homes, beauty into everyday routines, and soul into the spaces we live in. They beg us to slow down, to notice details, to care about what we choose. 

We're not saying antiques are disappearing, but if we're not careful, the freedom to access them easily, affordably, and intentionally might be. In a world where everything is fast, new, and forgettable... keeping space for the old, the storied, and the irreplaceable feels more important now than ever. 

 

We don’t know how it will all unfold. The policies are still taking shape, but we do know is this: We’ll keep showing up, sourcing with care, and advocating for the kind of beauty that doesn’t come off an assembly line. 

If this matters to you, too—if you believe in lasting beauty, objects with a soul, and supporting the small businesses that make it all possible—share this post, start a conversation, and ask questions. The more awareness we build now, the more we can protect what makes this work meaningful.

We are dedicated to continuing our mission of bringing you thoughtfully sourced, storied pieces. We appreciate your support and understanding as we navigate this evolving landscape together.

All our love,
Mae & Doug