Grand Central Station Antiques

CONTAINER INVESTMENT PROGRAM

Grand Central Station Antiques has been in business in San Francisco for over twenty years. Several years ago Grand Central Station Antiques began exploring the antique wholesale markets in England in the hopes of finding more reliable sources for the goods we wanted to sell in the quality and price ranges we were no longer able to find in our domestic sources. Since then we have expanded our sources to include goods from Scotland, France, Belgium, Holland, and Portugal. In the beginning our biggest obstacle to completing a 40 foot regular container, was the money required to buy enough goods to fill it. So, the Container Investment Program was created to help in raising the necessary funds.
With a minimum investment of $5,000.00 outside investors were invited to buy into each container as we needed them. In the beginning that was (2) containers a year, now we do at least (8). Our investment program grew as the number of containers increased. Now with the acquisition of our new building we expect to be bringing in at least (1) container a month and that could easily increase to (2) a month. To help provide for the necessary funds (24) containers a year would require, we have decided to open our Investment Program to include up to (5) additional investors. We currently have (15) active investors with investments ranging from $10,000 to $55,000. Most of these investors have been in our program for the entire seven years.

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The process is simple. When a new container is announced, all of the funds accumulated in our investors pool are combined with money supplied by Antiques for Seven, Ltd and used to pay for the goods and all other expenses incurred in completing the container and shipping it to our door.

After I return from a buying trip and before the container arrives, all the goods purchased for that container are divided up among the individual investors in that particular container. Each item in a container is designated a "landed cost" which is determined by taking into account the actual cost of each item and the expenses incurred in the purchasing trip, i.e. transportation, insurance, handling, and related costs. Each Investor is assigned specific items at "landed cost" up to the amount invested.

Goods selected and purchased by the individual investor are then placed by the investor on consignment to AFS for resale in our retail location. Returns on investment will vary but estimated returns are provided to the investor on recaps that include the "landed cost", the "retail price" for each individual piece and the percent return for a cash sale. During the year, the principle and profit from each item sold is recycled into subsequent containers on the behalf of each individual investor.

Returns to individual investors vary depending on how many containers they invest in each year and the amount of their investment. Although previous years earnings are no guarantee of any future returns, our investors have earned , on average, 8-12 percent over the last five years. Turnover is the key and the more containers we do the more opportunities our investors have.

If you are interested in finding out more about our Container Investment Program, contact us at our email address antiques47@aol.com or call us at (415) 252-8155 M-F (11-7) and ask to speak to Robert McCartney

Antiques for Seven, Ltd.
353 9th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-252-8155 store
415-255-1500 fax