Wayne Jordan, Antiques Advocate

See Old Masters, Delft Pottery, and Flower Auction on This Magical Dutch Barge Cruise

Reading Time: 5 minutes Step aboard Road Scholar’s magical Dutch barge cruise and drift into a world of Old Masters, European antiques, charming medieval towns, windmills, and vibrant tulip fields. As you disembark at various stops along your journey, you’ll join experts at renowned museums to learn about the Old Master’s artworks. You’ll stroll along Holland’s canals while shopping for antiques and memorabilia. Your visits to the iconic Delft earthenware factory and the world-renowned Aalsmeer Flower Auction are once-in-a-lifetime experiences for art and antique enthusiasts. Truly, the Netherlands’ rich artistic heritage is compelling. Aboard The Lena Maria Barge Few trips rival canal cruising. Gently […]

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PowerSelling Podcast: Benefits of Antiques Tourism

by Wayne Jordan
in Tourism
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Reading Time: 19 minutes Introduction Danna Crawford 00:00 Hey everybody, welcome to the Power Selling Podcast. I’m your host, Danna Crawford, the Power Selling Mom. And today we will be discussing antiques tourism with Wayne Jordan. I’m really honored to be joined by someone that I’ve known for a long time and worked with. Wayne is a retired auctioneer, antique dealer, writer, editor, and is involved heavily in antiques and in antiques tourism. So, he’s an advocate for antiques tourism. We’ve been colleagues for many years. And together, we’ve done over 80 episodes of the podcast Flip it or Skip it, which is still […]

Destination Storytelling: An Essential Marketing Tool

by Wayne Jordan
in Tourism
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Reading Time: 10 minutes Destination storytelling is an essential tool for travel and tourism agencies, visitor’s centers, antiques dealers, and Main Street America projects. It enables businesses to connect with their target audience on a deeper level by sharing the unique stories that make each destination special. Here, let’s explore five key steps to mastering destination storytelling: identifying your target audience, crafting an authentic story, using multiple platforms, leveraging visual content, and measuring success. By implementing these strategies effectively in your marketing efforts, you can create engaging narratives that inspire travelers to visit your location. Identifying Your Target Audience By understanding the specific demographic […]

A City With Stories To Tell: Florence, Colorado

by Wayne Jordan
in Antique Towns
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Reading Time: 4 minutes Antiquing enthusiasts and history buffs alike will be enamored by the charm of Florence, Colorado. Fewer than two hours from Denver and about thirty minutes from Colorado Springs, the town has seen its fair share of struggles. Once a hub for the oil business, it weathered economic turmoil for decades before undergoing a renaissance. Known today as the Antiques Capitol of Colorado, Florence’s reputation draws visitors from afar to explore its charming shops. But there is much more to uncover beyond the antique stores. Cultural landmarks steeped in history and scenic byways highlighting local artistry come together to paint a […]

Hello Helsinki

Reading Time: 4 minutes I had moose for lunch today. Not mousse, but moose. It did not taste like chicken. We had docked in Helsinki, Finland. I got off the ship because the sun was shining and the ground was firm. After a few days onboard, cabin fever sets in even though the ship is the length of three football fields and ten stories high. When my feet hit the ground, I was slightly confused. What day is it? What city is this? When working on a cruise ship, there are no days off or weekends to bookend one’s work routine. The passengers book […]

A Walk on the Wild Side in Amsterdam

by Wayne Jordan
in Travelogues
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Reading Time: 3 minutes I didn’t intend to end up in Amsterdam’s Red Light District. I had left the ship in search of a post office and some shampoo. After all, I have to keep my hair shiny and bouncy. I struck out on the post office; as it turns out, May 21 is a religious holiday in the Netherlands, and all the government offices and many of the shops were closed. I walked a half-mile from the Cruise Passenger Terminal to the Central Train Station, where I found a shop that sold postage stamps but not shampoo. I asked the clerk where I […]

Revisiting The Hillsville, VA, Labor Day Flea Market

by Wayne Jordan
in Antique Towns
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Reading Time: 5 minutes During a recent visit to the Hillsville, VA, Labor Day Flea Market, Behind the Gavel columnist Wayne Jordan found himself wondering where all the antiques dealers were, which led him to explore the changing landscape of the once antique-laden flea market scene and how today’s shoppers define “antiques.” Originally published in Antique Trader Magazine Where Have All The Antiques Gone? “Where are all the antique dealers?” I wondered as I wandered through the roughly one square mile of dealer booths at the annual Hillsville (Virginia) Labor Day Flea Market and Gun Show. In its 47th year, the show has morphed […]

Battle Mountain, Nevada: From “Armpit” to Tourist Stop

Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s tough for small towns to develop a robust tourism plan. For one thing, they’re small. Sparse lodging, restaurants, and attractions constrain many. Or, once-thriving factory towns may suffer from empty storefronts, abandoned properties, or poorly maintained infrastructure. These issues, though challenging, aren’t the worst problems for towns to overcome. The worst problem is having a bad reputation. Sometimes a bad reputation is deserved, as in a town with a crime problem. Other times, having a bad reputation is undeserved. For instance, a nice, clean, friendly town may suffer from poor public perception. In this case, it’s not the storefronts […]