If you are a small business owner of a antique business, you have probably heard the « death knoll claims », been deluged with discouragement from the « gloom and doom »crowd and look frequently out your window to see if « the funeral procession » is passing by…I am here to tell you that while antiques as well as all discretionary retail businesses are challenged…they are not dead and won’t be any time soon!Almost every day I hear the constant comment from some customers and a lot of discouraged dealers saying that the antique is industry is dead, dying or disappearing. There rationale is:1. The existing customer isn’t buying. 2. The existing customer has bought all they intend to. 3. The younger customer isn’t interested. 4. Everyone that might be buying is buying online.I would like to give you « tough and committed » antique dealers who have store fronts some counter intuitive insight and contrarian opinion…