Going Glossy

For our 26th annual edition of Cochran's Collector's Guide, we're taking a big step in changing its appearance: the stock used in our color section is going to be 70# glossy. Big deal, you might say, but it makes a big difference in perception of our travel-size map book for antique stores and shows. For years we have dreamed of stepping up to gloss, but the cost seemed prohibitive. But this year our printer told us the stock we had always used is no longer being made and the other choices he offered weren't satisfactory. Rather than taking a step down, we decided to step up.

Hopefully, the glossy color section will also make for a more durable book. After all, people carry them around for an entire year.

The antiques business may be changing, making room for vintage, repurposed and recycled merchandise. But the people who know Cochran's still find the Guide the most useful publication out there for their shopping tours, from Washington State to Arizona. People still walk into the stores with copies of the Guide in hand.

We're starting to hear from store owners that shoppers are consulting the downloaded Guides on their mobile devices as well...45,000 downloads were made of the 2013 Guide. And this year we made the download even easier, by putting a QR (Quick Response) Code on the front cover. Just aim your smartphone at it, and in seconds you've got an even more portable copy.

Meanwhile, we're still getting calls from store owners who only recently became aware of the Guide and want to be included. It's too late to get anyone else in the 2015 hardcopy Guide, but it's still possible to be included in the online version, and start reaping the benefits before this Christmas. Then your store would automatically go into the 2016 Guide when we go to work on it next June. Just give us a call at 866-585-6162 and we'll make it happen.

Look for the 2016 Guide somewhere around Halloween at your favorite antique stores or find it here on our website.