Richard Allison

Experience

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  C W Allison & Sons Fine Art Dealers Import/Exporters

  Jan 1976 - Jan 1984

  Jnr Partner

  Spending summers in Pennsylvania with business partners (extended family), from a child to adolescent, formative years, 1966-76. Working in Orange County, Ca. 1978, Long Beach 1978-9 and finally Dallas, Fort Worth, TX by 1982-84. Working in the import administration and sales of the American business's, ultimately progressing to Senior Sales Director. Gaining skills in networking in the antique's industry in North America and most importantly a hands-on 'practical' approach in good old fashioned 'customers relations’ a learning curve which gave me a solid grounding in the then-current aspects of the business in the USA. This period was a thrilling and productive time for myself and for the companies.By 1984 I had taken the full weight of the rains of our family business in the U.S. post a final business division and the death of our father.On the home front, I had no time for anything other than business in the early years; every hour was productive.A true anecdote; Late one afternoon an eighty-five-year-old Persian Rug Dealer (Mr Todd Snr, originally from Iran) calling into our trade warehouse, was tested by my father... 'a carpet dealer since you were six years old in your family business's, you should know just about everything there is to know about middle eastern rugs (we were particularly interested in antique rugs of the middle east at the time),...I recall clearly today the response, ‘well personally I’m just starting out’ was Mr Todd's answer. I was within earshot and eighteen, and I have never forgotten that wisdom. Show less

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  C W Allison & Sons Antiques & Fine Art dealers Importers/Exporters

  Jan 1976 - Jan 1979

  General Assisitant

  Second-generation family business, fine Art, Antiques, importing and exporting, all aspects of the domestic antique trade.Halfway through my history A level at sixteen I was informed I would be joining the family firm!Starting at ‘ground zero’ as ‘Teaboy’ alongside my soon to become friend, George Walsh, after six weeks promoted to Floor Sweeper of the 30,000sq foot ex-WWII, USAF-NAAFI and post-war a central hub egg packing factory based at Croft Butts Lane, Freckleton, England. Thence General Warehouseman, Van Mate, Container Packing Assistant (ultimately entailed USA side), Sales Assistant, Wages Clerk, Controller/Export office Manager, eventually Buyer and finally full Partner by 1979. At the age of 19 years old I made 'my first coupe' One Thousand Pounds clear profit from the purchase of an exhibition long cased clock from an antique shop in Nottingham. I had had my first company chequebook only a few weeks at this point, on this collection trip, as van mate, I did make my first major 'buy' which decimated my allowed budget spend by three times! When the exhibition clock was sold two weeks later producing such an enormous return things started to get interesting in my antiques dealing life… Show less

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  Antiques - Fine Art Import/Export - Government/General Valuer & Dealers.

  Jan 1984 - Jan 1992

  Sole Proprietor

  Between ‘84 and ‘92 continued to run the Fine Art & Antiques business in the role of the sole proprietor. The company achieved Local Government valuer status, assisting museums in the North West, along with assessing and updating annually the complete contents of the Grundy Art Gallery-Library Museum.Also carrying out general valuation work for probate, division and insurance. I appeared as an expert witness, and all cases during this period were concluded positively and satisfactorily for our clients on the basis of my specialist appraisals.Also undertaking restorations of Art and Antiques for institutions and private clients alike. Show less

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  THE FOSSIL STORE

  Jun 1992 - now

  By ‘92 successfully travelling the length and breadth of Britain weekly, often oversea’s, I needed to spend more time with a growing family. We travelled for nearly a year and settled abroad for very nearly four years.1997 we decided to return home for our children's education, also with the latest discovery, Gigantic fossils from North Africa.From an inspirational moment in the Atlas mountains of N.Af; an acorn grew. While away from the UK all our investments had collapsed and we found ourselves starting over approaching middle years, a very traumatic period, however, filled with new hope. I discovered a considerable thirst in the market for our product. Timing as we all know is essential.Fortunately, contacts and colleagues are a blessing and using business connections networking to promote to all's mutual benefit is again an essential part of the building blocks of foundational business. Coupled with an interest in our products which was at a high point, Jurassic Park was on the scene, and all things associated with dinosaurs was newsworthy. The media soon came on board at a local level, the national level, from there things escalated, in fact, the term I like to use, ‘things meteorically improved’ for our small company.The speed with which interest grew and the success of our endeavours persistently brought back positive praise, and this feedback encouraged us to invest further and further into digs in the western desert of Africa and to speculate in other areas of the fossil industry.Our fossil specimens can be found in a broad spectrum of the interior design business and have been featured and successfully sold with renowned auction companies, fine art galleries and establishments such as Christie's, Sotheby's and Harrods, home and abroad. We have sold and are actively trading in diverse markets. Show less

  • Snr Partner

    Jan 1993 - now

  • Partner

    Jun 1992 - now