#Tech #Talk #Worthpoint #CTO #Antoine #Lyseight #WorthPoint
While WorthPoint celebrates vintage enthusiasts, antique dealers, resellers, and collectors, our success depends on our crack team of employees and the technology and data we can provide to our users. The numbers don’t lie—we have close to 850 million entries in our Price Guide, 275,000 makers’ marks in a visual database, a dictionary feature that explains and defines thousands of collectible and antique items, and a library of reference guides and books.
All that takes work, and we thought our users might want to know how the magic happens. Our Chief Technology Officer, Antoine Lyseight, took some time to explain the recent technological advancements on our site and what we will be implementing going forward. Lyseight has been with WorthPoint since September 2012, working in all IT and tech infrastructure areas, including Software Development, Product Development, Dev Ops, and Architecture groups.
WorthPoint: Thank you, Antoine, for taking the time to get into all of this tech talk.
Antoine Lyseight: Of course, there’s a lot going on here, and our users will find it interesting to know how we do it all. Our Price Guide is the largest online database of its kind. Along with our Marks feature, Dictionary, and Library, we have millions of data points on vintage, antiques, and collectibles, and all that data allows us to provide a comprehensive product to our subscribers.
WP: What’s one new feature we’re offering now that users want to know about?
AL: Well, there are about to be some enhancements to our subscription offerings. The WorthPoint Price Guide and our Marks database are two of our most popular options. We’ll add another combination to our subscription options, including Price Guide Premium access and access to the Marks visual database. Combining access to these two features allows members to take advantage of two excellent resources. It also includes full access to our virtual Vault, which is a way for collectors to document their treasures securely.
WP: The virtual Vault has been getting some attention lately because of the severe weather around the country. How does it help in the case of a loss due to a natural disaster or other catastrophe?
AL: Users have the ability to store photos of their collectible and vintage items, and each of those items will generate a WorthScore that determines the current selling prices and approximate value for the antique or precious items that a collector owns. The ability to add videos, photos, and scans of important paperwork—such as Certificates of Authenticity (COAs) and sales receipts—means that if the worst happens, homeowners can easily access documentation of their lost items for the insurance process. This easy access can be especially beneficial after a devastating event, like the one our CEO, Will Seippel, experienced during Hurricane Ian. Navigating insurance claims after such disasters can be daunting, but having these records on hand makes the process easier.
WP: Keeping records is vital, for sure. What can you tell our readers about how they can effectively use the service for their needs? Is it complicated?
AL: It’s actually not. Younger users have grown up with technology, but we have such a wide demographic of subscribers that we wanted to make it seamless for anyone to log in and use our resources. For our site, 60-70% of our traffic comes from mobile devices, so we’ve invested time in software development and the app to accommodate that traffic.
We’ve also developed an app that has all of the same features as our mobile app but is optimized for use on a tablet, like an iPad. It works the same, but the layout is customized for use on a tablet, making it easier to navigate for some subscribers who prefer a larger device.
WP: What role has social media played in connecting collectors on WorthPoint?
AL: A big one, for sure. Like any company, we need social media to reach people and engage our users. We’ve taken several of the good parts of social media, like the communities and the feeds that collectors create, and tried to incorporate them into our own socials. It’s absolutely true that collectors have their unique communities, and we want our product to be a part of that. We want to connect collectors to each other and to our resources.
We are actively leveraging our data on collectibles to offer impactful features that make a WorthPoint subscription a long-term solution, not something that gets used once or twice to check a selling price or a mark. Videos are a great way to do this, so we’re looking at how to incorporate video wherever we can. Our site also features podcasts where experts and WorthPoint collaborate on topics our readers want to know about.
WP: Will AI technology play a part in WorthPoint’s enhancements?
AL: Absolutely. People hear AI and think ChatGPT or odd images, but there’s so much more. We have the advantage of data, and AI can turn that data into fundamental features. We’re using it to create more options for our users, easier access to the millions of data points we have, and a curated experience for collectors that’s engaging and brings vintage fans together.
WP: What kind of strategic partnerships does WorthPoint have in the vintage landscape?
AL: We have hundreds of industry partners. Auction houses, appraisal companies, and online selling platforms, but honestly, our users are the best partners we could hope for. They interact with us, they let us know what they want, and we love hearing from them. Without a working partnership between our users and employees, we wouldn’t be where we are. We have developers, marketing professionals, and financial experts, many of whom are collectors themselves, so they get our mission. It’s a team that constantly reaches out to our users and brings them into the process. We couldn’t do it without those relationships.
To learn more about the WorthPoint app, our subscription offerings, and our suite of research tools, including the Price Guide, click here.
Brenda Kelley Kim lives in the Boston area. She is the author of Sink or Swim: Tales From the Deep End of Everywhere and writes a weekly syndicated column for The Marblehead Weekly News/Essex Media Group. When not writing or walking her snorty pug, Penny, she enjoys yard sales, flea markets, and badminton.
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