Antique Store Break-Even Analysis: $345K Monthly Revenue Needed

Fixed costs $11.0K/mo Core overhead

Contribution margin 82% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $13.4K/mo Revenue target

Break-even timing Month 37 Model break-even

Break-even calculator

Test monthly revenue, variable expenses, and fixed costs against monthly break-even for an antique store.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Monthly sales drive the margin that covers fixed costs. $ Low sales High sales Variable expenses These are item buys, restoration, commissions, and marketing that move with sales. $ Light costs Heavy costs

Money available to cover fixed costs $114,000 $136,300 revenue - $22,300 variable expenses

Margin ratio

84%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs This is the monthly overhead the store must cover before profit starts. $ Low overhead High overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which antique store expenses are fixed, and which move with sales?

Cost classification

Break-even is only reliable when fixed overhead and sale-linked costs stay in the right buckets. Rent and core payroll set the monthly nut, while inventory, restoration, commissions, and marketing change contribution margin.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Store lease	Fixed	Include $8,000 per month in fixed overhead from Month 1 through Month 60.	Modeling rent as a percent of sales.
Utilities	Semi-variable	Start with the $1,000 monthly base, then separate added usage if hours expand.	Treating all utility spend as fixed forever.
Store Manager salary	Semi-fixed	Use the $75,000 annual salary as a capacity step, not a per-sale expense.	Loading management pay into gross margin.
Sales Associate staffing	Semi-fixed	Model staffing in steps as coverage grows from 1.5 FTE to 3.0 FTE.	Assuming labor rises smoothly with each sale.
Item Acquisition Cost	Variable	Deduct as a sale-linked expense, starting at 10.0% of revenue in the first year.	Treating inventory purchases like fixed rent.
Restoration and authentication fees	Variable	Deduct from revenue as items sell, starting at 3.0% in the first year.	Burying damaged-item overages in fixed overhead.
Sales commissions	Variable	Apply to sales volume, starting at 2.0% of revenue in the first year.	Counting commissions as fixed payroll.
Online marketing spend	Variable	Tie spend to revenue, starting at 3.0% in the first year and falling over time.	Locking every marketing dollar into fixed overhead.

How does break-even change across lean, base, and full antique shop formats?

Scenario table

Here’s the quick math: fixed costs rise from about $283K in the lean case to $338K in the base case and $385K in the full case, while break-even revenue moves from about $345K to $405K and $450K. That makes the full setup much less forgiving.

Planning figures only; they show break-even pressure, not a guaranteed result.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean antique shop	$345K	$62K	$283K	82.0%	$0	Best if lease and payroll stay capped.
Base antique shop	$405K	$66K	$338K	83.6%	$1K	Middle case, but traffic still needs to rise.
Full staffing antique shop	$450K	$65K	$385K	85.5%	$0	Only works if sourcing depth and buyer traffic hold.

What pushes this antique store below break-even fastest?

Stress test

Year 1 breaks even at about $345,000 on an 82% contribution margin, so even small misses in traffic, pricing, or costs matter. The biggest risk is combined pressure: weaker foot traffic, discounting, restoration overruns, and payroll creep.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$345,000	$0 cushion	There is no spare room.
Revenue shortfall	Revenue falls 10%.	$345,000	$35,000 gap	A small traffic drop breaks the cushion.
Fixed-cost increase	Fixed costs rise 10%.	$380,000	$35,000 gap	Rent or payroll creep pushes break-even up fast.
Margin pressure	Variable expenses rise from 18% to 23% of sales.	$367,000	$22,000 gap	Discounting or restoration overages eat the margin.
Combined pressure	Revenue falls 10%, fixed costs rise 10%, and variable expenses rise to 23%.	$404,000	$59,000 gap	Weak demand plus cost creep turns break-even into loss.

Can this antique store clear break-even before you commit to the lease and inventory buy?

Founder checklist

Test the lease, payroll, and inventory plan against the model's Year 1 break-even target before you commit cash. If traffic, sourcing, or conversion miss the mark, keep the footprint small and delay full staffing.

1Break-even Traffic$345K/mo

Confirm foot traffic and buying rates can support about $345K a month in Year 1 revenue before you sign the lease.

2Fixed Load$28.3K/mo

Make sure the $8,000 lease plus Year 1 payroll for the manager, curator, and 1.5 sales associate FTE still fits the monthly break-even load.

3Supply Lanes3 lanes

Map estate-sale, dealer, and private-seller sourcing before you sign, because the showroom only works if inventory keeps flowing in.

4Price Mix$4K/$5K/$1.8K

Test the Year 1 mix against $4,000 furniture, $5,000 fine art, and $1,800 vintage jewelry so the basket matches the model.

5Margin Check82% CM

Set authentication and restoration steps before buying high-ticket items; 10% acquisition, 3% restoration, 2% commissions, and 3% online marketing leave about 82% contribution margin.

6Cash Floor-$19K

Hold cash for the model low point of -$19K in Month 37, and delay full staffing if conversion stays near 1.2%.