Where do you find these pieces?
TRO-va — two syllables; stress on the first. The 'r' is lightly rolled — one tap against the ridge of the mouth.
Use this to build rapport with a seller and learn more about the provenance of items. Sellers enjoy talking about their sources and the question signals genuine curiosity.
'Dove trova' (where do you find) uses the informal 'lei/trova' — note that 'trova' is actually the third-person singular, appropriate for either formal or informal depending on tone. At markets, relationships are often informal. Sellers may mention estate sales (vendite d'asti), house clearances (sgomberi), or other markets.
Ha pezzi che arrivano da case private?
Do you have pieces that come from private homes?
Estate sale items often include interesting provenance stories
Fa anche le aste?
Do you also attend auctions?
Auctions (aste) are a major source for serious antique dealers
Ha altri pezzi in magazzino non esposti?
Do you have other pieces in storage not on display?
Some dealers have much more stock than is shown — worth asking
Italian antique dealers (antiquari) are often passionate experts who spend weekends scouring estate sales, auctions, and rural markets for pieces. The network among them is close-knit — dealers often buy from and sell to each other. In rural Italy, clearances of old farmhouses (cascine) and villas sometimes yield remarkable forgotten treasures.