Article: Appraiser on the changes in the antiques market

Hello folks,

I read this article and thought that it was interesting, especially the portion about demographics and changing tastes. Many people collect things that they remember being popular in their childhood so it shouldn't be surprising when some of those items depreciate when their peak demographic is downsizing or passing on.

Antiques appraiser discusses changes to the industry
http://www.cnweekly.com/articles/2016/04/22/news/doc5719a97a98bce588450186.txt?viewmode=fullstory

 

I strongly believe that the market today is oversaturated due to the internet. Everyone sells everything and anything that has even a little bit of value and every basement has been cleared out.

Plus, less people buy those things (because you can't accidentally find something valuable at the flea market anymore.. every place has the same high prices) and ordering something new and paying in instalments is the way to go. No one saves money anymore: it's debt or nothing.

My age group buys their furniture from Ikea if they haven't already got it for free from someone and put their money towards devices and experiences (eating, going out)

I also think there is a sever lack of knowledge around.

 

Exactly.
Interesting article.

 

Yes, that is very true.

 

Logic is no longer logical nor is common sense common. -MHH

 

Pretty deep. Thanks, Joe.

 

When the internet and ebay became popular, the hunt became easier. People didn't have to search flea markets and antique stores to find something, they could find 20 of them on ebay. Depression glass is a good example of that. Collectors started to realize that some of those "rare" pieces were no longer rare because people from all 50 states had them listed.

The only thing I disagree with is "because you can't accidentally find something valuable at the flea market anymore". I suppose that would also depend on your definition of valuable. There are still treasures to be found at flea markets and yard sales, you just have to look harder and know what you're looking for.

 

I don't disagree with the appraiser completely especially as it refers to the internet. I know that it opened up my world of collecting. I no longer had to spend weeks wandering around everywhere I could think of just to find a piece or two I might be interested in only to find the price so high I could never afford to buy (at least not within the limit I set for myself).

One thing that wasn't really discussed is that fashion changes constantly. What is popular for awhile will become passé and people will want the latest greatest newest fad. It's been that way for eons. Two hundred years ago if the fashion in dinner plates changed (and it did regularly) people who could afford it bought the "new" thing and were sometimes known to toss out whole sets of dishes because they weren't in style anymore. Kind of like we do today unloading at Goodwill etc.

The thing is, many styles seem to cycle back and become popular again. Just like with clothing styles.

Now I want to know when brown furniture will come back LOL!

I have three daughters in the 20-early 30 age range. They all like some antiques but at least two are more sleek modern lovers ala Ikea. I did get a nice 60's dresser set for DD3 and when she decided she wanted to paint it I shuddered. She did research the look she liked and in the end painted the case white and left the drawers natural. It looks amazing. It's solid good furniture with a fresh update. I'd have left it as it was and it wouldn't look nearly as good by today's standards. I surrender.

I can't say I have much luck usually at yard sales but thrift stores I do ok at value wise. It does depend on what you consider to be valuable I guess. I don't buy much for myself anymore but I pick up stuff for possible resale if my kids don't take it first. When they come over they often go "shopping" in my finds room

 

From the article:

“Collecting is all about satisfying needs, he said. Young people today are used to immediacy. With the internet and cell phones they can fill their needs in an instant. They no longer have to own things so there are fewer and fewer people looking for them.”

I am not sure what this even means. Collecting does fill a need but it is different than the needs pursued by many people today. The internet and cell phones actually help people fulfill their collecting needs so what he is saying really doesn't make sense. They are tools people use to fulfill needs across the board.

Earlier in the article, he mentioned something about younger people liking to look at antiques but not necessarily own them.

"Millennials, Lawson said, like to look at antiques on the internet but they don’t want to buy them the way older generations once did. The attraction of owning old things is just not there"

Is he saying that looking at antiques on the internet fulfills the same need as collecting them? I certainly don't buy that premise. I do think values have shifted but not for this reason. Maybe there has been an overall shift away from material possessions but that really has little to do with antiques. The antiques market may be a casualty of this to some extent but I would say that changing tastes are more to blame. People are still buying lots of things, just not antiques as much.

There has been an overall shift in priorities among people and the internet has been a part of that. I think you have to look much deeper than what is presented in this article to get a handle on why things changed. While there are probably some good points in the article, I don't think it really examines what has happened in any meaningful way. I would hope that what was written is a poor interpretation of Mr. Lawson's talk rather than what he was actually saying.

 

I also think the "small house" craze and "leaving a smaller energy foot print" has something to do with this generation buying less. I've also read a lot of articles geared towards this generation which discuss the "less is more concept" which will allow them to travel more and dine out often by not having large expensive homes or apartments and only buying basic needs for it. You would think wanting to be more green, would mean they would be looking to the second hand market to buy those basic needs but Ikea seems to be winning them over.

 

Well......
Blue and Yellow makes green....right?

 

Owning even slightly valuable items is considered snobbish and people are constantly shocked at "how much you've spent on THAT". What they always fail to realize is how much more responsible and eco-friendly high-quality, long-lasting and / or pre-owned items are compared to 99% of the crap stores sell today.

People spend fortunes on technology, going out and cheap garbage that falls apart just in time for them to buy more of it, and no one says anything because apparently it's so cool to buy mass-produced merchandise.

I've made it my thing to not tell people what my things cost, because once they hear a price, it's all they can think of and all the logic and reason goes out the window.

I don't know if this mentality is only a thing in my country but either way it's annoying.

 

I could be snobbish....in a new Tesla !!

 

Your license plate frame states;

MY OTHER CAR IS
A FIRE ENGINE​

Your chase car >>>
~

 

I could drive that one too !!!
I hear they can park pretty much where ever the hell they like !!!!

 

Ha!!!
Park the car next to a fire hydrant and observe when they arrive to see what happens....

 

How sad that fewer people remember Robert Frost. :-(

 

Sorry Brenda... I don't know why you say this, what the connection is.

 

She's referring to the article linked in the original post. Near the end it says "As he looked at the signed book of Robert Frost poems, Lawson said the value for the book had decreased much like pocket watches because there are fewer people who remember the New England poet."

 

Ah! Thanks Fig! Too early.... I even looked first.
I need some double Bergamot Earl Grey.