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Antique Trader Collectics Wayback Times |
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Why Can An Ongoing Recession "Benefit" The Antique Dealer In 2013..?
1. In a recession people are often looking to sell items cheaply, and conversely, looking to buy items off-retail - both sides of this coin benefit the antique dealer! |
The following survey was conducted in October and November of 2011 by the staff at the Asheford Institute of Antiques. It consists of a sampling of over three hundred current students and past graduates that are actively employed or working within the antiques and collectibles marketplace within the United States and Canada (both urban and rural areas). All participants chosen, own and operate their own antique businesses, and are listed as, “proprietors” in the survey.
Survey Mission Statement
This survey was directed toward market trends in the antiques and collectibles business. The primary focus of the survey was to gauge interest in current trends of antiques and collectibles, based on sales and requests for particular items/genre/periods from customers. The survey was informal in nature, and did not employ any standardized measurable scientific practices or criteria. The survey was further broken down into age groups, indicating item/genre/period specific preferences for each of those groupings. The item/genre/period listings are represented in scale, from 1 to 10, with 1 being the most popular.
(*Special Note: While the survey did not include specific geographic comparables, the terms North East (NE), South East (SE) North West (NW) and South West (SW) were used when applicable, to indicate particularly strong interest in item/genre/periods. Listings without these notations indicate “all” geographic areas, and common interest.)
(*) Victorian – this term is not inclusive of, Art Deco, Art Nouveau, and Mission style, in this survey.
Antique Business - Proprietors Age Grouping: 20–38
1. Art Nouveau - All items related to this period of time. (NE) (SW) (NW)
2. Art Deco - Most specifically related to furniture – chests of drawers, armoires with metal accents, some jewellery. (NE) (SE) (SW)
3. Early Americana/Canadiana - harvest tables, chests of drawers, side tables, hutches, coffee tables (reproductions), mirrors, small wooden and metal farm tools, blanket boxes, dry-sinks, etc. Anything primitive. (NE) (SE) (NW)
4. Lighting - 1920’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s. Special interest in chrome and stainless (style) lighting from the 1930’s through the 1950’s.
5. Mirrors - All periods. With more emphasis on metal frames from the 20s and 30’s. Or frameless mirrors.
6. Glass - Particularly from the 1930’s and up. Vibrant colours and unusual shapes - vases, pitchers, objects d’art.
7. Textiles - Rugs, quilts, tapestries etc. (NE)
8. Memorabilia - Wide range from automotive (motorcycle especially), to cameras, to vinyl records,
lunch boxes, games, some paper antiques (old film posters.)
9. Victorian(*) (early- mid) - Some furniture items, but more so jewellery. Some “smalls” such as pins, little wooden boxes, hat boxes, kitchen untensils, etc.
10. Paintings - Preferably off-beat and somewhat unknown – all styles - but particularly from 1920's to 1950's. (NE) (SW) (NW)
Antique Business - Proprietors Age Grouping: 38-58
1. Victorian (early, mid and late) - furniture items mainly, ranging from tables, bookshelves, bookcases, what-nots, hutches, flat-to-the-walls, washstands, chairs, sideboards, benches, etc.
2. China - all types.
3. Art Nouveau - all items related to this period of time. (NE) (SW) (NW)
4. Glass - All types. Particularly from the Victorian era.
5. Memorabilia - Wide range from automotive – car related, as well as 'signage' (tin signs for gas stations, oil companies, etc.), toys, cameras, vinyl records, some paper antiques (posters, newspapers).
6. Folk Art - all varieties and in all price ranges from whirligigs, to weather vanes etc. (NE)
7. Jewellery - all periods and styles - with emphasis on Art Nouveau.
8. Silver - all items.
9. Architectural antiques - items such as balusters, mouldings, doors, old windows (stained glass), railings, etc. (NE) (SW) (NW)
10. Mission - chairs, side tables, desks, etc. Still very popular in the (NE), and sells particularly well in the (SW).
Antique Business - Proprietors Age Grouping: 58–78
1. Silver – all types.
2. Books - all varieties, but especially hard-backs and first editions. (NE)
3. Lighting - lamps – leaded glass, art glass, oil lamps, etc.
4. Victorian (early, mid and late) - furniture items mainly, ranging from tables, bookshelves, bookcases, what-nots, hutches, flat-to-the-walls, washstands etc.
5. Chairs - all types. Upholstered wing-backs, ladder-back, etc.
6. China - all types, including dinnerware.
7. Clocks - mainly Victorian.
8. Georgian Furniture - tables, chairs, dinning room tables, sideboards, etc. (NE) (SE)
9. Art Nouveau - all items related to this period of time. (NE) (SW) (NW)
10. Paintings - primarily Victorian.
*** Disclaimer: This survey was conducted for entertainment purposes only, and relied on a sampling of verbal and written responses for its construction. The data was compiled from "provided" information, and thus, should be treated accordingly in regard to accuracy and correctness.
end asheford news ticker - 2012
You're Kidding Right...?
Chair Sells For $28 Million... In A Recession...???
Just when you thought you'd heard it all, along comes something to knock you back on your heels.
Apparently, we're in a recession... but not according to those in the high-end antique and art market! This 90-year-old armchair (called Dragons— yes, it even has its own name!) made of leather and wood, sold at Christie's for far more than its estimated $3.8 million - a lot more - a Christie’s rep was so flabbergasted at the price, that he apparently had to check his numbers twice before reporting the figure!
Titled the "AUCTION OF THE CENTURY," the total receipts brought in by the sale were $484 million - almost $60 million more than was previously estimated! Which to some, is proof that antique and art enthusiasts are still spending wildly - even during a recession. Many analysts said that this sale would be a good indicator of how things might progress for the antique and art market for the next 5 to 10 years.
If this is indeed the case, and with chairs selling for $28 million a piece, then perhaps this really is the time to jump into the antique business with both feet... after all, you wouldn't want to get caught sitting on a chair that might be worth millions... would you?
end asheford news ticker - 2009
Royal Antique Items Almost Given Away...
After trying to dispose of some old desks and office paraphernalia, the federal government has quietly paid nearly $100,000 to buy back historic antiques from Rideau Hall that "accidentally" got added to the mix and were sold on an online government auction service.
Apparently the items, including Royal Family silver, were thrown into the lot to be sold when government bureaucrats refused to pay a certified appraiser $150 an hour to evaluate the items.
The antiques were sold for a total of $4,900 and included three sterling silver flower baskets which it sold for $532 to a unnamed buyer in Luskville, Que. The baskets, presented as wedding gifts to Queen Elizabeth II’s grandparents, had been on loan from Buckingham Palace.
All went according to plan until someone noticed the rare and historical items being auctioned off, were being sold at firesale prices. When the mistake was finally caught, government officials were forced to hunt down the original purchasers and buy back the pieces at steeply inflated prices, totaling almost $100.000.00 dollars.
"A gold-trimmed table mirror, used at Rideau Hall under flower arrangements to protect the furniture, was sold for $218.04 and repurchased from a Montreal buyer for $32,000," said an unnamed government official. "It was a serious lapse in judgment."
The government office for handling such affairs has since changed its procedures to make appraisals of “unique or attractive” items mandatory.
Lets hope so...
end asheford news ticker - 2009
The Obama's And Antiques...?
Looks Like An Antique Redo For The White House...
LOS ANGELES – It looks as if the White House may get a “new” antique makeover along with its new guests. Not that it’s a house in short supply when it comes to fine art and antiques, but it may get a slightly more contemporary antique look thanks to interior designer for the stars, Michael Smith.
Smith, who is based out of Los Angeles, has been selected to help redesign the private quarters of the east wing of the White House for President Obama and his wife Michelle. Smith’s antique background includes some extensive study at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, along with an apprenticeship from famed antiques dealer Gep Durenberger.
His style has often been referred to as a sort of European classic - mixed with some new world flavor – including items such as antique textiles, mingled with upholstered beds and check-chaise lounges.
The Obamas' choice of Smith has garnered some major interest, as searches on the Internet for information on Smith and his plans for a slightly updated antique makeover of the White House have skyrocketed recently. Fueled by an online rush to find out what kind of antiques the First Family might be interested in, one high-end antique dealer said, “I think this might be the start of something beautiful...”
Other antique dealers seemed to mirror the sentiment, adding that the Obamas’ could possibly add some real “stimulus” to the antique market, simply by having chosen a designer who thinks antiques are “cool” again… One antiques dealer in California even noted that since the Presidents inauguration, enrollment in their local "antique association" had jumped dramatically, "with new businesses joining faster than ever before," said Jed Dalen, the associations director. "If I was going to do it all over again," said Dalen, "this would be the time I'd jump into the antique business... with both feet!"
end asheford news ticker - 2009
