Are Collectible Markets Really Dying Off?

by: Mr. Me

Yes the collectable market is dying, so all of you good readers please send me your Tiffany Lamps, Ming Vases, 1954 Stratocasters and pre-war Harleys. I will gladly dispose of them for you .......

by: permacrisis

Ming!    He's after your vases!!  

by: Orwellwasright

MASSIVE fraud and fakes and copies originating from china have decimated many collectable markets

ANYTHING the chinese thieves can duplicate they have, leading to lack of confidence in many areas and a subsequent loss of a following and even collapse

Other markets have been PUMPED and Dumped such as beanie babies, precious moments and many more

The collectible market for REAL solid vintage items is insatiable, pre 1970 comics , and baseball cards, Classic american artwork and many other areas are experiencing a boom

 

by: dsrtdwg1

Changing I would say. My wife and I have been back to doing a lot more flea markets in the past couple of years.

The young tattooed folks that are the buyers are friendly and knowledgable on 50s/60s and even early 70s items.

Do they collect?...in a way. They seem to buy items that ad style and function to their lives. They will that MCM rocking chair. Good for them I say. My answer is changing.

by: Digmen1

I'd say it must be dying.

Younger people and middle aged people just don't collect stamps, or coins any more.

by: HarmonyGroveAntiques

Our sales of Antique and Vintage Furniture remains very strong. We sell mostly Art Deco and Mid-Century furniture - Stuff that people can actually use - Not put up a rope around it like it is in a museum.

by: Ming the Merciless

@ Permacrisis

ROTFL!

All my vases were made in China anyway.

by: iheartjacksparrow

The collectibles market is probably dying off. Young people nowadays live their lives on Facebook and Twitter. How can they possibly have time to search out items for a collection when their thumbs are sore from texting on their smartphones. I don't recall there being a "must have" item in a while, no Beanie Babies, Cabbage Patch Kids or Furby toys (the originals) that people are standing in line to get. I imagine trading cards, comics, dolls, Star Wars figures, and a few other things will remain collectible, but probably only for the very young and the very old.

by: Ming the Merciless

@ iheartjacksparrow

Young people today collect device aps, body piercings in disgusting places, and tattoos both of which meant low self esteem and a prison record (possibly a Navy record instead) when I was their age.

I still think it all means low self esteem and that tattoo removal services in 10-15 years will be a growth industry.

However, the toy shows, Comicons. and various festivals suggest there still is a large market for some types of pop culture collectibles.

by: Basset

People I see buying vintage collectables around here are at least 50 and older, 10 to 1 over the younger crowd. Most  seem WAY over 50 but by golly they can hold their own in a tug of war when they break out!


Lots of older folks around here (men & women) with tats.  I've stood in line many occasion trying to figure out what the art on someone near me was supposed to depict. Due to mother nature, you can't always tell. A few times I decided it was just a dark age spot.

Tattoo artists should consider future wrinkles in their designs. Like those paintings that morph into a different scene if you look at it from a different direction.

by: Damariscotta

Having been in the antiques business for, egad, almost 40 years now, I have seen this discussion over and over, and in general, it is simply that it changes and evolves. But a few points: No matter what the era, collectors usually were not "young", but tended to be people settling down, furnishing homes (whether at 20 or 45). So this business has always skewed older. And the way we live with things has changed. Interiors are far more mixed (although this is not necessarily new either, as you can see in the house museums of New England where they never threw out any ancestors items. But fashions change; now it is more recent items, where the design sensibility makes them different enough to be interesting, but contemporary enough to make them part of décor. But remember 10 or 15 years ago when the "English country house look" was big and you couldn't keep a Staffordshire spaniel in stock? Or when anything early American "primitive" was hot? Times change.

by: Damariscotta

I am a long time seller on Ruby Lane, and want to cheer the comments by the vintage jewelry seller about these perennial "50%" off red-tag sales. I have been through these with brick & mortar venues I sold at as well. It may be attention getting, but I think that they hurt in the long run, because it makes it look like the merchandise was overpriced to begin with. The first one I participated in was this past December, and I had one of my best sales months ever (though not with sale items). So, being open-minded, I tried the next one (although with fewer items) and no red-tag items sold. This past one, a few sold, but I probably could have done just as well donating items to charity. So, I was wondering if my December experience was that people were drawn in by sale items, but now I cannot make that determination.
I really wish there was a forum/discussion group for Ruby Lane sellers (not one run by Ruby Lane) for candid discussions about the venue (which I actually like for many reasons). If there is, I haven't found it.

by: Bijoux Dragon

@Damariscotta - there is a discussion site - great, helpful folks and some interesting topics.  The Vintage Village has venue discussion groups and also theme discussions.  If you can't find it, just convo me for the address from my shop.

by: silent anarchy

yes the collectables market is dying but in low and mid grade collectables. I used to sell at flea markets,antique markets and comic & toy shows in late 80's to around the 2000's. Most of the flea markets i used to frequent are either gone or have shrunk to small bazars with mostly modern items including knock off sneaker,bags,etc. I had trunks full of vinatge ornate victorian and art deco door escutcheons and fancy drawer pulls plus over 10,000 various vintage keys ranging from 1700's to the deco period and by early 2000's nobody was buying anymore and i sold off that hobby at a loss. I did comic and toy shows until the rise of ebay which did hurt and finaly kill my bussiness, prices went down on ebay. This generation of teens and 20 somethings have zero intrest in collectables anymore, all they want is their cell phone and video games. The only business/hobby  i have remaining is vintage collectable militaria but the reproductions are killing that too.  I used to travel to a place called stormville for its antiue fair and flea market but even that place has shrunk to less then half its size. my old spot is in the middle of the parking field now.Ebay created such an abundence of vintage collectables that it drove the price to below most reproductions for original items. What i have in inventory just sits in my garage stacked to the ceiling collecting dust.

by: elpereles

I don't consider the collectible market is dying. The problem is that many young people enter "full" to collect stuff after their high school. Because after that point some have the money to get the stuff.

In other words. People is entering older to the collectible world.

by: comet

MING---Maybe the guy wants YOU as part of his "Collection"-----

@ANARCHY---STORMVILLE is OK but the bigger venues like Brimfield are still the top money--and Bouckville is not bad.  

Our flea market is now a sea of condos however----and most of the local "Antique and Collectible"  shops and dealers are--no where to be seen.  One guy I know wanted me to sell off all of his YEARS worth of antiques--real antiques!!!!--on ebay and I am hesitant to DO this due to the current climate at ebay--don't want him to to be ripped off.

The last few old items I sold=-=a beautiful bronze door panel for one---sold quickly and well but the things I USED to be able to count on--art pottery etc---is now sitting on MY shelves.  Probably will go to consignment as I have no room.  And I was in a high end consignment shop today in Vermont--in a VERY wealthy area---and I saw very FEW "collectibles"  as we would think of them--and this is a place where very VERY RICH people go to retire and die.  And then of course the kids get to sell the stuff they don't want.  Antelope horns for $795;  cute glass front display cases that I suspect are made from re-claimed wood for $200;  a GORGEOUS leather travel trunk with all of the old stickers on it and in great battered condition for something like $700.  

Not exactly bargains in my book but--I am cheap so I was only in there for research!  They have been in business for a while and get 50% of the sale which the kid pointed out was STILL higher than you would get at a yard sale---well---

I know MY kids have little use for this sort of stuff altho oddly the one who is a strong MCM fan does like some older stuff---go figger!  And one likes Cushman furniture so we now have a "someday"  collection in storage for her----I didn't like all the stuff MY mother liked either----

by: comet

Oh and @MING---

I am hardly young and have tattoos---my grand kids hands and Halleys Comet from the Bayeaux Tapestry of 1066.  I figger it has stood the test of time by now.  And since my ancestor WAS Halley----

And both of these are very recognizeable!  

But--

"Beware;  the barbed wire tat you get at 20 is the picket fence at 70"!!!!!

Depends on what and where like so many OTHER things in life!    

by: Cassie

That is the issue there are too many replicas versus real items I sell and authenticate. Why buy the real rare 1930's depression glass a real investment while today there are knock offs for less that people lie is real or worse some sellers fail to market as replicas.

The damage it has done too to the antiques market in crappy re-model jobs too in painted or redesigned furnishings. I've seen authentic dresser solid American chestnut wood with a rare diamond dust mirror circa 1760's ruined by eliminating original finish and using modern caustic stripping chemicals to have that shabby chic look. I've tried numerous times talk some one out of it and pay more then price. They went ahead did the deed they showed off the results to prove me wrong it looked good!

Then informed them congrats 99% American Chestnut trees was wiped out via blight in 1930's all is left but semi-rottig stumps if lucky to find today and the old Amsterdam process techniques take real diamond dust from diamond cutters or polishers making mirrors was held by a single family as a trade secret which died with the last descendants due the holocaust. Heartbreaking it was worth $2 million or plus now it is craptastic lost treasure.

It's dying because today's generation values nothing but disposable mindless market trends. Still the person has no sense what they did and spiteful the value. I offered them thousands enough to buy hundreds of crappy shabby house fulls. Tragic there is taste, there is stupid and then there are gullible trendy suck saps thinking they're in the know it all.

Some I steer clear of advice too it becomes pointless....as seen some vintage items sold real that are known hazardous materials ''arsenic, leads, and radium'' (radium emits radiation a half life of 1,620 years) or salvage items from regions that suffered toxic contamination that I know to verify and test before re-sale!

The real issue is not death but trending - market trending is suppressing older goods or accurate information allowing them suffer destruction or worse victimize gullible consumers for profit. The trend market is great for the economy today but abused and dangerous they have lawyers that fight suppress information selling items that will kill you later of cancer or worse affect your future generations genetically!

A lot manufacturing process illegal U.S. proven bad were moved abroad to countries with no EPA, OSHA or Consumer Protection for a reason. Um...think about it in form of product recalls when caught.

by: nothingnew

@ Mr.Me hahahahahaha I'll be happy with B&H lamps and the less expensive potteries if they dumping them

by: charcorvet

It depends!! ?? It does. It depends on what you consider antiques. For 40 years now I've watched each younger generation seek to replace their "toys" and teenage interest as they grew into their 20's and 30's and collect what they loved as kids.

The millenials and Gen x and whatever they call the last new generation, they don't know Depression Glass or even the Great Depression because their great depression just happened in 2008 - 2011.

I see collectible niches changing. My son has no use for my depression glass or my art pottery. He collects beer memorabilia and movie stuff from Movies and the lives of directors and actors he likes and enjoys the work of.

I blame all these "organizational experts" too. They keep telling people to get rid of clutter. Clutter is in the eye of the beholder but when a 30 year old tells me to get rid of clutter, they always mean my collections.

Yeah Not listening to them either.

This is also the generation that stole everything in the bank bailout of 2008 - Not listening to them for any reason.