Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Just The Way It Is


You always hear this when non-dealers talk about antiques, "That's in a circular file.", they'll say. What they mean is that this item will come back into fashion. Yeah, sure it will, I'm positive that it will. That's one that I've heard for a long time. I've found that people often say that, when they have rooms full of the items that no one wants anymore. They try to justify what they bought or inherited. Once upon a time, I would have believed that saying. However, I think that there are just some things that just won't be back or they'll be so cheap that they'll be considered fodder,  I mean its there now.  This is a short list and this is just my personal opinion. I've give myself a little cushion here, because its my blog.  In all categories, there are the stellar examples. Pieces that are mega rare, choice, valuable and will always, kind of, be desired.  In this little list, I'm honing in on the middle of the road pieces.  Where most of us live.  I'll add to and revise this list in the future.  Like everything, it has the possibility to change.

1. Victorian Furniture:  OK, here goes. Most of it is ugly, fussy and not too well made. People just don't go for it, be it period or the  1950's reproduction stuff. There is still a need for usable pieces, but even that has a lot of short comings. The key is small
Victorian Bedroom Set
but not delicate. Massive pieces really go waiting for homes. Yes, as the years go by, you'll see more and more of it come on to the market.Go to an auction and you'll see what I mean. Face it, its uncomfortable.  People want things that they can use.  However, it currently is hot to "alter" these pieces with paint or decorative finishes or other more drastic alterations.  Look at it this way.  I'd rather see a common piece of Victorian furniture painted hot pink than to have it in the bottom of a junk pile in a dump.  You can strip paint, but rot and breakage are another matter.

Traditional Dining Room Furnishings
2.  Traditional Furnishings: What's almost impossible to sell?  Dining, bed and living room suites or sets, wing back chairs and camel back sofas. There is still a thin market that want these things, it grows smaller every year.  However, there is still some hope.  You'll more likely to see a dining room breakfront in a hallway and a dresser in a mud room.  But the days of mom's matchy - matchy sets is over.  People are more prone to
break up a set and use it in other ways. People just aren't into the formal lifestyle.  Which leads us to...

3.  Large sets of "pretty" porcelain and crystal services.  People rarely set down at a dining room table anymore. Why would they want massive sets of china?  You'll do well to snag a plastic bottle of water, nevermind wine and cordial glasses.  Middle of the road stuff sits on shelves.  BUT, anything that is tea related.  I mean people, women and men, are obsessed with the drinking of tea.  Teapots, tea tiles, cracker jars, cups and saucers, can and do fly off of shelves.  I call it the Downton Abbey Effect, or DAE for sho
rt.
Pretty China
I tell people all the time, "USE IT." If it breaks it breaks,  Hell, put it in the dish washer if you want. Do avoid products containing bleach and lower that temperature, if you can.  OK, microwaves and platinum & gold trims are simply not going to work, so don't do that.

I'll leave you with these three and add a few more later.  Hope that these get you to thinking.  And don't feel bad if you love these things.  That' my dear readers is what this business is all about.  Using, enjoying and collecting the things YOU like not a family member or a decorator.

Until next time.







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