I have been tempted to start a thread about this for quite some time.
We collect mostly Art Nouveau these days, and I have some cool antique prints and maps.
And, yes, I have some antique 78 RPMs and a Victrola.
I have been tempted to start a thread about this for quite some time.
We collect mostly Art Nouveau these days, and I have some cool antique prints and maps.
And, yes, I have some antique 78 RPMs and a Victrola.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
Here's a city view that I recently purchased. It's from 1543, nearly 500 years old.
map.jpg
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
My wife and I collect mid-century modern furniture. Our house is like a showroom for Heywood Wakefield.
I've always been intrigued by the beauty of maps since I was a kid looking at National Geographic. I only recently started buying old ones, but am, in no way, a serious collector. I have three, including this Dutch one from circa 1705. What's especially interesting is how many mythical lands made it into maps over the centuries. The most notable is the so-call Island of California, which appeared in North America from the mid-1600s into the mid-1700s.
world-map.jpg
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
Does stuff I bought new but I still have in my old age count?
My parents were antique collectors. They're now in the process of selling them for pennies on the dollar, to save me having to get rid of the stuff when they kick the bucket.
"Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama
Prices fluctuate so much. When we first started buying antiques about 25 years ago, the prices for furniture were considerably higher than they are today. Plus, everybody restored and refinished everything back then. Now the most desirable items are those that haven't been touched.
Other items have skyrocketed, especially antiques from China, which are being sought by the wealthy Chinese.
Then there's glass wear, which we never collected, thankfully. It's bottomed out, because the market is so flooded.
Ebay played a big part in driving costs down, since people learned that many things simply weren't as rare as we thought.
Some categories are doing very well and others have plummeted.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
^^ Take into consideration well maintained furniture lasts decades longer than well maintained cars. Since cars have a shorter life span, one which stood the test of time is a BFD.
Computers depreciate exponentially faster than cars. The only ones with substantial value are the early PCs like the Altair, and Apple I...even then only if they still operate.
"Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
^^ High-end, all analog audio equipment has held its value pretty well. Even as recent as the 70s. Once digital tech started creeping in, you're more likely to find that equipment in a thrift store than an auction. But other items like Victrolas, which which are about a century old take on value as an "item," regardless of whether they actually work. If they do work, their value shoots through the roof.
Last edited by progmatist; 07-12-2021 at 03:04 PM.
"Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
I somehow started collecting oddities....some rather old.
"Alienated-so alien I go!"
My parents had a small antique shop once too, and I sort of got the bug from them (more for just collecting overall, going to estate sales, flea markets, etc.). I was always an Antique Roadshow fan (and the British one too).
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
Yes, I was being snarky, I like watching people uncover or restore old treasures, but TBH my impression of Mike (and somewhat Fritz) is pretty low. A google search will dig up the shameful dirt that illustrates the character of these individuals quickly. Fritz was first a hopeless drunk, then semi-crippled by reconstructive back surgery and now debilitated by a stroke - but Mike doesn't give a shit as evidenced by his actions and the testimony of others. My impression is that Wolfie-boy is an opportunist like that even worse lowlife Rick Harrison of Pawn Stars (who is such a scumbag he actually campaigned for Trump), but that's just the paroxysm which indicates an even deeper rot...
^^ I had the same impressions. Mike comes off as a selfish prick.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
I collect cast iron figural bottle openers, mostly made in the '40s and '50s. Here's a couple of examples. The one on the left is similar to the one shown on the US version of Pink Floyd Relics album. I have a couple hundred in all.
20181020_093219.jpg
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