What's Hot What's Not. What is going on in your area?

[demgrrrll]

I know that things are changing in the market and things that I used to get great money for are now selling by the pound. What is hot in your area or what are you selling well on ebay. I am still drawn to buying cottage stuff because I love it and because I have been buying cottage things since the mid 90's but the market is waning. I feel a need to retrain my eye. Any suggestions?

[grasswire]

1. I live in a liberal neighborhood in the Pacific Northwest.

In a city where households are often double income professionals with no kids. "Retro" or mid century modern furniture is hot here. In the suburbs and established older neighborhoods of the same city, cottage or arts/crafts probably predominates. A lot depends on the flavor of your area, but a true item of intrinsic value will always bring buyers, I think. And it is true that certain themes will always be saleable. Cowboy, Black Americana, etc.

[demgrrrll]

2. I think you are right about intrinsic value, The things I remember

are chintz dishes, they were astronomical in price a few years ago and then the companies began repoping the dishes and they dropped in price dramatically. Fiesta, in my opinion, went the same way with repops.
They said it would not make any difference because of the color variations but I think that it did make a difference with buyers and collectors of Fiesta. The triple a imports of the Roseville pottery did not hurt because the repops were so awful no one was fooled.

Cowboy has retained value, the dishes and the other items too.

Thanks for your response.

[Vinca]

3. The local "hot" items include funky stuff, rock 'n roll memorabilia and

religious items. Actually, my activity in the group shop nose dived after foliage season. It's a tourism-related town and we're now in "stick season," between leaves and skiing. Usually, the stranger the better in this shop. Today, for example, I'm taking in - among other things - a holographic deer lamp and a male mannequin head with real hair. Anything related to the Grateful Dead or Phish sells immediately and I'm always looking for Last Rites kits, crucifixes and icons. The best religious item I ever found was an old communion set from a funeral home. It was about 3 feet tall, silver plated and ornate in that gothic, funeral parlor style. I love weird stuff.

[demgrrrll]

4. Wow that sounds great. I would have loved to have found that

communion set. Where did that turn up? I love weird stuff too.

[Vinca]

5. Some people bought a defunct funeral home and put a few items

out during a yard sale. A guy setting up another funeral home bought just about everything before the sale, but somehow the communion set - which was in the original case - was overlooked. They also had some really creepy things I couldn't afford and didn't have a place to sell - an old embalming table and a late 19th century child's coffin.

[demgrrrll]

6. I don't know a lot about Phish what kind of things are out there and

what kind of Grateful Dead items are out there? Paper goods? T shirts?

[Vinca]

7. I've only found records, books and posters.

Sadly, no Dead posters, but I had a nice Phish one. Awhile ago I saw Jerry Garcia's kitchen sink on ebay - honestly - it was at $16,000 for just a plain, old, stainless steel sink.

[grasswire]

8. there's a shop a few blocks away from me...

...that specializes in all that kind of werid stuff. Funereal items are huge. The shop is kind of like walking into an Edgar Allen Poe poem. Stuffed birds, mysterious things. There's definitely a market for it.

[grasswire]

9. I would say, too...

...that categories that are disappearing into private collections as more and more attics are emptied around the country are always very desirable.

I'm particularly thinking of historical photos and collections of letters. Those have transferred from family holdings to collectors in the last couple of decades. If you are able to find them, they'll do well. I had a collection of 18th century letters and documents purchased at auction in Connecticut very cheaply, and sold it for a lot of money. I really wanted to keep it all, dammit. But the money was just too good. And I had a collection of journal pages, sketches and photos made by a woman professor from a prestigious New England college in the 1930s from an archeological expedition she took to Palestine. I sold those to a historical society. If you come across that kind of thing, think about making a query to a local historical society's acquisitions staff. Not only are you returning the papers/items to a special location, but the money is usually pretty good.

[Vinca]

10. A few years ago I bought the personal papers of actress Fanny Davenport

at an auction. Most of it went to Princeton University, but I've still got a few signed checks. I love finding things like that, but they're few and far between. When I tag sale locally I keep my eyes peeled for local historical items. Last summer I found a really great 1911 photo of a diving horse that was an attraction at the county fair. I also found - and just sold - chunks of ornamental terra cotta recovered from a historic building that was torn down in the 1960's. Sometimes I wish I lived in the south so I could go full bore all year long. Last weekend there were a few church sales, but tag sales are kaput until spring. (I picked a 1930's Roseville vase out of a "free" box - sadly, it had a chip. But the price was right.)

[demgrrrll]

11. I love old letters, I found a small group of wwII sweetheart letters and

did ok with those, found an old civil war on union forever paper, have not sold that yet. I love old paper. I have not had a big find like both of you! My turn may be coming.

[grasswire]

12. I adore paper.

Just am totally in love with it. That may be because my father was a journeyman printer and had an old handfed, moveable type letterpress in the basement that he used for a hobby. All kinds of paper samples and trimmings and stuff, and the smell of printers ink, of course.

That doesn't fully explain the fascination, because what he created was new simply using an old technique.

Part of the fascination is the research. To find a deed, or a letter, or a hand drawn map and then do the research to learn as much as possible about it -- that I love.

[yy4me]

13. As a former dealer(now with a bad back from lifting) I am still

in every shop I pass along my travels. Most dealers are complaining that things are slow and good stuff is hard to find. We are all living on less and spending less on things that we do not really need. Economic situations throw sales off but one of the worst things to happen to the antiques market is the unbelievable amount of REPRO'S. Container stuff, made in China stuff done to look old and along with that are the dealers who do not tell their customers that the merchandise is new.

I'm not talking about the occasional goof, the items we have all thought was old but are now produced to look like it. An example would be the sewing items that abound in the marketplace now. What I think has been a real blow to the shops is the abundance of furniture made yesterday. The owners know it, the untrained customer may not.

There is a shop near me that used to have a good assortment of wood, all periods but well made old and antique stuff. The shop is now filled with distressed pine furniture, buckets and boxes that were obviously made in the orient. Priced but no date, no indication of their origin. This is not good for the shop or for the business in general.

Many shops now sell their good stuff on e-bay too. That has not helped the shop dealer. He may move the goods quicker but if no good stuff gets to his selling floor, the repeat customers are not going to be back.

There are many problems in the business. It is comprised of a lot of hard working, 7 day a week folks who are trying hard to earn a living. They should give thought to either stop buying the reproduction stuff or start calling themselves by another name.

The definitions of antiques and of collectibles has changed over the years but that definition does not include fakes.

To those of us who try, it is getting harder and harder. Gas in that van is pricey, travel to find merchandise takes us greater distances. I don't know what the answer is but the fun is still in the search.

[Vinca]

14. I agree with everything you said. Especially about reproduction stuff.

That drives me insane. If I owned the shop where I have a booth, I wouldn't allow it through the door. I swear some people specialize in it! The Chinese stuff is getting pretty good, too. You can fool people fairly easily if that's your intention. I know what I'm doing and I was fooled by something this summer. Fortunately I didn't pay much for it and tossed it. I refuse to knowingly sell repros.

[grasswire]

15. what sewing stuff are you talking about?

Please explain.

[yy4me]

18. Large number of repro's in the "smalls" category. Sewing items

show up around here a lot. Thimble cases, needle cases, embroidery scissors, hem measures and the like. Most are silver and have English hallmarks but were made yesterday. Since no-one can read the marks without a book at the ready, they are passed off as old.

I have also seen many items made from what look like old molds but when you look at the interior, you can tell that there is no patina, no oxidation, no sign of wear. Brass candlesticks are a good example. Tin (tole) items are plentiful in distressed form. Old buckets,chests, depression glass,
you name it, someone has found a way to make it appear to be old.

[grasswire]

19. thank you

that helps

[demgrrrll]

16. Triple AAA imports are one of the biggest offenders and they have

a warehouse in my city. I go to Triple AAA now and then just to see what they are repopping so I won't buy it. What about the quilt market! Quilts are dead because people can buy the Chinese 2 stitch to the inch quilts, I know some people appreciate the fine stitch quality of an old quilt but many are just going for the "look" and would rather pay 25 bucks. Anything that brings big money and can be repopped is being repopped. I agree with you, it is one of the biggest problems in the business. Great post.
Ebay took some of the regional aspects away from the collectible market but overall I still do better than I would here with many items.

[grasswire]

17. the Chinese are even replicating vintage hankies

That I find ridiculous. Brand new hankies in the vintage designs.

[demgrrrll]

20. Wow I did not know they were reproing vintage hankies. Good grief

That surprises me because I did not think there was enough money in those to justify a reproduction. I thought they were just reproing the higher ticket items. Damn.

[grasswire]

21. "vintage hankies" on ebay

At least they are now being described as vintage-style and new. Perhaps someone cracked down on them on eBay.