Good morning blog/web followers, I trust you’re all well, not on a petrol or diesel hunt and gearing up for the autumn!?
I just thought I’d drop in a blog about something I’ve discussed face-to-face with a number of buyers and sellers this week, on the topic of how collectables’ values and appeal can dissipate, and conversely grow from generation to generation..
Whether it be dark wood furniture, cut-glass & crystal, Lilliput Lane cottages, EPNS & silver-plate, art prints opposed to originals, there are numerous examples over the last 2-3yrs of auctionable and saleable items’ appeal, just dropping off the edge of a cliff.. Collectors with a resale interest who didn’t sell their Goebels/Hummels figures back in the early 2010’s, or on a similar note aficionados of Swarovski, or Lladro perhaps, might now be kicking themselves over their widely accepted downturn in values.
So who’s to say going forward which of the rubber stamped quality brands that we all see at auction might suffer the same fate? Moorcrofts are on somewhat of a steady decline, sterling silver scrap values have slipped over the back-end of the summer, who’s to know which types of vintage and antique gems might slide before we get to 2024, and furthermore whether or not collectors might want to liquidate before any investments turn too far south.
The antiques & general auction industry had a boom period after the first 2020 covid lockdown, but as we’re returning to normality now, maybe Autumn 2021 could be the time to start selling..? Covid import/export restrictions aside, the US and Asian collectors’ markets are still strong and most auction-houses ship worldwide.
As to what type of artisan pieces or antiques the next generation of younger buyers might be drawn towards, my bets are on post-modern furniture, retro art glass.. anything art-deco.. no fortune telling I’m afraid and we’ll all see what the future holds I’m sure!
Next sale or us is on Sunday 17th October @ 1pm, keep an eye on our Facebook page for any preview photos and the catalogue, here’s a link to our FB hub:
https://www.facebook.com/halifaxmillauctioneers/
Thank you for everyone’s support and interest, and all the best to all of our buyers and sellers for a bumper rest of the year!
James