The Value of Antiques
In most cities in the US you are going to be able to find antique shops, shops that specialize in porcelain dolls, stamps, old toys, and other collectibles. These stores have been around for years and there are new ones opening up periodically that cater to different niche markets. This leads one to wonder, what is it about collecting that is so fascinating?
You name it and there is some one out there collecting it. Items that are collected range from the gross to the exquisite and beautiful. What is the driving factor that makes people collect things. As a kid you had a collection and probably didn’t even realize it. Whether it was your favorite set of marbles, and army of GI Joes, dolls, teddy bears or comic books… you had a collection. There was something that you had to have, and you had more then one of and they gave you great pleasure and joy.
That is part of why people collect. For joy and pleasure. Remember what it felt like when you found that really awesome looking cat’s eye marble that no one else you knew had. It was your pride and joy, and you only every used it when you wanted to totally dismantle your opponent. Joy!
What about the teddy bear that was your mom’s when she was a kid, that as you got older you found out actually belonged to your grandmother when she was little. You never played with that teddy bear and you really only cuddled it at night on the really scary stormy nights. As you got older, it was the one bear that you held on to. It’s either kept in a special box now or you have given it to your child.
There are people that collect figurines, simply because they are beautiful and they bring joy to that person to be able to look at them everyday. Plus the excitement that comes with being the first to get the next figuring in a series is exciting.
There are other reasons that people collect though, which still have to do with joy and pleasure but in a different way. A person that collects old military items is collecting them for another reason. Yes, it’s a passion, it brings joy… but it also gives them a tie to the past. It is like holding onto a piece of history, all part of the Value of Antiques.
Antiques are beautiful, they simple don’t make things the way they used to. Great care and time was put into building a jewelry box 80 years ago, that isn’t done today. For some people collecting is an attempt to hold on to and cherish the beauty and dedication of the creator. Jewelry is also collected for beauty. My grandmother used to collect costume jewelry. She had an amazing collection of some of the oddest pieces I have every seen, but it was a joy for her. It made her different, unique to have that collection.
There is a great misconception that many people have, that collecting is about money. That the whole reason a person is collecting baseball cards is because they know that in 30 years part of that collection is going to be worth big money. I promise you when that collection was started it was done because that person had a love for the game and the people that played it. Collecting those baseball cards was there way to be a part of the magic that was going on, a way to be close to Babe Ruth. Ask them if they want to sell and they are going to tell you no. It isn’t about the money, it is about the connection to something they loved.
Collectibles can be passed on from generation to generation. Then they are heirlooms, but they are still collectibles. These collectibles are kept as a connection to history but also as a connection to the person that gave them the collection. So the fascination here is love and loss.
The reasons that people collect are endless. The fascination for collecting comes from within the person. It is there way to celebrate what brings them joy, what they consider beautiful, there connection to the past, to hold a piece of history and to honor someone that they have lost that they loved. You see, the Value of Antiques does not lie necessarily in their monetary value.