When Should You Start Collecting

It has been way too long since I posted anything here. One last bit of comment on the collecting thread... when should you start. There is no better time than NOW. Prices in all collecting fields are depressed and there are some terrific bargains out there. The general economy has stopped a lot on the regular collectors from shopping in the last couple of years. In addition, many long time collectors are ageing and their shelves are full. In some cases they are downsizing so a lot of very good items are hitting the market. Most of the 30 somethings have not yet developed an interest in and appreciation for for antiques and vintage collectibles (they will) so there is a good supply and not so much demand. If you remember anything about economics you know this adds up to great prices. Shop owners are now willing to entertain offers they would not even have listented to five or ten years ago. This doesn't mean they are going to accept your wildest low-ball offer so do be reasonable. Many if not most dealers have already reduced their prices to stay in line with the current market so they don't always have a lot of wiggle room but if you like something discuss it with them and see if you can come to an equitable agreement. You don't have to make it into an episode of Pawn Stars or Pickers. Just be courteous. We already discussed what you might collect or buy. In this environment it becomes more important to buy things you like. Some of the things out there will most likely recover their value, but some probably never will. How do you know which? The answer is, you don't. It has to do with fashion and decorating trends, current events, etc. Your best bet might be to look at things that have recycled in popularity before. They will probably cycle around again. Some things, especially those with no intrinsic or artistic value, probably never will. Which is which? Who knows. In fact...I would very much like to hear from some of you about what you think will come back in popularity and value and what you think will not. If you want, go buy up all the stuff you think will come back before you tell us about it so you get in on the low prices first. I would be very interested in your thoughts on everything from Victorian furniture to Beanie Babies. Wanna guess which one of these I think has the best chance?

What Should I Collect

Now that you have decided that you want to join the world of collectors you need to decide what to collect. The possibilities are truly limitless. You could collect coins, knives, classic automobiles, paintings, furniture, toys or bottle caps to name a few. How do you decide? Here are a few considerations, not necessarily in a particular order:

1. How much do you want to spend per item? If you want to spend no more than a few dollars per item this obviously eliminates art by the old masters but offers many possibilities. Determine a cost range you are comfortable with as you consider the possibilities. Remember, there is plenty of time to exceed you limits as you collect.

2. How will you display your collection? Another way of asking this is how much room will it require? A collection of tobacco tags takes up a lot less floor space than a collection of pool tables. Are you in a small apartment or do you have an empty full basement you have been thinking about utilizing? A pretty good sized collection of postcards can be kept in a couple of drawers. A nice selection of cut glass or pottery will most likely need a couple of display cabinets.

3. How much fun can you stand? They say the fun is in the hunt. If you want to be able to find something for your collection almost every time you go into an antiques shop then you should collect something plentiful like Depression Glass or Occupied Japan Figurines. Want a bigger challenge? How about handmade Folk Art Whirligigs or French Art Pottery? It is probably best to choose something which is not too difficult to find to start so that you won’t get discouraged immediately.

4. How broad or narrow do you want to be? Most people tend to collect a general area at first and then get more specialized. For instance you might start with Depression glass and choose to buy any pattern or color you find…which you will quickly find a daunting task. You might instead choose to put together a complete 8 place service of June pattern in crystal...more doable. You might want to put together a collection of depression cups and saucers in every pattern you can find. This would be easy at first and then as you are searching for fewer and fewer patterns would get more difficult.

5. What do you like? Your collection is something you will be living with so it should be something that you are interested in, something that helps define who you are. You do not necessarily need to choose something you know a lot about, to start with. We will be discussing your learning process in the next blog. Chances are that no matter how interesting you think your potential collecting area is now, you are about to find it more and more interesting in a very short time.

6. Don’t worry too much over this decision. Rare is the collector who sticks solely with their first collecting interest. Most of us find that one thing leads to another. Also you will find that, over time, your tastes will change. For example, how many of us would want the same posters in our bedroom that we had there as a teenager (apologies to any teenagers reading this).

If you are now collecting something please share with us what you collect and how you got started. What steps did you go through and what were your considerations? How has your collecting interest changed over the time you have been collecting?

My next blog is going to look at how to get started once you have decided what you want to collect

Why Collect?

Most of the people I deal with (including myself) either are now or have been collectors. One question I hear which seems a little strange to a long-time collector is "How do I collect something". Not only is it a good question, it is one that most of us would have done well to ask ourselves many moons ago, before we found ourselves up to our ears in our collections.


Let's start with a pretty basic question. Why collect? If I don't already collect something why should I start? I think people are naturally collectors...some more so than others. Who among us did not collect something as a child? Maybe it was small stones, seashells, butterflies, coins, stamps, comics, etc. I think everyone should collect something. For one thing, if you travel with a collector it gives you something interesting to do while they search for the things they like. I got started for this very reason. I had some friends who loved to go to auctions and stop at antiques shops when they traveled. As they began to feel guilty dragging me to all these places all the time they said "you need to collect something". So I started to collect something and sure enough, the travels became more interesting.

What are other reasons you collect? As you learn about your collecting interest you begin to see where your items fit in time along with what was happening historically. It can literally make history come alive. As an engineer I am always curious about how things were made and what developments in craftsmanship or manufacturing made the item necessary and possible to make. Some people look at their collection as an investment. While it is possible for items you collect to increase in value over time you should certainly not count on this for your retirement or your children's education. It is better to collect because you like what you are collecting. Most people enjoy living with their collections. How you do so, of course, depends on what you collect (I'll cover that in my next blog).

If you have ideas on why people should collect something, please leave a comment.

Next time - What Should I Collect?

Hello and welcome to my blog. This blog has been created to promote knowledge in the area of antiques, their care and the history behind them as well as to help promote an understanding of what the appraisal profession is all about. It is a place to ask questions and hopefully share your knowledge with others. Let me first make clear that this is not a place to get free appraisals (sorry). I will be happy to help you with an appraisal but there is a charge for that service. It is how I make my living after all. It is a place to ask any questions about what constitutes an appraisal or when you might need one; or what this is thing I found in the attic or how to start a collection; what determines what something is worth and what is happening in the market today.



We want to talk about what interests you relative to antiques and appraisals. so jump in and ask a question or share your knowledge.