My Thoughts on Rinker's Words of Wisdom
Harry Rinker's written another thought provoking column for the Ruby Lane blog, titled Why Collectibles Fall Out of Favor.
He points out that a collectible category will not necessarily last forever, and discusses the effects of changing demographics on the antiques biz.
Here's one quote:
"... Thanks to the Internet, supply now exceeds demand for many objects. “What happens to the value of an object when everyone who wants one has one” became a relevant question five years ago. The answer is value disappears, again something few in the trade will admit. The question remains valid as the trade enters the second decade of the 21st Century. ..."
I agree with most of his points about the changes and the future of the antiques biz. His columns are always worth reading and make me think. This time he says one thing that I have to disagree with.
Rinker says, "There is no collectability without memory."
I don't see it that way. I think it may be true for some items, especially toys. But the collectors who are now collecting antique penny toys, mechanical banks, and dolls from the 1800s aren't buying back their own childhoods.
I collect so many different categories, the vast majority of which are not things I have any childhood memory of. They are not things I, or even my parents had. My grandparents likely had them, but I sadly lost all of my Grandparents when I was a toddler, and never spent any time in their homes. So I didn't even hear their reminiscences, and certainly never heard anything about antiques, especially things like postcards, or fruit jars, when I was growing up.
For some reason these lovely old things called out to me when I did discover antiquing, and enticed me to collect them. Why? I honestly don't know. I made a swift progression back in time, starting with 1950s-era California pottery and cookie jars, on to vintage 1930s-40s purses and costume jewelry, then on to "old paper" -- anything pre-1930, especially colorful lithographs just rings my bell. I don't have any memories of these things from my childhood. My Mother doesn't have her Mother's dishes, or her Grandmother's scrapbook albums. My parents collected books and records - and not antiques. Ours was not a sentimental family, as far as things were concerned. After I started collecting the old paper items, my mother joined me at paper shows, and much of her collection of theatre memorabilia pre-dates her memories as well.
Just offering some food for thought here. I think that the fact that collectors don't only collect items they have memories of is another reason why the antiques business will not die out.
Will it change and evolve? Yes. Will prices fluctuate? Yes. Will memories affect collecting trends? Yes. Will there be some categories of items that, even though they are antique and lovely, will just fall so far out of favor as to be dead? Yes.
As always, dealers need to keep up on market changes to stay successful in their businesses. It may be a struggle to find buyers for some of your items, but there will always be collectors out there.
Ms. Dow Antiques Blog 'Tique Talk is published by msdowantiques.com
My name is Marianne, and I am a collecting addict! And I don't want to be cured. I love everything about antiquing, collecting, and selling. I'm a born-and-raised California Girl, which changed when, after visiting hubby's family back here in Ohio, we got hooked on antiques.
2 comments:
Okay. I have to toss my two cents into this thing, simply because - I do.
I have no idea who Mr. Rinker is and had never read his column until this AM. I would have to agree with you Marianne, and strongly disagree with him.
I too am now hooked on old paper. It has gone beyond my desire to make art. When I first began seriously looking for old paper in February, I had one thing and one thing only in mind - putting my art work on it. There were products and advertising from my early youth that carried strong impressions and real memories - but they were images. I had no idea why I was attracted to them. Those, I think are the memories of Mr. Rinker.
I'm now going back even further looking for old paper which talks to me - products I know nothing about, but their names are intriguing. I realize that some of the images I'm now chasing (like packaging) will be rare finds. That has not stopped me from buying some of the paper I'm buying! I have more than enough to keep me busy for thirty years, but find myself returning again and again to eBay or local dealers who may have a piece of paper that I simply must have.
I too am hung on early litho because I know (and knew) the process involved in getting the image onto the paper. Those colorful images were originally attractive to me from the artist's perspective in me, but they had already passed into history by the time I came on the scene. By the late 40's, advertising was no longer illustration but had lost out to the quicker process of photography. I won't say that there wasn't still illustration being used (Coca-Cola for instance, or Post Magazine covers), but for the most part - illustration was dead. I have no memory of Zu-Zu the Clown or the Uneeda Biscuit Boy. Those are images I discovered only recently, and came to understand why they were attractive and why they sold their products.
So - on this one I think Mr. Rinker is dead wrong.
Dave - thanks for taking the time to write such a great comment. While I certainly understand the attraction of old paper, I hope it doesn't distract you from your wonderful art! The search for buried treasure is addicting.
You mentioned the way the old lithos were made. When I started collecting cigar box labels, I learned about the stone litho process, which is incredibly detailed - I am in awe when I think of how they drew those images, the artistic talent that went unsigned. I have seen several cigar label stones, but never one for sale. Yet!
I popped an email out to Mr. Rinker, and he wrote back a nice note. Here's a bit of it:
"...[My]writing has always been designed to get people in the trade to think -- something my most recent Ruby Lane blog has done since I received several e-mail from readers. Thanks for your thoughtful comments. --Harry L. Rinker
PS: One final thought -- beware of considering yourself typical when you may be atypical. ..."
Well, I don't think I am atypical, based on several comments and conversations I have had. But there certainly are many people who collect just to buy back their childhood memories, or to create their idealised childhood.
I guess I just objected to Rinker's saying there was the one definitive collector, when there are plenty of both types of collectors - "memorists" and those of us who hear the call of the old.
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