This is so embarrassing. Back in January, I (Andrew) had an excuse for my absence--the Ohio exhibition (many thanks for all of your kind words, by the way...check out next Friday's New York Times for an article that will discuss regional museum shows, including Equal in Goodness). The past 2 months, I have no excuse. Just still recovering, I suppose.
But, it's a new season (spring!) and I'm feeling energized, so let's start a real discussion. Our next column will talk about the current crop (bumper crop, that is) of antiques-related television shows. Roadshow, Pickers, Pawn Stars, etc. etc. etc. What are your opinions? Do they accurately portray antiques and the antiques business? Can they be improved? If so, how? Okay...discuss!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
We're baaaaaackk.....
I (Andrew) knew we'd been away for a while, but when I logged in today, I see our last post was December 2. Ack!
Well, of course there were the holidays. Travel south to Hollie's folks in WV and then back north to my folks in NE Ohio. And then...there was the exhibition.
Back in the spring, I was extremely honored to be invited to curate an exhibition of Ohio decorative arts at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio in Lancaster. It's a great little museum that hosts 2-3 exhibitions per year, some they sponsor, others they simply host. Opening next weekend will be Equal in Goodness: Ohio Decorative Arts 1788-1860. To my knowledge, it's the first comprehensive examination of Ohio's decorative arts ever. And the published catalog (thanks to a generous donation from the Johns family of Lancaster) will be the first major work on Ohio material culture in over two decades. The show runs through June 5 and the catalog will be available through the museum's gift shop beginning next weekend.
While I spent a good deal of time since April working on this show, the bulk of my December and January have been consumed by it. There are over 200 objects from over 50 lenders. There was tremendous amounts of research and writing, lots of time on the road transporting these objects from hither and yon to Lancaster. (Quick thanks and plug for my employer Garth's who gave me lots of freedom in my schedule and footed the bill for photography, design, and much more!) Let me put it this way...this weekend is the first free weekend I've had since there were green leaves on Ohio's trees!
So...my apologies for the lapse in communications, folks. But we're back and ready to resume our efforts to help create a flourishing antiques trade for another generation.
Well, of course there were the holidays. Travel south to Hollie's folks in WV and then back north to my folks in NE Ohio. And then...there was the exhibition.
Back in the spring, I was extremely honored to be invited to curate an exhibition of Ohio decorative arts at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio in Lancaster. It's a great little museum that hosts 2-3 exhibitions per year, some they sponsor, others they simply host. Opening next weekend will be Equal in Goodness: Ohio Decorative Arts 1788-1860. To my knowledge, it's the first comprehensive examination of Ohio's decorative arts ever. And the published catalog (thanks to a generous donation from the Johns family of Lancaster) will be the first major work on Ohio material culture in over two decades. The show runs through June 5 and the catalog will be available through the museum's gift shop beginning next weekend.
While I spent a good deal of time since April working on this show, the bulk of my December and January have been consumed by it. There are over 200 objects from over 50 lenders. There was tremendous amounts of research and writing, lots of time on the road transporting these objects from hither and yon to Lancaster. (Quick thanks and plug for my employer Garth's who gave me lots of freedom in my schedule and footed the bill for photography, design, and much more!) Let me put it this way...this weekend is the first free weekend I've had since there were green leaves on Ohio's trees!
So...my apologies for the lapse in communications, folks. But we're back and ready to resume our efforts to help create a flourishing antiques trade for another generation.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Thanks for the response!
It's been a while since our last post (sorry!), but in the mean time, we have received such tremendous response to our recent column. A bit bleak, to be sure, but we think a much needed reality check.
Yes, it's true that there are some dealers and auctioneers out there trying to make some changes and do things differently, however, it's a long, steep, uphill climb to get new faces at shows and auctions. That is precisely why we need an industry-wide image makeover. We need to get rid of the gameshow image of the Antiques Roadshow and the gotta-make-a-buck image of American pickers. We need to convince non-collectors that you don't have to turn your house into a museum to enjoy antiques. We need to get rid of snobbishness masquerading as connoisseurship.
Perhaps we need to simply drop the words "antiques" and "collector" from our lexicon. What about "historic furnishings"? What about "enthusiast"? Surely there are terms we can use that are less antiquated and less fussy. Any thoughts??
Yes, it's true that there are some dealers and auctioneers out there trying to make some changes and do things differently, however, it's a long, steep, uphill climb to get new faces at shows and auctions. That is precisely why we need an industry-wide image makeover. We need to get rid of the gameshow image of the Antiques Roadshow and the gotta-make-a-buck image of American pickers. We need to convince non-collectors that you don't have to turn your house into a museum to enjoy antiques. We need to get rid of snobbishness masquerading as connoisseurship.
Perhaps we need to simply drop the words "antiques" and "collector" from our lexicon. What about "historic furnishings"? What about "enthusiast"? Surely there are terms we can use that are less antiquated and less fussy. Any thoughts??
Sunday, November 14, 2010
The future of collecting (or NOT collecting)
You'll see in our upcoming column that we are not confident in the future of collecting. Well, there will always be collectors, and they will always be an integral and crucial part of the marketplace. And there will be large numbers of collectors again...someday, just not in the immediate future. So, where does that leave the next generation of the marketplace? We need to focus on the users, the decorators, the folks who might just buy one or two antiques, or who might even fill up their entire house, but not as collectors, but as folks who just want to decorate with antiques.
The new Magazine Antiques just landed in our mailbox and it was great to see editor-in-chief Elizabeth Pochoda agree. "I'm not sure that collecting per se is the right focus for the campaign," she says in her discussion of a new trade organization that is forming. She further suggests that going after collectors might not be the best use of our resources, but "it is...possible that numbers of people will simply consider furnishing their lives with something old if they see it in a new light."
That's our job...to make the wider public see this stuff in a new light. Antiques are green, they are good value, they are timeless design, they are so many things. Let's move away from focusing on collecting them and refocus on simply living with them. That, folks, is the future of this marketplace.
The new Magazine Antiques just landed in our mailbox and it was great to see editor-in-chief Elizabeth Pochoda agree. "I'm not sure that collecting per se is the right focus for the campaign," she says in her discussion of a new trade organization that is forming. She further suggests that going after collectors might not be the best use of our resources, but "it is...possible that numbers of people will simply consider furnishing their lives with something old if they see it in a new light."
That's our job...to make the wider public see this stuff in a new light. Antiques are green, they are good value, they are timeless design, they are so many things. Let's move away from focusing on collecting them and refocus on simply living with them. That, folks, is the future of this marketplace.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
It's just as good...
I (Andrew) love Halloween. It's always been my favorite holiday. As an adult, it's because it's the epitome of fall--cool and colorful, and well, I also love horror flicks. As a kid, of course, it was the costumes. My mother was a real "Martha" when it came to Halloween costumes. Sure, I went as a vampire several years, but one year I also went as an octopus. Mom made me a costume that consisted of a hood/mask and eight stuffed and sewn arms. It was fabulous.
In 5th grade, I went as "The Generic Kid." White pants labeled "PANTS", white shirt labeled "SHIRT", well, you get the idea. See, I grew up in middle-class suburbia, so generic products (complete with white labels and plain black lettering: "GREEN BEANS") were a staple of life. We complained. We wanted Del Monte vegetables and Nike shoes. "No," my mother would say, "These are cheaper and they are just as good." In my whitebread world, my costume needed no explanation. In fact, it was the hit of the party.
Where am I going with this? Recently, we got an email from a faithful reader (thanks for reading!) who does not see a new generation of collectors (and, frankly, we're not sure we do either...be sure to read our next column). This reader suggests that the unique-ness of antiques confounds younger folks, and he may be right. We grew up in a big-box environment, where everything is the same. One TV is just as good as the next. So now, why would a 30-something think of anyplace other than a big-box store to purchase generic furnishings for their cookie-cutter house? Even if you are choosing between the $399 sofa and the $699 sofa, they both often look exactly the same. Not so with antiques, so many choices, so much variety, it jars the senses of those who are used to mass-produced, plain vanilla mediocrity. In the world of antiques, everything is different and nothing is "just as good."
How do we overcome this? Perhaps we need to completely overhaul our business model. In a recent opinion column in The New England Antiques Journal, John Fiske suggested looking to mainstream retailers and their sales and advertised discounts. It may feel weird to us in the trade who are use to bidding and haggling, but if we want new buyers, we may need to create an environment in which today’s retail buyers are comfortable. You might not like the idea, but having a “Everything 25% Off” banner in your booth might just draw in a few more buyers. It's worth a shot, isn't it?
(I do, take issue, dear reader, with your comment that all young people are all "cheapskates." We are not cheapskates, we are simply in debt. The average college graduate in 2010 begins their adult life with over $20,000 in student loan debt. I just paid off my undergraduate education this past summer...14 years after I graduated. Now, it's on to my grad school loans.)
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Yet another show about the antiques market
Anyone catch the premier of Auctioneer$ on TLC last night? Ack! It was terrible! I won't go into a full-on rant, but the bottom line is that it is yet another show that does not accurately reflect the antiques market. Seriously, what auctioneer is going to recommend spending $250 to repair a $650 object? And what auctioneer has the time to "test" to make sure everything they sell works? And in no way would any responsible auctioneer actually give any credence to a certificate of authenticity that looks like it was printed up on an HP DeskJet. Don't get me wrong, I think it's super-fabulous that such shows are getting regular Joe and Jane Sixpacks out there interested in antiques, but I am beyond concerned with how they are doing it.
Sidenote: the Lincoln hair...it brought over $1000 when these yahoos sold it, and that's the high end for that thing. But rare? Nope...check eBay, there are a handful there right now. I've seen many of these, often framed the exact same way, and typically carrying impressive provenance, including the great collector Malcolm Forbes, and all the way back to a Caroline Wright who died in the 19th century. I think what has happened is that someone bought THIS LOT at the Malcolm Forbes sale at Christie's in 2002. Based on the price, I suspect the buyers didn't think much of the authenticity. And then, someone later, for some unknown reason, split up the locks and framed them in groups of several strands and sold them off. They may have made good money, but now tell me, how do I know that the hair that just sold on Auctioneer$ is actually from that group? Once it's left the annotated envelope, how can you be sure? (BTW, the image above is of another frame of Lincoln hair..this one sold at Alexander Autographs early this year for less than $400.)
Sidenote: the Lincoln hair...it brought over $1000 when these yahoos sold it, and that's the high end for that thing. But rare? Nope...check eBay, there are a handful there right now. I've seen many of these, often framed the exact same way, and typically carrying impressive provenance, including the great collector Malcolm Forbes, and all the way back to a Caroline Wright who died in the 19th century. I think what has happened is that someone bought THIS LOT at the Malcolm Forbes sale at Christie's in 2002. Based on the price, I suspect the buyers didn't think much of the authenticity. And then, someone later, for some unknown reason, split up the locks and framed them in groups of several strands and sold them off. They may have made good money, but now tell me, how do I know that the hair that just sold on Auctioneer$ is actually from that group? Once it's left the annotated envelope, how can you be sure? (BTW, the image above is of another frame of Lincoln hair..this one sold at Alexander Autographs early this year for less than $400.)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Repurposing
Did you know that new babies are a lot of work? What use to be the 5:00 am blog posting has now become the 5:00 am feeding and/or diaper change. But, we're getting back on track...
In Garth's recent Americana auction, this sideboard brought pretty good money. Okay, well, $4,700 may not be what some folks would call a good price, but in today's market, especially for an object related to formal dining (most such objects have taken a serious dive since formal dining is not happening much at home anymore), it's a very good price.
Why did this piece of "brown wood" sell for more than its estimate? Because of the creative vision of one of the bidders. In their mind, this wasn't a sideboard, but a perfect surface on which to put their new 60" flatscreen tv.
TiVo, DVD players, etc. will fit nicely behind the center doors, and there is plenty of media storage space. I was so pleased to help this bidder envision this sideboard in her family room. It's repurposing at its finest. And it's something we are already doing at our house--a pie safe serves as the entertainment center, a step-back cupboard base is the perfect size and height for a changing table for Baby Nora, and there is no better coffee table in the world than an antique blanket chest.
Auctioneers and dealers need to start thinking like this, and presenting the objects they sell in a manner that is more relevant to today's lifestyles. Fewer folks, especially younger folks, are buying "art" and thus won't plunk down big bucks for a candlestand that serves no function purpose (seriously, is there any less practical piece of furniture?), but everyone needs to store their underwear and everyone needs a place to put their electronics. It's a new market, it's time we all get a new vision.
In Garth's recent Americana auction, this sideboard brought pretty good money. Okay, well, $4,700 may not be what some folks would call a good price, but in today's market, especially for an object related to formal dining (most such objects have taken a serious dive since formal dining is not happening much at home anymore), it's a very good price.
Why did this piece of "brown wood" sell for more than its estimate? Because of the creative vision of one of the bidders. In their mind, this wasn't a sideboard, but a perfect surface on which to put their new 60" flatscreen tv.
TiVo, DVD players, etc. will fit nicely behind the center doors, and there is plenty of media storage space. I was so pleased to help this bidder envision this sideboard in her family room. It's repurposing at its finest. And it's something we are already doing at our house--a pie safe serves as the entertainment center, a step-back cupboard base is the perfect size and height for a changing table for Baby Nora, and there is no better coffee table in the world than an antique blanket chest.Auctioneers and dealers need to start thinking like this, and presenting the objects they sell in a manner that is more relevant to today's lifestyles. Fewer folks, especially younger folks, are buying "art" and thus won't plunk down big bucks for a candlestand that serves no function purpose (seriously, is there any less practical piece of furniture?), but everyone needs to store their underwear and everyone needs a place to put their electronics. It's a new market, it's time we all get a new vision.
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