[OP]
Contributor
I happened to see an old Antiques Roadshow yesterday where they evaluated an really nice 1910 Stickley glass door cabinet (bookshelf with doors). They put a price on it of $3-5,000 in 2008 and then showed its value in 2021 as $1000-1500.
Would I be correct in assuming that prices are cyclical, and they will come back when the current preference for mid century styles runs its course?
Rick Potter
DIY journeyman,
FWW wannabe.
AKA Village Idiot.
Contributor
One thing to consider is in 2008 there was a major economic meltdown when the real estate bubble burst.Originally Posted by Rick Potter
Many items have not and may not recover to their previous highs for decades to come.
Much of the antique furniture and other items have fallen in value.
One of my brothers collects antique clocks. From watching the same Antiques Road Show episodes you have likely been watching many of them have also lost value since 2008. It seems no one in the family is interested in dealing with his collection. His daughter said she would just toss them all in a dumpster instead of trying to go through the hassle of selling them.
It seems we now have a younger generation who would rather fill their homes with furnishings from Ikea rather than antiques. The responsibility of conserving antiques is of no appeal to them. Many feel it is easier to have modern furniture replaceable rather than needing the regular care of dusting and waxing.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Contributor
That makes me so sad, so very sad.
"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.”
Contributor
All the Stickley stuff needs to come back is a TV movie with some big Stars , and a Martha Stewart makeover ! I don’t know which
came first, Stickley or Ho -Bows with wood crates , but all the prison electric- chairs remind me of Stickley -stuff.
Contributor
It's been up and down for years. When I was in college in Kalamazoo in the early '80s, utilitarian Stickley Brothers pieces like library tables, desks, and end tables could be had for cheap. They had all been made an hour North in Grand Rapids. Limbert was pretty common too, as were Stickley side brands like Quaint. We bought this sort of thing to furnish a starter apartment because it was durable and cheap.
The stuff really heated up in the late '90s, when the Mission became popular. My wife and I are huge fans of the style, and have a number of contemporary Stickley Mission pieces. We also have a number of A&C Antiques from Cron, Kills & Co., Quaint, and others. I've made a few reproductions and "inspired by" pieces too. We rounded out the look with A&C Pottery, Copper/Mica and Slag Glass lamps, and other accessories. There is no 12 step program for Arts and Crafts
Tastes change. Country was big for a while, then Danish Modern. Then Mission was hot. It seems Mid-Mod is all the rage now in some areas. With lifestyles of the younger set gearing towards being more mobile I suppose no one wants to be weighed down with a bunch of furnishings.
I'm hoping the values come back up a bit prior to having to divest our stuff due to old age. My kiddo has no interest in it. The thought of it going for a dime on the dollar at an estate auction makes me sad.
Sharp solves all manner of problems.
Moderator
There are a lot of things that affect the value of items like this...including availability, as well as "desirability" as in demand like Rob mentioned. But the happy part of prices being down is that folks who really like and appreciate older Stickley furniture can get things more affordably than they could in a hot market.
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Contributor
If the men at the Alamo had Mission style furniture to shoot over , the end might have been different. Thick white oak staves are almost
bullet proof.
It was “THE MISSION THAT BECAME A FORTRESS….and THE FORTRESS THAT BECAME A SHRINE “
I liked all the FESS PARKER films, he was just right for the part. But he also played Daniel Boone. As a kid I didn’t like the
similitude.
Last edited by Mel Fulks; 10-29-2023 at 4:41 PM.
The current furniture buying generation doesn't want "old stodgy" furniture nor knick knacks that require care and periodic dusting. If is sleek and modern with embedded electronics it is a must have. They don't want silver items because you have to polish them and you have to wash fine china by hand. And why wind a clock every 7 days when your smart watch will tell you the time, the weather and the news from your friends at the flip of your wrist.
Lee Schierer
USNA '71
Go Navy!
My advice, comments and suggestions are free, but it costs money to run the site. If you found something of value here please give a little something back by becoming a contributor! Please Contribute
Contributor
One thing I'll say for the antique L&JG Stickley furniture I've seen - it was well made and solid. It will last a very long time.
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Contributor
You would be right to assume: that humans are stupid, tribal, hive-minded, millions acting as a single gelatinous blob, easily swayed, blown in the direction of the prevailing wind of fashion, individually unable to evaluate anything without first checking what the crowd thinks.
Value has nothing to do with quality, value is dictated by demand, demand is created by the masters of influence that promote fads and fashions that sway the blob.
Fashion is cyclical, they constantly change it to keep you spending, so if they cant come up with something new to sell then they will sell you something old. So old stuff could come back in fashion if there is enough money to be made it will be promoted in all the right places to create the demand.
Screenshot 2023-10-30 002126.jpg Screenshot 2023-09-16 114131.jpg
[OP]
Contributor
What a coincidence Mark.
I have that same Feronia table in the kids play room, but it has the optional protective white Melamine top.
My wife goes to a lot of estate sales and it is amazing how cheap some very nice large furniture like dining room tables and chairs go for. We almost bought a beautiful solid wood French modern(?) table and 6 chairs for our grand daughter for $50. We finally passed because we couldn't reach her on the phone, and weren't sure she would like the style.
Another grand daughter decided on a Home Depot 24 x 60" butcher block workbench with black steel legs for her dining table. She wanted real wood, and modern styling. She is delighted with it, and it goes with her black Ikea boxes that stack up to make bookcases.
Rick Potter
DIY journeyman,
FWW wannabe.
AKA Village Idiot.
Contributor
Trends are all over the place and completely unpredictable. I'm no expert, but here are my observations:
- Traditional "brown furniture" is currently in the category of, "Nobody wants it". Never mind that it's well made from actual hardwood. Most thrift stores don't even want it because nobody will buy it.
- For decades nobody wanted mid-century modern furnishings. I would see it at yard sales with no takers. Now it's very popular and it can be very valuable. Obviously, condition is key.
- For many years you could buy high-quality audio components from the 1970s at rock-bottom prices. Even high-wattage hardware from the Receiver Wars was cheap. Alas, no more. The old receivers with anything 50 watts or more per channel from Pioneer or Marantz are now CRAZY expensive. My take is you're better off buying new.
- Along with the vintage audio craze, those old audio consoles your grandparents had in the living are now a hot item. Specialty shops are refurbishing them and installing modern electronics. Sheesh, I used to see those things pushed out to the curb for the trash truck and dumped in vacant lots.
It's also my observation that the high priced antique market is very fickle and, in some ways, similar to the classic car market. As with classic cars, just because something sells for big money at a high profile auctions doesn't mean I'm going to fetch anything close for a similar piece in my basement. Something very similar is not the same. People see a 1965 Shelby GT350R sell for many hundreds of thousands of dollars on the Barrett Jackson auction on TV. Then they assume the 1966 Mustang Coupe with a factory inline six they have rusting out in the back yard is also worth big money; nope. And if I see a rare Federalist desk sell for over $700,000 at an auction that doesn't mean any and all Federalist furniture is worth a fortune.
If people could predict the antiques market, everyone would know what to buy for maximum profit. Many people try and most fail.
Last edited by Pat Germain; 10-30-2023 at 1:21 PM.
Contributor
East Coast still wants antiques . Lot of people there. Metropolitan Museum is still popular
Contributor
I can see that. Many people on the East Coast have older, traditional homes and it figures they would want traditional furniture. I used to live in southern Virginia where almost everyone wants a Colonial style home with Colonial furniture. Not sure if they would want Stickley furniture there. On the other hand, where I grew up in Southern California there are a lot of older Craftsman homes and those owners would likely want Stickley furniture.
Contributor
Thanks ,Pat. And if I ever find a Stickley chair for cheap I will keep my leather belts hanging on it with SOLID brass hooks.
Might put a colander on a hand carved head , people always laugh when they see colander helmets with leather “ hair”.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
