The exciting world of antiques, vintage, and collectibles!
There has been a debate over what an antique is for years. Some say an antique is an object of considerable age valued for its historical significance. In the antique trade, the term refers to objects more than 100 years old. Some antique dealers are trying to lower the standard of an antique. They believe that items over 50 years of age should be considered an antique. Most antique stores will tell you that an antique truly is an item 100 years old or more.
This leads us to the word “collectible.” A collectible is a term that describes valuable objects less than a hundred years old. Then we have the word “vintage.” Originally a term that applied to the age of a bottle of wine, the word has since been hijacked and is now used to describe items that have cycled back into fashion or is less than 25 years old. It is generally applied to the time period between 1960 – 1980. The period of the 1950s is referred to as “retro” but both of these terms can be applied to items that are less than 100 years old.
Confused yet? We are too! What you need to know is that none of these “labels” has any real effect on the value of an item. The value of an item is determined more by whether there is a demand for it and its condition. There are very rare antiques that have sold for much less than a new collectible. This is because there was no demand for the rare antique and a higher demand for the newer collectible.
When it comes to purchasing items on the antique or collectible market, you should always do your homework before spending your money on anything. Flea markets with antiques, antique shops, and antique malls are plentiful which gives dealers a lot of competition in stocking their shops. So know your item and do your research. It is also helpful to find an antique dealer you can trust.
When you are comparing antiques to collectibles, antiques stand the test of time. Their value remains stable. Collectibles, however, are priced more on a whim and their long-term value is highly speculative. Use caution when investing in collectibles as opposed to antiques. Antiques will always hold some kind of value and over time, with the right antique, their value could skyrocket.
If holding onto a piece of the past is important to you, antiques and vintage items are always the way to go. Collectibles come and go but, again, if this is something that interests you, collect because you love it. When you are looking for the right item to collect, you can never go wrong by visiting your local antique shop and see exactly what they have to offer. You will be amazed at the selection contained in one shop and the history that awaits you there.
