Barbies over Buffets

People, men especially, often assume when they are downsizing or dealing with an estate that the most valuable items are the pieces of furniture. They are wrong. In fact it’s just the opposite.

When I get calls from people and they tell me all about the furniture, like how much it cost originally, how well it’s been taken care of, that it’s solid wood and it’s “better than the stuff they make today” kind of furniture, none of this matters.

I ask “Can you see it in your daughter’s home?” or your grandsons, or in a current decorating magazine? Often times the phone goes silent; “Ah, I never thought of it that way” is the response. Unfortunately that’s the only question you should be asking yourself.

Most of the current consumers of furnishings, young to middle aged people who are setting up house or redecorating are seeking a ‘look’ which ranks much higher in the scheme of things than whether it’s solid wood or not. In fact, these people grew up with stores like IKEA, where everything comes in a flat box with an Allan key and you build it yourself. It costs a fraction of what our grandparent’s paid for their stuff and only lasts a fraction of the time it used to. Ah, but you see that’s ok because we want to change our ‘look’ or interior every few years anyways. It’s an extension of the ‘throw away’ generation started by the baby boomers that I discussed a few days back.

Another reason to consider is that the average person only has so much furniture, like one dining room set, a few bedroom suites, a couple of couches. However with smaller collectibles such art glass or silver or jewelry you can have shelves and drawers full, and so the demand can be almost limitless. And also keep in mind that with the advent of the World Wide Web and such marketplaces as eBay and craigslist we are able to offer these smaller things to people spanning the globe over and ship them with relative ease.

So when you are wondering about the value of your stuff or an estate, look in the dresser drawers, buffets and china cabinets, think of your daughters 1960s Barbies and your father’s 1930 fountain pen, not the solid pecan dining room suite you bought at the Art Shoppe 40 years ago. It’s given you years of service and happy times but unfortunately that’s about it!

Why it's not a good idea to 'do' your own sale

A successful sale doesn’t "just happen". It requires trained, experienced, knowledgeable, and hard working personnel who pay attention to every detail. Too often, when individuals or families conduct sales themselves, valuable items are sold at give away prices and the less valuable items are priced too high.

The result is that the estate is depleted of its valuable resources with poor returns and is left with many items that must be discarded or given away. You never get a second chance to sell estate property. Make sure it is done right the first time.

Baby Boomers Downsizing

We get calls from many different people, the elderly, the not-so-elderly, daughters and sons, lawyers and realtors. They usually all have the same questions when they call us; what have I got and how do I dispose of it effectively and profitably? We work hard at getting these calls, spending alot of time and effort and money in marketing and advertising.

In most cases we are able to be of some assistance or at least offer a piece of advice that will put the client on the right path to accomplishing their goal. There is however one group that seems to consistently be the most problematic; the baby boomers trying to downsize themselves.

When couples in their 50s to early 60s call us to help them with their first downsize, it's rarely a good fit. And here's some of the reasons I think this is the case;

• The boomers (and their generational neighbors by a few years) are not old enough yet for their stuff to have that 'antique' value. And unless they were architects or people with modernist tastes (ie: they bought 1950s-60s Scandinavian teak and all the other Modern goodies that went with it), their furnishings and contents are not really very hot at the moment.
  
  
• They are a different generation than their parents. The boomers were the first post war generation, and probably the first of what has become the throw away generations. They like to redecorate and update regularly, and not do all the things antique dealers love like horde and stash stuff away for a rainy day.
  
  
• They are only doing their first downsize. This means that they are probably keeping the best stuff, which usually translates into the most saleable stuff. And so they should, but that's what makes money. The same is true for the family heirlooms like silver and jewelry, some of which usually shakes loose when it is an estate situation or a final downsize.
  
  
• A baby boomer downsizing is usually selling mainly furniture. Furniture in today's market, in Toronto, is the very hardest stuff to place at the moment. The smalls (industry term for contents that are not furniture) are key to a good sale and the most saleable stuff, but they are being kept because they are easily boxed up and transported, and probably still needed in their new homes.
  

We work so hard to get the calls and when it comes to this group, the largest generation out there, we often have very little to offer, which as a small business is really the pits.

And so when it comes to this group, what do we suggest? Well, usually a more self involved approach. I have seen some boomers have success by doing it themselves. Spending the time, notifying friends and family that might have a kid in college or need some cottage furniture, using resources like craigslist and eBay and knocking on the doors of individuals that might be in need of what they are offering. Taking this time does turn out the desired result, but hiring a company to do it would eat into what precious funds you would realize and maybe not even cover the entire cost. So while it's not an easy answer, I have seen it work.

We hope you understand what we have outlined. And please accept that if we could help you, we would! Sometimes, it just doesn't make sense (or money) for either of us.

Why appraisals matter

It is always best to get advice on anything that you think may have value. This is especially important with items that predate the 1960s. Don't throw anything out before you have an expert look at your items or you've thoroughly researched them yourself.

On the other hand though, don't be disappointed if some items just don't have the value they used to. Your family may have paid a lot of money for the Italian provincial couch in 1962 or for the console hi-fi stereo, but they're just not desirable anymore.

The real market value is what you need to know. That's what someone would pay you for the item now.

A 100 year old Cracker Jack treasure

I am working in a house this week that is just jammed with great stuff. It's a tiny unassuming war time bungalow in Scarborough. When I walked in the door I was greeted by a $15,000 Handel lamp and a $4,000 Handel ceiling fixture - I knew it was going to be good!

What we have been finding is a treasure trove of mementos and heirlooms from many generations, lovingly packed away in boxes, some for over 50 years. Tiny tin soldiers in original boxes from the 1930s, American silver souvenir spoons from the late 19th century, ancient books and the list goes on and on.

Up on a shelf in the kitchen was a collection of miniatures, many old, some new but all interesting and with some kind of story to tell. My favourites were these three little glass dogs, tiny, less than an inch high. To the average person you'd skip by them mistaking them for plastic trinkets but I had seen them before and knew what they were.

Remarkably these charming little doggies were early Cracker Jack prizes, found nestled in at the bottom of one of the original junk food treats. Imagine a time when they were putting tiny Czech art glass dogs in Cracker Jacks?! I just love their detail and thinking about the child that almost 100 years ago first discovered it and what a treasure it must have been for them.

Sometimes my greatest joys are not in the high value items like silver or jewelry or art, but rather in a simple item of yesterday that would have meant so much to its original owner.


It is interesting to note that these little guys are highly sought after by collectors today and came in a variety of colours and breeds. An emerald green daschund recently sold for over $150 US!

The Value of Sentiment

Working in the antique and estate dispersal business requires being part liquidator and part therapist. Many times we enter people’s lives during an emotional time, and when it comes to things-objects people seem to attach a lot of emotion and sentiment, especially things we grew up with, things that belonged to our mothers, fathers and grand parents. Evidenced by how many family riffs happen over the division of an estate, sometimes over Tupperware!

Part of being a therapist is listening to people’s stories and memories and sharing in the warm feelings that these pieces have brought our clients over the years. However we can never loose sight of why these people have brought us to the table - to sell this stuff in an efficient and profitable way. And when it comes to this part, sentiment has NO value.

It’s a difficult line to walk, the one between hearing and understanding the value these things have to their owners and providing them the real picture; how this stuff will be viewed by today’s market.

We discover that while some of it truly is precious, some of it is not, and the stories and fond memories which must be listened to, ultimately must be dismissed because they contribute nothing to an objects true value. It's a hard thing to say sometimes, but just because this silver was bought by great grandmother and used at every wedding since new doesn’t contribute anything to its saleability (in fact it is probably so worn out that it’s actually detracted from it).

Old Photography

Well, it's late but I wanted to write a little something, as I am trying to beef up my entries. I'd like to write about one of my favourite antiques or collectibles.

Old Photography.

I love looking through old photos and old photo albums. They usually tell a story which is what I love. I think it's also human nature to be interested in other people, who they were, what they looked like, what they did and how they lived.



It's especially neat gazing right into old black and whites and seeing all the details that weren't necessarily meant to be captured. Perhaps a messy bed, something on the table or a cat running across the lawn.

There are several reasons I think that I am not alone in this interest, as the field seems to be gaining momentum. For most of us with the passing of every generation ancestors get farther and farther away, and who they were becomes hard to remember or lost altogether. For this reason I think we search for a link to the past, even if it IS through a strangers photos. By looking at them and owing them you get to almost own a bit of the past or reinvent your own forgotten one. The other side of this is that many times when I am working in an estate, the old photos are left, because family simply doesn't remember who these people were. So as demand increases, the supply seems to as well.

Another thing we cannot forget, is that with the dawn of the digital age of photography, actual paper photos are becoming a thing of the past. I think that in some strange way this has an effect on buyers and collectors. They recognize a shift and perhaps feel that pull to hold onto a dying art in some ways.

So, next time you walk by a big stack of photos at the flea market or in an estate sale, take a few minutes and meet your brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends, people that walked the same ground as you, only 100 years ago. They may have something to tell you.

Some interesting facts about photography
• The world’s first photograph was taken in 1826 by Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. It was of a view from his window and took 8 hours to produce.

• The oldest known color photograph was taken by Louis Ducos du Hauron in 1872. The photo is of a view of Angouleme in Southern France, taken 60 years before colour photography would be available commercially.

• The most expensive photo ever sold is Edward Steichen’s photo of a pond in Long Island, New York, in 1904, which set the world record at 2.9 million in February 2006.

• Modern, relatively high speed, high resolution photography has been around about 150 years, and only in the last 5 years, has the fundamental imaging technology changed from chemicals to electronics (the first digital camera offered to consumers was only 1.4 mega-pixels and cost around $10,000).

• Montreal based William Notman is arguably Canada’s best known and most desirable photographer, with his early composite photographs reaching into the tens of thousands of dollars.

Alright so much for a short entry, but I love this stuff. Can you tell?

The good is always GOOD

When people ask me what’s popular or in demand in the antiques marketplace, or just what is worth money, I usually start by saying that ‘the good is always good’. Meaning that if something is rare, and I mean truly rare, or ‘the best of’ a certain type of collectible, you can’t go wrong.

Buy with an eye on design, form construction and material and keep in mind its place within its market.

Whatever you collect, look for the rarest and best you can afford and you will rarely go wrong. For instance, you’re better to spend $200 on one GREAT stamp than pay the same amount of money for a whole collection of thousands of common ones.

There will always be good money for good stuff.

(Shown here is the penny black. The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp. It was issued by the 1 May 1840)

An interesting fact
Tiffany lamps were always a rich man’s luxury originally selling for between $30 - $750, but today they sell for $1000s into the millions!

Silverplate silverplate and more silveplate

When I walk by the HUGE Birks store at the corner of Bloor and Bay, I know how they built it; silverplate. When I see the Henry Birks collection of important early Canadian (sterling) silver, I know how he bought it; silverplate. When I think of how many Birks stores there are across Canada, I know how they did it; silverplate.

Places like Birks, and in the past Ryrie and Ellis Bros made fortunes selling fancy pieces of silver plated serving ware to the masses, which were comparably affordable to sterling.

I would say from the 1970s going back entertaining was a BIG DEAL. No you didn't stop off at Dash Kitchen and pick up some Asian BBQ Pork Tenderloin, a side of Cranberry Couscous and Southern Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad on your way home from work. You stayed in your kitchen with your frilly apron on and cooked a HOME MADE meal June Cleaver style, probably a roast, mashed potatoes and a vegetable, and everything you cooked had a special dish it went into and a special utensil to serve it with, usually made from silverplate.

What this means today is that as we go onto archaeological digs into our mother’s and grandmother’s buffets and sideboards we see the glint of silver, packed away in cellophane or blue felt bags or simply tarnished from lack of use. They speak of traditions long ago that have sadly gone the way of the dinosaur (at least for the time being).

There will always be a use for the odd piece of silverplate, here and there. Perhaps a memento to remember a loved one by, or a nod to the past in honour of the way things used to be done, but current demand is nowhere near the supply. In the past, every good bride set up house with a bevy of silver serving pieces, today we’re lucky to find a couple in modern couple’s cupboards. Now with the Baby Boomers roaring towards retirement and downsizing and their parents moving into retirement residences we have all of this stuff to get rid of, and nowhere to put it.

You get the picture.

I guess the bright side of this story is that there is a burgeoning market in the Middle East for our mother’s silverplate. Iranian dealers can be found scouring local flea markets and estate sales for cheaply priced pieces that can be shipped back and marketed to an audience that still finds it beautiful and useful.

Top Ten Dinnerware Manufacturer's

After last night's rant I figured I would list the top ten most desirable bone china dinnerware manufacturer's that I have encountered, here in Toronto.

Royal Copenhagen (namely Flora Danica)
Meissen
Hutschenreuther
Shelley
Herend
Royal Crown Derby
Rosenthal
Susie Cooper for Wedgwood
Mintons
Royal Albert (only a few patterns)

Of course there are exceptions but for the most part, this is how I have experienced it.

Where does all the china go?

Everytime we are faced with selling an estate, more often than not we find large set of 'good' dishes. Many times we are left several sets, mother's, grandmother's and possibly great aunties.

The problem as I see it, is two fold. First of all, today we don't entertain the way we used to. And yes, by we I mean ALL of us, including the individuals whose china we are charged with selling! People have gravitated towards a simpler way of life, with low maintenance entertaining methods, like microwaving and dishwashing. These large sets of dishes usually require special care and certainly cannot withstand the dishwasher.

Secondly, young brides and young people want their OWN patterns. Yes, you might find the odd girl who will cherish Grandmother's set of dishes (will she ever use it is another question all together), but more often than not, the tradition of young brides heading down to Ashley's or Birks to register for a pattern still holds true, and so the older large sets of dishes often sit.

They sit in countless buffets across the country, they sit on tables at antique shows and often, unless they are priced ridiculously reasonably, they sit without interest at estate sales.

The fact is that changing tastes in fashion (dinnerware fashion), and our changing lifestyle make them incredibly hard to sell. No matter HOW much your loved one cherished it. If you feel quilty seeing it go at a fraction of what they paid for it, a good question to ask yourself would be; 'How often did they use it'?

Some interesting facts
• Replacements.com, the world’s largest china replacement service carries over 300,000 patterns by thousands of makers.

• Pricing your china based on prices from replacement services is not accurate. If you want to know what your china is worth, contact them directly and ask them what they would pay you for it.

• Hard to find 19c English transfer ware dinnerware with Canadian related motifs, like beavers and maple leafs command a premium with today’s collectors.

• Patterns with a lot of gold decoration tend to appeal to collectors, and as a very general rule, but more desirable.

• Serving pieces (platters, teapots, gravy boats) and odd pieces (consommé bowls, fruit nappies, demitasse cups & saucers) are always more valuable as they were never sold as part of sets but rather were available separately and are therefore rare.

Well after many weeks of hearing stories from my friend Cheryl and feeling like an outsider, I have decided to take the big plunge and shamelessly create a blog for my company, EstateNet.

And of course, blog about my work, my passion - antiques!

I'm not sure if I will have much to say (ya, right!) or if it will be of interest, but I thought that at the very least it might be a theraputic way to get out my frustrations of running an antiques business in North America's fifth largest city, my beloved TORONTO!

So if it interests you in the least, check in from time to time and let me include as one of my therapists or perhaps commiserate-or. There's LOTS to blog about :).

Excited to be here

Hello out there!