It seems that lately most of my reader mail is from people wanting to know about their furniture. That’s because the secondary market for furniture is so volatile these days. Anyone who has attended an auction in the past two years has seen some magnificent pieces of mid-19th to mid-20th Century furniture bring down the gavel at a fraction of their value.
There’s no doubt that much of this is caused by general consumer skittishness in these uncertain economic times, but some of it is just due to changing tastes and changing needs.
The desk, a traditionally easy sell on the antiques market, has been particularly hard hit, and many may be exiled to attics and basements. This would be a shame, because some desks are truly beautiful and ingeniously made. But, just like the pen and the inkwell, desks, especially slant tops and roll tops, are viewed by some folks as out-of-date and unaccommodating in the world of computers.
Instead, old farm tables and library tables are being pressed into service as computer stations. Classic old desks can find new purposes too, like liquor and storage cabinets, for instance. But maybe they won’t have to. Many new laptop computers now have the same capabilities as the cumbersome tower and monitor pc’s, and they can slip real easily. So if you have an old desk, don’t abandon it; its time will come again.
Keep those emails coming, and don’t forget the photos. Enjoy this week’s selection.
Arthur Schwerdt, a certified appraiser, is the author of “The Antique Story Book: Finding the Real Value of Old Things,” and co-owner of the The August Farmhouse Antiques on Route 9 in Swainton. Send your comments, questions and appraisal requests to: aschwerdt@verizon.net.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
