The fading face of antiques

The antiques market isn't dead, but it's definitely on life support.

So if you're thinking about selling the old mantel clock handed down from your grandmother, you might want to change your mind.

Chances are the sentimental value of that timepiece far outweighs what you'd get for it in today's antiques market.

Same for that old oak or mahogany marble-top parlor table. It's still worth some money, but only half what it would have fetched 20 years ago.

And forget about trying to sell a Depression-era dining room set. You'll be lucky if you can give it away. There's little or no demand.

Tastes are changing and so are lifestyles.

Most houses built today don't have formal dining rooms. And many of the dining rooms that once existed in 1900s housing stock have been converted to home offices or exercise rooms.

Baby boomers are downsizing and the trailing generations just don't seem to want "old junk."

For some reason, many youngsters today would much rather buy cheap, particleboard furniture from IKEA rather than acquire an heirloom piece of 1800s carved oak. I can't tell you why this is so, but it is.

All of these trends, plus others, are contributing to a slow demise in the antiques market.

I collected antiques for decades. Twenty years ago I co-owned a small antique shop and dabbled on eBay as well. Things were much better in those days, and antiques were revered.

At the time, my partner retired from the corporate world and had freedom to man the shop and manage the building, which included a residential apartment on the second level. Our shop specialized in antique glass and curiosities. Fittingly, the shop had a restored brass cash register from the 1890s. It was fun keeping the shelves stocked. The operation was modest and we enjoyed it.

But he took ill and passed away. It was impossible for me to work in antiques and be a full-time journalist. So I sold the shop and building. Still, I never gave up on antiques. I lived in a 15-room Victorian house and had plenty of space to use and display vintage items.

But I downsized about five years ago. During the process, I sold much of my collection for prices below their true value. That's because the bottom already had fallen out of the market. And it just hasn't rebounded.

Antiques enthusiasts are aging and dying off and not being replaced by Generation Xers or Millennials.

Last weekend I returned for the first time in a few years to one of my favorite haunts - the annual fall Antiques Extravaganza at Kutztown.

I went there out of curiosity, to see which antiques are "hot" nowadays. What surprised me most was what I didn't see.

The number of dealers was down and the crowd mostly absent. The excitement and hubbub of long ago was gone. The face of antiques is fading. It's unmistakable.

There's a whole new mindset taking over. The up-and-coming generations are embracing things such as minimalism and living off the grid. There's even something called the Tiny House Movement. Many of the younger generation are devoted to economies, going green and living simply. The prevailing thought is that less is more; get rid of those vintage, fancy objects. Out with the old.

For many, grand pieces of Victoriana are obsolete, unnecessary and unwanted, and conspicuous consumption is a thing of the past.

Who needs an exquisite, porcelain R.S. Prussia biscuit jar when you can just as easily store your macaroons inside Tupperware with a snap-on lid?

Of course, there always will be a certain amount of value in rare items. But it's also true there's a whole new way of thinking and antiques just don't cut it.

They say everything old is new again and so maybe the trend will reverse.

One day Millennials may notice that grandfather's oak kitchen table with claw feet is lasting a lot longer than the pressed-wood bookcase from IKEA.

And when that day comes, antiques might just be rediscovered.

Contact Donald R. Serfass at dserfass@tnonline.com.