Archive for the 'real estate' Category
Deflation in the Antiques Trade
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010The “go-go” years of the antiques trade in the 1980s relished the economy’s inflationary bias. The effect on prices for these objects was devastating, in a good way. Prices, like homes values prior to the present “Great Recession” had no where to go but up, up, up. As long as I can […]
Hoping For the Best, Antique Furniture
Saturday, February 13th, 2010In the commercial world of decorative and fine arts, the present economic environment has been tough on many areas of the industry, but especially hard on furniture. Is it price, design, or is it not minimalist enough? As one esteemed dealer at the Winter Antiques show lamented to me, was this “English furniture’s […]
Industry Evolution
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010I start 2010 with the anticipation that it will be better than the previous year. After reading Niall Ferguson’s book, The Ascent of Money, the road to riches over time has evolved quite dramatically in form and format. So as I look ahead, where have antiques and art come from and fit into the […]
Antiques and the Luxury Market Today
Sunday, November 15th, 2009In the present state of the antiques market, it seems like an eternity since there was a feeling that our products could be bought and sold with any kind of rapidity. Turnover is not happening, and any sale is a welcomed event. Will this ever change; will there ever be a broad based […]
The Consignment Shop, a Format for Dealers
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009The more you think about all the different ways antiques dealers operate, the more you realize there is still one original format, the consignment shop. It’s got the best qualities of both the dealer and auctioneer; it’s a place to dispose merchandise in a consistent business pricing format.
What makes this configuration work is […]
The Antiques Trade, Opportunities For The Next Generation
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009When I inquired if my teenage daughter was considering working at the family business any time this summer, she remarked “write a blog why I should work at Newel”. Talk about reversing the tables on who’s the boss! So it’s time for some humility and serious consideration about her, my other two sons, […]
Collateralizing Antiques
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009During the mortgage collateralizing frenzy that sunk with excess subprime shenanigans, I always thought antiques had an underlying value that could be monetized. The lack of a coordinated and cohesive marketplace to package and warehouse the product as well as a payment distribution method to bond holders are big hurdles to overcome.
But I do […]
High End Antique Furniture Dealers: Bleak Prospects?
Tuesday, October 9th, 2007The high end of the decorative arts market has been experiencing its first major contraction in modern times. If you don’t think so then your head must be stuck in sand; check out the impressive catalogues of dealers Dandois (mostly Sotheby’s) and Steinitz (Christie’s) that are going under the duopoly’s hammer. Those are […]
Real Estate/Antiques- Which Transaction Format
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007What’s an antique or piece of real estate worth? It’s not a simple answer but requires thought, knowledge, and evaluating the timing of the opportunity to attain a valuation, for both buyer and seller.
Whether it is giving one more bid at an auction or asking for concessions from the owner of the property, the valuation […]