Collecting can be fun and rewarding, just don’t expect a profit
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The antiques and collectibles market has changed a great deal in the seven years Five Katz Antiques has been open, and it is radically different from what 30 years of buying and selling antiques had me prepared for.
Many things are collectible. The goal is to buy it when it’s first arriving and hope it becomes hotter. Then, in theory at least, when you sell you, make a profit because of the increased interest and popularity. This depends on some ability to predict the future, and of course you have to sell at the right time.
My problem is I collect things that I think are cool, and even if they become hot, I tend not to sell them because I like them and put a great deal of time, energy and money into them. It drives my wife crazy.
When I finally do decide to part with things, they are no longer hot.
I thought I would take a moment and list some of the items you probably shouldn’t be collecting right now. Don’t get me wrong, if you love something and want to collect it, by all means do so. If no one else is collecting it, then you stand to find some real bargains.
But if your goal is to assemble a collection with the intention of selling it later and making a profit, these items may not work for that purpose.
Toby mugs
Toby mugs — mugs that were character based and anthropomorphic — were popular for many years. Some of the better-known designs include Sherlock Holmes and Winston Churchill, as well as themes like town criers and such. Some are still valuable, but most sell for well under $100.
Beer steins
Once very chic, beer steins have fallen off the radar for quite some time now. They used to be made by well know potteries, but mass production has created too many. Beer companies pumped them out by the millions. They are mostly found in yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores. Some can hold their value, but over, all the genre has lost much.
McDonald’s Happy Meal toys
Millions. They made millions of each and every one. Unless you have one that is a known low-production quantity, and in mint condition and still sealed, they won’t be worth more than a couple dollars.
Collectible plates
What, my Norman Rockwell collector’s plates aren’t worth anything? I am sorry to say again, it’s in the numbers. They made millions of each one, and even if it was a “limited edition”, it was still in the hundreds of thousands, and then they made another when that one sold out. And then another, and so on. These plates were a way for the masses to buy the art of a favorite artist and hang it in their home and do it on a budget. Even though they were only 4 payments of $19.99, they are worth pennies on the dollar.
China
People used to pick a china pattern and strive to collect every available piece that was offered in that pattern. Some folks, I don’t know why, would collect multiple sets at the same time. Now, you can buy it very inexpensively, as the market is super saturated. As folks downsize, move into assisted living centers or pass on, the younger generations just don’t care to own china. They don’t entertain as our parents and grandparents did. They don’t want to hand wash it. You can’t microwave it. And they don’t want to display or move it.
Glass and crystal
See above. The younger generations just don’t seem to be collectors. Generation y and especially Generation Z have been brought up in an ever increasing digital and online world. Possessions such as this are a curiosity as much as anything. They aren’t as into craftsmanship and don’t have the same appreciation for say an amazing piece of hand cut crystal. I saw a vase once that weighed over 50 pounds and was hand cut with Greek mythological scenes. The artist could only work in for only 15 minutes a day because of the weight. It took years to complete. Ask a Gen Z what a non-fungible token is.
Art
Unless you are in the Matisse, Rembrandt, Pollack or Van Gogh money circles, I recommend you collect art that you love to look at. It’s a difficult thing to buy art to make money on. Even local art, such as the Highwaymen paintings, fluctuate greatly in value and interest. In addition, sometimes the more popular an artist is, the more fake or mis-attributed pieces get into the market. You had better know what you are doing. I don’t know art, but I know what I like, and that’s what I buy.
Hummel figurines
Hummels used to be high-end and commanded a good price on the new and secondary market. However, as with most antiques nowadays, the market has shifted, and they are not bringing high dollars. A quick search on an online auction site will find Hummels with starting bids for six pieces at $9.99 plus shipping. If you wanted to start a Hummel collection, now’s the time.
Beanie Babies
Ah yes. No list of what not to collect would be complete without the ubiquitous bean bag toy that made Ty Warner rich. Very rich. The Beanie Baby craze hit us all hard, forcing us to drive miles and miles in search of that one we were missing. Originally priced for less than $10, toward the end of the craze I was selling some for more than $400. I was able to get out just before the beanie crash. You still see the not-so-rare Princess Diana Beanie Baby online for crazy prices. There is one online now for $23,000 (why I don’t know), but most are $15.
Die Cast Cars
Die cast cars encompass a huge market segment. Hot Wheels, Matchbox and others ranging in scale from very small to 1:18th. Military, NASCAR, circus, hot rods, fantasy rides, antique cars, planes and more, nearly every genre of wheeled vehicle is or has been represented. Unfortunately, only a small segment of this vast category is valuable because of the sheer numbers of pieces made of each model. A few versions from the last 1960s to the mid-1970s, in the original packaging, are bringing good prices now. The rest, not so much.
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Well there you have it. My list of 10 things not to collect right now.
Collecting is a great hobby. It is interesting and educational, and the hunt is always fun.
People collect any number of items and something will be sure to fit your interests. Collections can trigger great memories of where we were when we found a particular item.
Just be careful to collect for the right reasons, as huge financial gains rarely happen. There’s a saying: The best way to make a small fortune in antiques is to start with a large one.
You probably won’t get rich collecting, but you will have fun.
Ed Kindle is the owner of Five Katz Antiques in Titusville. He is a retired photographer with more than 30 years of experience with antiques and collecting.
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