Relax and Enjoy Your Antiques

As 2021 draws to a close, we’re reflecting on a recurrent topic of conversation with a certain demographic of antiques buyers during the past year—those who are “getting on” in age are thinking about what will happen to their antiques in the long run.

Since antiques do not have a biological lifespan they’re destined to outlast their owners, and that fact can weigh on the minds of some collectors, causing a tinge of consternation that we’ve found particularly noticeable after returning to in-person shows this year and interacting with long-time antiques aficionados who are, like us, getting a little greyer.

Yet these antiquing elders still project an unmistakable spark of enthusiasm as they cruise sharp-eyed from booth to booth with a bounce in their step as they scan for antiques that appeal to them.

“Antiques at Rhinebeck” shoppers in 2021 (photo: *dutchessfair.com*)

The dilemma is that while these collectors still love everything about antiques—hunting for, acquiring, and living with them—they feel pressure to pare down their possessions as they age.

At one show this summer, a customer was deciding between two things that had caught her eye in our booth and part of the deliberation she shared aloud was how to choose which object her kids would be “least likely to throw in the trash” when she’s gone.

Although she said this with droll humor, we could tell there was a kernel of true concern beneath the comment, a pebble in her comfortable antiquing shoes.

Such pebbles are causing irritation for many aging collectors whose common uneasiness can be summed up by the comment we and other antiques dealers frequently hear: “Our kids don’t want any of our antiques!”

To that we respectfully reply, “Who cares?!”

When is the last time you met a young person who wants their home to emulate the décor of the one they grew up in, whether or not that home contained antiques? And that’s a good thing!

Isn’t aiding the process of children’s individualization in all walks of life, including aesthetic domains, something parents strive for? Isn’t it a noble goal to raise independently minded young people with a sense of agency who freely explore and develop their own tastes?

Yes and yes! Reframing children’s differing tastes as a positive thing will perhaps give seniors who collect antiques permission to free themselves from any undercurrent of anxiety for continuing to spend money on things their children will most likely not want.

There will always be an audience of buyers for quality antiques, so there is absolutely no need to worry that your antiques will become homeless if your heirs reject them. But if you still have a strong desire for your antiques to stay in the family, there is some good news.

If your Millennial (now ages 25-40) or Gen X (now ages 41-56) children’s tastes lean toward sparse, mid-century modern interiors that eschew older furniture and objects, there’s hope that your Gen Z (now ages 9-24) grand- (or great-grand) children will want the antiques that you love.

Since the start of the pandemic, estate sales, flea markets thrift stores and even antiques shops have been attracting shoppers in their teens and twenties who are driven by eco-conscious values to seek pre-owned rather than new goods.

The younger generations also “aspire to be different…to have something no one else has,” according to a 28-year old woman who has a quarter-million young TikTok followers watching her videos to learn how to shrewdly navigate markets of pre-owned furniture, décor, and vintage clothing.(1)

So take heart—perhaps the upcoming generations of your family will love and want your antiques even if your nearest of kin do not.

Meanwhile, while elder antiques appreciators are still alive and kicking, it is heartening to remember why antiquing can be such a rewarding, life-long pursuit.

Antiques and a Satisfying Life

Why should anyone continue to collect antiques, or at least continue to hang on to their existing collections, as their years remaining on this earth dwindle?

One reason is that positive aesthetic experiences lift moods, which in turn promotes health benefits such as improvements in memory and lower stress levels.(2) Simply put, being surrounded by things we find to be beautiful can make us happier and healthier.

Another reason is that the act of antiquing is engaging, both mentally and socially, and staying active on both of those fronts keeps us feeling young. Collecting, displaying, and furnishing with antiques is also a creative process that stokes motivation, another essential life force that keeps us energetic.

Over the years we’ve been involved in clients’ short- and long-term pursuits as they seek to acquire just the right size model canoe paddles for a graduated stairwell display, furniture made by historic Adirondack craftsmen, pictorial birch bark accessories that communicate Native American stories, objects with images of cherished local wildlife, witty cottage signs that evoke smiles, and so on.

Such enthusiasms feed a collector’s spirit and often lead to making life-enhancing social connections, not only with antiques dealers but also with other collectors who have similar interests.

Finally, there is also an intellectual dimension to collecting antiques. Antiques embody history—of artistic styles, social and lifestyle contexts, material culture, and object-specific provenance—so they invite study and discovery that can be endlessly enriching and keep us mentally sharp.

Your Antiques without You

Despite all the benefits of staying active in antiquing and/or continuing to appreciate the antiques that you already own, the fact remains that someone will have to deal with dispersing your collection if you keep it until the very end.

Admirably, many folks in their twilight years do not want to burden their kids with this task.

But believe us: liquidating desirable antiques will be much easier for your heirs to accomplish quickly and efficiently (and with a financial reward) than responsibly vanquishing your old vacuum cleaner, crockpot, garden hoses, bowling trophies, closets full of clothes, boxes full of files, and countless other trappings of daily life that accumulate in a household.

Antiques dealers, especially those from whom you made significant purchases, will likely be interested in buying, selling or representing your collection, or in consulting with your heirs about the best course of action.

If the idea of paring down your possessions as you age to a few changes of comfortable clothes and a good pair of sneakers while living in simple rooms with white walls and streamlined furniture feels like it will free you up to live your best possible golden years, then go for it now! Dispossess! Deaccession!

But if looking at, arranging, handling, and studying the beautiful, intriguing, soulful old objects you’ve collected still brings you pleasure, then don’t worry about the future.

As winter’s shorter days find us spending more time indoors, look around and enjoy the antiques that are tangible expressions of your personal sensibility, and relax.

With the help of antiques professionals and relatively little work by your heirs, your antiques will find welcoming new homes when it’s time.

Sources

1 In the Pandemic, Young Folks Discover Antiques for Zoom and Nostalgia, March 14, 2021, latimes.com

2 Mastandrea, S., Wagoner, J., & Hogg, M. (2019). Art and Psychological Well-Being: Linking the Brain to the Aesthetic Emotion. Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 10.