by Scott Holloway

Created on: January 05, 2007   Last Updated: November 25, 2008

The motivation for involving ourselves with antiques and collectibles stems from two different ends of the spectrum. Like a form of art we can appreciate something for it's beauty and the feeling it stirs inside of us. At the same time some people look at an object old or new and see the potential for profit. This latter motivator is a relatively recent phenomenon due to the marketing blitz employed by those who are willing to call anything a collectible in order to make a profit.

Our appreciation of antiques like an art form is in the eye of the beholder. 17th and 18th furniture is valued for it's detail, craftsmanship, and of course the link to the past it provides us with. Old farm implements or tools give us an appreciation for the great difficulty with which our ancestors cleared the land. They provide living clues to the lifestyles of our ancestors. We have an insatiable need to connect and understand our past and the unknown. Antiques help us to answer some of these questions. In more recent times the buying and selling of antiques has become a big business. Desireability gives rise to the potetential for profit.

Almost anything can be a collectible nowadays. Autographs, figurines, and artwork are all marketed as "collectible". Mass produced items as well as limited edition pieces are given superhero status by those looking to make a profit. While some people can appreciate these things as a form of art, the lure of future profit is always in the background. To some a baseball signed by Babe Ruth represents a moment in time when a legend who played America's game met some lucky fan. To others, it is a commodity with which to make a profit. Limited edition prints are the common man's way to invest in art. You become 1 of "only" 800 people to own a print of Elvis or a reproduction of a Norman Rockwell design. Did you buy it because of the beauty or because you were told it would rise in value?

As the saying goes, "one man's junk is anither man's treasure"

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