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(Feb. 2010) From Mid Century to Molds. It sounds interesting, and it is fun.....no money in it, but fun.
Most Antique Dealers are trying whatever they can to get you the Customer out of Walmart and back to your senses.
The Antique Market in general is struggling through the worst of times. Selling our inventory, then our belongings as a last resort is the fall back plan for many people. The dealers I talk to wonder why the promoters of Antique Shows are so out of touch, charging booth rents that resemble a pre-2007 world. They wonder why attendance at shows continues to drop when the media tells us how important pre-owned and re-purposing has become. They tell us today's youth cares little for the olde stuff.
I tell the youngins to try to look for the shows that keep costs down...the shows I now attend. The dealers that show up do not have to raise their prices just to pay the rent.
The Vintage Modern market in particular has had it's bubble burst. Once a Nakashima coffee table reaches $150,000, the Hedge Fund people start to take notice. Eventually, this will be a good thing for the no name but good design merchandise that we usually have. Right now, it's a good time for buyers. Take advantage of the well built, sharply designed furniture that they haven't made since the 1960's! Vintage Modern is drying up fast.
As a way of diversifying, I set out to learn the real Antique business, the one I had been ignoring. It sounds funny, but I have had little interest in anything before 1900. I only wanted what was young and hip, looking forward to the space aged future. The economic downturn has forced me to rethink, and I see a whole New World of design about to emerge. I can now visualize going into outer space with an old farm tool or two.
And guess what, Industrial design is so under utilized and relatively inexpensive. This is where the cutting edge is today.
Foundry Patterns stacked up in my warehouse start to remind me of a Steampunk toolbox. The layered, streamlined Art Deco parts bin starts to take shape. By themselves, they provide an interesting counterpoint to the monotony of plain functional furnishings. Assembling them turns out to be great fun.
You will see one of my foundry patterns on a dresser in a Pottery Barn Catalog. Unfortunately, you see fake patterns on the market as well, faux finishes on pressed wood. This is an illustration of how wacky the market is in America.
Real is better. Real has meaning and integrity.
Real has been salvaged from the depths of early 20th century American Patternmaker craft.
Get Real Young Shoppers!
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furnishings
foundry molds