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We have quite a bit of turn of last century oak furniture: round oak table, barrister bookcases, machinists chests, file cabinets, brass bed, dressers, drafting table, library tables, etc. I have read on CDF that millennials aren’t interested in these furnishings. But, I peruse eBay and Etsy and often they are priced more than what paid years ago. I just won a bid on a tiger oak item that was more than the price I paid for a similar item 15 years ago.
Is this changing because this demographic is now into their near peak earnings and are buying homes that you can furnish with other than IKEA? Or, do they see the value, craftsmanship and beauty of real wood? And, the brass hardware? I for one am glad if this is true. That means that this type of furnishings won’t end up in a dump or in our local bay like the oak iceboxes were when the electric ones debuted.
There's always going to be somebody interested, whether an older boomer moving into a retirement home, up to some millennial who likes antiques, Gen Z, and everybody in between. Older boomers and younger ones too, still move, and everytime we move our furniture needs change to fit the new layouts. Some young people are going to realize the value and like the look of antique furniture, why not? People are not all the same, the Ikea crowd is not every single young person. Ikea would look pretty silly in a farmhouse or old bungalow, and Ikea can cost as much if not more sometimes...
What I read was in the Retirement forum. I think what they were referring to as FAS as “brown goods” is furniture from the the 1960s and 1970s like dining room sets and China hutches. I remember my grandma not liking furniture her parents had from the turn of the last century as it was heavy and dark. My taste has been drawn to the more simple lines of Craftsman era and the Eastlake design. The more ornate items I liked when I was younger I am not as enchanted with now. IKEA is a simple design, basic lines, and some of the lighter old oak furniture can outshine it in quality and design. Maybe that is why the younger generations are buying the quality older items.
I was just expecting prices to be cheaper than when I bought years ago. Having just reentered the market, I was surprised that what I was interested in has not lost value.
I like to watch Fleamarket Flip, where crafters purchase used goods, give them new life, and resell them.
The host constantly tells participants that brown wood doesn't sell. Crafters frequently slap a coat of ugly flat gray paint onto pre-1950 pieces with gorgeous wood grain. It breaks my heart.
It's nice to know that nice antiques are holding their value.
I like to watch Fleamarket Flip, where crafters purchase used goods, give them new life, and resell them.
The host constantly tells participants that brown wood doesn't sell. Crafters frequently slap a coat of ugly flat gray paint onto pre-1950 pieces with gorgeous wood grain. It breaks my heart.
It's nice to know that nice antiques are holding their value.
I agree and that distressing and painting quality solid wood furniture is not my style. A quality piece from the Craftsman era like a signed Stickley will still fetch a large sum. Or, any Colonial or Shaker or like will hold or increase value.
My furniture is still holding up after using for the past 25-40 years. It is sturdy and functional. I am especially keen on tiger or quarter sawn oak. I used to refinish but have learned to select pieces with a patina even if there are signs of use. I also now avoid oak veneer as it tends to wants to to separate in the damp PNW.
There must be a demand as pieces I like sell for more than I thought they would. I have told our daughter that in the event of our demise, to not allow an estate sales group to devalue our furnishings.
I ended up several years ago with a lot of my mother's carefully-collected beautiful but massive oak furniture. When I sold my house and moved into my boyfriend's house, that stuff couldn't move there.
I managed to talk a relative into taking the huge farmhouse table and six chairs, but the big chests, dressers and the excessively large and heavy pump organ had to go. I was able to sell a few pieces but I ended up giving the pump organ and the brass bed away. Broke my heart, but what to do?
I talked to a man in another state who had a "pump organ orphanage" and he said he had more than 50 on hand and literally couldn't give them away.
Unfortunately, the Baby Boomers are either downsizing or already have all the massive oak furniture they want, the younger ones don't want the big heavy stuff they might have to move every few years and the young'uns don't have the room or the desire to own vintage stuff.
I'll admit that I enjoy having more utilitarian furniture that's easy to slide out to sweep behind...… I'm an antique myself these days.
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