Asheford Institute of Antiques, an internationally recognized and industry-accredited instructional curriculum involving the study of antiques, vintage items, collectibles, estate sale liquidations, and professional-level appraising services, is also known for taking the pulse of the marketplace by annually surveying its vast network of students and graduates to identify trends in the antiques and vintage marketplace.
This September, Asheford Institute surveyed auction houses to identify popularly sold items in the decorative arts world based on “realized” sales numbers. That means, says Asheford, “if you’re searching for sales patterns that can have a meaningful impact on your bottom line as an antiques and vintage dealer, or as a collector wondering about present day values, then it’s probably going to be worth your while to take note of how 2024’s auction results are trending when it comes to marketplace sales.”
Their results of the top-selling antique & vintage Items among auctioneers include:
1. Fine Art and Jewelry: High-value sales in fine art, including Impressionist and mid-century Modern art, continue to be prominent. Antique and vintage jewelry, especially from renowned designers, is also fetching high prices at many of the top tier auction houses according to both Christie’s and Sotheby’s.
2. Luxurious Vintage Handbags: Especially those adorned with diamonds and gold hardware have been fetching impressive prices. Even basic Hermès bags, like the Rouge Garance Evelyn, can still sell well.
3. Vintage Political Collectibles: Many online auction sites are reporting strong sales of Items related to political campaigns, such as buttons, posters, and memorabilia featuring images of candidates from the 1920s or earlier.
4. Mid-Century Modern Furniture: According to LiveAuctioneers, this style remains highly desirable, with pieces from designers like Eames and Herman Miller continuing to achieve significant price increases.
5. Vintage Watches: Collectibles, including vintage watches from brands like Rolex, Cartier, Bulova, etc. are all highly sought after in the current market with strong realized prices. However, according to the curated online auction site Bidsquare, condition, rarity, and provenance still play a crucial role in determining their final value at hammer-time.
6. Kitchenware and Barware: While many may have thought that the explosive resurgence in vintage kitchenware items, especially from brands like CorningWare, may have come and gone, according to numbers from the online auction site HiBid, nothing could be further from the truth.
7. Lighting: Custom-made and vintage lighting fixtures, particularly those with an industrial bent or post-steampunk motif, are in high demand according to curating staff from Kovel’s Antique Trader (one of the nation’s leading antique publications), who say their reporting of auction results has consistently shown strong numbers for individualistic and one-of-a-kind creations, as well as for lighting pieces from the 1970s, including space-age designs and copper chandeliers from the early 1980s.
8. Toys and Board Games: When it comes to recreational items, the online auction site Invaluable says that vintage toys, such as diecast cars and board games like Monopoly and Risk, are experiencing a boom in collectible interest. These items are apparently particularly popular amongst younger collectors, who also seem to be responsible for driving up recent auction prices over the last year. As with most collectibles in this category, ‘condition’ is everything.
9. Sports Memorabilia: Finally, Goldin Auctions says that iconic sports memorabilia, such as game-worn jerseys and autographed items are continuing to attract high prices, with a Michael Jordan game-worn jersey selling recently for $10.1 million. However, it’s not just the uber celebrity sport tie-ins bringing in the cash, according to Goldin’s website, as even average examples from the sporting world, such as collector cards and signed equipment from mediocre stars, are also bringing in substantially higher sale prices.
For a complete list of Asheford Institutes’ findings, click here:
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