Page 14 - 2019 August The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
P. 14
Antiques Cheaper good, above all on social media, contributes
to the rising sales in the secondhand market
Than IKEA of fashion and clothes. As young consumers
follow these trends, many more are
Not infrequently, one hears about antique dealers choosing to donate or sell items on the
going bust due to a lack of interest in their standard secondhand market, which has made the
wares. At the same time, it can be seen that the prices of secondhand market grow 21 times faster
much antique furniture and objects sold at auction over than ordinary clothing stores in the past
the past two decades have steadily declined to a level three years.
never seen before. If you believe the sector's own predic- The report also shows that consumers
tions, then it looks grim, truly grim. who take advantage of the range of
secondhand offerings, bought on average,
But what actually is the future of old, brown
furniture, which is what many of us imagine when we 28 fewer items of clothing than they did
think about classic antiques? two years ago.
As so often before, the pendulum seems to be swing- It looks as if the Marie Kondo effect has
ing back just when it appeared darkest of all. Because, as got results. No longer does fast fashion
a matter of fact, the downward trend seems to have seem to provide the same value, with
turned in recent years. Generation Y and Generation Z preferring
The cover of ThredUP’s 2019 report saying the sales of used clothing is good
Global warming melting the polar ice caps, huge recovered clothes and environmentally
floods sweeping across vast coastlines, storms destroying friendly and environmentally aware brands for almost $25 billion and is estimated to double in value over the next five
years, to around $52 billion by 2024.
entire towns and excessive heat may rightfully bring that follow trends ahead of newly produced
business, researchers and politicians tried for so long? The
about a renewed interest in antiques. clothing. One reason why, in the next
Furniture sales listed on Barnebys in 2018 increased decade, the secondhand clothing industry is answer is simple. She speaks about something that concerns
by 32% compared to the previous year. Above all, inter- predicted to grow 1.5 times more than the us all. And unlike most politicians, she does so in a way
est has risen among people under 45: the majority com- fast-fashion industry. everyone can understand.
ing from Generation Y and Generation Z at an age when With the same sense, inner strength and conviction as
many people buy and furnish their first home. The Pippi Longstocking Pippi Longstocking, but with braids hanging straight down
Driving this change is an upswing in the secondhand of Our Times instead of sticking out, she takes to stage after stage, square
market for furniture, vintage clothes, and household I usually say that I work in the world’s after square, city after city with her well-chosen words. Brief
items, thanks to many more people being climate-smart. most sustainable sector. Just like the World and to the point, she overcomes everyone's doubts by deliv-
Increasingly, the secondhand market is the first choice Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), I have ering the uncompromised truth, so that politicians weep,
children demonstrate and the hairs stand up on my arms.
when buying furniture and decor. spent decades urging and encouraging
According to a number of surveys, the home accounts people to reuse and buy antiques in order Clearly, the message cannot be dismissed as political or
for 20% of a person's climate footprint, of which 9% is to reduce climate change. But it is not easy populist. Above all, we know in our hearts about the conse-
furniture and interiors. In other words, buying second- to make your voice heard. quences of actions from generations past, the effects it will
hand is not just a trend, it is a necessity if we wish to alter Someone who has been more successful have on the future of our children, and the indicators cur-
the course of runaway environmental devastation. and really made people listen is Greta
rently on display affecting the times we live in.
Thunberg, the 15-year-old girl who has But perhaps most of all, it is precisely because there is
Fashion on Trend already graced the covers of TIME and something infinitely more credible about a child’s
The same generations that are increasingly eschewing Society, as well as Wired and The Nation, uncorrupted message and young voice brimming with
“fast furniture,” in other words newly produced furniture not to mention a nomination for the Nobel energy instead of an adult’s cynical and tiresomely doctored
of energy-intensive production and poor quality, are also Peace Prize. But how did a young girl get admonitions or excuses. What today’s most famous Swede
rejecting “fast fashion.” Clothes have long been a means the whole world to listen, after the antiques and best-known 15-year-old didn't know one year ago when
for people to communicate and convey personality and she sat on the sidewalk outside Sweden’s parliament in
social status. But, as many people know, the fashion August, is that she would also become the antique world's
industry creates great environmental problems, especially most prominent spokesperson.
as consumption has risen.
The rapid production of clothes at low cost creates To the Future
pollution and the non-recyclable materials used in Now it is our turn to carry the torch and agree on the
production harm our environment. Furthermore, online message: it pays to buy and furnish secondhand. While
shopping, which has risen sharply in recent years, has the global prices of 20th-century design have risen
other disadvantages in the form of all the packaging dramatically, the prices of classical, everyday antiques have
almost solely being made of plastic. This is one of the tumbled at the same time. Today, you can buy a unique
reasons why the secondhand market, where high-quality handmade chest of drawers of fantastic quality made in
used goods are sold for a fraction of the original price, has the early 19th century for less than a new one available at
scaled new heights. the giant store with the cheap hotdogs (IKEA).Knowing
According to the online platform for secondhand that it benefits both the wallet and the environment,
clothes, thredUP, the secondhand market is good for everyone should watch the new renaissance of antiques!
almost $25 billion and is estimated to double in value Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg is a Swedish activist who, at age 15,
over the next five years, to around $52 billion by 2024. began protesting outside the Swedish parliament about the need for
Significantly, the report shows that the growth is due, immediate action to combat climate change.
once again, to Generation Y and Generation Z, whose
consumption of secondhand goods is 2.5 times higher Pontus Silfverstolpe is one of the founders of Barnebys, the world’s leading search aggregator for art, antiques,
than a typical consumer. design, and collectibles. He is an auction expert with more than 20 years of experience of fine arts and antiques.
Sustainability is a growing reason why the market Pontus is well-known in Sweden as the host of antiques TV shows and as an antiques expert for several Swedish
looks as it does, even if style and peer pressure to look magazines. In his blog at Barnebys he writes about the art market, trends and gives analyses.
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
12
to the rising sales in the secondhand market
Than IKEA of fashion and clothes. As young consumers
follow these trends, many more are
Not infrequently, one hears about antique dealers choosing to donate or sell items on the
going bust due to a lack of interest in their standard secondhand market, which has made the
wares. At the same time, it can be seen that the prices of secondhand market grow 21 times faster
much antique furniture and objects sold at auction over than ordinary clothing stores in the past
the past two decades have steadily declined to a level three years.
never seen before. If you believe the sector's own predic- The report also shows that consumers
tions, then it looks grim, truly grim. who take advantage of the range of
secondhand offerings, bought on average,
But what actually is the future of old, brown
furniture, which is what many of us imagine when we 28 fewer items of clothing than they did
think about classic antiques? two years ago.
As so often before, the pendulum seems to be swing- It looks as if the Marie Kondo effect has
ing back just when it appeared darkest of all. Because, as got results. No longer does fast fashion
a matter of fact, the downward trend seems to have seem to provide the same value, with
turned in recent years. Generation Y and Generation Z preferring
The cover of ThredUP’s 2019 report saying the sales of used clothing is good
Global warming melting the polar ice caps, huge recovered clothes and environmentally
floods sweeping across vast coastlines, storms destroying friendly and environmentally aware brands for almost $25 billion and is estimated to double in value over the next five
years, to around $52 billion by 2024.
entire towns and excessive heat may rightfully bring that follow trends ahead of newly produced
business, researchers and politicians tried for so long? The
about a renewed interest in antiques. clothing. One reason why, in the next
Furniture sales listed on Barnebys in 2018 increased decade, the secondhand clothing industry is answer is simple. She speaks about something that concerns
by 32% compared to the previous year. Above all, inter- predicted to grow 1.5 times more than the us all. And unlike most politicians, she does so in a way
est has risen among people under 45: the majority com- fast-fashion industry. everyone can understand.
ing from Generation Y and Generation Z at an age when With the same sense, inner strength and conviction as
many people buy and furnish their first home. The Pippi Longstocking Pippi Longstocking, but with braids hanging straight down
Driving this change is an upswing in the secondhand of Our Times instead of sticking out, she takes to stage after stage, square
market for furniture, vintage clothes, and household I usually say that I work in the world’s after square, city after city with her well-chosen words. Brief
items, thanks to many more people being climate-smart. most sustainable sector. Just like the World and to the point, she overcomes everyone's doubts by deliv-
Increasingly, the secondhand market is the first choice Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), I have ering the uncompromised truth, so that politicians weep,
children demonstrate and the hairs stand up on my arms.
when buying furniture and decor. spent decades urging and encouraging
According to a number of surveys, the home accounts people to reuse and buy antiques in order Clearly, the message cannot be dismissed as political or
for 20% of a person's climate footprint, of which 9% is to reduce climate change. But it is not easy populist. Above all, we know in our hearts about the conse-
furniture and interiors. In other words, buying second- to make your voice heard. quences of actions from generations past, the effects it will
hand is not just a trend, it is a necessity if we wish to alter Someone who has been more successful have on the future of our children, and the indicators cur-
the course of runaway environmental devastation. and really made people listen is Greta
rently on display affecting the times we live in.
Thunberg, the 15-year-old girl who has But perhaps most of all, it is precisely because there is
Fashion on Trend already graced the covers of TIME and something infinitely more credible about a child’s
The same generations that are increasingly eschewing Society, as well as Wired and The Nation, uncorrupted message and young voice brimming with
“fast furniture,” in other words newly produced furniture not to mention a nomination for the Nobel energy instead of an adult’s cynical and tiresomely doctored
of energy-intensive production and poor quality, are also Peace Prize. But how did a young girl get admonitions or excuses. What today’s most famous Swede
rejecting “fast fashion.” Clothes have long been a means the whole world to listen, after the antiques and best-known 15-year-old didn't know one year ago when
for people to communicate and convey personality and she sat on the sidewalk outside Sweden’s parliament in
social status. But, as many people know, the fashion August, is that she would also become the antique world's
industry creates great environmental problems, especially most prominent spokesperson.
as consumption has risen.
The rapid production of clothes at low cost creates To the Future
pollution and the non-recyclable materials used in Now it is our turn to carry the torch and agree on the
production harm our environment. Furthermore, online message: it pays to buy and furnish secondhand. While
shopping, which has risen sharply in recent years, has the global prices of 20th-century design have risen
other disadvantages in the form of all the packaging dramatically, the prices of classical, everyday antiques have
almost solely being made of plastic. This is one of the tumbled at the same time. Today, you can buy a unique
reasons why the secondhand market, where high-quality handmade chest of drawers of fantastic quality made in
used goods are sold for a fraction of the original price, has the early 19th century for less than a new one available at
scaled new heights. the giant store with the cheap hotdogs (IKEA).Knowing
According to the online platform for secondhand that it benefits both the wallet and the environment,
clothes, thredUP, the secondhand market is good for everyone should watch the new renaissance of antiques!
almost $25 billion and is estimated to double in value Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg is a Swedish activist who, at age 15,
over the next five years, to around $52 billion by 2024. began protesting outside the Swedish parliament about the need for
Significantly, the report shows that the growth is due, immediate action to combat climate change.
once again, to Generation Y and Generation Z, whose
consumption of secondhand goods is 2.5 times higher Pontus Silfverstolpe is one of the founders of Barnebys, the world’s leading search aggregator for art, antiques,
than a typical consumer. design, and collectibles. He is an auction expert with more than 20 years of experience of fine arts and antiques.
Sustainability is a growing reason why the market Pontus is well-known in Sweden as the host of antiques TV shows and as an antiques expert for several Swedish
looks as it does, even if style and peer pressure to look magazines. In his blog at Barnebys he writes about the art market, trends and gives analyses.
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
12
