You are so right Mart. Think of who has the disposable income right now. Not you or me but collectors of old cars, advertising and toys from the 70s and 80s that we know little about. Even tin toys from the 50s have become weak. Like everyone has said, buy what you like and it does not matter. The 30 somethings will catch on soon I hope. It is however a great time to buy for the near future. I believe prices will rise soon due to a celebrity that takes an interest. Martha Stewart (the other Martha) drove the price of jadeite through the roof and Warhol made cookie jars the hottest thing of the late eighties when his collection sold for a quarter of a million dollars. It will happen again. Just be their when it does. I made a lot of money off of hammered aluminum when it went from cold to hot. Now it it is cold. Whats next? I would bank on designer womens clothes accessorizes right now. Not my forte unfortunately.
Just a comment on prices: We went to an auction over the weekend that consisted of the basement contents of an old hardware store that had opened in the 1890's. The outdated inventory that hadn't sold over the past 80 years seemed to attract a lot of interest.
For example: A wooden keg of NOS harness buckles, etc. $85; NOS 10 gallon cream cans $55 ea; NOS well pump handles $20 ea; 10" Watts pottery bowls $50 ea.
We did buy a couple of things; A wooden shipping box (dated 1923), filled with NOS weathervane parts, including a large
Running Horse and a large Cow with the directional arrows.
Another item was a nice double sided porcelain sign in the original wooden shipping crate, dated 1941.
I would say we payed retail prices...but I'm planning on having an interesting estate auction someday myself.
