Two important topics – more visibility and respect for American antiques and what they represent, and a more vibrant market with new collectors. I shamelessly borrow from others in this month’s blog.
During the Delaware Antique Show, on Friday evening, November 15th, the Antiques Dealers Association of America (ADA) honored Arthur Liverant at its 2024 Award of Merit winner. In his remarks of thanks Arthur said in part:
“We are coming up on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a time to celebrate what our patriot fathers and mothers gave us. I urge everyone to make a real effort to connect the material objects that we buy and sell to the history of our country, because history is what people are really buying. Put our antiques world back on the pedestal it deserves.”
On the same day or shortly thereafter, the December 2024 issue of Maine Antique Digest was published. In his editorial Clayton Pennington stated that
“Dealers, shop owners, and auctioneers should make a concerted effort to try and get a bigger market share of holiday spending because antiques, as gifts make perfect sense . . . An antique given during the holidays t somebody new to the antiques ecosystem might give birth to a new collector, something the business desperately needs. . . Shops should have longer hours and events during the holiday shopping season. Auction previews should be extended. . . We should make a concerted effort to capture new buyers.”
Let me deal with Clayton’s editorial first. I agree wholeheartedly. My wife and I have given antiques as wedding gifts for years and years, as one example. While he personally does not like gift cards (too impersonal) shops, dealers, or dealer associations could sell them. Perhaps some dealers could be part of local holiday fairs with booths next to those selling homemade scarfs and mittens, and the like. The talk for some years now has been how to “capture new buyers” of American antiques. This is certainly one way. There must be others. The industry could institute what it hopes become American antique holiday traditions.
As for Arthur Liverant’s clarion call to put the “antiques world back on the pedestal it deserves.” I again agree. The question is how. Might there me a prestigious exhibition of American antiques that is talked about for years and years, with accompanying book, video, etc. Might funding be made available to local museums to have their own American antique exhibitions. How about a traveling exhibition of American antiques like the Viet Nam memorial in its pilgrimage across the country.
I hope that Maine Antique Digest follows up on Clayton’s observations and reports on the number of such attempts after the holidays are over. It would be relatively easy for antique associations to poll its members with a brief questionnaire. And if plans are in the works for the nation’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence let us collectors, and the whole world know so that we (and others) can be excited, interested, and spread the word.
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