When my wonderful Grandma passed on, my aunt & Mom went through her items, selecting what pieces they wanted. The remaining items were spread out on blankets throughout the house. My brother & I, the only grandchildren, were told to take what we wanted. My mom and aunt were born between 1939-1942. To my surprise, I found they left most of the items from the 40's, 50's, and 60's. I remember my Mom saying that the brightly colored California pottery from the late 40's was tacky.
I have found this true ism applies to most people. No one seems to value items from the decades they've lived through. I have encountered this time and time again in my estate liquidation business. I've found this to be true of myself: I can't imagine wanting to wear a 1970's dress, much less sell it!
That said, I know I need to remain open minded. I see other shops doing quite well with things from recent decades. But to be honest, I have a hard time accepting that vintage now applies to 1991. Due to this bias, what are we overlooking as sellers? What high ticket items are we passing by?
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| Jointed Ceramic Snoopy 1970's Ornament I sold |
Would you think Snoopy is worth anything? Many sellers just consider Peanuts a modern cartoon, not recognizing Charles Schultz has been gone for 11 years now and Peanuts was introduced 61 years ago. Pieces from the late 70's and mid 80's can be very valuable. I sold a jointed Snoopy ornament from 1979 recently for several hundred.
I saw a mid 1980's Atari game sell for almost $1200. I almost fell over. I never knew Jessica McClintock dresses from the late 70's were desirable. I found calculators from the early 1980's selling for strong prices-for way more than I ever thought any such device could go for! Now you likely don't sell these things and are asking yourself, why should I care? Because you're out there. You're at sales. If I placed $500 in a box for you, you'd take it. So why pass by recent vintage that will provide more spending money for the real vintage you love?
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| One of the rarest games from the 1980's, worth a mint |
The trick is to educate yourself. Yes, eBay can help a little, but dig. Prices are variable and you'll need to have several examples before settling on a price you can depend on. I prefer looking at collectors websites and reading blogs. Look at shops on Etsy that specialize in the recent decades. I've been amazed by what Etsy sellers are able to get for 1980's pieces. Way to go Etsy sellers!
Be flexible. Be open minded. Embrace change. Next time you walk into an estate and only see recent vintage, embrace it. Don't run because you don't see classic pieces. Look with a sharp eye and nab those items that are the modern collectibles of today.
