Antiques and Collectibles at Auction

Antiques and collectibles are a staple in the auction world and have been traded by auction for decades. We are knowledgeable in Antiques and collectibles and have been selling them regularly since 1974. (above: Vintage sign collection at McGraw tire in Grand Rapids, Michigan)

We love to sell antiques of shapes, sizes and categories.

Automobiles

Who doesn’t love classic cars? Classic automobiles sell very well at auction. They are easy to market due to high desire and available marketing channels.

Guns & Military antiques

Military items are in high demand and have been for quite some

time.

Furniture

Antique furniture has been a staple in the antiques business for a long, long time now. Many people believe antique furniture that they own is a large part of their personal wealth. Unfortunately outside of super high end antique furniture…the market is very fickle. The value of everyday antique furniture is severely affected by current styles and taste. Values on antique furniture change constantly, contact us to find out what your furniture may be worth.

Advertising, Toys and other Collectibles

Signs and toys may be two of the most fun and satisfying antique items to sell at auction. While rarity and condition make a base for the value of the item, emotion and personal attachment really drive it home.

Definition of Antiques

The Michigan Secretary of State defines you automobile as antique after 26 or more years!

That makes a 1990 Chevy Lumina a qualifier for historic plates!

Wikipedia defines “Antique” as

An antique (Latin: antiquus; “old”, “ancient”) is an old collectable

item. It is collected or desirable because of its age, beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features. It is an object that represents a previous era or time period in human society.

See the wikipedia entry here.

Age does not necessarily equal beauty.

While age does play a factor in the value of antiques…it is not the deciding factor. In regards to value more emphasis is placed on rarity, condition and utility. To paraphrase a quote from TV’s Pawn Stars “I have rocks in my backyard that are Millions of years old, and they’re not really worth anything.”

Personal Emotional Connection is where it’s at.

Nostalgia is a powerful emotion and one that drives the so-called antiques market. Reliving your youth is the number one reason things become collectible. Bringing back feelings you once thought were long gone pushes people to seek out things they remember fondly or always wished they had but could not afford.

The most classic examples of this are automobiles and toys. People who grew up in the 50’s did not play with the same toys or fantasize about the same cars as a kid a decade later in the 60’s. Disposable income then becomes the price driver. Typically people do not reach the “disposable income” phase of their lives until at least their 40’s. As they begin to seek out these items, the generation before them has already purchased the items they desire. One generation of items rises in value, while the one previous declines.