Is Technology the New Antiques Market?

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The discussion revolves around a listing for an owl lamp priced at $89,000 on eBay, which participants widely criticize as being grossly overpriced. Many contributors express skepticism about the lamp's value, suggesting it may be a pricing error or a misunderstanding of its worth. They argue that the lamp appears to be a modern, mass-produced item rather than a unique antique, with some estimating its true value at around $50 to $100. The conversation also touches on the broader topic of antique pricing, with participants sharing experiences of overpriced items and the psychological factors that lead sellers to set high prices. There are humorous asides about alternative, less expensive decorative items, and a general consensus that the owl lamp does not meet the criteria for a valuable collectible. Overall, the thread highlights the complexities and quirks of the antiques market, emphasizing the importance of provenance and demand in determining value.
  • #31
Found the duck
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-collectible-one-kind-marble-duck-200-yrs-/400142013767?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d2a529547

and this is a bargain
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1934-D-US-10-00-Silver-Certificate-blue-seal-good-/120664564326?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c182b2266
 
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  • #32
256bits said:
Found the duck
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-collectible-one-kind-marble-duck-200-yrs-/400142013767?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d2a529547

and this is a bargain
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1934-D-US-10-00-Silver-Certificate-blue-seal-good-/120664564326?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c182b2266
What's so bad is these sellers can give themselves feedback from YOU. I have tried giving feedback to a few highly rated & "top sellers" and to my surprise, I was told that I had already given feedback, and lo and behold, there it was..positive feedback from me! What's so funny is that the first time it happened, I had written a really glowing feedback that was much better than the fake one they posted from me.

Anyone else encountered feedback being "faked"?

I only had problems with one seller advertising a book in "good condition" and when I got it the cover was badly worn, torn, the pages had been written on and THEY WERE ALL LOOSE, they had all been torn out! They were all there, but come on. My description of the book "book torn apart, all pages separate and not attached to binding, may have been torn apart to photo copy. The cover is very worn, but you can still read it although the edges are all shredded. Looks like someone dug it out of the trash."
 
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  • #33
zoobyshoe said:
I know, and it's doubtful they'll get what they're asking for the antique Dresden ones, either.

The world of antiques is a funny business. When my mother died, I sold off some of the family stuff that realistically wasn't going to serve any purpose except gather dust. She was living in a small market town with a firm of auctioneers and valuers that ran their own monthly sales, so I just paid them to pack the stuff up, take it away, and sell it.

I was quite surprised that two items went for well over £1000 each (which was a lot more than the rest of the stuiff put together). One was a revoltingly ugly (to my eyes) 4 inch high china ornament of a cat playing a fiddle, which turned out to be made by some "famous" european maker. The other was a plain little bedside table with a cupboard underneath, which looked little better than firewood, but turned out to be a fairly rare and completely original example (never restored, repainted, repolished, etc) of some "collectable" style of Victorian furniture.

They were both bought by professional dealers, so I expect their "real" value was a lot more than I got for them!
 
  • #34
AlephZero said:
They were both bought by professional dealers, so I expect their "real" value was a lot more than I got for them!
That is always the case, AZ. Many years ago, the antique dealer that I was working for bought (stole, actually) a small oil painting of Mt Washington from a dealer "friend" of his for less than $200. I researched it, photographed it, and sold it on Ebay for over $6K. Even tiny paintings by Benjamin Champney can bring big bucks.
 
  • #35
AlephZero said:
The world of antiques is a funny business. When my mother died, I sold off some of the family stuff that realistically wasn't going to serve any purpose except gather dust. She was living in a small market town with a firm of auctioneers and valuers that ran their own monthly sales, so I just paid them to pack the stuff up, take it away, and sell it.

I was quite surprised that two items went for well over £1000 each (which was a lot more than the rest of the stuiff put together). One was a revoltingly ugly (to my eyes) 4 inch high china ornament of a cat playing a fiddle, which turned out to be made by some "famous" european maker. The other was a plain little bedside table with a cupboard underneath, which looked little better than firewood, but turned out to be a fairly rare and completely original example (never restored, repainted, repolished, etc) of some "collectable" style of Victorian furniture.

They were both bought by professional dealers, so I expect their "real" value was a lot more than I got for them!
It's true that some things are worth more than you'd ever guess by looking at them, but, probably because of that, there's a whole psychological drive to overprice things. Which is clearly what the seller in the OP has succumbed to.

The two prices for the two owl oil lamps were the "buy it now", prices, not the lower limit of what the seller will accept in the auction. One has one bid, the other four. These bids are, obviously, less than the "buy it now" price. The seller has set some minimum he will take, and the winner will be the highest bid over the minimum, unless someone is so desperate they'll pay the "buy it now" price.
 
  • #36
zoobyshoe said:
It's true that some things are worth more than you'd ever guess by looking at them, but, probably because of that, there's a whole psychological drive to overprice things. Which is clearly what the seller in the OP has succumbed to.

The two prices for the two owl oil lamps were the "buy it now", prices, not the lower limit of what the seller will accept in the auction. One has one bid, the other four. These bids are, obviously, less than the "buy it now" price. The seller has set some minimum he will take, and the winner will be the highest bid over the minimum, unless someone is so desperate they'll pay the "buy it now" price.
Being "old' doesn't make something an antique. There are a LOT of old worthless items.

Who made it - are they famous? Is it a rare item in demand? Does it have historical significance to collectors? The stuff listed by the guy in the OP doesn't meet any of these criteria. It's junk. He seems to think if he can't find another like it, it has value. Uhm, no.

No offense to the owl. I love animal stuff. I have a turtle and a deer cast in bronze with tortoise shell like art glass that light up. And I am DAMNED PROUD of them. I also got them for 75% off. They're in my closet because I don't know what to do with them...but they were 75% OFF! And they're bronze. And they're heavy.

Did I mention that they were 75% off?
 
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  • #37
Evo said:
Being "old' doesn't make something an antique. There are a LOT of old worthless items.

Who made it - are they famous? Is it a rare item in demand? Does it have historical significance to collectors? The stuff listed by the guy in the OP doesn't meet any of these criteria. It's junk. He seems to think if he can't find another like it, it has value. Uhm, no.

What did I say that made you think I don't already know all this?
 
  • #38
zoobyshoe said:
What did I say that made you think I don't already know all this?
I didn't mean it for you. I was just adding to what you said
there's a whole psychological drive to overprice things. Which is clearly what the seller in the OP has succumbed to

I failed, didn't I?
 
  • #39
Evo said:
I didn't mean it for you. I was just adding to what you saidI failed, didn't I?
Well, it had a tone of correction, but I couldn't spot what was being corrected.
 
  • #40
The pricing of antiques can be really dodgy. Some Arts and Crafts pieces look pretty mundane, but can bring impressive prices, for instance. The stuff isn't all that old, but is quite collectible.
 
  • #41
turbo said:
The pricing of antiques can be really dodgy. Some Arts and Crafts pieces look pretty mundane, but can bring impressive prices, for instance. The stuff isn't all that old, but is quite collectible.
Take it to Antiques Road Show. :-p
 
  • #42
Evo said:
Take it to Antiques Road Show. :-p
That can be a waste of time and energy, too, depending on who is participating. A good friend of mine had agreed to attend and somebody brought in a really minty old Springfield and a rare large bullet mold to match. Frank wanted to interview the guy and have it filmed as a segment for the show, and the producer said "but it's a gun!". Easily the most valuable pairing that session of the show, but that woman wouldn't hear of it because "it's a gun". That was probably the last time that Frank did that show. He was the best judge of 17th-18thC arms that I knew
 
  • #43
Frank died of colon cancer about 5 years ago. I cherish the times I had with that old curmudgeon. Once he knew me, he set about educating me WRT antique arms whenever i had him here in Maine to appraise collections. He was very generous with his knowledge. I wish I had known him earlier because such valuable apprenticeships don't come around more than one in a life-time.
 
  • #44
Hey. I can make you an uglier owl than THAT for $20K... :biggrin:
 

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