I was practically raised at antique and flea markets all across the country. My mother started selling at the markets when I was a small child, and still does. By the ripe old age of 12, I was a dealer, too. Mostly jewelry, but occasionally other items as well. Last spring I decided to quit. so I could concentrate on other endeavors interesting me more. I still go to the markets as often as possible, usually twice a week in the summer, and perhaps every other week during the rest of the year. Over the last several years. I have noticed a change at the markets. one that seems to parallel changes happening culturally. politically and economically.
There have always been "collectibles," but they were formerly restricted to Hummels, glassware, dolls and other items, having the appeal of a quality, perhaps even hand-crafted, item. Let me make dear, I am drawing a distinction between collections/collectors and "collectibles." Collectibles are produced with the sole intent of being bought and collected, they serve no other functional purpose.
About 10 years ago, pop culture items started selling like crazy. "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" figures and memorabilia began gaining popularity. This has led to a huge market in what was once a child's toy. They are now far too expensive for real children to play with, and sit on shelves, remaining wrapped in the packaging. They are made to be collected, that's all. The amount of merchandising is preposterous. Also, the toys are usually made in China under deplorable conditions, for a ridiculously meager amount compared to what they will sell for. Some of the other "hot" items at the moment are Beanie Babies. baseball cards and McDonald's give-away toys. What many of the items have in common is the commercialism involved. People are no longer collecting stamps and coins. Objects that have intrinsic value. but injection molded plastic and objects whose true purpose is to advertise a product. Even stamps have fallen victim to this trend. Formerly restricted to dead patriots, heroes and commemorating historic events, stamps are now emblazoned with Elvis. "I Love Lucy," and Bugs Bunny. The postal service is directly appealing to regular people, not just philatelists, who will buy stamps and never use them, hence a bigger profit margin.
These collectibles exist because corporations and manufacturers have affixed value to them. People are being sold on the idea, not the actual product. Value must of course be consciously affixed, because where are corporate benefits when you collect something they can't make a profit on? This is where the change has been felt at the markets: old items, furniture, paintings, books, fine glass. silver. things made with craftsmanship and specialized talent aren't selling like they used to. The value of such items has been lost by the current collectable corporate culture. There are still people who appreciate antiques, but even they have begun purchasing them as investments. not as mementos of history and works of art. Instead, there are pop culture dealers as far as the eye can see. Even famed Christie's auction house recently had a sale of TV and movie memorabilia.
They are selling youth as much as anything else. They are selling the baby boomers the board games and baseball cards their mothers threw out 40 years ago. They are selling Generation X the lunch boxes they toted to school not that long ago. Youth is now packaged for as much as you are willing to pay. There seems to be a brainwashing involved, where people must have the "official complete" set of whatever it is they collect. Not to have the complete set, is to be a failure. To waste as much money as possible, and achieve a "complete collection" is to be a success. There is a bizarre emotionalism involved. It is the mentality of "The one who dies
with the most toys wins." The only ones winning are the corporations who sold people on this mindlessness.
Oh, and as far as the nature of "collecting", I have heard people say they felt they should collect something, because everyone else did. They then chose something they had little interest in and began buying the items. It's as if it isn't acceptable in corporate culture to refuse to amass objects. I have collections of a few things, my current interest being old desk items and desks, but they are things I have a genuine fascination for, and I affix the value they hold for me.
If this current pattern continues, I fear for future generations, whose links to the past and sense of history will amount to wind-up toys from Happy Meals, a "special" insert etched foil "X-Files" trading cards, and phone cards advertising "Baywatch."