When considering your future and investments that can give you the security few ventures can, especially the volatility of the stock market and trading in futures, you might want to drop some of your hard earned money in to antiques. Anything that was made in limited numbers. They can come from as recent as the early 1900’s. But the farther back you go and they few of an item that was made, the better return you’ll see on your money. They are also routed in Keynesian economics……. whereas “supply and demand” determine the price of an item. I’ve been dealing in antique iron beds for over 40 years. When I first started, I was able to drive a truck up in to the hills of Pennsylvania and fill it with iron beds for maybe $200. to $300. for the entire load. That would be around 50 complete bed frame sets, with their appropriate side-rails. There were beautiful scrolled Victorian design that I’d only pay $25. for, that now fetch upwards of $3000. to $4000.
As our population has grown, so has the demand for original old antiques, such as antique iron beds. The thing that will, without fail, continue to drive their prices up and up is their scarcity and the fact that there aren’t enough to satisfy the demand…… and never will.
One of the reasons you see such an abundance of “reproductions” on the antique market, is simply because there aren’t enough “original antiques” to satisfy the demand.
I liken investing in antiques similar to investing in real estate. There is only so much land. It can’t be reproduced. Neither can antiques. There were only so many made. When all of them have eventually been purchase by collectors….. the prices will sky-rocket. And those who own them will be able to set whatever price they want. As we have seen through out history, there is always someone who will pay whatever it takes to secure what they want.
