It has been difficult to choose a new location for the business because of the fundamental changes in the antiques trade and because of the lack of choice of location in this current, overheated estate market. It is not a time to go out on a limb and it is unfortunate that our lease expired when it did for you either have to be a cockeyed optimist or have money to burn to lease or buy property at to-day’s crazy prices. As with real estate in Vancouver the antiques market here can often be driven by international demand rather than local buying.

The day of the general antiques shop seem for now anyway, to be over.  Nice quality items representing true value have taken a back seat to the huge action taking place in New York,
London, Miami and Paris.  The top five per cent of the population in terms of wealth are pushing the art and antiques market higher and higher.  This is especially evident for 20th century antiques and art. A good signed piece of Deco furniture can now command a colossal price. The highest prices for art recorded in the past year were all for 20th century creations. I have to confess that I don’t understand the passion that has to be involved to buy abstract paintings except that I do know people are currently going for very bright colours and mega size paintings. There is still a good market for traditional or historical paintings depending on subject matter but they have definitely been eclipsed in the fashion world by the cutting edge of the moderns. Supply is a factor here with many living artists obviously still increasing their output.

In 2006 records were smashed for Art Deco
Bronzes with a Demeter Chiparus figure ‘Civa’ selling for $ 416,760 - a remarkable amount when you consider that not too long ago less than half of that price would have been considered extravagant. A George

Nakashima (died 1990) American California Redwood Burl Coffee Table just sold for $835,000. A Tiffany Favrile glass mosaic panel just 22.5" x 29.5" sold for $429,000. It was made in 1920. A 1921 French Pierre Legrain ebony curule Chair which looks like some of the inspiration came from regal African furniture sold for $700,000. The most expensive Deco furniture was a parchment covered Wardrobe by Jean-Michel Frank c.1929 which passed the million mark at $1,235,000! All these items are from big name designers but the mass of material from this period still can be had in the thousands and tens of thousands for lesser or no name pieces.

With the pace of change in the world seemingly going at an ever faster and faster pace, it’s hard to predict anything and this is as true in the antiques world as anything else.  It does seem that minimalism may be slowly reaching its zenith and they are reporting in England that brown furniture is making a small comeback for interesting, quality pieces.  The right art is still red hot and many ceramics are still suffering from the fall out from the boom of the nineties.  With the silver bullion price rising along with gold their has been a pick-up of interest in sterling although silverplated table pieces are very much still in the doldrums.  The general watch and clock market is at a fraction of its interest level compared to ten years ago but having said that the very best clocks and watches by noted makers have never been higher in price.  That really sums up the bulk of the market with super, rare or unusual pieces making all the running and the ordinary still very much of a bargain compared to prices of 10-20 years ago. It’s hard to see this situation altering much in the near future making a lot of mid range antiques very affordable and a snip compared to most new furniture and accessories sold by the chain stores.