Just a spoonful of sugar...

Re-published from October 2009:

When checking my email several times each day, I look forward to the occasional message from my best friend. We are talkers – and touch base by phone at least once a week and send cards and letters, but rarely email. Last week, I had a message from Lesley, who happens to moonlight (when she is not fulfilling best-friend, mother and wife duties) as a stockbroker with a national brokerage. To my surprise, her email was not a kid-story, or a tip about a sale at our favorite shop – it was an article by one of her colleagues about the emotional cycles of the stock market.

Titled “Pessimism, Skepticism, Optimism, Euphoria”, the article describes market cycles as emotional swings that follow one another in a predictable pattern. In the interest of time and space (they only give me a couple hundred words…), I’ll summarize: pessimism brings
low prices and a bear marketplace; next comes skepticism, (like spring following winter, when weather can be great one day and bad the next) - economic data may still be negative, but predictions are cautiously optimistic; then comes optimism, the result of a period of good
economic data that creates confidence in consumers and spurs consistent, strong buying habits; and finally, euphoria – a period of extreme confidence and exuberance in a market, characterized by excessive risk-taking and speculative, frenzied buying. Once a market hits this
phase, it is bound to crash harder than a five-year-old on a sugar buzz from over-indulging on sweets at Nana’s house. Back to square one: pessimism. Sound familiar?

The good news is that we, as collectors and trade professionals, have all survived the crash, and it seems we are well on our way to equalizing the blood sugar levels of the market. Everyone sat up, dazed and confused, wondering if we dared to venture back to the candy jar. A few licks of a lollipop later, we have remembered that we can do this. A little moderation never hurt anyone (or any market). Our recent Labor Day auction, and many conducted by our colleagues, have demonstrated a healthy return to confident buying. Knowing where we are in the emotional cycle should be re-assuring as we march confidently on, working through a bit more skepticism into what we should hope to be a nice, long, leisurely stop at optimism.

Fondly, Amelia & Jeff Jeffers

Antiques are a greener alternative...for the earth, and your wallet

As a business owner and a member of the antiques and art trade, I am always reading. Usually it is trade - specific: review of a particular auction or show. But, especially in this economy, I find myself gravitating toward economic news and projections, and even discussions of consumer trends. As our industry remains concerned about the future of antique collecting (and many of us grow weary of the topic), the trade has generally tried to stretch outside it's comfort zone and find new ways to appeal to younger generations, a la "Antiques are green".

On a recent road trip with Steve Bemiller, we were discussing the recession, and our thoughts regarding post-recession consumerism. Thanks to modern technology, we didn't have to just wonder about what experts are predicting. I popped in the v-card, powered up the laptop and found more information than I could absorb in the 2 hours to Birmingham. In fact, some of what I read was both surprising - and, surprisingly encouraging.

The fact is, the antiques community may have hit the "green" bandwagon a bit too late in the game. Turns out, Americans are happy to save the earth - and spend more money on expensive products that utilize recycled materials and renewable energy - as long as they are making lots of money. But, when the going gets tough and dollars get tight, we tend toward more value for our dollar than more beneficial for the environment. Don't quote me wrong: if two products are comparable in price, we tend to go for the one that is more ecologically friendly. We just aren't as willing to spend 25% more on paper towels that are 15% recycled content. The fact is, after periods of deep economic downturn, Americans return to a value-driven mode.

The good news is, antiques are green AND a great value for your money. As demand has slowed, prices have become very reasonable - so reasonable that grandma's dresser may be 1/2 the cost of a chic, department store version (if she makes you pay for it). So, if positioning is key to retail success, then the members of the trade would be wise to use the "Antiques are green" logo to suggest a buying alternative that keeps more green on the earth, as well as your wallet.

Garth's Newest Hybrids

As you know, we believe in "walk-the-talk". So, when we needed to add a new car to the company fleet a few months ago, naturally Andy Richmond suggested a hybrid. The Saturn Vue has been a great solution: good-looking, economical, and gets the job done. Andy's review of the Saturn Vue will be coming shortly.

The word "hybrid" has been top of mind for all of us at Garth's lately (and not just because Andy's snazzy new car has it emblazoned across the side). Discussions and strategizing about the shifting art and antiques marketplace have brought to mind the possibility of a new auction hybrid: an economical, good-looking vehicle to bring quality objects to auction in an international marketplace. The result is our July auction. Objects that substantiate a catalogue presence, but may not make it economically feasible to print a full-color catalog. As my 5-year-old would say, "Wah-lah!": enter isuu.com.

We have looked for a well-done "flip-book" online publishing site for quite a while. Even watched while some folks tried out early versions. But, this one was worth the wait. No software to install, just point and click. Quickly searchable, with great zoom features. Customizable for individual viewing pleasure. Automatic notification for readers, when new materials are available. Ready for social media (yep, now you can add our catalog to your facebook account...or, maybe you'll worry about new bidding competition!). Archiving. Search-engine-optimized. And (drum roll, please): environmentally friendly (you should have guessed! This is the GREEN blog). Just click on the title of this pot to see it for yourself.

Not to worry, we recognize the value of a great printed catalog. We haven't worked this hard on photography, design and cataloguing to move away from it! Garth's catalogs will still be coming your way...keep your coffee tables and nightstands ready.