Author Topic: Things That Last From The Past  (Read 50950 times)

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Offline Jay2TheRescue

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Re: Things That Last From The Past
« Reply #15 on: June 29, 2007, 09:28:19 PM »
My vote for hot collectables 30 years down the road are ipods & cell phones.  Already cell phones are hot collectables.  The first "brick" phones sell for well over $100 on Ebay, and they can't even be activated anymore.  I think the current model cell phone that will be highly prized in the future is the Motorola V3 Razr.

-Jay

Because of the disposability everyone''s been talking about, I''ve often wondered what it is people will collect in the future from this time period.

This is an interresting thought. I'm of the opinion that the things from today that will be collectable will have one of these things going for it:

1) If it has a designer's name attached to it. We already do this as a culture. "Designer" items are more likely to be saved and cherished ... even if they're inexpensive now. Some of the Phillipe Starck and Michael Graves items produced for Target stores are/were inexpensive, but I believe that a select few will retain value into the future just because of the designers' name. Same goes for Karim Rashid products. They all will be the next generation of Charles Eames's and Russel Wright's.

2) If it is of high quality. Again, we already do this. Think of Tiffany Studios lamps, Gallé glass, etc. These were all artisan made items. There are still artisans working and making high quality ceramics that one day will be collectible. On the mass produced end, look at people/studios like Jonathan Adler. I'd venture to guess that his ceramics will be collectible as time goes on.

3) If it spoke to us as a society. For a long time in the early 1990's I collected Atari 2600 games. I liked to play them, and they reminded me of my youth. I sold the collection a few years back to fund other interests, but there were plenty of buyers willing to part with good quantities of money for a rare game. Why? Because it reminded them of their youth.

There are probably more factors at play than I've touched on, but I'm rambling. Anyone else have thoughts on this subject?

Offline ChrisMiss

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Re: Things That Last From The Past
« Reply #16 on: June 30, 2007, 10:53:07 AM »
I agree with you about things that remind someone of their past or their youth and they have fond memories of the item.  The Atari games that you mentioned are quite collectable.  Also Holly Hobbie, Strawberry Shortcake, etc. reminds those in their 30's and 40's of their youth.  They now have the money to buy these things.

I read somewhere that these kind of items would no longer be as valuable once the generation with the memories of the item has passed.  Examples would be Howdy Dowdy or Shirley Temple.  Once that generation has passed on that these items create fond memories of the items won't be as collectable or desirable.

 
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Offline Jay2TheRescue

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Re: Things That Last From The Past
« Reply #17 on: June 30, 2007, 01:07:11 PM »
I agree with you about things that remind someone of their past or their youth and they have fond memories of the item.  The Atari games that you mentioned are quite collectable.  Also Holly Hobbie, Strawberry Shortcake, etc. reminds those in their 30's and 40's of their youth.  They now have the money to buy these things.

I read somewhere that these kind of items would no longer be as valuable once the generation with the memories of the item has passed.  Examples would be Howdy Dowdy or Shirley Temple.  Once that generation has passed on that these items create fond memories of the items won't be as collectable or desirable.
 

Once you hit your 30's and have some cash, and then you think of your youth, and the one toy that your parents couldn't afford - Sure you'll pay $200 for it now, because you always wanted one.  Once the generation that always wanted it is gone there is not as much of a demand.

-Jay

Offline Other People s Junk

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Re: Things That Last From The Past
« Reply #18 on: June 30, 2007, 02:05:14 PM »
Once you hit your 30's and have some cash, and then you think of your youth, and the one toy that your parents couldn't afford - Sure you'll pay $200 for it now, because you always wanted one. 

So true!  Also you start accumulating those toys you had as a kid, but your Mom sold in a yard sale...

Offline Mattie

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Re: Things That Last From The Past
« Reply #19 on: June 30, 2007, 02:14:57 PM »
Continuing this theme, I just had to replace my phone answering machine.  I stilll have the receipt from my old one, dated April 1989.  I paid $73.49 for it.  I had to ask the salesclerk for a demonstration because it was such a newfangled thing back then.  The one I just got cost less that $20 and it TALKS you through the setup.  Of course, I highly doubt it'll last eighteen years.

My phone, on the other hand, keeps going and going.  It's one of those legendary Western Electric rotaries (in turquoise, no less!) with a ringer that sounds like a fire alarm bell.  I dread the day when AT&T no longer supports rotary service.

Offline Jay2TheRescue

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Re: Things That Last From The Past
« Reply #20 on: June 30, 2007, 03:40:29 PM »
Continuing this theme, I just had to replace my phone answering machine.  I still have the receipt from my old one, dated April 1989.  I paid $73.49 for it.  I had to ask the salesclerk for a demonstration because it was such a newfangled thing back then.  The one I just got cost less that $20 and it TALKS you through the setup.  Of course, I highly doubt it'll last eighteen years.

My phone, on the other hand, keeps going and going.  It's one of those legendary Western Electric rotaries (in turquoise, no less!) with a ringer that sounds like a fire alarm bell.  I dread the day when AT&T no longer supports rotary service.

As a phone collector I can tell you that rotary dialing is still supported by about 95% of the telephone exchanges in the US.  Even if rotary wasn't supported you could still use your rotary phones as extension phones (answer only), or for about $60 you can purchase a pulse to DTMF converter that will take the rotary pulses and convert them to touch tones.  If you need any service on your rotary phones just send me a PM, I have lots of spare parts for them.

PS - Western Electric never made turquoise phones - you most likely have a sunfaded baby blue phone.

-Jay

Offline Mattie

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Re: Things That Last From The Past
« Reply #21 on: June 30, 2007, 05:26:13 PM »
PS - Western Electric never made turquoise phones - you most likely have a sunfaded baby blue phone.
-Jay

Interesting.  It's more of a pale aqua than real turquoise, so you're probably right.

Thanks for the phone advice; if I ever need help I know who to contact now!

Offline Jay2TheRescue

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Re: Things That Last From The Past
« Reply #22 on: June 30, 2007, 07:21:14 PM »
PS - Western Electric never made turquoise phones - you most likely have a sunfaded baby blue phone.
-Jay

Interesting.  It's more of a pale aqua than real turquoise, so you're probably right.

Thanks for the phone advice; if I ever need help I know who to contact now!

No problem.  The easiest way to tell what color the phone should be is to unscrew one of the handset caps and see what color the inside of the handset is.

-Jay