| It is always fun to enjoy the latest new and | | | | fell from favor, to mature into a classic. |
| trendy things, no matter how temporary or | | | | The great physicist, Neils Bohr, said "It is |
| ephemeral. But the real richness of life lies | | | | always hard to make predictions, especially |
| in the authentic, the enduring, the fads and | | | | about the future." |
| fashions that evolve into "classics." | | | | |
| | | | An economist would define a classic to be |
| A "classic" is hard to define, but we know it | | | | something whose marketplace value is no |
| when we see it. Instinctively, we think of a | | | | longer depreciating, but is stable or |
| "classic" as something of lasting, proven | | | | increasing. Most antique furniture preserved |
| value that doesn't go out of style, something | | | | for posterity has become classic. The best |
| timeless and not to be discarded tomorrow. | | | | designs are prized - as the years go by, the |
| | | | furniture's value and desirability actually |
| We recognize classic architecture, whether | | | | climbs. |
| Georgian or Art Deco, as pleasing. Great art | | | | |
| refers to the works of artists who have stood | | | | The supply of vintage furniture is fixed, |
| the test of time. "Literature is news that | | | | every passing year a few more pieces are lost |
| stays news," said Ezra Pound. We still listen | | | | or locked up in someone else's collection. |
| to Beethoven and the Beatles. A classic | | | | Like land, "They ain't makin' any more of |
| Mercedes or Corvette in beautiful condition | | | | it." New manufactured furniture has to |
| never fails to elicit admiring smiles. | | | | include today's expensive labor, materials, |
| "Casablanca," "Gone with the Wind," and "The | | | | and shipping costs, giving comparable antique |
| Godfather" still draw an audience. | | | | and vintage furniture a price advantage. |
| Traditional styles of furniture from many | | | | |
| periods are frequently copied by contemporary | | | | Our brand new possessions from furniture or |
| makers for placement in brand new settings. | | | | department stores can slip out of date the |
| | | | very next season. The work of cutting-edge |
| What do we mean when we say someone has "good | | | | artists celebrated in New York often loses |
| taste?" We really are talking about having a | | | | its luster in a few years. "Out of fashion" |
| good "eye" or a sense for classic style. | | | | really means having lost its desirability. |
| | | | After a month in our homes, mass-produced |
| Most modern things - movies, books, cars, | | | | furniture, pictures, lamps, china and crystal |
| art, or bedroom sets - are introduced with as | | | | all drop in value to a tiny fraction of what |
| much hype and publicity as can be mustered. | | | | was paid for them. New furniture, even from |
| After the initial excitement, most of these | | | | famous makers, takes a sharp fall in value |
| novelties slip quietly from our | | | | when it arrives at your door. A year may |
| consciousness. The height of fashion will | | | | pass, and a dining set or sofa, still like |
| mostly be rejected in a few months. Most | | | | new, might sell for pennies on a dollar at a |
| modern things fail to engage the public or | | | | moving sale or auction. Automobiles |
| arouse lasting interest. As Oscar Wilde | | | | depreciate thousands of dollars on the drive |
| noted, "Nothing is so dangerous as being too | | | | home from the showroom. |
| modern. One is apt to grow old-fashioned | | | | |
| quite suddenly." | | | | Let someone else take that big depreciation |
| | | | loss. For your own home or office, consider |
| Contemporary fashions almost never slip | | | | survivors from the test of time - classic |
| directly into "classic" status, they first | | | | vintage or antique furniture. Durable and |
| endure a dark period of neglect, suffering | | | | well made, antique pieces will appeal to your |
| from dated styling or obsolescence. After | | | | emotions, and outlast most of their new |
| hibernating out of the spotlight, the best of | | | | competition. Their style, patina and |
| neglected slumbering styles will be | | | | traditional workmanship will warm your home |
| rediscovered, reborn as a classic. Nostalgia | | | | or workspace, and they will save you a |
| doesn't happen overnight - it takes time for | | | | bundle. |
| a rejected style, a rare one out of many that | | | | |