Collectibles up for auction tend to see an ebb and flow of what’s current, what’s selling well and what trends are becoming the norm. These trends are important to make note of as a collector because they could be an important insight into the current value of collectibles; they also help define what the market will look like ahead. Some trends are on the rise while others are dying down.
When it comes to trends there’s 3 important questions to ask:
What are some current trends at auction? What’s hot now might not be hot for long, so if it’s a current trend you should be thinking of buying or selling while items are hot!
What are people buying? Demand has a lot to do with prices and trends in the auction world.
What’s your prediction for the next big trend in 2016? What trends are picking up steam?
Because the auction world covers such a large range of collectibles, here’s a quick breakdown on the big categories.
Art – Sandra Germain of Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers continues to see a trend in modernism and post war artworks. Other auction houses have reported similar trends as well as a rise in decorative arts in general. If there’s one thing they all agree on, it’s that artworks the buyer can connect to or that have greater contextual meaning will always sell well.
“Sales with interesting provenance or backstories are making the biggest difference in the market. We find that telling a story along with the item seems to better engage people.” Colin Stair.
Antiques – The Chinese market has had a huge impact on auctions recently, and while some say Chinese antiques are showing no signs of slowing down (J.Levine Auction & Appraisal), others think the market will continue to stabilize (Quinn’s Auction Galleries). However, most auction houses agree that American made antique furniture aren’t as popular, while English made and Brazilian furniture are starting to grow in popularity.
Toys – Josh Levine of J. Levine Auction & Appraisal has seen a huge rise in trend of Star Wars toys, Hot Wheels and AFX aurora Sloth Cars. There’s also been a recent trend in lunch box collections. While he does expect the Hot Wheels trend to slow down, anything that elicits nostalgia does well for a time at auction.
Vintage Clothing & Jewelry – As for jewelry, natural Burma rubies, unheated natural Burmese and cashmere sapphires are selling at dramatically high rates due to demand. Other trends include natural pearls, fine men’s watches and large clunky vintage jewelry.
“Vintage couture clothing is also big – Chanel, Hermes, French and Italian designer clothing, it’s all making a comeback. Even men are buying vintage clothing.” Pam Stone, owner of The Benefit Shop Foundation.
Coins – According to the president of Archives International Auctions and the owners of Gulfcoast Coin & Jewelry, coins are always popular for fairly or conservatively priced collector’s coins. The most common coins don’t make a lot of money and some novice collectors are nervous to bid on the money makers, meaning, most price points have been lower and the investment is potentially that much greater.
There are certainly some collectible trends that never seem to go out of style. Most collectors start their collections because items strike an emotional or nostalgic cord with the individual. Because of this items that remind people of their childhood or even their cultural past seem to remain in high demand.
One trend that also remains constant is record auction sales continue to be set and reported from auction houses worldwide. Which makes sense with inflation, growing demand and increased rarity of certain collectible items. While these remain constant, it will be interesting to see how trends evolve over the next year.
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