Thursday, March 3, 2011

American Antiques

Does anyone else wonder if there will be any American Antiques in the future? Not the stuff that is around right now that is already considered antique- furniture from the 1700s and whatnot- I imagine that much of that stuff will survive into the future.  What I am talking about are "new" american antiques.

Is there anything being created in America today that will appreciate in value or become collectible in the future? Anything with exquisite craftsmanship or extreme rarity? I am sure that some things are probably still being produced by hand, crafted one at a time and one of a kind.... but nothing that I ever see.  Sure, pottery and paintings are always being created, but in this information age, masters are identified almost immediately, and their pieces are worth tens of thousands of dollars from the start.  I can't see a future where "his/her genius was never recognized during his lifetime, and much of his original works were available to common people."

Amost everything that is produced these days is either clumsy reproduction or a chintzy "one size fits all" design, mass produced with the mentality that fitting neatly on the shelf of [insert big box store here] is more important than its aesthetics or quality of construction.

I am probably being overly broad here- I am sure there there are some things still being made by hand.  Just not enough.  Being economical and efficient has taken over, and that is a bit depressing.

16 comments:

  1. I have always wondered that, if the stuff I have now Is going to be a collectible and such

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  2. Some stuff is interesting when seen collected.

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  3. Maybe the mass produced things we have today -- TVs and video game consoles and everything else -- will become the equivalent to antiques once we go through the futuristic equivalent of the industrial revolution. For example, once books become obsolete (as opposed to ebooks), they'll be collectible. But that's just my speculating.

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  4. Have you ever watcheed the shot Antiques roadshow? its pretty good. I think you would like it.

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  5. I for sure thing the exact same!

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  6. Ya I know what you mean, I think about that all the time. Like 1980 cell phones.

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  7. I agree, most of what is produced now is just disposable garbage.

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  8. I think every period will have it's antiques, the first iphone probably.

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  9. Cars, cellphones, computers will be antiques I'd imagine.

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  10. I agree with what Metamorphiction said, I go to antique stores all the time because its fascinating to ses all the things in there, and the majority of the things that are now "rare" are the everyday item things that were trashed and not held on to. You can learn a lot just browsing the shelves at an antique store, and really feel the history.

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  11. I can't wait until my android phone becomes an antique! I had the G1 [HTC Dream] and that was the first android phone ever!

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  12. Word. Agreed 100%, people don't have time for feelings and attachment anymore, its all fake and bullshit. We need some real shit to start happening to bring people out of the clouds and realize they are not even being human anymore.

    Keep it up.

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  13. Well
    its what the people are asking for
    so thats whats being supplied

    Im pretty sure someone will get recognized sooner or later
    Usually someone common
    Like the old old days

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