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It is always fun to enjoy the latest
new and trendy things, no matter how temporary or ephemeral. But the
real richness of life lies in the authentic, the enduring, the fads
and fashions that evolve into “classics.”
A “classic” is hard to define, but we know it
when we see it. Instinctively, we think of a “classic” as something
of lasting, proven value that doesn't go out of style, something
timeless and not to be discarded tomorrow.
We recognize classic architecture, whether
Georgian or Art Deco, as pleasing. Great art refers to the works of
artists who have stood the test of time. “Literature is news that
stays news,” said Ezra Pound. We still listen to Beethoven and the
Beatles. A classic Mercedes or Corvette in beautiful condition never
fails to elicit admiring smiles. “Casablanca,” “Gone with the Wind,”
and “The Godfather” still draw an audience. Traditional styles of
furniture from many periods are frequently copied by contemporary
makers for placement in brand new settings.
What do we mean when we say someone has “good
taste?” We really are talking about having a good “eye” or a sense
for classic style.
Most modern things - movies, books, cars, art, or
bedroom sets - are introduced with as much hype and publicity as can
be mustered. After the initial excitement, most of these novelties
slip quietly from our consciousness. The height of fashion will
mostly be rejected in a few months. Most modern things fail to
engage the public or arouse lasting interest. As Oscar Wilde noted,
“Nothing is so dangerous as being too modern. One is apt to grow
old-fashioned quite suddenly.”
Contemporary fashions almost never slip directly
into “classic” status, they first endure a dark period of neglect,
suffering from dated styling or obsolescence. After hibernating out
of the spotlight, the best of neglected slumbering styles will be
rediscovered, reborn as a classic. Nostalgia doesn't happen
overnight - it takes time for a rejected style, a rare one out of
many that fell from favor, to mature into a classic. The great
physicist, Neils Bohr, said “It is always hard to make predictions,
especially about the future.”
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An economist would define a classic to be
something whose marketplace value is no longer depreciating, but is
stable or increasing. Most antique furniture preserved for posterity
has become classic. The best designs are prized - as the years go
by, the furniture's value and desirability actually climbs.
The supply of vintage furniture is fixed, every
passing year a few more pieces are lost or locked up in someone
else's collection. Like land, “They ain't makin' any more of it.”
New manufactured furniture has to include today's expensive labor,
materials, and shipping costs, giving comparable antique and vintage
furniture a price advantage.
Our brand new possessions from furniture or
department stores can slip out of date the very next season. The
work of cutting-edge artists celebrated in New York often loses its
luster in a few years. “Out of fashion” really means having lost its
desirability. After a month in our homes, mass-produced furniture,
pictures, lamps, china and crystal all drop in value to a tiny
fraction of what was paid for them. New furniture, even from famous
makers, takes a sharp fall in value when it arrives at your door. A
year may pass, and a dining set or sofa, still like new, might sell
for pennies on a dollar at a moving sale or auction. Automobiles
depreciate thousands of dollars on the drive home from the showroom.
Let someone else take that big depreciation loss.
For your own home or office, consider survivors from the test of
time - classic vintage or antique furniture. Durable and well made,
antique pieces will appeal to your emotions, and outlast most of
their new competition. Their style, patina and traditional
workmanship will warm your home or workspace, and they will save you
a bundle.
Author Ken Melchert has taught Art History for many years. Since 1985, Ken and his wife Rebecca have operated the Harp Gallery Antiques in Appleton, WI. |
