Just as one should be wary of anyone pitching the next “can’t
lose” money-making scheme, one should also be cautious around “the
sky is falling” crowd.

There are those who seek to establish their
own credentials by advancing the supposition that young people aren’t becoming
collectors, and it’s addressed in an excellent new article in the March 6, 2006
edition of Antique Week’s National section.

Have cast iron banks,
which were in their heyday before the turn of the last century, suddenly become
worthless? Have Monet’s paintings dropped in price precipitously since he passed
away in 1926? Have Golden Age comic books, particularly those from the late
1930s and early 1940s, lost their appeal in the last few weeks?

Obviously
each of those categories is alive and well, and in many cases they’re pulling in
record prices. There are a number of factors behind the sustained and increasing
liquidity of high grade collectibles, but one of the key causes for trepidation
is simple lack of information.

If there’s no next generation to collect
them, though, then they will eventually be worthless, or so the story goes. And
if there really was no next generation, that might be true. But that supposition
needs to be confronted, the article says.

“Where will the next
generation of collectors come from? All they know is plastic.”

“This is a sentiment that has been expressed by many a concerned
dealer who wonders what the future holds for the antiques trade. Maybe the
20-somethings of today did grow up in a world of mass-produced plastic toys,
Star Wars figures and Barbies, all part of the fiber that will constitute
their generation’s nostalgia, but it would be a foolish oversight to write them
off as potential collectors of ‘legitimate’ antiques,” writes Catherine
Saunders-Watson, the section’s editor and a recognized industry
leader.

“The fact of the matter is, prospective young collectors
are everywhere,” she writes. “They deliver your pizza, mow your lawn
and mind your children. They just haven’t yet been given the necessary exposure
to antiques or guidance-by-example to motivate them and bring them into the
fold.”

For just two bits of proof the article spotlights Kris Lee
and Shanelle Weaver, both of whom came to their involvement in the collecting
field through different avenues. They now work together at Morphy
Auctions.

Lee, 23, is the great-grandson of the founder of Reamstown,
Pennsylvania. Antiques passed down through family, but he professed little
appreciation of them until he started working part time for Dan Morphy
(co-founder of Morphy Auctions).

“Being around the antiques and so
many knowledgeable people there at the gallery, I began to realize what those
family pieces were,” the Penn State graduate told Antique
Week.

Weaver, 22, who majored in photography at Pennsylvania College
of Art & Design, also developed her appreciation for antiques as part of her
work as staff photographer for Morphy Auctions. She credits the staff there for
education.

“It’s imperative to share knowledge,” she told the
publication. “Without the knowledge, it’s pointless to buy. I would be
hesitant to buy without advice from Dan or others at the gallery. Also,
reference books are very worthwhile to own. With a combination of mentorship,
studying books and attending shows where knowledgeable dealers are set up, any
young person can become a confident collector.”