Design

Two articles relating to the glut of collectibles available these days fill our page today. Not to go all Economics 101 on you or anything, but you'll remember that gluts, of course, are bad news for sellers but good news for buyers. You've heard the old saying, "The rich get richer, the poor get poorer." Never more true than these days, particularly in the antiques and collectibles market. If you are an investor with cash to spend, there are plenty of bargains out there. Miami Dealers Say It's A Buyer's Market: The Miami Herald is reporting that antiques dealers in and around that city have packed aisles and and are willing to negotiate. Monica Fidel, a personal-property appraiser in Miami, says this market is suffering just as much as others in the economic downturn but with a few quirks. The market is flooded with items, Fidel says, so the supply is much greater than the demand. Consumers aren't buying antiques or collectibles unless they have p...

Gold Coins In The News: The Chubb Collectors summer newsletter is out and has a very informative article on collecting bullion, generic, and rare gold coins that I thought you might find interesting. Chubb Collectors is a great free publication and I would suggest you subscribe if you haven't already done so. Here' an except from the linked piece: Historically, when paper currencies are debased, investors and collectors often turn to precious metals as an alternative to traditional investments such as stocks and bonds. In recent months there has been strong demand for platinum, gold and silver coins and bars. Much of that demand has centered on U.S. and world gold coins. [emphasis added] Remember coin collectors, you need a special insurance coverage for your collection, separate from your homeowners insurance, called personal articles coverage. Gold coins are particularly ill-served by your homeowners policy. A Call For Home Inventory: Insurance guy Cliff Berman write...

In a recent blog post I discussed the debate over whether museums and public galleries should be able to liqidate a portion of their holdings to help pay the bills in troubled times like these. This controversial practice, known as deaccessioning , allows museums to keep the bulk of their work together and exercise their own judgement. Critics claim that this is a violation of a public trust, and that it often directly conflicts with the wishes of the entity that donated the works in the first place (which is true). A local Nashville case illustrates the conflict. Fisk University Battles O'Keefe Museum: This Nashville Tennesseean article describes a recent Tennessee Court of Appeals ruling which will, if it stands, allow Fisk University to sell a 50% share of its Alfred Steiglitz collection. Steiglitz was the husband of Georgia O'Keefe, and the collection includes primarily O'Keefe works. After Steiglitz's death, O'Keefe donated his collection of her works t...

Care For Those Trees: The Toronto Globe and Mail says add tree care to your to-do list in order to prevent property damage and injuries. "Everyone who knows trees emphasizes the need for regular inspection and care. A tree may look as strong as the Rock of Gibraltar, but it may be suffering from disease or have been damaged and susceptible to disease. A rotted-out tree will be more vulnerable." Treasure Reduction: The Worcester Telegram says that antique and collectible retailers are experiencing a boom in their business as the economy worsens and people are turning family heirlooms into cash to pay medical bills and the like. The company pays cash for antiques, jewelry and other items of value people bring in from their attics and basements and — in these times — cherished possessions that they wouldn’t otherwise part with. “Our shows have been pretty popular since the economy has taken a downturn,” said Ms. Thompson. “Our business has doubled, partly because we pay...

Stolen Nazi Art: Bloomberg .com updates progress (or lack thereof) being made toward settling stolen art claims from the Hitler era. The Nazis stole some 600,000 pieces of art. I had no idea the number was that high. It's been 70 years, let's get this done. Poor Unloved Renters: David Pugh says renters need love. If not love, then at least insurance . Renters need home inventories too, by the way. Insurance Agents Under Stress Too: Claims Journal says that "bad apple" insurance agents are tempted to protect their livelihoods through insurance fraud in tough economic times like these. I want to take this time to emphasize how important it is to have a good working relationship with your insurance agent. This protects you in two ways: 1) Your agent has a vested interest in keeping you happy, and he will be more likely to go to bat for you in a claim situation if he is familiar with you and knows your character, and 2) You will be more likely to get of se...

Beatles: A recent auction of music memorabilia included an autographed Sgt Pepper's poster that netted $52,500 at Christie's in New York. Kurt Cobain: Christie's also recently sold one of Kurt Cobain's original bass guitars , a Sears model, for nearly $44,000. J immy Hendrix, David Bowie, and Brian Jones: Christie's is selling a number of guitars belonging to these artists, among others, next week in London. On The Soccer Front: These are heady days for fans of the Nats , as our men defeated Spain yesterday 2-0 in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup being played in South Africa, home of next year's World Cup. Spain came into the match ranked number one in the FIFA world rankings and riding a 15 match winning streak and a 36 match unbeaten streak dating back to November 2006. Only last week the US men were embarrassed on the world stage by two frustrating group play losses to global powers Italy and Brazil. It's amazing how quickly one's...