Recently my dad was visiting, and while we were eating dinner we struck up a conversation about things that we have stopped using in recent history. In other words, what do we no longer use today that perhaps ten years ago we used regularly?
As we sat there we came up with some very interesting things. Looking back on our conversation I think that those things we came up with may be one day valuable and sought after. So what can you collect today that in the future will be valuable? What are people not missing on a daily basis today that at some point in their golden years will give them a rush of nostalgia? Because, after all, most vintage and antique items are emotional purchases.
I can't tell you how many times while selling at an antique fair or antique store that I have heard, "Remember when..." or "I haven't seen one of these in years!" or "We used to have one of these..."
So, let's think. What do you no longer use today that you needed on a regular basis 5 or 10 years ago?
Here are just a couple of things we came up with:
Phones - House phones, pay phones, handheld on the wall phones. Especially phones that aren't cordless.
Phone books - When is the last time you've used one?
Dictionaries - nice quality, hard bound dictionaries used to be very common. Google, anyone?
Maps - I recently tried to find some inexpensive maps for a project I was working on. You can find them, but they are NOT cheap because no one buys them anymore. Move over maps, GPS and the internet are here.
Film - very uncommon to find it to purchase or to find someone to develop it quickly. No more one hour photo when you drop a roll of film off.
Feel free to chime in in the comments below. Share what you no longer use that in recent history you stopped using! Chances are, the things you think of will be tomorrow's collectible items.
Labels: antique, vintage
