4 ms·

Generational differences in tastes will take its toll on some of this more than other bits. I don't know anyone under the age of 40 who cares one bit about fine

Generational differences in tastes will take its toll on some of this more than other bits. I don't know anyone under the age of 40 who cares one bit about fine china and china cabinets. As more and more people who collected china die off, there's a bigger glut of it. Collections that took a lifetime and thousands of dollars to accumulate end up going for pennies at estate sales while the cabinets end up in a landfill. Pianos seem to be going the same way. Probably grandfather clocks too. There are some younger folks who are interested in these things but not enough to sop up the ever increasing supply coming in from estates.

henrikschroder 4y ago
Oh no, this reminds me that I have a box in my basement with my grandparents' wedding china that they got in the 1940's or something. My dad gave me the box, and I'm not allowed to throw the thing away as long as he lives. But it's completely useless. It's pretty, but you can't ever use it. It's not dishwasher safe, it's extremely fragile, and I cannot imagine ever hosting some kind of event where it would be appropriate to bust it out. Hell, I don't even know if my grandparents ever used it, or if it was just a thing that you "should" collect, and therefore they collected it. It feels like a waste to just throw it out, but I realize you're right, there's not gonna be a market for things like this ten, twenty, years from now.
- dcminter 4y ago
  > ...there's not gonna be a market for things like this ten, twenty, years from now. You never know. Vintage fans are a thing, after all (1940s and 1950s are quite popular). When the time comes, ask around - there might be someone keen. Worth checking with family too - there might be someone who'll love and use it just for that connection.
  - throwaway0a5e 4y ago
    It will move down market until supply and demand equalize. There's a plethora of china cabinets and hutches right now. They'll be used as storage. And when the supply dries up (because 90% of them will have been thrown away or destroyed in hard use) people who want one will spend $50 on them. Metal cabinets that held various sizes of card stock went through the same thing starting a couple decades ago.
  - henrikschroder 4y ago
    The point of the parent poster was that the market is going to be completely saturated when the boomers die, because there's way more boomers with stuff like this laying around, than vintage fans who would appreciate it.
lebski88 4y ago
Pianos don't age well. Antique pianos either need an incredible amount of money spending on them to restore or they are furniture at best. Most pianos were cheap when new and are worth negative money once they are old.
- martyvis 4y ago
  Cheap pianos don't age well - quality ones do. I sold some shares (stock)in 1993 for around $8000. I bought the best PC I could get with about $3500 (a 488DX66 with 8MB RAM...). I bought my wife a 30 year old Yamaha U3 upright piano for about $4000. (It was built the same year I was born). We still have the U3 (I just looked and they are worth about $7K now). I think it is overdue for a tune but it still has that beautiful near Grand piano tone. The PC and the next one and the next one I bought are all in in landfill or melted down somewhere.
- lrem 4y ago
  > negative money once they are old At the very least they should still work as firewood.
  - zemvpferreira 4y ago
    Not even! Burning treated wood is a good way to get a serious respiratory illness.
  - hammyhavoc 4y ago
    Releasing more carbon into the upper carbon cycle should be avoided if possible.
pfdietz 4y ago
At least old silverware can be melted down and recycled (and used to make PV modules!)
BeFlatXIII 4y ago
I bet house price inflation is a factor. Pianos, china cabinets, and grandfather clocks are all a major pain to move and aren't worth owning until you have purchased your forever home.
maerF0x0 4y ago
My generation collects tattoos and IG-able experiences. We'll be easy to clean up after (save for the environmental impact) .
- chihuahua 4y ago
  There are definitely advantages to that kind of lifestyle. Also, it makes it much easier every time you move to a different house/apartment.
  - maerF0x0 4y ago
    Also great cause we can simply say "Look I have no assets! Forgive my student debt!"
fallingfrog 4y ago
I feel like having the fine china in your house is a flex, like you're saying "my home is so big I have space to fill it with a bunch of dishware I never use." From my vantage point today it seems as if status symbols were a much bigger deal back then. I considered getting rock countertops for my kitchen at one point, but I realized that a) I don't actually care if my countertops are plastic and b) none of my friends care either. Same with fine china- it wouldn't actually impress anyone very much. The biggest flex you could make in the present day would be to tell your friends that your college debts were paid off.
ncpa-cpl 4y ago
> I don't know anyone under the age of 40 who cares one bit about fine china and china cabinets Definitely. My parents house has a china cabinet, with china dishes no-one is allowed to use. I've never understood why, I'll ask them tonight.
- chihuahua 4y ago
  "Why" - people apparently thought that owning that sort of thing was a sign of being "grown-up", and you were supposed to do that if at all possible, to show that you're a respectable person. But in reality, those reasons are nonsense. Relics of a past age. Also, convincing the entire population that owning a large set of useless expensive things is essential to a successful life is a good way to sell a lot of stuff and keep your China cabinet factory in business.

henrikschroder 4y ago

Oh no, this reminds me that I have a box in my basement with my grandparents' wedding china that they got in the 1940's or something. My dad gave me the box, and I'm not allowed to throw the thing away as long as he lives. But it's completely useless. It's pretty, but you can't ever use it. It's not dishwasher safe, it's extremely fragile, and I cannot imagine ever hosting some kind of event where it would be appropriate to bust it out. Hell, I don't even know if my grandparents ever used it, or if it was just a thing that you "should" collect, and therefore they collected it. It feels like a waste to just throw it out, but I realize you're right, there's not gonna be a market for things like this ten, twenty, years from now.

dcminter 4y ago
> ...there's not gonna be a market for things like this ten, twenty, years from now. You never know. Vintage fans are a thing, after all (1940s and 1950s are quite popular). When the time comes, ask around - there might be someone keen. Worth checking with family too - there might be someone who'll love and use it just for that connection.
- throwaway0a5e 4y ago
  It will move down market until supply and demand equalize. There's a plethora of china cabinets and hutches right now. They'll be used as storage. And when the supply dries up (because 90% of them will have been thrown away or destroyed in hard use) people who want one will spend $50 on them. Metal cabinets that held various sizes of card stock went through the same thing starting a couple decades ago.
- henrikschroder 4y ago
  The point of the parent poster was that the market is going to be completely saturated when the boomers die, because there's way more boomers with stuff like this laying around, than vintage fans who would appreciate it.

lebski88 4y ago

Pianos don't age well. Antique pianos either need an incredible amount of money spending on them to restore or they are furniture at best. Most pianos were cheap when new and are worth negative money once they are old.

martyvis 4y ago
Cheap pianos don't age well - quality ones do. I sold some shares (stock)in 1993 for around $8000. I bought the best PC I could get with about $3500 (a 488DX66 with 8MB RAM...). I bought my wife a 30 year old Yamaha U3 upright piano for about $4000. (It was built the same year I was born). We still have the U3 (I just looked and they are worth about $7K now). I think it is overdue for a tune but it still has that beautiful near Grand piano tone. The PC and the next one and the next one I bought are all in in landfill or melted down somewhere.
lrem 4y ago
> negative money once they are old At the very least they should still work as firewood.
- zemvpferreira 4y ago
  Not even! Burning treated wood is a good way to get a serious respiratory illness.
- hammyhavoc 4y ago
  Releasing more carbon into the upper carbon cycle should be avoided if possible.

pfdietz 4y ago

At least old silverware can be melted down and recycled (and used to make PV modules!)

BeFlatXIII 4y ago

I bet house price inflation is a factor. Pianos, china cabinets, and grandfather clocks are all a major pain to move and aren't worth owning until you have purchased your forever home.

maerF0x0 4y ago

My generation collects tattoos and IG-able experiences. We'll be easy to clean up after (save for the environmental impact) .

chihuahua 4y ago
There are definitely advantages to that kind of lifestyle. Also, it makes it much easier every time you move to a different house/apartment.
- maerF0x0 4y ago
  Also great cause we can simply say "Look I have no assets! Forgive my student debt!"

fallingfrog 4y ago

I feel like having the fine china in your house is a flex, like you're saying "my home is so big I have space to fill it with a bunch of dishware I never use." From my vantage point today it seems as if status symbols were a much bigger deal back then. I considered getting rock countertops for my kitchen at one point, but I realized that a) I don't actually care if my countertops are plastic and b) none of my friends care either. Same with fine china- it wouldn't actually impress anyone very much. The biggest flex you could make in the present day would be to tell your friends that your college debts were paid off.

ncpa-cpl 4y ago

> I don't know anyone under the age of 40 who cares one bit about fine china and china cabinets Definitely. My parents house has a china cabinet, with china dishes no-one is allowed to use. I've never understood why, I'll ask them tonight.

chihuahua 4y ago
"Why" - people apparently thought that owning that sort of thing was a sign of being "grown-up", and you were supposed to do that if at all possible, to show that you're a respectable person. But in reality, those reasons are nonsense. Relics of a past age. Also, convincing the entire population that owning a large set of useless expensive things is essential to a successful life is a good way to sell a lot of stuff and keep your China cabinet factory in business.