Recent Additions: In our recent additions we have been mostly interested in small items such as and mostly boxes. Every lady should have one and like the days gone by, they were used for her small items such as letters, seals etc. I didn’t realize the interest in this area until seeing them on dealers and auction websites. This is a very large area as it encompasses the above noted boxes, German brides boxes, wig boxes, and so on. Most of our boxes are from the 19th and mostly the 18th centuries maybe the odd one from the 17th century. Some are painted and some richly carved both very collectible. Check our website at ryderantiques.com.
As mentioned in our last letter antique shows and auctions are moving their venues to the online Internet and away from the live venues. This means I can show my antiques at any antique show in North America, actually, I am currently doing one in New York City with the magazine Antiques and Fine Art. Please check us out on Incollect for the Antiques and Fine Arts show at https://www.incollect.com/professionals/dealers/ryder-antiques-afa-shows
(Edit: Added link)
Skinner Auctions recently had an online webcast where you had to sign up to listen. I thought I would learn something like the state of the antique business, where it is and where it is going. It didn’t happen, they talked mainly on how an auction operates which we already know. Nothing about their high fees of 25% to buy and 25% to sell or for every dollar that goes through their auction they make .50 that means for a $1,000,000 sale they make $500,000. Not bad. All this aside they are one of the best in the USA. Just a last point, when the stock market has a very sharp drop (2008) investors panic and want to get out of the market at any price. This is what they call a “selling panic” and that is when the market turns up. The antique market is somewhere in this area and it represents very good value.
Better times are coming.
Lloyd Ryder
Craig Ryder
A couple examples of antique boxes follow.
