A Sad Reality

soaring above Carriage Barn Antiques


  

Each november sees our annual road trip to upstate New York, this year we hit a few new Antique shops along the way. Sad thing about our  enduring economic crisis, the antique shops are filled with furniture estates are letting go and jewelry is sparse. Gold and silver, as of the last three years has been ever steadily rising and is about the only commodity one can count on not devaluing. The long and short of it, the antique dealers are hurting as we all are scrapping most of their gold and silver to stay a float. Unfortunately it means a loss in Antiquity which will never return. It is precisely for this reason that American Victorian jewelry in gold fill and silver is so rare, as during the great Depression the same thing occurred. I'm saddened to see this happening in my lifetime. There was a time when I began Artemisia where the selection of Antiques was embarrassing, overflowing from glass cabinets in every Antique store. Now what is mostly left is real junk, plastic, metal alloys that peel and turn color, a lot of 1970's baubles. Adversely the extremely fine in tact estate pieces in fine gold remain, a shame really to alter their appearance, not to mention bringing Artemisia to an entirely new and prohibitive price point.

Just at a time when Artemisia is increasing, supply of materials is decreasing.

 

lust, antique printmakers tool chest, refurbished $400