The Future of Collecting

[joe klaus]

For those that have children that say they want nothing their old folks have now, I was in that same frame of mind when my parents passed away when I was about 45 years old. I didn't even attend the "estate" sale.

And now some 20+ years later, I kick myself in the a** nearly everyday for not taking lots of that stuff. Both for sentimental and monetary reasons. And some of our kids will likely feel the same way about 25 years too late.

[Mike N]

Here is a link to a very interesting 2017 article on the future of collecting, as published in Investment News.

“The trigger for collectibles is childhood memories," Mr. Rinker said. "Anything from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s is passé," Mr. Rinker said. People are interested in Power Rangers, Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

https://www.investmentnews.com/article/ ... used-to-be

Here are some thoughts on the future of gun collecting.The author is not very positive:

“That said, I think the days of gun collecting as we know it today are numbered. They’ve probably got a few decades left at best. Once the older guys pass on and their collections come up for sale, the free market will take over. What was once rare and expensive will be a lot more readily available as their collections (often numbering in the hundreds of pieces) are liquidated. Prices will fall and guys will be able to pick up a 99% Colt Python for less than $1,000 again.

Link
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2016/ ... ollecting/

Of course, firearms cannot be sold on eBay, but lower prices could bring in a whole new generation of collectors (once the student loans are paid off.)

On the higher end, I think of car collectors. When I see the abundance of recent collector auto auctions (Mecum, Barrett-Jackson, RM, Gooding, etc.) that are on tv every night, I doubt that market is going to fall off soon.

Mike N

[Jason]

I think I first joined ORCA in 1999 when I was 23. This was about the time online auctions were becoming popular. I was looking online for parts to restore my father's Great Lakes Whirlaway when I discovered old tackle. How many members did NFLCC and ORCA have in the mid 90's, before the internet, compared to today? Just curious.

[john elder]

Jason, the simple answer is “more”. My estimate would be about 35-40% more in both clubs, although ORCA didn’t get rolling until 1992. Before the internet opened the collecting door to the world, the only way to even see tougher reels or lures was to go to shows. eBay and on-line sites changed all that forever, much as it’s changing our other shopping habits. I think shows will always continue for people that consider collecting more than just accumulating reels and/or lures. True, I now have many internet friends that I have never met or often, never even spoken to. But there is nothing to replace the social interactions and friendships that develop by attending shows.

[Ron Mc]

100% rhetorical question.
What should be the concern here, the monetary value accumulated in one's hobby, or the legacy for conservation effort in the future?
Work on improving the latter, and the former will naturally improve.




If there's no place to use those reels for their original purpose, no one is going to want them.


Not that taking them fishing is the point, but simply the desire to go fishing will always be their link to today.

[GLD56]

I can see the value in Kentucky reels, fine vintage firearms, mechanical watches, etc. I can't see the value in mass produced plastic items from the 1970's and later. All that being said, the truth is that collectors that feel the same way as me is, in my opinion, getting smaller. At one time I collected Railroad grade pocket watches and until a few years ago I had a list of collectors I could call and move about anything I picked up as long as I priced it reasonable. Now I know of no one I can call and I mean no one. Same with a lot of other collectibles, not just the stuff I mentioned. Times change and so does desirability. If you collect because you love the items you are buying and enjoy owning them and learning about them, you can't ask much more than that. If you are buying strictly to make a profit, maybe you should stick to the stock market or something similar.

[Dick Braun,that-zebco-guy]

I have spoke on this subject before and I'll state my view on it again. Before I ever purchased my 1st collectible reel I sold antique cars, muscle cars, etc.. When I first started doing so you couldn't touch an early Model A or Chevy that was a frame off restoration for much less that 25 to 35 K. 7 yrs later you could buy the same car for 15-20 k. Folks ask me are we in a down market, the answer was always NO not a down mark in dollars, but yes in a down market for those who grew up with and loved those cars, they are dying and the market is dying with them. We tend to collect what we grew up with and remember. Hence the out of site market for late 50's, all 60's, and very early 70's car market of today. Does that mean all old car's will become worth less as time goes on? NO NOT at all, some of the Very Early car's will become Art and continue to increase in value for ever as long as there is gas and tires made for them. The same will happen to the reel collecting, some hand made reels will always be sought after and increase in value. The mass produced casting reels will end up like the Model A's and Chevy's as the generation that grew up with them declines. The hand made casting reels will become Art as well and continue to increase in value over time. The Same thing will happen to the Closed face reels of the Baby Boomer generation. There are always better mouse traps being built and the next generation will determine what is and isn't collectible and they will become the hot item to own. These are my take on collecting.

[Rook]

This subject came up on another forum I frequent last week about gun collecting and that most younger people are not into collecting and only like the new black guns these days instead of the old stuff.

Guys that don't have any kids that share their interest in guns are concerned that they don't have anyone to leave their guns to when they die and also concerned that their wives would be taken advantage of while trying to sell their collection when they're gone. A lot of the older guys have started downsizing and selling off their collections now before they die and were saying the prices for older guns are down.

Luckily for me I think my collection of family guns from my great grandpa, grandpa and uncle on my mom's side of the family will be in good hands for at least a couple more generations. My youngest son loves the same stuff that I do so I'll leave him all my guns, reels, fishing tackle, outboard motors, pocket watches etc. that I collect.

I also made a list of everything that I collect and wrote the history of each item and it's approx. value at the time I made the list and put it in my safe.

My uncle inherited the family guns that I have now and he didn't have a son to leave them to. He had one daughter and she couldn't care less about them so he left them to me because he knew how much they meant to me since he spent many years with me when I was a kid showing me how to work on outboard motors, repair fishing reels, shooting, hunting, fishing and reloading.

Sounds like that's pretty much the way it is for all types of collecting today. Times are a changin'.