Schwarz
View current page
...more recent posts
“People are super busy, constantly on the go, and want a more subdued, uncomplicated home environment,” said Shawn Henderson, eBay’s design director. There has been a significant dip in sales of antiques on the Web site, he said, and although he could not quantify the change, he said there is so little interest that search terms like “Federal” and “Queen Anne” are not even on the radar. People want midcentury Modern, Art Deco or Craftsman style pieces from the 20th century.
In addition to fancying a newer, cleaner look, buyers do not want to risk making mistakes in buying antiques. “There are so many fake antiques on the market right now that people don’t want to bother with them,” said J. Randall Powers, an interior designer in Houston. Fakes have become more common in the last 10 years as improved technology has allowed for closer approximations. At most, he said, his clients might buy a single antique to serve as an accent or contrast to their mostly modern décor.
[...]
“Why would you pay a fortune for a lesser-quality, mediocre antique when you could get an über-antique reproduction for the same price?”