I’m often asked what the antiques of the future will be; what things people generally discard or fail to take care of today that they should really be keeping hold of.
While there are no guarantees of what will become collectable, you can narrow the odds by following a few rules.
Firstly, what is there around today that the public is likely to feel nostalgic about in 20 years’ time? TV programmes, music, clothing and toys are a good place to start. But while you can now collect vinyl and CDs from a couple of decades ago, these days music tends to be delivered by streaming, so what will there be to collect in 2040 on that front? Certainly well-preserved posters, limited edition memorabilia and such like.
We are already seeing branded clothing from as little as ten years ago making decent money at auction and via sites like eBay; that trend is likely to continue.
Anything deliberately issued in a limited edition or withdrawn from sale early, thereby effectively creating a limited edition, could well be a candidate, as well as technology, because it updates and moves onto the next generation so quickly. A market in old iPhones already exists.
Whatever takes your fancy, remember this: original condition is all. If you want to keep something back as an investment, where possible keep it in its original box or wrapping and as undamaged as possible. If you have the original sales paperwork – receipt, guarantee etc – to go with it, then keep that too.
