Baby boomers are aging out of their hobbies faster every day. Guns, muscle cars, fly rods, fully restored tractors and many other forms of collectibles are seeing less interest every day. It’s black guns and high end gaming systems that are the rage.
In top of that the UK is seeing the bottom fall out of doubles for the aging issue and now the end of lead shot. It is just easier to buy a cheap OU or Turkish black semi auto. I have bought a few nice doubles that five years ago would have cost twice what I paid for them. It is a buyers market for those of us with any interest. But I too am nearing the end if my buying. My son is still buying but in another five years his major purchasing will have filled most of his needs for the next decade. After that it may just be running in new interest or absorbing my collection to add to his. His brothers and sisters do not have much interest now and will be just as happy with the equivalent in cash.
My late mother had a fine China and rug collection that was worth more than her house. Mid six figure collection. Nobody wanted anything other than money. The prices it would bring was about 20-30% of what it was worth just 20 years ago. I was glad she did not see it. I kept everything and gave the family money instead with the understanding that anyone could have anything she had just for the asking. Decade later I still have it all. Antiques, China and rugs are just no longer things others want. I sold her largest rug to a dealer near DC because I did not have a room large enough to put it in. That rug did sell for a very hansom price but only because it was so big and an antique rug in pristine condition. Most likely it now lays in some Embassy in DC. That’s who the dealer told me would have interest in it.
