In many ways, 2022 was a throwback year, and not in a good way. At times it felt like the 1970s or early 80s, what with inflation running rampant, the U.S. and its European allies engaged in a not-so-cold war with Russia, and gas prices surging.
Even the antiques and collectibles field felt like we were looking in the rearview mirror - all the way back to pre-Pandemic 2019. And, for the most part, that view was beautiful if you were in the antiques and collectibles business, according to the Asheford Institute’s annual survey of top decorative arts buying trends for the past 12 months.
‘‘In 2021 we were all still recovering from Covid, but this past year, buyers, dealers, and collectors were out en masse, in-person, and were literally snapping up everything in sight,” said Anthony Harper, the school’s lead researcher.
While the pent-up demand was good news for dealers, it did lead to some concerns. By the end of the summer of 2022, many dealers were complaining about a lack of available and affordable inventory.
"It wasn’t just one category of collectible,” Harper said, "it was virtually anything, from folk art to baseball cards.”
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