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Let us assume that the world will not end shortly. It has been going with us long enough. From about 500 years ago, when time did not matter much, and we decided we wanted something better than our neighbours, i.e. plates decorated with birds, knobs on the bed, etc. ‘Showing off’ things really, then much painstakingly useless stuff was made. They are now antiques. Some admittedly have a practical use, e.g. clocks that are accurate to half an hour a day, but many are good for nothing except wondering at the workmanship thereof. As we progress along the time path the antique net sweeps wider and inevitably, since there are more of us and we've made, and are making , hell and all stuff, there will be more and more antiques. The handmade criterion no longer applies, Dinky Toys were not carved from the solid, like netsuke, and toy robots which tumbled out of a plastic injection moulding machine by the thousand are now valuable, and collected future antiques. We can’t go on the way we are going, people make way for new people, so should everything else.

History is piling up. The great age of chucking it all out is necessary. The museums with old packets of Bisto and candle snuffers. Out. Rural Life museums with wooden ploughs and knife cleaning machines. Out. Stately homes were luxury for about eight people and drudgery for a thousand, not a worthwhile keepsake. Out. The National Trust becomes the National Hardcore Company. English Heritage will be English Arsonage. Listed buildings will be listed for demolition. With the present system, when a stately pile dilapidates for the twentieth time, we will make the white elephant as good as new again. I don’t want to pay for that, and pay again to go and see it and stand behind the red rope and be kept off the chairs. It will have to go eventually. Let’s do it now.

Auction Houses and dealers have a great interest in keeping antiques in circulation. If they were made to give more accurate descriptions of their goods perhaps the demand would go away. Examples;. ‘Two hundred year old piece of flimsy wooden crap.’ ‘Great big old non-working wooden clock with only one hand, the size of a fridge-freezer.’ ‘Worm eaten wooden bicycle, no pedals, heavy as five new ones.’ and ‘Foreign saucer, chipped.’ .

We are at present walking backwards into the future, like Marley’s ghost, chained to as much of the past as we can drag. Cut loose, turn round. We haven’t got shillings, pounds, feet and inches or forelocks to tug, so fling out the old, bring in the new. If we don’t, goodness knows what the aliens will say when they come and see us.

Happy NEW Year!

Peter :-5

retepsnikrep;499592 wrote: ... or forelocks to tug ...Speak for yourself, old man!

And keep writing, you brighten the day when you post.

So what you're saying is that you're not a hoarder.

I must admit that I'm not either and can't see much point in keeping things. The one thing antique that I do like though is jewelery not that I own any (I'm too poor) but I think it's got more character then modern stuff.

Yep it's all 'old stuff'....but wonder at the workmanship before power tools and the HSE. ! and although the wages were pitiful, at least it gave people paid work in those 'bad old days'



There's plenty of less palatial sites to see where I find the 'social history' really interesting. Marvel at the Industrial revolution.....me ?? I love old stuff although i don't own any except my grandads burea that was given to him 'on his marriage' in 1900ish.



Your post really made me think and appreciate the past...do agree with you about antique dealers etc though....and those old packets of Bisto....I remember them

What would you define as an antique? Many things you see as worthless items are invaluable to historians and others, in piecing together the past. That has much more value then "chucking" them out, and loosing bits and parts of knowledge.

What is considered "garbage" by some, found in an ancient dig, is a wonderful source for understanding past civilizations.

As a historian, what many would have consider worthless bits of paper scraps. have been pieced together to provide needed information to living descendants-reuniting whole families today. History is not piling up.

You can't know where you're going until you know where you've come from. Antiques help define that.

chonsigirl;499758 wrote: As a historian, what many would have consider worthless bits of paper scraps. have been pieced together to provide needed information to living descendants-reuniting whole families today. History is not piling up.


Absolutely true - it isn't we are living it.

"Antiques" have always charmed me...I take care of many of them...tables, chairs, paintings, photos, china and silver. They remind me of all the women who have cared for them in the past. And they remind me of the transitory nature of life.

My daughter will take care of them after I let them go.

Luckily, she's a "care-taker" too.

:wah: :wah: You know some intersting people...and they're not ALL here at FG!