Meeker's
Mechanical Nature Antiques
dba / aka
www.AntiqBuyer.com
&
www.Patented-Antiques.com

Collections of antiques and collectibles have a special meaning and presence in the world of antiques. Seemingly mundane individual items can take on new meaning and significance when placed in the context of a well-focused and thoughtfully assembled collection. 

Antique collections can be used to demonstrate how a particular idea or object evolved through its different stages of development, or as a powerful and interesting visual design statement, or simply as a means of preserving a portion of our heritage for future generations to enjoy, view, and learn from.

Over the years we have bought and sold numerous collections of antiques from all over the country ranging from tool collections, collections of irons and laundry-related antiques, collections of antique pencil sharpeners, a collection of antique hotel / call bells, several collections of antique sewing machines, bootjack collections, collections of patent models, salesman sample stove collections, washing machine collections, and more.

We have helped sell portions of several large antique collections and collections in their entirety for collectors downsizing or refocusing their collections after years of enjoying their antique collections.  We have also provided our services to the heirs if the collector waited too long as happens all too often.

We are experienced and well positioned to take on the task and the considerable work involved in properly dealing with this sort of endeavor.

The Situation Today

At every imaginable venue, antique shows, antique shops, auctions, etc. where quality antiques use to be offered there is now nameless insignificant stuff that's not even as old as I am, and junk that is simply ordered new from catalogs being offered up as antiques and collectibles. Or the newest rage, things, or assemblages of nameless unimportant stuff offered as antiques, or "repurposed" nothing called antiques. 

General line auctions around the country, where great antiques and stuff use to routinely show up, are now full of this nameless insignificant fill and fluff.

We heard this refrain from dealers and collectors alike ever since we have been involved with antiques. That it was all gone, and there was nothing left.  That is going on 40 some plus years now.  We use to chuckle as old-timers complained about how it was all gone while we were still buying and selling some great stuff back in the 80's,  90s and even early 2000s. You just had to work harder.

Sadly, we now we feel that it has finally come to be true and is certainly true for those types of antiques that are of primary interest to us.  The supply of true antiques, as they use to be gathered, or acquired, has about dried up. 

The days of quality antiques, and "good stuff" coming out of the attic or being dug out of the basement or garage are pretty much over. Over the years we have consistently bought the majority of our best and favorite antiques out of collections and from private collectors, individuals, and fellow dealers around the country who recognized the significance of the piece a long time ago. The common thread is that the vast majority of the great pieces that come to market today always seem to come from older collections or accumulations purposefully assembled over the years.

Our Role

Collections of antiques oftentimes need to be dispersed in a different way from that in which they were originally assembled, and it takes a special knowledge and acumen to properly catalog, identify, appreciate, and properly redistribute some of these larger collections of antiques.

For example, a broad tool collection, or a collection of diverse office antiques could well hold more significance and interest when broken down and re-focused or re-assembled upon specific segments or themes. For example, say just the woodworking planes within a large antique tool collection, or the mechanical pencil sharpeners or typewriters from a collection that was focused generally on office antiques.  The same end retail buyer is almost certainly not going to be interested in buying both the collection of antique electric fans, and pencil sharpeners that one collector of office related antiques assembled. Certainly not at anything approaching retail prices.  A dealer might show interest, but it would be at pennies on the dollar of the actual retail value, and in many instances that general line "antique" dealer would have no idea as to the actual value of the individual better pieces in the collection.

Another consideration is that in any collection there is always a small percentage of the whole that is much more desirable or valuable than the bulk---this can't be avoided given the nature of collecting and rarity or value of the given pieces in a collection.  A general rule of thumb, for valuing most collections of antiques we use what we call the 80-20 rule where 80% of the value is amassed in 20% of the volume.  This is an important concept to understand when you call somebody in to buy a collection and they show interest in just a few things.  In the trade it is referred to as getting creamed, or creaming the collection, and you do not want it to happen to you unless you know you are getting top dollar for that small portion of the collection you are being asked to sell. 

We are willing to take and sell the good and the bad, (or more common) and everything in between in order to acquire the key pieces of the collection as part of a package deal. This arrangement works to the benefit of the owner / seller who is not faced with the dreaded task of what to do with the "fluff" or lesser items that are always left over after the top pieces from a collection are sold.   An important consideration.

Take for example the iron and laundry collection that we handled which included over 3,000 antique pressing or sad irons and laundry related antiques.  There were also over 60 full size washing machines, 200 or more washboards, and 1000 or so trivets included in this collection.  This large and diverse collection had to be carefully sorted and inventoried, then strategically broken down and re-distributed into a number of smaller collections before it could be resold.

We identified, inventoried, categorized, and cleaned this massive collection, and then carefully and methodically distributed it into other more focused and smaller collections.  By analyzing which items should be sold at which venues we were able to resell this collection for full maximum benefit.  Some pieces sold for as little as a $1 and other antique irons sold individually for thousands of dollars.  The theory was to enhance the value of the upper end items by not "diluting" their value by selling them in the same venue, and at the same time, as the lower end more common items.

The entire the entire collection's dispersal was accomplished in a little over 6 months.  A collection should be handled according what is the best way, not just what is fastest, in order to realize full value.  This concept is all about the downside of dispersing a collection like this at most auctions.  Lotting up and selling a collection might be quick and easy but guaranteed, a lot of money that could have ended up in your pocket will be left behind. 

We are interested in buying antique collections, be they large or small, diverse or tightly focused.  We buy entire collections, as well as partial segments of antique collections or even special individual pieces from collections.

If you have interesting antiques or a collection similar to what I have pictured on this or other pages to sell please contact me by email at LCM@AntiqBuyer.com.  If you are not able to send emails call me at 530-748-7297.

To see examples of the caliber, condition and quality antiques that we have sold in the past, please visit the past sales archives through the links at the right.

To see related antiques that I have for sale now please go to our sister site at www.Patented-Antiques.com. and visit the numerous sale pages you will find there.

We will buy, or can help you sell quality Antiques
Contact Us.

Our current offering of Antiques for sale are at our sister Website Patented-Antiques.com.

PLEASE NOTE

Due to time constraints, a full time work schedule, and the large volume of free appraisal and general information requests that we receive everyday, it is not possible for us to respond to all individual requests for general information about every item, or give free online evaluations / appraisals of your antiques that are not for sale.  Please see the FAQ page for more info on this.

Thanks for understanding!!

Thank you!!
Larry & Carole