EBay, Collectors, Flea Market & Antiques

People buy in their peak earning years - 50s and 60s - and they buy
what they remember. Once they're 75, forget it, and the stuff they
remember falls in popularity for generations. That's what makes 1950s
stuff popular right now. Victoria era? No interest. Art nouveau (1910 to
1920)? Not much. Art Deco is popular, it's stuff grandma might have
talked about or owned.

The Great Recession has collapsed interest in material things. We are
running leaner households, and favoring experiences and travel.

I don't expect a lot of this to change very soon. People want financial
security, necessities, electronics, fun and entertainment more than
they want collectibles, tableware, decor, and nostalgia. And with so
much stuff around, it's difficult to see how even inflation will bail you
out of old junk. There is no scarcity of anything except clean air, clean
water, money, and privacy.