Generation of collector on the way out?
I read with interest the other day about how the younger generation are swinging towards a better quality product in what they are buying, and how they’re considering, before they buy, its effect on the environment during the manufacturing stage and how disposable it is once it’s reached the end of its life.
Let’s hope this is truly happening at last!
Working in a building recycling yard where we sell both new and used materials, it’s great to see young ones coming in for recycled materials, not only because they are cheaper, but because they’re either better made and will last longer, or they have more character than the modern equivalent.
This is certainly true of those wonderful old heart Rimu and Matai doors.
New Zealand’s native timber is in hot demand and items like floor boards and weather boards are keenly sought.
Older light fittings are very popular and old hand tools.
I wonder if the shift back to antique furniture will happen again, as it seemed to have taken a dive in price in recent years, certainly that’s what it looked like when you look at the auction results around the country.
My friend Blair is in the Antique Arms Club where numbers of new members joining the club are dwindling. Young ones prefer high powered weapons for weekend hunting rather than collecting expensive weapons of the past.
Most aren’t interested in learning about their history or simply don’t have the money to collect, to have them sitting tucked away.
Knowledge is gained in a lifetime, not in 10 minutes, and Blair’s knowledge on militaria is amazing, particularly that of the Taranaki Land Wars period.
The same can be said of vintage cars and motorcycles.
The older generation who grew up with them are, on the whole, well into retirement and beyond, and the knowledge to restore and drive these amazing old vehicles will be lost several generations down the track.
Classic cars and hot rods are certainly very popular with everyone these days.
The number of older veteran and vintage vehicles coming on the market is increasing, so let’s hope some of the knowledge is passed onto those keen on continuing this great hobby, which gives a fantastic social life to those with the same interests.
There’s nothing more satisfying than restoring an old vehicle and hearing it breathe life again.
The same can be said of a nice piece of furniture or an old clock.
My old Ansonia clock drives my kids mad with its hearty beat and clanging chimes: ‘‘Dad, it’s too noisy,’’ my daughter Hannah often complains.
Many years ago I learnt clock repairing from an elderly friend, Clive Horsup in Waitara, and I started collecting mostly American and French chiming clocks.
Well I think I got to collect about 150 of them which drove my first wife nuts when she opened the spare room door, especially at 12 o’clock (hee hee) when they all went off.
Clanging, dinging, ringing, you name it! It was almost like they were breathing when you opened the door and they were all ticking. It was pure madness.
I guess most of us ‘‘Baby Boomers’’ are guilty of collecting and restoring the past. To go forward we must understand where we’ve come from. Puke Ariki cares for more than 110,000 images in the Swainson/ Woods Collection that were generated by the New Plymouth based businesses, Swainson’s Studios and Bernard Woods Studio, between 1923 and 1997.
Many of the photographs are still unidentified.
Check our efforts out online at http://vernon.npdc.govt.nz/ simpleSearch.jsp
If you can help identify this week’s photo, please phone the Taranaki Research Centre, 06 759 6060, or email the team at images@npdc.govt.nz