Dear Lee,

Collecting is alive and well. Although the national economic outlook is gloomy, the prices of antiques and collectibles are “behaving normally.” We have been reporting the ups, downs and changes in prices for years and realize today is not so different from the past.

We have seen the rise and fall (or sometimes the fall and rise) of Victorian, oak, mid-century modern and shabby country furniture, of advertising collectibles, bottles, trivets, collector plates, plastic, majolica, Royal Doulton, pressed glass and Depression glass. But through it all, clever collectors and dealers made good buys and profitable sales.

The antiques business is like any other business. You must adjust to changing times. It is tougher now, with new technology speeding time and shrinking distance. But there are a few things auction houses and dealers are doing to encourage attendance and buyers. They’re trying new types of shows: “stocking stuffer” sales with only small items allowed, or theme shows with, for instance, all toys or vintage clothing. And they’re offering pre-sale guided tours, appraisal days, “singles” hours and raffle prize money that must be spent at the show.

Advertising has changed, too, both online and in print. Ads are promoting the themes that appeal to younger collectors: It’s “green” to use old things; it’s thrifty to buy old things that retain value; it’s the “in” thing to decorate in a unique way using one-of-a-kind “finds.”

We’re hearing happy reports from many show dealers, pessimism from a few. Once new, younger buyers get introduced to the joys and advantages of collecting, they’ll buy well-priced objects that fit their lifestyle. Old-timers need top-quality rare pieces to fill in a lifetime collection. Don’t forget—we became collectors because it was fun.