Dear Lee,

Everyone is worried about the economy. We get a lot of calls from reporters who want to know what is happening in the world of collecting. Halfway through some interviews it begins to dawn on us that no matter what we say, the story will be doom and gloom. The media prefers to sensationalize auction-house closings and major million-dollar art-sale flops rather than report what we see “on the ground.”

Here is the news as we see it, and it’s good. The antiques newspapers and online publications are reporting that our world is fine. Things are not fabulous, but they’re actually better than last year. Many people want money more than possessions, so they’re selling—their collectibles have helped them solve their money problems. Other people still want to buy, and they’re finding good stuff at prices lower than last year’s.

One auction house told us people are being realistic and saying they don’t need “things” when they have bills to pay and a valuable painting hanging in the hallway. So there goes the painting…. But as more people are selling, more people are bidding. A Florida appraiser said her business has doubled since last year, with people selling second homes and their furnishings.

And then there is the other important part of collecting. Mary Dessoie, the founder of the Butter Pat Patter Association, a group of collectors who shop for tiny plate-shaped butter pats, emailed us: “Even in this economy, serious collectors have not lost their desire to collect. It is true that collectors like to get their fix, no matter what. With all the dismal news that bombards us on a daily basis, I have found that collecting is more important to me now than at any other time in my life. It has been comforting to turn to my collection while attempting to make sense of the vicissitudes of daily life.”

Have a bad day? Cheer up. Rummage through some antiques for sale. You can even stay at home and look via your computer.