Dear Lee,

The government reports that the economy is improving. Manufacturing orders are up. Housing starts are up. And, although no one in Washington asked us, we can report that antiques and collectibles sales are up, too. The Triple Pier Antiques show in New York City had the best attendance since 1999. Sales were strong for Heywood-Wakefield furniture, Art Deco, diamond bracelets, insect-shaped pins, figural 1950s and ’60s handbags, ties, and wingtip shoes. At a Midwest show we visited, dealers told us attendance was down-but when we asked about business, they kept saying, “Can’t complain” or “It’s better.” We know their comments translate to “great.” Items selling for under $300 did very well, but high-ticket items were just “OK.” One dealer told us she had a box of handkerchiefs at the end of her booth priced at $5 each. She had sold $2,000 worth.

The traditional antiques discount is now available at all levels of merchandising. We are a society that goes to big box stores like Home Depot or Costco to buy at lower prices. The major department stores run huge sales at Thanksgiving to bring in crowds. And they often will offer the sale price on merchandise a few weeks before a sale is announced. Shoppers today, according to the surveys done for gift shops, want shopping to be a “happening.” They want variety, and special events like book autographing or cooking lessons. They demand friendly, quick service. Museums, too, have learned that they must be entertaining and friendly, not just educational. The best new museum exhibits include hands-on experiences and unexpected or breathtaking displays. The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, has wonderful collections of cars and decorative arts. But what most people remember best is the test tube that holds Thomas Edison’s dying breath and the chair where President Lincoln was shot.

Collectibles, vintage clothing, costume jewelry, old kitchen bowls, furniture with less-than-perfect finish, and flea markets are in fashion today. Even collecting has become mainstream. It’s nice to know that after doing our own thing for years, we finally are doing what is “chic.” Last month a construction worker in South Carolina did his own thing. His collecting strategy is to spend his money on one major item a year. So he bought the “Giant” Haskell Minnow fishing lure at Lang’s Tackle Auction for a record $101,200. The 1859 lure is considered the most important and historically significant 19th-century lure to have been sold at public auction. We understand his reasoning. But we would miss all those days of searching and buying-the entertaining part of collecting. That’s what the collecting bug means to us.