the premise of this thread was actually: an artificial intelligence's conclusion kind of nailed the bottom line about mechanical clocks.
as for your comment, i don't think you can say 'very much appreciated'. it might be 'very much' among collectors and the people who visit this message board, but out in the world? i don't thin so, lucy. i've got a collector friend who's always telling me to sell my lesser clocks and just keep the good ones... except no one is buying. nothing. i've offered some really nice (but admittedly not top of the line) clocks at prices i would have gone nuts over even two years ago and.... crickets. zero response.
the real question is 'how have the numbers of people who appreciate (and have) mechanical clocks trended over the last _______ years?' i'll eat one of my (smaller) regulators if those numbers haven't been dropping faster each year.
Well Ricky, maybe you need to get out more rather than playing with AI?
I stand by my statements.
I do general antiques shows and I have actually done okay selling clocks to the general public, and yes, to younger folks. In fact, much better then when I go to the now shriveled sad remnants of 2 local NE chapter meetings. By the way, I'm often rather taken aback by what passes for knowledge in those venues.
Some respond to the mechanical aspects, some the decorative aspects. A slew of reasons. In the recent past, I have sold a great Baird (crosses over into advertising), a few very nice Chelseas, a very nice 2 weight Vienna, a ST # 2, a clean bevel front banjo, 2 ogees with wonderful folky glasses, a gilt decorated scroll front and so on.
What helps is that I am patient, always spending time discussing set up, general care and troubleshooting. They have my email and cell to call for questions. You know what? The only emails I have received so far are how thrilled they are with the clock. And I have repeat customers who decide that the house needed another clock.
Face it. Most antiques, collectibles, and art go through their ups and downs. I can name any # of fads, if you will, when particular categories of antiques were white hot. Like tulipmania. Some then go through an appropriate "adjustment". Some just fall off the cliff. Carnival glass anyone? "Golden" oak? A lot of Victoriana? A long list.
Unfortunately, clocks are not immune and there is no logical reason why they would be. Unfortunately, like many of the clocks I collected when much younger and when myself and a few other age peer collectors beat each other up @ auctions and paid through the snoot.
Not just at the bottom, either. Follow some of the "important" Americana auctions. The prices are eye watering until you learn what the consigner paid back in the late '90's - early 2000's. Poor schnook paid a 6 figure price for an "important" pair of Chippendale chairs to one of the twins at the Winter Show, now got < 50%.
True of quite a few American tall case and banjo clocks. Brought BIG money at one time, whimpered the next. There is a now retired NH auctioneer whose sales were famous for breath taking prices for Americana. As his past buyers aged and downsized, they turned to him. A banjo clock that he had sold for many $1000's maybe 20 years before absolutely flopped. With a pained look, he admitted to the audience he was going to have a hard time facing the consigners. That's how it goes.
I will add that the effect of eBay cannot be overestimated. So many things labeled "rare" were revealed not to be. That seems to be especially true of clocks.
Finally, if there isn't interest in some of the things you're trying to sell, maybe you need to reevaluate the quality of the offerings and or the asking price.
Collecting antiques takes some nerve. Be prepared that you might not come out ahead. But I buy what I like and like what I buy and enjoy learning about them and living with them.
RM
