ABSTRACT
A market in used objects has always existed in so far as humans made items of value and had a means of exchange by which to purchase them. Before industrialization, useable objects such as furniture, ceramics, weapons, and textiles, were extremely expensive investments and would be handed down through the family. As one of the eight by-products of art, a market in antiques occurs when a generation of collectors have learned the principles of rarity and developed an admiration for the aesthetic achievements of crafts people from earlier eras. Antiques dealers pursue a variety of business models that they believe best suit their profile and their market. Like the market in collectibles, the memorabilia market also features generally mass-produced items, which in themselves carry little aesthetic distinction. With the increasing ease of buying at even small auctions scattered around the world, the sourcing possibilities for dealers have increased enormously.
