The Current State of the Antiques Furniture Market at Auction

It's been the buzz all around the auction houses for the past couple of years, "furniture is going for nothing at auctions". Furniture is down, furniture is dead.
It's true, at least in the auction market, that furniture is in a very slow part of the collectibles cycle right now. I'm selling oak victorian dressers that I used to knock down at $300 - $450 for about $150.
Marble top stands that used to bring me $175 - $300 are topping out at about $100.
Even stack bookcases and oak bowfront curios are not bringing close to what they used to.
Why?
Well I think it's a couple of things that have formulated together to brew a kind of perfect storm in the antiques furniture business. I say in antiques furniture end, because prices are higher than ever for antiquarian books, good jewelry, smalls, etc.

First, with the housing economy the way it is a lot of people are downsizing and selling off antique and used furniture. So there is a glut on the market.

Second, eBay has many former furniture dealers now scrambinlg for good smalls because they are easier to list and ship. So even if there is a good retail crowd at an auction, without heavy dealer competition the price comes down, drastically sometimes.

Many outside shows and flea markets are dying out also as a result of eBay and that is where a lot of antique furniture gets sold on the endmarket.

Don't get me wrong, I'm an avid eBay seller and a big eBay fan. But the online auction co. has had a huge impact on the furniture market and the times they are a changin as Mr. Dylan once sang.

The good news is, if your looking for furniture for your home, or are a dealer that still sells out of an antique shop, you can get great buys at auction. And I'm hearing the dealers in shops are in much better shape on the furniture end than auction houses because they sell primarily to a retail crowd. An auctioneer's clientele can be as much as 50% to 80% re-sale dealers. So you see the rub.

I'm not complaining, as an auctioneer I've learned to adjust my expectations and my market. I now pay a little less for heavy furniture lots and a little more for lots with many good smalls, it's all part of the game.