I love Mr. Gold’s work against religious discrimination…great use of those hard earned dollars!

However since this story is billed as money advice on furniture, I just have to dispute the notion that new furniture is a good investment. It is not. New furniture will NEVER increase in value, unless you are buying artisan quality pieces that you commission and are signed..i.e. art. I do have a small number of these pieces, but that’s it for new.

If you want to see furniture as an investment…buy ANTIQUE furniture. And I don’t mean mid 19th century factory produced, mass manufactured stuff. I’m talking true antiques or antiquities. Pieces that are utilitarian today but will never go down in value.

That 1,200 sofa?…not a good investment, it will only last 8 years he says. Buy an 1815 American Sheraton style sofa with reeded legs and some waterleaf carving on the arms…for 2 to 3k, or maybe a more simple country interpretation for a few hundred dollars less. The market is really depressed right now and that sofa is a great investment that someday might sell for 3 to 4k.

Cheap frames all matching for your photos? Might as well throw your money away. Photos go in albums. Art goes on walls. Buy some inexpensive unsigned 19th century paintings (many under 1k) and you will never be sorry. Look for no repairs and original frames.

Buy listed artists for much more money, but buy smart, and you can always sell your investment often for a profit.

Those ubiquitous little knick knacks that everyone hates to dust? Pick a genre you like and start a collection. You can even buy greek and roman sculpture reasonably if you don’t mind fragments. They won’t go down in value. I collect medieval and rennaissance spanish ironwork…lighting, windowgrills (rejas), nailheads, lanterns, chandeliers etc. Things I paid one or two thousand for a few years ago now appear for 4 or 5 thousand.

I encourage everyone to buy smart when furnishing their homes. If you have extra money and don’t treat your furnishings as investment, sure, buy new..but why? Its ugly and doesn’t last. Antiques have already lasted, and should continue to increase in value over the years. If I could give one piece of advice to new collectors it is to buy the best you can afford…the more unique, special or containing all the bells and whistles a piece has, the more it will appreciate.