Antiques Roadshow

the_flying_pig

watching this tonight made me realise that this is another thing that the rampant HPI of the past decade or so has ruined.

i daresay most posters are familiar with the format - householders [usually at least middle aged, usually with the look of someone who's earned above average incomes over their working life, but rarely the 'rich'] bring antiques in to get valued by experts. regular watchers particularly look forward to instances of an unremarkable looking piece getting a really surprisingly high valuation, prompting lots of 'oohs' from the assembled blue rinse brigade in the live audience.

watching tonight's episode it occurred to me that the huge transfer of wealth from younger to older generation brought about by HPI means that the sums of money involved for the antiques are pretty much always chicken feed to the 'contestants'. not, perhaps, when set alongside the money they earn[ed] during their working lives, but certainly relative to their houseprice. this generation has already, essentially, been able to appropriate the future earnings of future generations thanks to, inter alia, the joys of the 4x joint salary mortgage. so what's a measly extra couple of tens of thousands of quid to them?

Running_Horse

They were round here a while back. It was funny watching a huge queue of oldies clutching their worthless tut, asking is it worth anything? Only to smile grimly and pretend to be pleased granny's junk was worth £50.

mayonnaise

the_flying_pig wrote: »

watching this tonight made me realise that this is another thing that the rampant HPI of the past decade or so has ruined.

i daresay most posters are familiar with the format - householders [usually at least middle aged, usually with the look of someone who's earned above average incomes over their working life, but rarely the 'rich'] bring antiques in to get valued by experts. regular watchers particularly look forward to instances of an unremarkable looking piece getting a really surprisingly high valuation, prompting lots of 'oohs' from the assembled blue rinse brigade in the live audience.

watching tonight's episode it occurred to me that the huge transfer of wealth from younger to older generation brought about by HPI means that the sums of money involved for the antiques are pretty much always chicken feed to the 'contestants'. not, perhaps, when set alongside the money they earn[ed] during their working lives, but certainly relative to their houseprice. this generation has already, essentially, been able to appropriate the future earnings of future generations thanks to, inter alia, the joys of the 4x joint salary mortgage. so what's a measly extra couple of tens of thousands of quid to them?

Wow.
Latin.
Italics.

Fac ut vivas.

Sapphire

It seems to me that the people bringing stuff to the show are often young – not just 'middle aged' – and many of them do not 'have the look of someone who's earned above average incomes over their working life'. As to why many of these people are older, it would hardly be surprising, would it? They have had more time to accumulate items, and have frequently inherited what they have, which they will pass to their children (though it seems to me that many of the latter do not appear to appreciate such gifts and the meanings behind them, and often just want to sell them for profit).

The OP smacks of envy, and reads as though it was written by someone who wants everything served up on a platter without making any effort. And to imply that older people have somehow stolen from him is simply idiotic. I know plenty of younger people who are doing really well – some people just need to realise that you have to work very hard to achieve success/money in life (unless you inherit from relatives). Moaning on an internet forum certainly won't achieve anything.

Generali

There are 2 sets of people I love on Antiques Roadshow: those who bought something in 1973 from a junk shop in Worthing for 20p that turns out to be worth £3,000 and the rich person wanting to show off their amazing clock/painting/jewellery that it turns out is worth £500 rather than the £50,000 they had expected.

BillJones

Sapphire wrote: »

The OP smacks of envy, and reads as though it was written by someone who wants everything served up on a platter without making any effort.

A remarkably common feature of posts around here.

"Why shoudl I get out there and make my way iin life, I want a hand out, not a hand up".

Screw 'em. Anyone wanting to get ahead in the UK today can do it just fine.

wotsthat

the_flying_pig wrote: »

this generation has already, essentially, been able to appropriate the future earnings of future generations thanks to, inter alia, the joys of the 4x joint salary mortgage. so what's a measly extra couple of tens of thousands of quid to them?

I don't know what sort of intergenerational warfare happens in your family but this is a non-issue in most.

If my grandparents, who weren't rich, turned up to Antiques Roadshow with their Poole Pottery to find it valued at £20k it would be sold and shared between us grandchildren quicker than you could say Wurthers Original.

ukcarper

With house prices being about 25% above long term average in terms of earnings and the average house price being about £170k that gain is about £34k which in most cases along with the other £136k will be left to the children so how have these evil old people gained.

wotsthat

ukcarper wrote: »

With house prices being about 25% above long term average in terms of earnings and the average house price being about £170k that gain is about £34k which in most cases along with the other £136k will be left to the children so how have these evil old people gained.

You need to do the 'woe is me' calculation.

Mr & Mrs Boomer 'pop off' this mortal coil and their 2 children sell the £170k home. Being ingrates they calculate that, combined, HPI has cost them £68k additional for their own house purchases, but their miserable parents have only left them £34k worth of HPI. And how far does £136k go when you've got to share with a hideous sibling?

Mr & Mrs Renters kids look on in bemusement. Their parents either didn't have the foresight or means to buy their own house so there's not even a partial offset against the £34k their kids need to find.

Of course, despite the evilness of Mssrs Boomer & Renter, neither took a penny of their wealth to the grave with them - everything they had was redistributed at death.

Graham_Devon

You can argue over the inheritance all you like.

Simple fact is, it aint gonna help with first time purchases. Most people inherit when they are around 50-60 years of age.

So make inane points about inheritance etc. But it simply doesn't help anyone on to the property ladder unless they are unfortunate enough to lose their parents at an early age.

By the time I see any inheritance, I'd hope to have grandkids of my own....

ukcarper

Graham_Devon wrote: »

You can argue over the inheritance all you like.

Simple fact is, it aint gonna help with first time purchases. Most people inherit when they are around 50-60 years of age.

So make inane points about inheritance etc. But it simply doesn't help anyone on to the property ladder unless they are unfortunate enough to lose their parents at an early age.

By the time I see any inheritance, I'd hope to have grandkids of my own....

Perhaps not all though it could help grandchildren but perhaps you can explain how it helps the older person. Bearing in mind that they are living in house and in many if not majority of cases they are not living in massive houses.


I can tell you it makes very little difference to me that my house is worth £30k or £40k more that it would have been if it had just increased in line with earnings.