New times affect collectibles show
By Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writer
The 12th annual All Collectors Show is under way at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall, and by yesterday veteran collectibles experts were saying they had noticed a change in what folks were looking for in the way of vintage goodies.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
Most connected the new mood to recent events, particularly 9/11 and the crisis in corporate America.
Linny Morris Cunningham, who has had a booth for two years, displays 1950s European and American glass at the All Collectors Show at the Blaisdell.
"After 9/11, I think people are wanting to go back to things that are familiar to them, something from their childhood," said Ilene Wong, co-founder of the event.
Wong saw a trend to spend more time at home, and buyers who have begun to favor collectibles that add to the "nesting" experience.
Abby Wallace, who has occupied the 'ewa-mauka corner of the exhibition hall for years, said she is a low-end specialist whose sales average less than $10.
"Two dollars still always sells good," said Wallace, whose selection of thousands of small items attracts a wide cross-section of buyers. "That's a magic number. If I put $5 on the tag, I'll sell it for $2. You've always got to cut it down. If you don't, they'll never buy."
The show, which started Friday, continues today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 941-9754.
But this time they're not buying what they snatched up last year, Wallace said.
Ends today
"Before, they wanted older stuff, things from the 1920s and '30s. Now they're looking for newer things, from the 1970s and '80s."
Wallace agreed that people seem to long for "feel-good stuff" that reminds them of a more secure time in their history.
Gerald Kwock, who began "collecting everything" in 1946 and has seen every trend come and go in the past half century, agreed people were buying differently this year.
"They're more picky," said Kwock, who claims Friday was the third best opening in the 12 years he has had a booth, though the buying tapered off afterward.
"The glory days are gone. Before 9/11, they just whipped out the money and bought it. Now they're more conservative, and even if it's a good deal they only buy one."
For newcomers to the game, any buying experience was new.
"This is only my second year," said Linny Morris Cunningham, who sells vintage glass from the 1950s. "I'm not sure what people want. I just had such a great time last year, I decided to come back."
Her husband, Mark, who was selling tiki at the next booth, was less certain.
"I'm not really a dealer," he said. "This is my home clearance sale. We just don't have enough real estate for this stuff. As it is we have to tiptoe through all the glass and tiki crammed in our living room."
