The first is any old furniture, including something bought at Target last year, can be considered “green.” It’s not actually the furniture that’s green, it’s the choice of buying new vs. used. You’d never want to call an antique “used furniture,” however. That’s not encouraging anyone to look at the artistic and intrinsic value.

Second, consumers are savvy these days and see through every insincere promotion or statement. Antiques are being driven hundreds of miles in big trucks to be sold, sometimes taking on many more miles than a new product. That’s not a green practice.

The analysis is off the mark.
Antiques are Green: yes this works, the younger people understand it. our byline has been, for years that we are “antiques recyclers”. Our name, store, stock, and customers are based on this as a biz profile. And it works.

Antiques as an investment: partly true, but do comparison shopping at mid-low levels and you’ll see young people talking about stopping their purchases of chipboard and wanting at least “real wood” furniture again. We don’t have to tell them that — they learnt it after their second colllege move.

Antiquing as fun: well, that too is true, but secondary. It’s not fun unless you see the value in the items in front of you. Either you have the attitude or you don’t. Wheras the intro by $$ or “recyling” introduces them to antiques, and, well, the fun and joy can follow later.

IN fact, we offer our younger customers special under-30 discounts, and they keep coming back for more.

I’m sorta glad we don’t do shows anymore if they are to be considered as fun, learning experiences for the younger crowd.
Give em something they can use and want now, and they’ll grow with it later.