Antiques: Is Old Better than New?

Old is Better than New My brother-in-law Marcus loves antiques. That was the main reason why his grandmother left him an old cupboard in her will. He had often admired it in her home and told her how much he liked it. The cupboard is now in Marcus’ house, where it gives character to the cloak-room. It is a traditional Swedish cupboard, hand-made over 200 years ago and painted in the rustic style that was characteristic for the taste of the countryside people of that time. Its colors have faded, but it is truly gorgeous and invites you to take a closer look at all its details. You can picture the carpenter working on it in his little workshop, adding wood-carvings just for the beauty of the cupboard and making sure this piece of furniture would be able to serve many generations of a family. Not everybody shares Marcus’ love for antiques though. Nowadays many people are drawn to novelty. Fashion changes constantly, and new trends are born every day. Should it be your goal to follow the trends and upgrade your personal belongings to the latest and the newest on the market? When it comes to furniture, the answer might surprise you. I have found that antiques often can be a better choice than newly manufactured furniture when it comes to economy, quality and adding personality to your home. (Thesis statement) If you buy a new cabinet, you will find that the value of it starts to decrease as soon as you bring it home. If you sell it a year later, the money you will get for it will not come anywhere near the original price tag. With an antique piece of furniture, it may very well be just the other way around. For example; you buy an old, used cabinet and you use it until you for some reason decide to sell it. When you find out the current value of the cabinet, you might be in for a pleasant surprise. There is actually the chance for you to make a profit. If you do not make a profit, you can still count on getting a higher percent of the purchase price back