Contrary to popular belief, building a collection is not reserved for the wealthy. Because pieces of old furniture can be found for a few hundred or thousands of euros. With a trained eye, you will buy branded lighting fixtures or iconic armchairs and be able to cash in nice capital gains by reselling them ten years later. As long as you agree to devote time to it, because it is a time-consuming activity.
For this reason, do not invest just to get a good deal, but first buy items that you like. Especially since the market experiences ups and downs. For example, furniture from the 1920s is a little less popular today than ten years ago, unlike that of the 1950s, which is very popular.
To minimize risks, only select quality furniture. “Certain beautiful original objects are sometimes worth two to three times less than their reissued version,” confides Stanislas Kolli, antiques dealer at the eponymous gallery in Paris. If they are mass-produced parts, check that they bear the original manufacturer’s mark. For example Ligne Roset for the Togo sofa, Roche Bobois for the Bubble sofa or Knoll for the Tulip table.
Choose materials that patina over time such as wood, steel, glass or leather. They will age better than plywood, plastic and leatherette and will be resold more easily, therefore more expensive. In the same vein, neutral colors are to be preferred to rare shades. “The most sought-after Togo sofas are camel, then white or ecru and then black or gray,” confides Stanislas Kolli.
To make the right choices, it is essential to exercise your taste! Consult books that list typical objects of an era and decoration magazines. “In general, when they all show interiors with the same furniture, it’s a good time to sell them,” laughs Olivier Garel-Galais, notary in Lyon and member of the Monassier Group. Don’t neglect social networks either, especially Pinterest and Instagram. “They allow you to quickly find your favorite style and identify specialists,” explains Stanislas Kolli.
To buy, visit galleries, fairs and exhibitions. Bid in the auction room, live or via the Interentreprises website. Get up at dawn to wander the garage sales and visit the consignment stores and resource centers. Also put alerts on sites like eBay or Selency, which take significant commissions, but offer guarantees. To pay less, Leboncoin is interesting, but, to avoid disappointment, ask the seller for additional information. And move if the item exceeds a thousand euros.
An article from the L’Express special report “Investing in 2024: the right strategies for an uncertain environment”, published in the weekly on February 15.