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Will Peak Oil Peak Interest in Antiques?

Discussions of conventional and alternative energy production technologies.

Will Peak Oil Peak Interest in Antiques?

Unread postby Vexed » Wed 24 Nov 2004, 19:00:43

Editorial from the Winter Edition of The Antique Quarterly newspaper, which is sent out to more than 15,000 antique collectors across the nation every 3 months:

Will Peak Oil Peak Interest In Antiques?
Future historians may refer to the 20th Century as the "oil" Century - a time when everything from airplanes to dinnerware was powered by or made from processed petroleum. The end of the 20th Century saw new oil discoveries shrink to half the rate of growing consumption. And now the prospect of "Peak Oil" ushers in an era where oil production starts to decline.

Oil's very nature is impermanent and as such finds little favor among antique collectors. As a fuel it is quickly burned. As "plastic" dinnerware it scratches, discolors, and deteriorates. Doll collectors shun "rubber." Inflatable toys from the 50's, polyester clothing from the 60's, and polystyrene cups from the 70's are hardly the makings of today's high demand collectables.

Antique collector's value glass, metal, pottery, even paper - things that have permanence. The dearth of collectables from the last quarter of the 20th century is in part due to the reality that so many things were made from petroleum based products, giving rise to a petro-chemical industry that today consumes 1.5 million barrels of oil each day.

Oil has changed our vocabulary, replacing the word "Conservation" with "Recycling." The idea that old, outdated products should be melted down and reformed into new products is based in the petroleum era. Those of us who prefer the old idea of "conservation" prefer materials that have inherent qualities designed to last generations; glass, china, silver, metal, wood, wool, cotton, clay, etc.

As the phenomena of Peak Oil accelerates, China is returning to coal fired power plants, the United States is looking to increase natural gas production, and the world is looking for alternate forms of energy. But there is little talk of reducing consumption, obsolescence or recycling.

As the 21st Century unfolds, just maybe the world will reconsider what antique collectors know and value. The best way to deal with "Peak Oil" is to reduce consumption by returning to the old idea of conservation. And by making things of materials that last, we not only reduce our dependence on oil, we surround ourselves with things that create a sense of permanence and continuity that can only improve the quality of our lives.
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