The New Antiques: Fieldings Auctioneers Presents September Vinyl, Memorabilia and Vintage Toy Auction

Discover around 500 lots of vinyl, music memorabilia, posters and vintage toys at Fieldings Auctioneers on 24th September.

Or why not consign your collection?

There was a time when the word ‘antique’ meant something considerably older than most of us could remember. But the world of collecting is changing, and some of the objects now attracting serious interest are things many of us grew up with.

From vinyl records and music posters to vintage toys and entertainment memorabilia, the 1980s and 1990s are increasingly finding their place in the modern collecting market.

That will be particularly evident at Fieldings Auctioneers on Thursday 24th September, when around 500 lots of vinyl, music and entertainment memorabilia, posters and vintage toys feature in the auction house’s Bespoke online-only auction range.

It is a regular fixture in Fieldings’ auction calendar and one that consistently attracts collectors and enthusiasts. But it also reflects something broader happening in the collecting world.

The generation that grew up with it

One of the interesting things about the current market is the age of the collector.

Those who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s are now in their 40s and 50s. They have moved beyond simply remembering the things they loved as children and, in many cases, are now in a position to collect them.

For some, it might be the records they listened to as teenagers. For others, it could be the toys they wanted for Christmas, the posters that covered their bedroom walls, or memorabilia connected to the films, television shows and music that defined their youth.

That personal connection is an important part of today's market. Collecting isn't always about finding something hundreds of years old. Increasingly, it is about finding something that means something to you.

The 80s and 90s are leading the way

The influence of these two decades can be seen particularly clearly across vinyl and vintage toys.

While classic records from earlier decades remain highly collectable, interest in 1980s and 1990s music continues to grow as a new generation of collectors discovers or rediscovers the records they remember.

The same can be said for toys. From action figures and playsets to vehicles, games and character merchandise, the toys of the 80s and 90s are no longer simply childhood possessions. For many collectors, they are now pieces of cultural history.

Rachel Holland, Director and Vinyl & Memorabilia Specialist at Fieldings, and Mark Bird, Vintage Toy Consultant, are seeing this changing market through the collections and individual items that come through the auction house.

What might be hiding in your loft?

This changing market also makes for an interesting question for anyone who has spent years storing their old collections.

That box of records you haven't looked through for twenty years? The toys packed away after the children grew up? The concert posters, programmes or music memorabilia that have been sitting in a cupboard?

They may be worth a second look.

It isn't about assuming everything from the 80s and 90s is valuable,  it isn't. Condition, rarity, demand, originality and provenance can all make a difference. But what was once considered simply ‘old stuff’ is increasingly being viewed through the eyes of collectors.

From memories to the next generation of antiques

Perhaps that is what makes this area of the auction market so interesting. The things that defined our childhoods are gradually becoming the antiques of tomorrow.

For anyone thinking about selling, Fieldings welcomes enquiries about vinyl collections, music memorabilia, posters, vintage toys and other collectables from popular culture. A single interesting item can be worth discussing just as much as a large collection, and specialist advice can help determine whether something is suitable for a forthcoming auction.

If you have something you would like to find out more about, contact Fieldings Auctioneers to arrange a valuation appointment, or have an initial informal chat with Rachel or Mark. You can contact Rachel at rachel@fieldingsauctioneers.co.uk or Mark at markbird@fieldingsauctioneers.co.uk.

You can also take a look at the current auction and browse the lots to get a feel for the material being offered: browse the current Vinyl, Music & Memorabilia auction.

The September sale is another reminder that collecting is constantly evolving. And for the generation that grew up with the 80s and 90s, the next generation of antiques might already be sitting in the loft.