Monica Lewinsky's Handbags - This enterprising young woman has designed cloth tote-style bags and is marketing them aggressively. Aside from the questionable value of her name, does anything else about these handbags qualify them for the status of 'hot' collectible any time in the future? Our readers seemed to say "NOT" - only one vote (less than 5%) was cast for Monica's moneymakers.
Holographic Art - My article last month expresses my own opinion that the holographic images now being used extensively on credit cards for security purposes is only the beginning of a trend in graphic design. Less common but still available are trading cards and toys which utilize this technology. I wonder if it will become so commonplace that there would be no point in collecting early examples? Perhaps you readers agreed - again, only one vote was received for holographic art.
Cold War/Iron Curtain memorabilia - We now collect items from "occupied Japan", pre-WWII Germany, and the Czarist era because they represent a very specific political and economic period in history. With the end of the Cold War in the 1980's, and the rearrangement of the Eastern European political map, it seems reasonable to assume that products from the Cold War era or former "iron curtain" countries might represent nostalgia some time in the future. Nearly one-third of the total votes (7 of 23) were cast for this category.
Early models of Hand-held Computers/Electronics - It will take quite a few more years before this category qualifies as "antique" in the literal sense of the word, but already there are museums and collections of early computers. We find fascination in the changes in style, technology, and use which has occurred so rapidly. Collecting hand-held electronics will be easier to buy, store and display than their furniture-size forebears and room-sized antecedents! About 18% of the total votes cast were entered for this category - 6 out of 23.
Plastic Kitchenware of the 1950's - Our big vote winner, plastic dinnerware and kitchenware is already showing up at the shows and is the subject of recent media attention. MARTHA STEWART LIVING features plastic dinnerware of the 1950's in this month's issue, and Ralph and Terry Kovel mentioned its potential for increased value on their television program last month. 43% (10 of 23) of all the votes in this poll went to plastic kitchenware.
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