The Asheford Institute has released its 16th annual survey of leading decorative arts purchasing trends from the past year, available both in print and digitally nationwide. This international study, conducted among the Institutes students and alumni, provides insights for industry professionals, offering a snapshot of the current decorative arts market and serving as a sales indicator for those in the antique and vintage trade. The schools unique position of having direct access to a substantial number of industry respondents has made the survey a staple for many in the decorative arts community. Tony Drew, the schools lead researcher, says the key to getting meaningful survey results that antique and vintage businesses can use to help plan their inventory and buying strategies for the upcoming year is based on receiving actual sales data, alongside item-specific requests from buyers, which can then be used to indicate interest within particular collecting genres. As with most businesses this past year, Drew says that ongoing worries related to interest rate hikes had an effect on segments of the economy early on, including antique and vintage concerns. High interest rates forced people to tighten their belts and head out in search of deals, including those related to decorative arts purchases, he said. The knock-on effect from this was that many of the dealers surveyed indicated a dramatic increase in foot-traffic for their bricks-and-clicks businesses, as people hunted down resale bargains, which translated into higher sales overall. The rising numbers were across the board, said Drew, however, there were some notable standouts when it came to the type of antiques and collectables people were buying. Amber Shole, whos been compiling survey data for the school for 13 years, says poll results showed that while some customers may have turned to the antique and vintage market for interest rate refuge and a cost of living hack, they stayed for much more. Its no longer simply about cost-conscious millennials and Gen Zs scooping up deals on Victorian furniture, says Shole, but more about buyers looking for long-term decorative commitments, with an eye towards sustainability, uniqueness, and eco-friendly options. Shole also noted that while fan favourites like Automobilia, Textiles, and to a lesser extent Mid-Century Modern continued to prowl near the top of the results board, there was a strong move towards more traditional antique themes and items, with an early 20th style that had largely been overlooked in the past decade suddenly surging up the charts. Thats whats really interesting about the surveys, says Shole, You never really know what categories are going to place where, until all the data is finally in, and even then the results can often come as a bit of a surprise. Contrary to previous polling samples, Shole says this years group of buyers also ran the gamut when it came to age. For the past few years its most definitely been the youngsters pushing the antique and vintage markets forward, she said, but as more traditional antiques have returned, so have some baby-boomers. All of which Shole says just goes to prove the old adage about surprises. For those wanting to view the entire line-up from this years annual survey of the best-selling antique and vintage genre categories from 2024, including this years winners, you can find results by visiting www.asheford.com/2024-survey-results.html. For more information about the schools distance learning program on antiques, vintage, appraising and the decorative arts, visit www.asheford.com, or email info@asheford.com. The Asheford Institute of Antiques is in Destin, Fla.