The Asheford Institutes 15th annual survey of top decorative arts buying trends from the past 12 months is now available in print and digitally nationwide. The international poll of students and alumni by the institute serves as a guidepost for many in the industry, especially as it relates to the current state of todays decorative arts marketplace, and as a directional sales barometer for those working in the antique and vintage business. The schools unique position of having unfettered and direct access to a substantial number of industry respondentshas made the surveya staple for many in the decorative arts community. Anthony Harper, the schools lead researcher, says the key to getting meaningful survey results that antique and vintage businesses can actually 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 a particular collecting genre. Harper says that while most other industries suffered from early supply-chain issues in 2023, it was actuallya boon to many working in the decorative arts business, since supplies ofused goods were already readily available. People turned to antiques and vintage items when they couldnt source new, said Harper, in large part because the items were right there in front of themand could be immediately taken home. This accessibilityhelped bolster sales of Victorian era and early American pieces, according to many of the dealers involved in the survey. Although supply-chain-buys from those originally looking topurchase new could have potentially affected the polls stats, Harper says hes firmly convinced the numbers will hold. Our survey has been showing a resurgence of interest relatedto brown furniture for a while now, he noted, but this past year it really began to resonate in a much larger way with a variety of different buyers andcollectors. Fan favorites like Mid-Century Modern and Art Deco also continued to run strong with many of the dealers who participated in the poll; however, Amber Shole, whos been compiling school survey statistics for over 12 years now, says there were some newcomers to the scene as well. The modern motif isnt over by a long-shot, said Shole, who admitted to witnessing a surprising comeback from a look that many had relegatedto the oddities-pile of the 1980s. Its definitely not a trend I was expecting to see, she said, but Ive learned over the years to never underestimate peoples affinity for nostalgia.Shole went on to say that aside from the quirky 1980s style reboot, there was also another one from the 1950s which didnt involve MCM, but also made the list. Its really interesting, she says, just when you think youve seen everything from a particular period of time and collecting genre, something else pops up seemingly out of nowhere. All of which, Shole says, is why she thinks readers are likely to find a few unexpected surprises in this years survey results. Readers seeking the complete 2023 listing of all the best-selling antique and vintage genres and categories contained within the schools yearly poll and survey can find the full results (including this years winner) by visiting www.asheford.com/2023-survey-results.html. To learn more about the antiques and appraisal study program being offered by the institute, call 877-444-4508 or emailinfo@asheford.com.