The Young Collector: It Is Easy Being Green

The Young Collector

by Hollie Davis and Andrew Richmond

Kermit the Frog was right. It's not easy being green, at least not initially. "Initially" is where we think the antiques business is stuck at the moment. We all hear about it a lot, talk about it a little, and do about it next to nothing. We need to do more, if we're serious about being "green" as a positive aspect to our business.

Some people are stuck on the debate over whether global warming really exists, so let's address that right up front. It doesn't matter. Regardless of how long you think the planet has been here and how you interpret evidence about previous ice ages and heat waves, it still doesn't matter. Whether you even believe in global warming doesn't matter. At the end of the day, no matter what your opinion is about the long-term damage, we can all pretty much agree that there's no argument under which excessive plastic, excessive garbage, and excessive chemicals can be a good thing, right? Whether you think it contributes to the melting of the polar icecaps or not, chemical run-off can't be a good thing for the earth or any of us who live here, drink the water, and consume the crops. At the very least, the whole argument falls into the category of "can't hurt, might help."

Some people at the other end of the spectrum occasionally get stuck on finer points of the debate, trying to calculate which is the lesser of two evils. For instance, there are people who will debate reusable flatware versus disposable flatware. One side says that disposable flatware is awful—it fills up landfills, it contributes to litter, and the production process releases chemicals. The other side will tell you that reusable flatware is awful—it contributes to the spread of germs, gallons of water are contaminated in the effort to clean and sterilize it, and soap surfactants cause damage to wetland ecosystems.

You can wade into these debates to the point where you just start to feel as though you would be better off dead, no longer contaminating the environment. But then you begin to wonder whether you should be buried (contributing to the monopolization of land) or cremated (releasing carbon into the environment and removing your value as compost). You can discuss the various merits of options until nothing seems like a good choice. It's a situation where you have to tell yourself that trying counts. Making an effort sets an example, makes a difference, and moves us further down the road. We don't have solid answers to many of the environmental questions we ask, but unless we continue to ask them and care about the answers, that won't change. So we have to keep moving forward.

Fortunately, moving forward is pretty easy, and because people have kept asking those questions for decades now, there's so much information available about making better choices. We really need to move beyond giving lip service to the idea to creating a real industry-wide effort. From a business standpoint, there's a lot you can do that doesn't require much effort. Get a copy of the "Antiques Are Green" logo from the New England Antiques Journal and stick it on everything you do. Put it on your business cards, your mailings, your ads, and your Web site. Get a "Go Green Buy Antiques" window decal from Antiques and Fine Art for your car (Andrew has one on his company car—a hybrid). For people who aren't already aware, tell them—antiques are green.

Then, spend a few hours on line one afternoon doing some searching. Google search terms such as "eco-friendly furniture," "sustainable design," "green furniture," or "recycled furniture." Familiarize yourself a bit with what's out there. You'll soon see that a great deal of the new material being produced in eco-friendly ways is fairly expensive, more expensive than many quality antiques that are available every weekend at shows and auctions. You'll get a sense of what the concerns are—transportation pollution, deforestation, leather and silk production methods, etc. And if you've got a Web site with current inventory, think about offering to exchange links with some of the resources out there designed to guide people to environmentally responsible furnishing choices.

After you get comfortable with some of the basics, you can start looking to make larger business choices. For instance, when having postcards printed for a show, ask about soy-based ink. (Traditional inks are petroleum-based, and studies show that soy-based inks degrade about four times more completely. Plus, printers generally agree that the colors are brighter and they use less ink, which often means that there's little or no price increase.) See about printing on recycled paper or FSC-certified paper, which has been an option for quite some time (FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council). Then boast about your choice-in the fine print, of course. You can find out more on our blog (http://youngantiquescollectors.blogspot.com).

Depending on what kind of paper you start off with, it's estimated that paper can be recycled up to seven times! Think how much material we'd save if all the paper we used could be reused even three or four times. You might be surprised at what a difference a small step can make. At Garth's (where Andrew works) the folks sure were surprised when they decided to move to a slightly smaller format for their auction catalogs. Now, each time they print a catalog, they save enough paper to cover about a half acre of ground. It really does add up.

We also need to start asking more questions as an industry and demanding more from the folks with whom we do business. All show promoters and auction houses need to be doing the same things mentioned above. Ask them about these same things—soy-based inks, recycled paper, etc.

Shows and auctions also need to be more conscious of what they make available in terms of food service. It's not always possible, but organic options are nice. The food at the Deerfield show is always terrific-for those who are health or environmentally conscious, most of the food is organic, and everyone else just seems pleased at the deviation from the normal routine of hotdogs, nachos, and soda.

What does it say to the average environmentally conscious young person who starts showing up at antiques shows, after hearing about the green factor, only to see all the food served in Styrofoam containers? Seriously, polystyrene is virtually indestructible—it never goes away. Even McDonald's recognized this almost 20 years ago, and you know you're way behind the curve in terms of health and the environment when you're behind McDonald's!

The "Antiques Are Green" movement cannot just be a marketing gimmick. We're not saying that all dealers and auctioneers should start composting (but we recommend it), but, to recycle a favorite adage, if you are going to talk the talk, you had better walk the walk. Otherwise, we risk appearing patronizing and disingenuous, and whether you agree with them or not, most eco-conscious folks are genuine in their beliefs and earnest in their choices. We don't all have to be members of Greenpeace, but if we want this to work for us, we need to be sincere and make our best effort to implement the concept, not just say whatever is necessary to make a sale.

You may be surprised at the changes you find yourself making, and when you see the impact of those small changes, you may be inspired to do even more. We're not of the most environmentally aware generation, and we started small a few years ago. At first, we just thought we should recycle. We don't have that option available with our garbage service, so we put some bins in the pantry, collected just the glass, metal, and paper from our household, and made trips twice a month into town to drop it off in public recycling containers. We noticed quickly that we reduced our trash from three or four bags a week to just one to two. After that, we put an old laundry tub by the back door and started tossing out scraps for composting. (It really isn't that weird, folks.) Now, a few years later, we're vegetarians, we try a secondhand store first when we need to replace a broken kitchen utensil, and we shop at thrift stores for clothing. (Our Goodwill even has a frequent buyer's program!)

It's a good time to make these changes, and it addresses so many of the problems we see in America—we're more responsible consumers; we purchase more from small independent retailers than big-box stores; and we save money, which, of course, we immediately spend on antiques.

We welcome ideas, tips, criticisms, and questions regarding "The Young Collector." Andrew and Hollie may be reached by e-mail <youngcollectors@maineantiquedigest.com> or by writing The Young Collector, c/o Maine Antique Digest, PO Box 1429, Waldoboro, ME 04572.

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