Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
5.1 Stability: local longevity for a discerning clientele?
In the early years the antiquarian the trade was centred upon London.
European dealers visited Edwards to acquire maps and atlases of their
regions (Scott 1999). The discerning collector built a relationship with a
dealer who scoured the market for specialist wishes. Face-to-face contact
was important. Dealers were keen to stress the longevity of their busi-
nesses. The trade is still painted as conservative and reliable. Dealers still
encourage collectors not to risk getting their fingers burnt at auction and
map galleries still exhort collectors to rely upon the dealer as a filter
against the ever-present danger of forgeries. The
need for authenticity
is a
powerful discourse underpinning the operation of the trade.
As the market disseminated across Europe and to the USA, so craft service
came under pressure from global and capitalist forces. New more aggres-
sive players entered the market. Map Fairs have offered an alternative to
selling from a gallery. IMCoS the International Map Collecting Society
grew from a largely British membership to a much more global force: now
around 70% of its membership are not British and over 30% of its mem-
bership is American. Its prime event is a four-day annual symposium.
Regularly updated web sites sell mapping, e-mail allows dealers to keep in
touch with their customer base and e-Bay allows customers direct access to
on-line map auctions. Web-based dealing has eroded established power
relations between dealers and collectors, allowed new and small entrants
equal access to their longer established competitors. But the trade remains
anchored to the money and market and the traditional centres of power
remain in London, and New York.
5.2 Monetary matters
Dealers' introductions to collectors urge them not to regard antiquarian
maps as an investment, but investing collectors and dealers have vested
interests in encouraging a healthy growth in prices. Since 1983 prices
reached by maps and atlases at auction have been collated and are avail-
able in machine-readable form with annual update in (Maprecord 2010).
Examination of these records reveals a growth well in excess of inflation
for many kinds of antiquarian mapping. Dealers recount an ongoing rise
since the 1970s of between 5% and 20% a year in antiquarian maps prices,
reflecting growing demand.
