During the 1990s, we have seen comparable moves in other top-end vintage clothing. And lesser known quality names have had similar rates of appreciation. While future inflationary trends should benefit the discriminating collector in vintage clothing, clearly factors other than inflation were giving a boost to vintage clothing. A change in the size of the constituency implies a change in the structure of the market. Through electronic payment systems, collectors can purchase online more efficiently than ever before.
Technological advances enlarge the constituency.
If we examine separately the factors that have benefited the field of vintage clothing during the 1990s, we can only conclude that these factors will remain in force and accelerate in the years ahead. The near-term adoption of broadband high speed internet access through DSL or cable will greatly benefit vintage clothing. It will become even more convenient for many WWW users to view high resolution pictures of fine vintage clothing. As the signs of generalized inflation appear, together with the weakening of the financial markets, investors will turn, as they have in the past, to hard assets like jewelry and fine collectibles. It is clear that the patient and discriminating collector of vintage clothing can expect in the years ahead, not only the aesthetic enjoyment of a growing collection, but also an investment return that should outstrip what financial assets will produce.