The cabinet reopens: collecting objects with a working life

The strongest collectibles share one quality: a working life. The Louis Vuitton trunk that crossed the Atlantic, the Leica that framed a family's century, the fountain pen that signed contracts — these objects carry use as beauty.

Our spring offering of collector's objects placed every single piece, and the pattern held throughout: honest wear outperformed sterile perfection.

The lesson for new collectors is liberating. Buy the object you will actually live with. The market increasingly agrees with you.