Baskets

A few years ago baskets were the hottest items to buy, sell or trade on the internet. Baskets were the darlings of the eBay groupies and were almost as hot as the “beanie baby” craze. From Nantucket and Shaker baskets to sweetgrass baskets made by Gullah women in the low country of the Carolinas, 100% annual increases in value were not uncommon. Sometimes they would double in days or weeks. Baskets replaced Tupperware as the “party” item of choice in suburbia. Longaberger was once one the most searched words on the web.

Then, like the famous collapse of the tulip market in Holland in the middle of the 17th century, the bottom fell out of the baskets, so to speak, and they landed with a thud. Because they are now as cold as they were hot, this may be an excellent time to purchase high quality baskets. With a bit of sniffing around on Google or Yahoo, you may be able to locate some excellent values.

Just be careful. Low end knock offs that looked like the real thing may have been what contributed to the sudden demise of the basket market. If you’re a novice, do some research; if you’re an old pro, keep you eyes open at the local flea market and garage sell. There are basket bargains to be had.

Wyoming John
Reprinted with the Permission of the Author