For our final installment of this year’s Clutter Challenge, we are addressing wine and fur. We have combined these two categories, because they require similar elements for proper storage. And, if not stored properly, their value can drop significantly.
When we go into a client’s house, we often see collections of wine in various states of storage. The best temperature for wine storage is between 50º and 60º with 65% humidity and the bottles lying flat or at a slight angle to ensure the cork is covered completely by the wine.
Wine that is stored improperly can easily be ruined. The difficulty is in knowing whether that has occurred, as it’s not until the bottle is opened that it becomes obvious.
Wine consultants are easily able to asses and value a collection for private sale, and many auction houses include wine sales throughout the year or offer online solutions.
Fur can be a temperature-sensitive item. While current furs are constructed in a way that requires less maintenance, older furs are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations in storage. Stored improperly, older pelts tend to dry up rendering them unusable.
Buyers, however, are still interested in furs because they can be transformed into:
Maintaining your fur properly will support its value over time, but, like art and jewelry, fur is still subject to fashion trends.
As with most everything we have addressed in this year’s luxury edition of our Clutter Challenge, fur and wine are subject to trends. Not only for resale value, but also for sharing with family. As we’ve seen, personal taste is subjective and also generational. Items that used to be handed down to the next generation aren’t often wanted or appreciated anymore.
We feel the best way to address the luxury items in our lives is to enjoy them. If we can’t enjoy them, because of a life-change or lack of space for proper storage or display, then it’s best to follow these steps:
Another year of our Clutter Challenge has come to an end. We hope you have found this information helpful and informative. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
All my best,
Claudia