Middle Class Collectors?

I think it was a V&A video where I saw Grayson Perry describe us collectors as very 'middle class' - He's not someone I pay particular attention to, but I thought he was spot on this time (apologies if I have misquoted). All the dealers I know, and most collectors are distinctly 'educated'. Strangely enough the potters themselves seem more 'down to earth' ? (unlike GP) .... is this your experience?  

Grayson has a talent for speaking rubbish!
I know lots of dirt poor collectors from very working class backgrounds and know of several posh potters, a couple were even members of the aristocracy

dantheman wrote:Grayson has a talent for speaking rubbish!
I know lots of dirt poor collectors from very working class backgrounds and know of several posh potters, a couple were even members of the aristocracy

maybe the exceptions that prove the rule

nah    I have met hundreds of working class collectors including people who collect drip mats, trainers, match boxes etc

Collecting seems to be a fairly class-free pastime - the only thing that usually differs is the value of the items collected.

Even then there's no guarantee - I once visited the home of an obsessive Royal Copenhagen collector who lived in a poor area in a sad and tired terrace house with really neglected rooms... except for the back room, which was filled floor to ceiling with shelves of RC figures, some very rare, that they'd probably spent upwards of £250k on over the years.

collectors must never add up what they have spent over the years!   

I think GP was talking about people who collected his work

Nic wrote:Collecting seems to be a fairly class-free pastime - the only thing that usually differs is the value of the items collected.

Agreed, just look at Charles Saatchi, there's a Middle Class collector if there ever was one, but one with more money than sense seeing how he goes and wastes it on the likes of Hurst & Co.

As for potters, again they range from Lords & Ladies to working class. All depends on whether they get the bug.

NaomiM wrote:

Nic wrote:Collecting seems to be a fairly class-free pastime - the only thing that usually differs is the value of the items collected.

Agreed, just look at Charles Saatchi, there's a Middle Class collector if there ever was one, but one with more money than sense seeing how he goes and wastes it on the likes of Hurst & Co.

I can agree with you that Charles Saatchi has poor taste with some of the things that he's bought but never a waste of money. If Saatchi bought something, others wanted it, the prices soared and Saatchi made more money.

That is what is wrong with the art world in general - if you have rich, influential collectors your work is judged to be far more significant than the work of another artist whose has poor collectors or none at all.

Define class tho.
Vicar on barely average wage or less. £23,000?
Doctor on £100,000+
What the heck is Middle Class nowadays?

philpot wrote:Define class tho.
Vicar on barely average wage or less. £23,000?
Doctor on £100,000+
What the heck is Middle Class nowadays?

Agreed. Saatchi is a multimillionaire but still very Middle class

dantheman wrote:collectors must never add up what they have spent over the years!   

i agreed with you :) you win some and lose some, that's the essence of collecting i suppose...

top Class isn't about money never as been , it's a personal thing you either have it or you don't , most people don't that's why it's called class , grayson perry hasn't got anything a twat on the telly .

very true personal thing and depends on individual

The worse thing about society today is that the only thing that they all seem to want to be, irrespective of class, is "a twat on the telly".

am sorry, but i can hold myself from smiling   

i like this forum as each day goes by... only thing i do only is.... id help and stuff... think i should start reading your tread and your general discussion as is so much fun :)

Ah !,opinions ..don't ya just luv em '   

yes indeed, i do, so much fun reading this general discussion. very true ed!!! opinions :)