I spent an amusing afternoon this last weekend helping to host an antique appraisal fair (think Antique Roadshow).  As expected, the mix of items was dominated by three sorts of objects: collectibles, old but inexpensive, and sentimental.  Also as expected, there were mild protestations and disappointment when an object, perceived by the owner to have monetary value (but it was Grandma’s, but it is pretty!) turned out to have little financial worth.

Objects can be classified as belonging to several categories at such an event: the genuine antique, the oddities, the collectible, the tag-sale item, and junk.  These five categories* are then modified by what one might consider the sentiment variable.  The genuine antique is the rarest category as it generally requires a substantial hand-crafted element, demonstrate a high level of quality for its type, and (despite the legal definition) to be over the century mark.  Oddities tends to cover the interesting tools, trade paraphernalia, and easily shades into the collectible and the antique.  Collectibles have imposed value: the object itself may not be worth much, but because a sufficiently large number of people have decided to amass groups of like items, monetary value is created.  If they stop being collected, their value drops.  The tag-sale item is just that, as is junk.

What about sentiment?  Sentiment is a modifier.  Object x would be classified by the disinterested party as a common, tag-sale item.  But, the invested party grew up with it and remembers Grandma was very proud of it.  Grandma was important, therefore object x is important, therefore its value ought to be commensurate.  We all do this; it is a form of attempted affirmation of our own social value.  Unfortunately, as any honest historian will grudgingly admit, most individuals aren’t that important to society.  Very few people are so important that their ownership or presence adds monetary value.

Where does that leave Esperanza?  Well, its items represent all of those categories, probably with a fairly even distribution.  Sentiment, plays a huge role, as do two other modifiers: context and provenance.  Objects in Esperanza have both context and provenance.  Background and stories add social value to an object.   The more detailed and rigorous the background, the more value.  Provenance travels with an object, as long as there is a paper trail.  Context does not.  Like sentiment, these modifiers, will generally not add financial value.  In rare cases provenance can, but like sentiment it requires really interesting people or events. 

And so forth.

*Take as read that the categories are fluid and not exclusive.