Will AI Make Our Antique Knowledge Obsolete?

I have always thought the more you learned about vintage and antique things the better, whether you’re a collector or seller. And I still think this. Knowledge is a powerful thing. To that end I have a small library of research books and, of course, the internet at my fingertips and occasionally reach out to experts.

But some sellers think that with AI in general and Google Lens in particular, our antiques knowledge is redundant. Obsolete. Unnecessary. One YouTube content creator recently said that for resellers Google Lens “eliminates the need for most knowledge.” The idea being that everyone can just point a phone at an object and find out on the spot what it is and if it’s worth buying.

And I had to disagree. Bigly!

First, Google Lens is not always accurate. It gets things wrong all the time. And you have to have enough knowledge to at least question the results.

Second, it’s not going to pick up subtleties of items that we see in person. Most of us can tell the difference between faux finishes and real patina. We can feel the weight of a crystal glass. We can spot poor workmanship or quality. We have the advantage of having it in our hands.

Third, you have to have enough knowledge to even know what items might be worth looking up. I see this all the time in thrift stores and other venues. Folks sail past items that they don’t even recognize as having value but are in fact, good, sellable items.

So do I use Google Lens when I’m out thrifting and antiquing? Yes, of course, but not all the time. For some items I don’t need it. For example, I’ve sold enough old brass menorahs to know what to look for, what will sell and what I can pay to still make a reasonable profit. I know what to look for in old picture frames and antique silver-plate items without doing any in-store research. But I would look up an artist’s name on a painting or a brand of crystal I’d never heard of.

Here’s the bottom line–having antique knowledge gives you an advantage, a leg up, on the person wandering a flea market with just a phone to rely on. I am confident that my knowledge and your knowledge will not become obsolete with AI.

Enough said!