based on this chain, I sort of fall into the younger range at 43. I can tell you that my wife and I really love to go antiquing and looking at old furniture, but what stops us from purchasing many items are:
1. The styling doesnt match what we have set for our home
2. Good quality is usually quite expensive
3. Many of the pieces would just be show pieces and not functional (china buffet and hutch, lovers lounge chair(- I have 3 kids aged 17 to 6. Things of value like that get destroyed. What I felt was an investment would be gone and then it would be wasted money in my eyes
Even though as a woodworker I know the effort and time that goes into making good furniture (so I am told - I havent made sh!t yet) I usually cant justify $1000+ for a single chair when for $300 more I can buy a brand new couch and sofa set with built in recliner. Yes, its probably going to be gone in 5 years, but it sits my whole family, I can geta guarantee if it breaks or I spill stuff on it, and it fits my contemporary styling choices.
Just my .00002 cents