Why are humans so fascinated with extremely old objects that are mainly useless in todays world (antiques)

Old things have stood the test of time. There is true beauty in this. This is the loveliness of old people, visible if you look a bit deeper.

Because they feel like treasures.

they have money to invest

i have half an answer. I learned it from a dealer in rare books.

To some people, some items have manna ( magic.) the item effects their emotions deeply. that feeling could be nostalgia, greed, etc., depending on the individual. if the person is effected enough , they want the item. If LOTS of people want an old item, simple laws of supply & demand kick in.

as in - there is only one Calvin & Hobbes book signed by Bill Watterson ( not true, but for example) & MANY MANY people loved the Calvin & Hobbes comic strip.
they want the feeling back. they get in a bidding war for the book.

The tricky thing is that desirability /manna/value goes up & down because this is emotion based. The older something is, the less the manna fluctuates, but it does still fluctuate some, as things go out of fashion, for whatever reason.

i like some of them ..but not all .. only paintings, silver mugs or so.old jewelrely..even some objects..
i would not eat from an old plate even if i would admire it.
i like the mouvies whetre they wear old long dresses & oufits..

well i would like to have a fashion like that.but more simplificated..because it would weigh too much..

we like them because they r very beautiful, now it is difficult to make things like this for such a big number of people..but they could improve it..if it were not all connected to this current of cubism..where everithing even the bed, or the armchair or the skirt or a painting looks like cub..either in form..or in colour or etc..no funny at all..no details..etc..

Firstly, it could have something to do with their past, sometime which they can no longer savor but still reminisce. For example, an old man who used to work in the army might love so old army antiques.

Secondly, people know that there r people out there who enjoy antiques, like the old man, & know they r willing to pay for it. So these people enjoy the moment more than the antiques, but still try everything they can to get their hands on the antiques anyway.

Thirdly, antiques r a wonderful artifact of our past. Why r museums so interesting? Same reason. It brings us into a world which we never had a chance to know.

Lastly, its just presence i guess. Alot of people i know love antique because of its quality like old cupboards & stuff.

Your like this because the authorities have told u to be. Just like a skateboard. They made on, they told us we needed one, & we bought it. Also they jump on the bandwagon to make it look like their idea. ie, car boot sales, we had em, they made a program of it & they benefit by u watching it. Then came the antiques roadshow. Your looking for a maritime watch that del boy & rodney found in order to become extremely rich. Then came the auctions, They tell u to go & we go. Theyre useless. Take ebay. (And im a member). An easy way to sell ur unwanted stuff & make some money. An auction company makes money for that auction company. They charge extortionate rates to advertise, then they want a cut of the profits. Not only that because theyre in league with payment brokers, payment brokers take their cut. NOT ONLY THAT, u have to pay large postage fees. Auction companies, payment companies & mail companiesl make 1/3rd or thereabouts of ur so called profit. They bragged about walter raeiley & he brought spuds & he brought tobacco. And look whats happening now. They tell us its good so we buy it while they become rich. Then later it turns out its not good for us. But were punished again for smoking in built up areas. Again this is them jumping on the bandwagon because were sick of their useless products. They make a computer. We have to build it. They make money by making problems where none exist. Have u got an old item. NO, then u need one. You bought it. All the time (take coins for instance), theyve got us looking for the penny thats worth a fortune, but they know there arent any. They have em all, otherwise they wouldnt be worth a fortune.

I think its nostalgia..

I love finding toys of my childhood, like the She-ra dolls, Tomy video games, Keypers, Garbage Pail stickers..

Because humans are explorers and we seek knowledge. We like to know where we came from and how we got here.

Antiques and relics tell us some of this. They help show us how far we've come in terms of technology and how we use to live.

Not to mention that lots of antiques (like Victorian furniture), are beautiful to look at.

Antiques usually are more aesthetically pleasing than modern gadgets. They are a great inspiration that we should all learn from.

Also, we are all related to people that lived 100 is of years ago and antiques seem to be the only contact we will have with them.

Heritage and often Quality

In the age of mass production, flat pack and batteries the mechanical and hand made objects that used to fulfill many purposes in everyday life give a snapshot into how life used to be before everything became disposable.

Often these items are still superior to what is commonly available today.

Sense of history, connection with the past. Often stuff from back then has a level of craftmanship that is far above most of today is mass-produced objects.

Because they give an insight into the lifestyles and problem solving abilities of our forefathers.

they want to cling opn to whats gone forever. a piece of history they want. old fogies. nothing better to do. have no friends. interested in history.. curious are some posiblities.

youd have to ask a liberal democrat

Excellent question. As one of my kids said on the subject of antiques: ''Just because it is really old, does not automatically make it interesting.''

I do not see the fascination in old crap (antiques) myself.