This paragraph answers the question:<p>&gt;<i>Antique furniture went mainstream in Europe in the second half of the 19th century, as the bourgeoisie found themselves with more disposable income and developed a desire to invest in their homes. The antique trade boomed in Paris and London. By 1890 Paris had 300 antique shops, up from 25 around 1850, says Manuel Charpy, a historian. But antiques, like clothes, go in and out of style. They boomed again in the 1950s and 1980s, when “period rooms” in a single nostalgic style were all the rage.</i><p>The upwardly mobile &#x2F; striver class of middle class people with money to burn and a need to signal their social position is both smaller and made up differently than it was before. Instead of the traditional professional classes, we are in the age of the technician and skilled tradesman.<p>High-tech folk are dominated by engineers, a substantial portion of who hail from Asia. Their collecting tastes trend toward tech toys and away from European traditions. Skilled tradespeople are like a branch of applied engineers. Plumbers, electricians, gear heads and HVAC people tend to buy old cars, not 18th century furniture or silver service.<p>Also, people are less social than ever before, so status symbols shift. When you look at 3000 ft^2 homes, you see lots of fancy exterior stuff, and empty interiors. There&#x27;s no stigma to owning a million dollar home and sitting on beanbags today.