As an appraiser and home reduction consultant, I have the opportunity to visit many homes. Most of the houses I visit have Formal dining room which normally consists of:

• Table: Typically mahogany, cherry, walnut, maple, oak, or pine, and of different make, age, and style.

• Chairs: Usually 4-6-8-12 chairs, and chairs often, but not always, match.

• Hutch: The hutch will normally have a glass door or an open top and a closed bottom.

• Sideboard and / or Buffet: With closed top and bottom display space.

• Best china, glassware and figurines: Generally better glassware and crystal (Waterford, Lalique, Baccarat, etc.), some better porcelain (Limoges, Wedgwood, Lenox, etc.), some better figures (Hummel, Lladro, Royal Doulton, etc.), some accessories are exhibited sterling silver and / or silver plates, and other select items.

• All the rest: Usually hidden under the hutch, sideboard or buffet is a dinnerware set, some additional silverware and accessories made of sterling silver or silver plates, assorted serving trays and bowls, tablecloths and napkins, place mats and other sundries . These items often have a festive theme. And often these items were received as wedding gifts 20, 30, or more than 40 years ago.

Traditionally, the formal dining room has been reserved for family gatherings such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. However, in far too many homes, the dining room is used significantly less today than in previous years.

Most families have the best of intentions. They honestly intend to use this room for their next important family gathering. But as that special date approaches, reality generally sinks in and few are willing to do all the work associated with a formal dining room. As a result, an increasing number of households choose the easier route: They take out the paper and plastic and dine in a more informal setting.

I’m not suggesting that anyone use the formal dining room today. Some do. But what I’m suggesting is that the 60+ generation uses it less often than in previous decades. I am suggesting that the 30-50+ generation uses it much less frequently than their parents’ generation. And I’m suggesting that the formal dining room, as we know it, is in decline … and on the brink of extinction.

The formal dining room is not going away because people don’t like good things. Rather, it is disappearing due to all the work associated with its use. Today, far fewer families are willing to:

• Wash porcelain before eating (because it has not been used for so long).

• Wash dishes after eating.

• Wash and iron the cloth tablecloth and napkins.

• Polish the silver.

• Attach the table extension blades.

• Dust the chochkees.

• In fact, eat in the dining room … away from the football game on TV.

And sadly, with the decline of the formal dining experience, the demand for traditional furniture and accessories has also declined. With the exception of sterling silver cutlery and accessories, the value of which fluctuates with the daily spot price of silver, the value of most other dining room furniture and accessories has declined significantly in recent years.

As an example, I recently had a client downsizing from a 4-bedroom home to a retirement community. As part of downsizing his house, we sold 104 pieces of his Rosenthal China (a high-end German porcelain), all in excellent condition and including some better serving pieces. It only brought in $ 40 at a highly reputable regional auction house. At the same auction, the same customer sold a single child sterling silver handle mug that sold for $ 75.

How the heck can a single sterling silver goblet be worth more than 104 pieces of Rosenthal porcelain? I attribute this to four things:

• The soft economy: Nobody really needs these items today. With the falling value of real estate and people’s retirement savings, with the financial insecurities associated with a tight job market, and with all the fears that surround the world, no one really needs furniture and dining accessories today. .

• Changing demographics: The younger generation just doesn’t care as much about the formal dining experience as their parents ‘and grandparents’ generation. And as these generations age, shrink and pass, there are fewer of the younger generation interested in buying these items … especially at yesterday’s inflated prices.

• Market realityFew antiques dealers today are interested in repeatedly packing and unpacking slow-moving merchandise.

• The disappearing formal dining room: The formal dining room has traditionally been one of the “least used” rooms in the home, and as the size of newly built homes has shrunk and the number of 55+ smaller condos and communities has increased it has simply been removed from many homes. And fewer dining rooms means less demand for dining room furniture and accessories.

As a result, with the exception of sterling silver, the value of most formal dining room furniture and accessories has plummeted in recent years. Nobody needs it and relatively few want it today. So when it comes time to sell your dining room contents, don’t be too surprised to find that the value is not what you expected.

The best advice I can give clients is this:

• Determine how much you paid for it years ago.

• Determine why you can sell it today.

• Divide the difference by the number of years you have had it.

That will represent the average annual expense it has cost you to own it. And once you do the numbers, you will probably find that despite today’s low prices, the cost of your formal dining room, and the many years of memories and enjoyment it has brought you, it was one of the best investments you have ever made.