Various Worths

Quality value or craftsmanship value involves objects that require great skill and lots of time to create. Good craftsmanship can in itself arouse interest and admiration, and the objects are often made of expensive materials.

“Is it real silver?” The question reveals a belief that silver is more valuable than materials like plastic or aluminium. There is an idea that material value never changes, but this does not have to be the case.

Human value is about the fact that everyone is of equal value whoever they are or wherever they come from. But throughout history humans have exploited other humans, animals and land areas in their hunt for power, wealth and status.

Symbolic value can mean a great deal to the people involved. The objects represent something immaterial of great value. This might be a sense of fellowship within a religion, a country or a movement, but also an event, a belief or certain values.

Expensive jewellery has been a way for people to collect their assets instead of putting money in the bank. The jewellery became a kind of insurance. The objects could be sold when times were tough or taken along if someone was forced to flee – and this is still true today.

A cultural-historical value is often associated with the age and to some extent, uniqueness of the object.

Sentimental value is the value that can mean the most to individuals but seldom means anything to a large group of people. The objects become valuable because they are closely tied to significant events or people – they act like keys used to awaken memories.

Hasselblad’s first civilian camera, the Hasselblad 1600F, is one of the most innovative and influential cameras in modern times. In 1945 and ’46 the Gothenburg-based company created the first concept drawings and wooden prototypes. The word Rossex, hand painted on the prototype, was the original proposed name.

Unique objects can be valuable for several different reasons but their common characteristic is that there is only one of them. If that object is destroyed it can never be replaced.

Historical value anchors the past in the present – something is true, it really did happen and here is the object that witnessed everything. This truth is ensured by showing the object’s provenance. Provenance means that we can link an event or person to an object and prove that the story is also historically accurate.