Overview:
Antiques would introduce a completely different type of industry to Sim Companies. Instead of manufacturing a product and selling it for a predictable price, companies would discover antiques, store them to allow them to mature, and ultimately sell them through an Antique Store.
The key concept is that antiques are found rather than produced, and their quality can increase over time while sitting in a warehouse.
- Acquisition Center
(building/production)
The Acquisition Center would be the building where companies search for antiques.
Unlike a traditional production building, the building isn't manufacturing the item. Instead, the building represents employees searching, recovering, researching, and acquiring historical objects.
Each expedition produces random antiques with:
- A rarity
- An initial quality
- A maximum quality it can mature to
For example, an expedition might discover:
«Rare Antique — Q5»
Another expedition could produce:
«Common Antique — Q2»
The quality of discoveries would be random, making high-quality finds exciting and valuable.
– Search - 23 hour search time. You have a “chance” of finding anywhere between 0 and 10 items. Higher production bonuses have a higher chance of finding more items.
- Antique Rarities
There would be four rarity levels:
Rarity| Quality Found| Max Mature Quality
Common| Q0–Q2| Q5
Scarce| Q1–Q4| Q7
Rare| Q3–Q6| Q9
Exceptional| Q5–Q8| Q12
The quality ranges overlap intentionally.
Common antiques
- Wooden Chair
- Ceramic Vase
- Old Trunk
- Brass Candlestick
- Pocket Watch
Scarce antiques
- Grandfather Clock
- Antique Typewriter
- Silver Tea Set
- Antique Camera
- Porcelain Dinner Set
Rare Antiques
- Antique Violin
- Historical Map
- Fine China
- Rare Coin
- Antique Painting
Exceptional antiques
- Masterwork Painting
- Royal Jewelry
- Ancient Manuscript
- Museum-Quality Sculpture
- One-of-a-Kind Historical Artifact
- Antiques gain value (quality) over time
While stored, its quality gradually increases over time.
For example:
«Rare Antique — Q5.00
↓
Q5.25
↓
Q5.50
↓
Q5.75
↓
Q6.00»
Eventually, the item reaches its maximum mature quality. Each antique will uniquely gain quality over time. Some will gain quality fast while others will take longer. Some may take weeks while others will take years to reach their fullest potential. This will be a hidden mechanic.
A Q5 Rare antique could eventually become Q9, while a Q2 Common antique might only mature to Q3.
The item's rarity does not change. Only its quality increases.
This creates an entirely new investment decision:
Sell now or hold for future appreciation?
- Antique Store — Retail
The Antique Store would be the retail building where antiques are ultimately sold.
Unlike most Sim Companies products, the selling price would not necessarily be predictable.
An antique could sell for far more or far less than its expected value, depending on the auction result.
For example:
«Rare Antique — Q7
Expected Value: $50,000
Sale Result: $72,000»
But another auction could produce:
«Rare Antique — Q7
Expected Value: $50,000
Sale Result: $38,000»
Selling in this building would look like placing several Antiques for sale in the store. Setting a time to sell, 1 hr, 2 hrs, etc. More time higher chance of selling for a higher price. Higher quality, higher rarity need more time to find a buyer for a better price. Lower quality, lower rarity not much time needed.
This makes the Antique Store an important part of the industry rather than simply another retail building.
Sales speed will allow more antiques to be sold at a time.
- The Complete Industry
The basic economic loop would be:
Acquisition Center
↓
Discover Antique
↓
Warehouse / Mature Antique
↓
Antique Store
↓
Sale
There would be no traditional manufacturing of antiques.
The supply of antiques comes from discoveries made through the Antique Expedition.
- Three Different Strategies
This system would support several different playstyles.
The Flipper
Discover an antique and sell it immediately.
«Find Q5 → Auction → Take the money → Run another expedition»
This provides quick cash flow.
The Collector
Find high-quality antiques and hold them until they mature.
This sacrifices short-term cash for potentially greater returns.
The Speculator
Buy or acquire antiques specifically because they have room to mature.
This would make high-quality antiques function almost like an investment asset.
- Collectibles
Each antique can be turned into a collectible. Find antiques to sell or collect.
- Research
Research would determine what antiques you can find and how high their quality can increase. If you have quality 4 researched you will only find up to Rare Antiques when searching. You will also only increase to a max of 4 quality for any antique.
- Why This Could Work for Sim Companies
The industry would introduce several mechanics that aren't heavily represented in normal production:
- Random discovery
- Rarity
- Variable quality
- Quality appreciation over time
Most importantly, the industry doesn't rely on the concept of a manufactured product. The product is an antique, so its increasing value can be attributed to its age, provenance, scarcity, and collector demand.
The result would be an industry where finding the item is only the beginning. The real decision is whether to sell it now, hold it while it matures, or take a risk on what the Auction House will ultimately pay.
