I hope everyone had an excellent New Year's Eve and that this upcoming year is filled with joy. Each time the new year arrives, many of us make new resolutions. If you're looking for something distinctive this year, why not consider buying second-hand?
So, we will begin today by talking a little bit about how to buy antiques effectively. First, we have two essential categories: collectors and buyers. As you may guess, collectors are people who search for specific items. Buyers, on the other hand, enter with the purpose of just shopping.
For example, I collect porcelain dogs. You may ask why, and I wonder the same thing! So, I must share that the piece must have something in it that attracts me to it. If I find my objective, I go on to the next steps. I check if there is a maker's mark or where it originated. You can usually find these marks somewhere if they have rubbed off or peeled. If it's not marked, or you can't tell, I will introduce you to your best friend—Google (or any web search browser). You can look up the image or just input the information you have and see what comes up. If a seller is available, you can also ask them for information. The third and most important is price; this is where things get complicated!
I'll be frank. There is a well-earned, albeit exaggerated in some cases, reputation that antique sellers are too expensive or that they buy in second-hand stores. I will explain that you can, of course, find good items this way, but that is only the case on some occasions. I travel between states, and when I do, I take the time to find items for the store. There are estate sales, garage sales, and other resources a seller may have. It's important to understand that the seller invested time, gas, and money into finding the item. So, after you know the price, I will give you a list of things that can affect the item's value. Click to expand the list below.
The Go-To List: What Effects an Antiques' Value
The mark of Maker
The state of the item (good condition vs bad)
The quantity of said items in the market (are there thousands or just one?)
If it is ornately decorated or simple
The age of the item
Some items are so abundant in the market that their value can be lower. If it is an item, Wedgwood, for example, then depending on the design or year made, it can be more costly. Usually, china made from fine porcelain and heavily decorated will be more expensive. If the aforementioned china is broken, has pieces missing, or is in a bad condition, then the value will be affected. The categories I gave will affect almost every antique item you buy.
There are some exceptions, such as art. I will explain. Any artwork that has a signature will have more value, but this does not apply to my niece in 5th grade. Sure, it's valuable for me, but her art holds no market value! That means there are two critical factors: who the artist is and the piece's quality. You can find good pieces of art within your established price range. You will just need a good eye and patience.
I hope what we have discussed can help when you go buy and give you some insight. My intention isn't just to sell what I have in stock, but to help the buyer and foment knowledge about antiques. I've seen plenty of situations where the buyer makes a bad purchase, and sellers lose out in a bad sale.
Until next time!
P.S. The images included a small portion of my (Celina's) porcelain dog collection, and Imer's love for Jasperware and anything that has mushrooms.
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