Facts To Know About Antiques

Facts To Know About Antiques

Age may just be a number

Many people think that the age of an object increases its value.  Age does not automatically indicate its value.  Because an object is old does not mean it is valuable.  Sometimes old items are just junk.  Quality, condition, and historical background are some of the important factors to consider in an antique.  The best way to know what you have is to have an expert take a look at it.

To clean or not

When it comes to antiques and aging treasures, cleaning is not always advisable.  Many collectors don’t want cleaned items and in many cases, it devalues it significantly.  Also, if you try cleaning something on your own, you could cause irreversible damage.  The same is also true if you try to restore an antique.  Most collectors will tell you to leave restoration to the experts or to not restore at all.

Popularity is key

Trying to collect items because you think that is what will hold value is not the way to go about finding antiques.  Look for things because you like them.  Truth be told if you buy something because you think it has value will only disappoint you if it turns out not to have any value at all.  If you buy something because you love it, you won’t regret having bought it in the end.  If you do spot an antique that you know is a rare collectible, be careful.  It could turn out to be a knockoff or a reproduction and then you are stuck with something that no one wants.

These are just a few basic facts to introduce you to the world of antiques.  When you start collecting visit a number of antique shops and see how they treat their items.  If they take care of their pieces and explain things in detail to you, you have found a gem of a store.  At Antique Allure, we want you to ask questions so that you can be better informed not only on something you are interested in but so that you can understand and appreciate the value of antiques in general.  We are here to help.