Learn All About Antiques Authority Site

Saturday, December 13, 2008

My Antique Reviews

Featured antique camp furniture Article

Shopping For Collectible Antiques You Should Know

By Doug Sheridan

Have you ever considered collectible antiques? It's not only a fun way to spend your time but they are also fun to find. You have to be careful however, many of these antiques turn out to be a great investment while others may fall short and end up costing more than they are worth. Some things to consider before spending your money on what you might think is a great buy. The condition of the item is very important. Also consider the availability of the item. A good place to start is ebay. Is there very many being advertised and more importantly are they actually selling?

As mentioned earlier the condition of the item is extremely important and determines the selling price. There are standards set for most items. Damaged items, a chipped bowl or scratched and dented items will of course not demand the same price as an item in mint condition.

The above is not always true for certain items. An item may be damaged but if it is rare and very hard to find it may still be worth a great deal. An old baseball card from the past, even if not in perfect condition may demand a lot more than another card if it is not easily obtained. Basically collectible antiques are the same as any other items. The price is normally determined by supply and demand. The less there are then the higher the price.

So what should you do if you decide to deal in collectible antiques? It could be you want to collect them for yourself or buy to sell at a profit. Finding them is no problem. Surprisingly a good place to start is goodwill. Not the stores themselves but online at http://www.shopgoodwill.com/

Goodwill picks the best of the litter so to speak and now holds their own auctions. Go to the store nowadays and you'll be lucky to find anything of any real value. Right now is a good time to view the auctions because not to many people know about them but as it gets more popular even finding good deals through them will be harder and harder.

Another source is the good old garage sale. Paintings worth millions have been picked up for a few dollars because the owner found it in the attic or closet and didn't realize what they had. Wouldn't it be great to find one of these great deals? Spend a day or two scouting these sales, you just might be the next garage sale millionaire.

Another thing you should do, especially in the beginning is choose a niche. It's easier to learn everything about one particular line than to spread yourself so thin you know nothing about anything. Jewelry for instance, you could learn to spot items by design or the material used. Starting with one line of product makes it easier to do your research and spot the bargains. Pretty soon you'll be efficient at what you do and may even be considered an expert by others.

For instance items like rings, amulets and lockets can have a unique design that can raise their value significantly. Gold will almost always be worth more than silver which will most always be worth more than bronze. Again this is not always true. It's possible for a bronze trinket to bring a high price if it's found to be one of a kind or has great historic value. These are the things that you learn with research and experience.

A lot of collectible antiques will be sold with a certificate of authority, which is always nice to have. Whenever possible request this form, it not only ads value but also qualifies the purchase and if you decide to resell it's a great bargaining tool. You should of course verify the certificate. There are always unscrupulous people out there that may provide a fake just to sell the item. Go online and see if certificates were actually issued, if all else fails seek out an expert especially if there's a considerable amount of money involved.

In conclusion when buying or selling collectible antiques the overall condition and the source are both things that you should consider. The design and characteristics can make a difference in the price. Availability, if it's hard to find it's you should consider checking it out, do the research and possible purchase. By following these guidelines when looking at antiques it will definitely increase your chances of making a great investment.

Doug Sheridan is involved in numerous online ventures. He supplies information to help people make wise, educated decisions.
http://www.antiques.opertoonity.com

More Info On antique camp furniture

Areas of Antique Collecting. There are many examples of antique goods and collectibles. Most people tend to focus on a single genre but you can find a collector and often a buyer for almost any antique item available. A few examples of antique items include:
Buy antique jewelry today!

Do not use olive oil to polish a wooden bowl, or it will turn rancid. Wash and rinse bowl well if using an olive oil salad dressing.
Buy antique chairs today!

An all-in-good-fun, see-what-you-can-do-for-me attitude gets you alot further with most dealers than a negative, attacking stance. Most dealers are not crooks, they just need to make a profit. Avoid cutting down the merchandise to get a lower price. This implies they don't carry quality and is a fairly obvious ploy. They have priced the item with any defects in mind. For example, avoid phrases like "Well, it has this big crack in it, so it's really not all that great of a piece." Instead, try "Despite the crack, I like this and would like to buy it. However, the price is a little higher than I'd care to go. Could you do better on this?"
Buy antique tables today!

Is It Solid? Test the solidity of the piece. Sit on a chair, then push your weight forward and back; if the chair wobbles and moves with you, it�s loose and needs to be reglued. Check for wobbling on a table or bureau by placing your hand on a corner and shaking the piece.
Buy antique jewelry today!

Too much has been made in recent years of the 'investment potential' of antiques. It is true that, for the most part, they have performed very well indeed in the long term, but no one can be sure that prices are going to rise without check. Some will fall from time to time, either because a fashion changes or for extraneous economic reasons; but antique furniture is always worth something, which is more than can be said for many of its modern equivalents.
Buy antique cupboards today!

antique camp furniture News

Vintage Collectibles from The Americas

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:22:10 -0600
Antique sacks of unsearched gems, civil war portraits, old home furnishings, antique prints including cowboy photos and drawings from the old Wild West, Indian relics and more. But how do you really know an item is the real deal? Is it really a collectible or someone else's discarded piece of junk? Here are tips from a Garage-Sale Junkie who swears by the collectible items she's found.

Egyptian Antiques in ancient Art Forms

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:22:33 -0600
Sculptures, Paintings. Jewelry and more but there are things you need to know before you start collecting Egyptian antiques .. see the article attached to the page for some knowledge of Egyptology before you buy an antique that isn't Egyptian at all.


antique hair jewelry
antique vintage furniture

Labels: