How to Collect Good Antiques: A Primer

While the definition of an antique is a collectible item that is at least 100 years old whose desirability is due to age, rarity, condition, or other unique features,” the actual value of an antique piece is based on demand due to suitability and limited supply. People in South Carolina collect antiques for several reasons, including interest in a particular type of item or because of the workmanship of a past era that it represents. People do collect antiques because of the potential value or price it can bring with other dealers and collectors, but most people in South Carolina do so because the items make their homes into unique showplaces.

Originality and Price Considerations

The originality and price of an antique are the qualities serious collectors consider when deciding what and from whom to purchase the item. This same principle is also a good rule of thumb to follow for novice antique collectors. Some antique sellers will, at times, try to retouch certain antique items to either cover up damage, or actually offer duplicate antiques that are mere copies of the originals. Antiques of real value look their best when they haven’t been refurbished. There are many reputable antique businesses and private antique dealers in South Carolina that can provide good advice on how best to proceed.

Tips for Amateur Antique Collectors

Whenever you jump into the world of antique collectibles, knowledge about the subject is always your best weapon. The Internet, other collectors, and the various books that are available in your nearby South Carolina public library are good sources of information. Start using these resources to help you seek out any particular antique item such as furniture, clocks, jewelry, books or silverware. Finding out the history behind a given antique item and its average price range among collectors will also help aid you in your search for the proper antique piece.

Value Is The Key

For many people, antiques are sometimes vestiges of the best human efforts and higher functions of a bygone era. In this day and age of mass production and cutting costs, antiques make a statement through the handiwork of master craftsmen of expert quality and beauty. The value of an antique to its collector can also be highly prized simply because it reflects a revered past. For example, antique industrial equipment is not considered aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but holds its value because of the history it represents.

An Antique’s Value Is Based On Demand

Getting started with antique collecting should usually begin at a reputable South Carolina antique dealer. These people are in the business of antiques and they are there to make a profit. They have little incentive to delude potential customers by selling antiques that are not genuine. Antique stores are where even beginning antique buyers can purchase the kinds of items that interest them at a small or reasonable price. Be sure not to fall victim to a common misconception about antiques. Just because it looks old does not mean it is an antique. Remember, an antique’s value is based on demand due to suitability and limited supply.

Checking The Authenticity Of Antiques With A Black Light

All antique collectors, both novice and those with experience, want to use every means available to them to test the authenticity and condition of an antique piece. Only in this fashion can one truly judge whether or not an antique is worth the asking price by its seller. Besides the information available through some previously mentioned avenues, the use of a black light can also help.

With porcelain pieces, a black light can show any glue used to repair it as fluorescent. Chemical bleaches and dyes used in paper products created after the 1930s can be also show up, offering up the potential that such printed or written materials could be forgeries. Modern fibers will fluoresce under a black light, although, washing of textiles with modern detergents can also yield the same effect. Antique glass with high uranium oxide content will also fluoresce but reproductions will not. This is not always the case with more modern glass manufacturing as some will also show under a black light. Here again in the last two instances, caution should be exercised and further research on an antique explored.

Where to find antiques in South Carolina

If you really wish to find other places to do your antique digging, you can go to garage and yard sales or estate and seized property auctions, which are advertised in most newspapers in South Carolina. Yard sales can sometimes yield previously uncovered antique treasurers that were simply gathering dust in Grandma’s attic and the seller is unaware of its potential value. Be prepared to shell out a few dollars to find out how much an antique may be worth. At estate auctions, this is done by professional appraisers who can charge $100-$150 per hour. Antique Appraisers charge high fees because appraisers shoulder great responsibility for insurance companies and lawyers settling estates. However, this means that the Appraisers have done the research on the antique that can potentially hold up in a court of law. There are also online appraisers in South Carolina, although some antique experts are against Appraisers, it can be just one more resource against which to compare the potential value of an antique.

Another way to search for antiques is at an antique show. These events can be found in various places around South Carolina in exhibition halls, and convention centers, in larger cities. Sometimes these antique shows are based solely on a particular item such as antique dolls. At other times they cover the wide scope of all things antique. These general shows are sometimes held on an annual basis; on other occasions they are strictly one-time special events underwritten by a particular dealer. As is the case in South Carolina, many states across the country have auctioneer associations that deal heavily in the sale of antiques.

How To Get The Best Antique Deals In South Carolina

There are several schools of thought on this. However, here are just a few tips that can be profitably utilized on most occasions regardless of whether you’re shopping for antiques at auctions, yard sales or antique shows.

• The early bird can get the best bargains but it can also sometimes be advantageous to go back late in the day. Some antique sellers may then discount a piece to move that was too expensive during the morning.
• Whenever possible, be sure to bring your books and research information on antique collectibles with you. After looking at an item you can tell the antique dealer that you need to get your pocket book or hit the ATM machine. This will give you an opportunity to check the average price and compare.
• Browse through the secondhand shops. These are usually along the lines of consignment shops that aren’t primarily focused on antique items. Like the yard and garage sales, such journeys can occasionally result in a real find.
• Follow up with a trip to businesses that sell a particular item like sheet music, clothing, or household goods that may be carrying antiques in inventory. Sometimes the proprietor simply doesn’t know what kind of treasure he or she has on their hands.

Proper Care For Your South Carolina Antiques

Now that you’ve made your antique purchase, it’s easy to fall into a common trap of placing the antique in your home wherever such an item may usually go. Just because an antique may have lasted 100 years or more doesn’t guarantee that it will continue to hold together down the road. This is where taking special care of your antiques come in. Especially in a normally humid climate like that in South Carolina, some antiques will not survive if not properly protected.

Protecting Your Antique From The Surrounding Environment

Some of the more common environmental elements to protect your antiques include:

• Sunlight. Antique paintings should especially be kept away from sunlight in order to inhibit fading of the paints or oils. Antique furniture can suffer the same fate since the varnishes used in bygone decades or centuries are usually not as protective of the material as some modern chemicals.
• Temperature. The heat generated when sunlight beams through glass windows can also break down the medium used to create the picture. Since all furniture can bend and warp over time regardless of time period in which it was made, care should be taken to ensure antique furniture is not subjected to extreme changes in temperature, either hot or cold.
• Humidity and dryness. The amount of moisture in the environment in which an antique sits can also hasten its decay. This is especially true of many antique works in metal. Their manufacturing process did not contain anti-corrosive chemicals and materials that would protect them against the kind of humidity found, say, during an average South Carolina summer.

Develop your particular passion for antiques

Collecting antiques that hold your fancy, for whatever reason, can be extremely satisfying. However, one key concept to keep in mind is that you never know where the next valuable antique piece may come from. The joy of hunting down that great antique and getting a good bargain lies in opening yourself up to myriad possibilities. Always keep your eyes open! Many fail to consider that while much of what Great Grandmother had is probably just junk, other items could be a real find with a little antique restoration, or simply an accurate antique appraisal.

Finally, enjoyment of antique collection should be a passion, not just a means to a financial end. Some people only developed an interest in antique because they inherited an item or a whole house full of antiques from a relative. The dollar signs started to appear and they began their hunt for some antique appraisals and antique auction. Look deep into your soul to discover the richness that antiques can add to your life and your home. And happy hunting!