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Antique Collectibles
Some questions just seem to come up over and over in the world of antique collecting. Whether you're a beginner or an
old pro, here's a list of frequently asked questions, and honest opinion answers.
How old is old enough to be antique?
In purist terms, an antique is an item with at least 100 years of age under its belt. That means that most Victorian pieces
are now true antiques. However, this term is used rather loosely and seems to reflect the age of the person using it.
To a teenager, a toy from the '50s seems "antique." But, remember, anything with collectible value can show up in an antiques shop
regardless of the age.
What is considered "collectible?"
Anything with value that people collect. What's key is that it is something of value, because there may be someone out there that collects
old phone books. As of now, old phone books aren't worth much and it would be hard to get someone other than a local
recycler to take them off your hands. However, cardboard cereal boxes and old bottle caps are considered collectible
because there are people out there who actually value these items enough to purchase them from one another. With this in
mind, it's easy to understand where the "one man’s trash is another man's treasure" adage originated.
How do you know something is old?
This is one of those learn as you go things. The
more you look at, handle and learn about real antiques, the easier it is to distinguish old from new. Some general things to
look for are materials not often used in modern production, hand applied ornamentation that may be machine applied today
and styling that might be indicative of a certain time period such as the Art Deco period or Arts & Crafts movement. Antiques
and older collectibles are not going to be absolutely new looking in most cases. This is why people pay so much more for
items in "mint" condition, because they don't crop up as often as pieces with telltale signs of aging and wear.
How can I tell if a piece is a reproduction?
In general, if it looks new, it probably is. For example, a piece represented as depression glass that doesn't have signs of
wear on the base is probably new. In my experience, even pieces that sat on a kitchen shelf for years without much use
still got moved often enough to show some wear on the base. Of course, you need to realize that there are tricksters out in
the world who will soak linens in tea to make them look aged or beat a piece of furniture with a chain to make it look
weathered. The best thing you can do to guard against reproductions is to learn as much as possible about your collecting
preferences and pay attention to details that indicate something isn't quite right.
How can I find values for my collectibles?
You can start with the list of price guides located on this site. Visiting online auctions to look up past results or logging on
to a large antique mall's site and searching the inventory for comparison pricing are two more convenient ways of
assessing approximate value. You'll want to keep in mind that online pricing, especially in auctions, can reflect values far
less than prices dealers tend to ask in physical malls and at shows. You can always research the old fashioned way by
seeing what types of books on collectibles are on hand in your local library. Or, make a trip to a large bookstore and see
what you can find there. When you're reading collectibles guides, remember that the prices are often inflated and you might
not actually be able to sell an item for that much. Why? Authors sometimes use erratic auction prices in their valuation
averages, which, for better or worse, can dramatically skew the results.
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