Could you be sitting on an antiques goldmine
Before you give your grandchildren all your old junk for a garage sale, could there be something valuable nestling in your clutter? Find out how to self-appraise the value of your antiques and see if you can unlock a fortune…
Compare and contrast
Professional appraisers start by researching how much similar items have fetched at auction. There are various websites where you can check auction results, including:
Take an average of the values you find to get an idea of what your antique might be worth, and bear in mind that online auctions generally fetch less than offline, and dealers generally pay a wholesale price to cover their overheads. An offline private sale is likely to make more money, but can be harder to come by.
Condition
Condition is crucial to an antique’s worth. Even a tiny chip out of a corner can have a dramatic effect on its worth, so be honest with yourself when examining its condition and comparing it to a similar piece that has sold at auction.
Take all flaws into consideration including chips, cracks, excessive wear, tears, stains and missing components- anything that prevents you describing it as ‘like new’ or ‘in mint condition’. If glue is present or it looks as though chips have been ground down, it could at some point have been repaired. Professional repairs don’t necessarily detract too much from an antique’s value, whereas poor repairs can.
If your antique is badly damaged, don’t condemn it to that garage sale until you’ve done a bit more research. You might be able to sell it to a dealer for parts, or to someone who specialises in making over antiques.
Fake it or make it?
Take a magnifying glass and have a close inspection to see if your antique has a manufacturer or designer stamp on it. This will not only help you research its value but will likely add value, too, if it turns out to be authentic. A stamp may also help you discover how rare your piece is. The more rare, the more it’s worth.
Pieces that have been handed down generations are more likely to be authentic than something you picked up at a garage sale or flea market a few years ago. In those cases, you’ll need to work a little harder to authenticate it and may need to pay for a written appraisal from a professional.
Trend-setting
As with any sale, demand is key. You might think your enormous hunting scene oil painting is a stunner, but others might think it’s, well, no oil painting! If it isn’t in vogue then there might not be much demand. For example, Tiffany lampshades were once considered gaudy, but now they’re very much coveted and their value has rocketed.
Scan home and lifestyle magazines, websites and homeware shops to see what is considered ‘retro’ and what kinds of antique pieces people are blending with modern décor in their period home renovations.