Imdanny
Ideal_Rock
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Antiquities
- Thread starter Imdanny
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I've bought a couple things that are old and I like.
They may be "authentic antiques" or not.
I don't really care because I felt they were worth what I paid.
But no I've never bought, say, a serious hard core antique like an American 18th Century $575,000 chest of drawers where most of the value would depend on it being authentic with documented provenance.
They may be "authentic antiques" or not.
I don't really care because I felt they were worth what I paid.
But no I've never bought, say, a serious hard core antique like an American 18th Century $575,000 chest of drawers where most of the value would depend on it being authentic with documented provenance.
LGK
Ideal_Rock
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Don't ask what is in the basement, lol. We have about 100 boxes of French art deco glass down there. I also collect sterling dance purses, anything sterling and Art Nouveau with poppies on it, Edward Curtis bluetone Art Nouveau prints (there are only three, and we have two already), and a lot of other stuff. Erm. It's pretty ridiculous.
Working with antiques? It is totally dangerous. Especially when my husband and I both do.
Because we both like the same things so nobody is there saying "Oh, but paying the mortgage is MUCH more important than that Lalique lamp!" Well, it's not quite that bad, but you get the idea.
I really, really don't want to know how much we've spent on antiques total. Really. Though it has been a much better bet than say, the stock market, at least.
We have quite a bit of Rene Lalique glass packed up (I'm picky and only get the R. Lalique stuff rather than the more modern Lalique), as well as Verlys, Sevres, Jobling, Verlux, D'Avesn etc. Anything Pierre D'Avesn designed we think was a good investment- he was actually the designer behind some of Lalique's most famous Deco vases like Tourbillons, Serpents etc. You can definitely pick out his style- he worked for a number of glass houses besides Lalique, but, though he designed so many of Lalique's incredibly pricey pieces that sell in the tens of thousands today you can pick up his work that was equally beautiful and well made for Verlys and under his own name, D'Avesn, for in the high hundreds. So we did. Quite a bit.
If you want to collect seriously in any area of antiques from coins to jewelry, reference books and more reference books are your friends. And several. Because even authors of reference books can be incorrect. A good reference book will have a price guide and a section on reproductions, which is *super* helpful.
And do look at a LOT of pieces, handle them, and you will pretty quickly be able to tell at least the obvious fakes (because, yes, there are lots in pretty much any area of collecting). Look at how a piece is finished, what geniune wear and tear looks like, how it was constructed and so forth. Best thing you can do is save your money and buy few quality pieces rather than many lower quality or damaged pieces. Every collector pretty much takes some time to realize that, and when you do, you'll be annoyed with the stuff you wasted money on at first. (And that IMO holds true in any area of collecting.)
Working with antiques? It is totally dangerous. Especially when my husband and I both do.
Because we both like the same things so nobody is there saying "Oh, but paying the mortgage is MUCH more important than that Lalique lamp!" Well, it's not quite that bad, but you get the idea.I really, really don't want to know how much we've spent on antiques total. Really. Though it has been a much better bet than say, the stock market, at least.
We have quite a bit of Rene Lalique glass packed up (I'm picky and only get the R. Lalique stuff rather than the more modern Lalique), as well as Verlys, Sevres, Jobling, Verlux, D'Avesn etc. Anything Pierre D'Avesn designed we think was a good investment- he was actually the designer behind some of Lalique's most famous Deco vases like Tourbillons, Serpents etc. You can definitely pick out his style- he worked for a number of glass houses besides Lalique, but, though he designed so many of Lalique's incredibly pricey pieces that sell in the tens of thousands today you can pick up his work that was equally beautiful and well made for Verlys and under his own name, D'Avesn, for in the high hundreds. So we did. Quite a bit.
If you want to collect seriously in any area of antiques from coins to jewelry, reference books and more reference books are your friends. And several. Because even authors of reference books can be incorrect. A good reference book will have a price guide and a section on reproductions, which is *super* helpful.
And do look at a LOT of pieces, handle them, and you will pretty quickly be able to tell at least the obvious fakes (because, yes, there are lots in pretty much any area of collecting). Look at how a piece is finished, what geniune wear and tear looks like, how it was constructed and so forth. Best thing you can do is save your money and buy few quality pieces rather than many lower quality or damaged pieces. Every collector pretty much takes some time to realize that, and when you do, you'll be annoyed with the stuff you wasted money on at first. (And that IMO holds true in any area of collecting.)
Imdanny
Ideal_Rock
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Yes, all old stuff. That's exactly what I'm talking about.
And some of the things I was looking at (looking at on the internet, not looking at to buy) were from ancient Egypt (not super-exciting stuff, but stuff from there supposedly) and Pre-Columbian stuff.
Somehow I'm having a hard time believing any of this stuff could be real. I know it's not all real (some fakes must slip in) but some of it must be real. I plain don't know how I'd tell.
SO's mother had an antique store and her home was filled with antiques in every room (and a grand piano, lol). It was so beautiful.
And some of the things I was looking at (looking at on the internet, not looking at to buy) were from ancient Egypt (not super-exciting stuff, but stuff from there supposedly) and Pre-Columbian stuff.
Somehow I'm having a hard time believing any of this stuff could be real. I know it's not all real (some fakes must slip in) but some of it must be real. I plain don't know how I'd tell.
SO's mother had an antique store and her home was filled with antiques in every room (and a grand piano, lol). It was so beautiful.
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Imdanny said:
And well you should worry. The forgers are now SO good, that they dig up old pot shards and grind them up - along with charcoal from the sites - and add them to the pottery. Voila! The clay, glazes, etc, pass radiocarbon dates. The forging is so good now that they (and "they" are frequently locals who are remnants of the cultures whose items they are forging) regularly fool experts, who are themselves frequently working off forgeries for their comparison/baseline pieces. On the upside, it has reduced looting somewhat, since it's cheaper to make a bunch of copies or "new" stuff, than to dig up the real stuff.
I'd go on the assumption that anything you buy off the internet (and maybe even other places) is fake.
FYI - the DH subscribes to Archaeology magazine, and they had an article on this very topic, some months back. That's where this reply comes from.
JewelFreak
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Buying antiques on the internet is probably even more risky than buying them in a B&M, which is risky enough! I would possibly bid on something from Sotheby's or other well-known reliable source (if I had the $$$, sigh) but wouldn't touch an unknown vendor -- especially if the item is a "bargain" -- with a ten-foot pole!
When we lived in Holland we bought quite a few antiques in england -- took the ferry over & had chests shipped, loaded the car with smaller things. Nothing museum-quality but they do spiff up the place. I have stuff from my family too, some silver -- which I added to here & there, I love silver thingies --and several pieces of beautiful American cut glass. My 2 favorite things are a gorgeous white-on-white quilt made by my great-grandmother & her mother in 1843 and a fascinating Civil War drum with original skins & unusual decoration done by the soldier who used it. I also have the Civil War discharge papers of my g-grandfather & g-g-uncle, a land grant patent signed by Andrew Jackson & a letter regarding my g-g-uncle to Gen. Meigs, Quartermaster General during the CW. Love those things, doubt they're worth a bunch but the family history matters a lot.
Not antiques, but an illustration of how you can get conned on the internet, is the number of people who brought in fake Tiffany pieces when I worked there -- things they'd bought online, "bargains," and they wanted to return them for the original price. Most were really dismayed when we told them they weren't genuine.
--- Laurie
When we lived in Holland we bought quite a few antiques in england -- took the ferry over & had chests shipped, loaded the car with smaller things. Nothing museum-quality but they do spiff up the place. I have stuff from my family too, some silver -- which I added to here & there, I love silver thingies --and several pieces of beautiful American cut glass. My 2 favorite things are a gorgeous white-on-white quilt made by my great-grandmother & her mother in 1843 and a fascinating Civil War drum with original skins & unusual decoration done by the soldier who used it. I also have the Civil War discharge papers of my g-grandfather & g-g-uncle, a land grant patent signed by Andrew Jackson & a letter regarding my g-g-uncle to Gen. Meigs, Quartermaster General during the CW. Love those things, doubt they're worth a bunch but the family history matters a lot.
Not antiques, but an illustration of how you can get conned on the internet, is the number of people who brought in fake Tiffany pieces when I worked there -- things they'd bought online, "bargains," and they wanted to return them for the original price. Most were really dismayed when we told them they weren't genuine.
--- Laurie
NewEnglandLady
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We just bought an 18th century home and I've been slowly trying to decorate with antiques. I first started venturing into local antique stores and found one owner who I genuinely adore, so now I go to her store exclusively. She knows that I want a few particular pieces, so she'll call me if any come in.
I've also been going to estate sales/auctions in the area because there are a lot of great antiques in this part of the country. The advantage is that it seems to be the most cost effecive--I've picked up a couple of things I really love for very little money. The disadvantage is that it's time consuming. There is a lot of junk to sort through or wait to be auctioned. Also, antiques dealers are usually at the auctions, so they tend to outbid me on a lot of the nicest items.
I don't have a lot of knowledge of antiques, but it's fun to learn and I find shopping for them to be enjoyable (and I hate shopping).
I've also been going to estate sales/auctions in the area because there are a lot of great antiques in this part of the country. The advantage is that it seems to be the most cost effecive--I've picked up a couple of things I really love for very little money. The disadvantage is that it's time consuming. There is a lot of junk to sort through or wait to be auctioned. Also, antiques dealers are usually at the auctions, so they tend to outbid me on a lot of the nicest items.
I don't have a lot of knowledge of antiques, but it's fun to learn and I find shopping for them to be enjoyable (and I hate shopping).
dragonfly411
Ideal_Rock
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I haven't bought as many antiques as I have inherited, but here are what I have:
An antique brush set, all silver with etched designs, includes a mirror, hair brush, comb, and a small round brush?
Two antique "jewelry" boxes made of cedar, with lots of little treasures inside.
A tiny antique elephant carved from ivory, it was my great grandmother's that she got in Africa.
Several shards of antique lavender glass which can sometimes be found at historical excavation sites and is highly uncommon.
An Arrowhead.
A First Edition, second printing hardback copy of the Yearling
Several hardback or leather bound books of poetry from the late 1800's.
Several paintings that were painted by my great aunt, including a pear done on a woven serving tray, with my great grandmother's facial features (who knows), and some piggies.
And hopefully I will someday inherit my grandparents huge cedar cabinet that is hand carved with pheasants and foliage. It is the most beautiful piece of furniture I have ever seen and I want it so badly.
An antique brush set, all silver with etched designs, includes a mirror, hair brush, comb, and a small round brush?
Two antique "jewelry" boxes made of cedar, with lots of little treasures inside.
A tiny antique elephant carved from ivory, it was my great grandmother's that she got in Africa.
Several shards of antique lavender glass which can sometimes be found at historical excavation sites and is highly uncommon.
An Arrowhead.
A First Edition, second printing hardback copy of the Yearling
Several hardback or leather bound books of poetry from the late 1800's.
Several paintings that were painted by my great aunt, including a pear done on a woven serving tray, with my great grandmother's facial features (who knows), and some piggies.
And hopefully I will someday inherit my grandparents huge cedar cabinet that is hand carved with pheasants and foliage. It is the most beautiful piece of furniture I have ever seen and I want it so badly.
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