Posts Tagged ‘Value’
How to Preserve the Artistic and Historical Value of Antiques
One of the most significant characteristic of any antique item is its age. Since antiques have been passed down from one generation to the next, these items easily undergo daily wear and tear. Thus, any antique item demands considerable care to preserve and protect its timeless value.
While a professional antique restorer is recommended for more intricate and detail-oriented method of antique restoration, you can also do your part to help maintain the artistic and historical value of your collection. Read on some tips on how to clean precious antique pieces.
Direct sunlight is a no-no for antique furniture. You should never display antique furniture in direct sunlight or beside air-conditioning or heating units. The heat that comes from these sources will deteriorate the fragile state of the antique piece. Place antique furniture in cool areas or better yet ask antique experts of how to properly display your piece. Note that different types of wood require different temperature to maintain its elegance.
Use soft, lint-free cloth for polishing. Soft and lint-free cloth should be used when polishing antique pieces. You should never polish antiques the way you may polish your modern pieces. Remember that antiques are old and can easily be torn, scratched or broken if mishandled.
Move antique furniture with care. Because of the furniture’s sensitive condition, you should only move antique pieces when you really have to and only with utmost care. Otherwise, let the furniture stay in one corner of your house to lessen the probability of accidental breaking.
Use your hands when dealing with antique ceramics or glass. Cleaning antique ceramics and glass is quite simple just by using lint-free cloth for regular dusting. However, unlike antique furniture pieces, wearing protective gloves in handling antique ceramic and glass is not advisable. It is more appropriate to handle antiques of this type using your clean hands. It is good to know that sunlight and humidity would not affect the condition of some antique ceramics and glass. To determine sensitive antique items, you must seek the advice of an antique expert.
Store antique ceramics or glass in sturdy shelves. The most common problem with antique ceramic or glass is breakage. Therefore, extra care must be given in its storage. You must never place antique ceramic or glass in unstable cabinets. In case of accidental breakage, place each piece even the smallest one in acid-free tissue and bring to an experienced antique restorer. You must never repair damaged antique pieces on your own to avoid devaluation.
Regularly polish antique silver and metal pieces. Antique silver and metal items are extremely delicate. Antique items made from these materials can react to natural conditions and may result to corrosion, scratches, dents and fractures. Regular and proper cleaning through polishing with soft cloth will reduce the difficulty of maintaining the items’ patina. You should use protective gloves when handling antique silver and metal to avoid tarnishing due to body sweat.
Store antique jewellery separately. Antique jewellery is extremely delicate. A piece of jewellery is possible to be made up of several types of precious stone or metal in which one would adversely affect each other through time. This is why you should not store several pieces of antique jewellery in just one box. Make sure that you have a separate box for each piece to avoid chemical reaction.
Hire the expertise of an antique jeweller. Small jewellery pieces make it almost impossible to clean, so an experienced jeweller specializing in antiques is recommended to handle these items.
Driscolls Antiques is a leading supplier of quality antiques and antique furniture. Benedict Yossarian is a freelance Internet Marketing Consultant that can help maximize your exposure online.
Article from articlesbase.com
I am looking to install new carpet in my living room since the former owner had installed incredibly cheap berber carpet and it is impossibly stained and will not come clean. My walls are a creamy beige and I have a stained glass window with red and beige prints, my curtains are bugandy and I have red border. Burgandy is my favorite color and it will compliment the decor that is already in my living room. Eventually (as in ten years from now or so when the economy is better) I would like to sell my house and invest in something nicer. My mother in law is saying that if I were to install the berry red carpet I like, it would decrease the value of my home since according to her, most people who are looking to buy are looking for a home with neutral colors and brown carpet. What is your opinion on this? Do you think that if you were looking to buy a home you would offer less bc of my carpet choice?
Just for the record, I am going to go ahead and install it because I will be the one living here for ten years and I can always replace it by the time I want to sell. I was just curious is all. Especially since, in all the fashion and home and garden magazine red is the new in color. Of course, all that will have changed by the time I want to sell. LOL Just curious…
I had the front done in a French Classic style and I like it very much. But I’ve been told by the local patio and outdoor decor company that I need to “spruce” it up a bit. Add a little color. I rather like pink flamingos (they remind me of my time in Africa) but I am also concerned if they will actually add any value. I would need about 250 of them to make a statement, as was suggested by the salesman.
My other concern is if they would attract the local hunters. I dare say, many of them don’t seem the sober type.
This is an avocado colored cabinet (36″ hx30″wx18″d) with what I think is a formica countertop (complete with metal edging). There is a slide-out wood, built-in ironing board (small, for a sleeve) right below the countertop; an upper compartment accessible by sliding opaque glass doors (kind of like in 60s bathrooms), then two smaller drawers with silver boomerang handles, and below that a two-door lower cabinet with 2 slide-out shelves.. There is no name as far as I can tell as to the manufacturer. I can’t find anything on an internet search as to a “vintage steel cabinet” or “chest” – that mostly gives me office furniture or actual kitchen cabinets (this is a standalone) I am toying with the idea of painting it white, but don’t want to mess with it if it is worth any money. Any ideas?
Over the past 35 years I have collected antique and vintage signed and unsigned costume and fine jewelry and through this experience I have found many ways to find and acquire the most amazing and collectible pieces, having values far higher than what I paid.
My tried and true secrets have worked and as a result I own an extraordinary collection of mostly signed and book pieces dating from the late 1800′s up tio the present. I have acquired signed and unsigned Miriam Haskell (some of which were developed for Coco Chanel and have even been featured in Chanel print ads from the late 1930′s and 40′s),Schiaparelli, Pennino, McClelland-Barclay, Alfred Philippe for Trifari, DeMario, and more of the most sought after names in the antique and vintage jewelry genre.
There are three secrets I employ to acquire such desirable pieces.
The first secret is aligning myself with the companies that sell out estates from the home of the deceased. I create relationships with the owners of these companies and ask if I can inspect all jewelry (whether costume or fine)prior to the estate sale dates. In exchange I help publicize their upcoming sale by notifying antique dealers, shop owners and specialty store retailers who may be in the market for great furniture, rugs and accessories. To the estate disposal companies this help is invaluable as it raises their chances of getting better than fair market value as they are going to be selling to resellers. There is a second part to this secret and that is that it also works with auctioneers who do general auctions of household and personal items. Once you have developed these relationships, they will call prior to an auction and sell to you before the auction preview at a low box lot price.
The second secret is to align yourself with pawn shop owners. They do not sell costume jewelry which to them has really no intrinsic value but will offer a bulk price for costume jewelry brought in by folks and for a small profit sell it to me. I have acquired the most amazing pieces this way. A person has unfortunately hit a rough spot and needs cash and will usually clean out all of their drawers which may include a lot of fine but most likely more costume jewelry. The pawnbroker knows they have an instant sale to me of any and all costume jewelry and most likely sell it to me as a box lot. The person needing the money wins, the pawnbroker wins and I really win, because many of the items have been in the family for years and may date to the late 30′s or older. Some may be trash but there is always at least one or two pieces that made the transaction a success.
The third secret and one that takes tact and sensitivity is when a widower or children of a recently deceased family member is trying to move on and feels the need to donate or “clean out” their belongings and personal affects. The family hears of me through an ad I run in the local newspaper or “Pennysaver magazine” stating that I pay cash for any costume jewelry. The family will call and I always give them a more than fair price for the items they have and they are pleased and I have found more wonderful treasures to add to my collection.
All in all, after a few years of using the above secrets people will just come to know you as the “jewelry lady” and the calls will consistently come and the jewelry selections will continue to get better and better.
Good Luck in your treasure hunt and jewelry quest!!!
For more great tips about jewelry and collecting register at www.vintagegemsemporium.com and come sell or buy to your heart’s content.
My name is Candace Daugherty and I live near Charleston, South Carolina. I am an entrepreneur and have worked as a retail design and marketing consultant with many internationally known retailers and fashion designers over the past 30 years.
My passion is finding and collecting Antique and Vintage Costume and Fine Jewelry. I love Victorian, Art Nouveau and Edwardian pieces and have been fortunate to find many wonderful and highly collectible pieces right here in my own backyard of Charleston, SC. at a fraction of their market value.
Since September 15, 2008 I along with three others have founded the first of its kind, an exclusive auction boutique for antique, vintage and new costume and fine jewelry. We started Vintage Gems Emporium at www.vintagegemsemporium.com with three concepts in mind. One, a special boutique environment in an Auction Venue just for the collector and specialist of antique and vintage costume and fine jewelry. Two, to be the lowest cost auction or fixed price venue on the internet. And three to put the entire Virtual Gems Emporium community first with unbelievable customer service and fair equal treatment of all trading partners.
If you are a born collector with a penchant for vintage items, you might be looking for a new investment. Perhaps you are not ready to splurge on high-priced antiques, or maybe you simply do not have the physical space to make antique furniture collecting a viable hobby.
Vintage collectibles can be found at the most unlikely of locations. If you are a yard sale aficionado, or love the thrill of raising your hand at a vintage auction, you might already be half way towards finding a valuable bargain.
Here is an overview of five of the most collectible vintage items that are already gaining in value, or are predicted to do so in the near future.
Vintage Soda Collectibles – Since its conception in 1916, the term “Coca Cola” has been synonymous with soft drinks. There have been many changes in bottle, cap, and can design in the past 92 years, which many of us have simply failed to notice. Surprisingly, authentic soda cans, bottles, clocks, bottle caps, and machines bearing a soda logo are amongst the hottest collectible items of the moment. Older coke bottles were easy to locate and purchase several years ago, but the competition amongst die-hard collectors has considerably turned up the heat. Vintage soda collectibles can be purchased in stores or online at dedicated e-stores.
Pre-1960 Mechanical Toys – If you are one of the many people who thought the toy collecting craze all began with Barbie and G.I Joe, you might be surprised to know that collectible pre-1960 mechanical toys are rapidly increasing in value. In fact, a used (and mass produced) military-style friction drive police car will set you back around $250. Collecting vintage toys is a fun endeavor, and you will find bargains turning up in the unlikeliest of places!
Cuckoo Clocks – These exciting hand-crafted time-keepers have finally made it to the top. Cuckoo clocks have been named as the number one vintage collectible by several of the largest auction sites in the world. The most highly coveted clock for collectors is the Black Forest Cuckoo Clock, which was first crafted almost three centuries ago by German maestro Franz Kettler. Hand-carved reproductions with vibrant chimes and weights fetch the highest prices.
Designer Clothing – Designer clothing is one of the most quickly growing and sought after vintage collectibles on the market today. Of course, couture from more prestigious and better established designers commands a much higher price tag than their more modern counterparts, but this too is changing. If you visit your local bookstore, you will notice a growing number of paperback guides to help you find vintage clothing, designers, and prices.
Vintage Knives – Pocket knives with blades in excellent, rust-free condition are becoming increasingly popular amongst collectors. The majority of the major knife manufacturing company’s use a simple numbering system which identifies what the handle should be made of, and how many blades that specific knife should have. This system helps protect the trained eye against counterfeiting and altering. Rust, evidence of sharpening, and blade damage cause substantial reductions in value.
Collecting vintage items that are rapidly gaining in value and popularity can be both fun and exciting. However, the saying “just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s valuable” definitely applies here, so take care to use good judgment when making your purchases.
For additional guides on vintage collectibles and antique collectibles, visit Poetic Home for ideas on vintage industrial projects, re-upholstery DIY guides, and more mid-century modern eye candy.