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Philip Nash |
Rare Antiques
What are antiques?
Antiques are simply defined as “old collectible items.” A number of
objects accumulate more value as they age. Among them are vintage cars,
jewelry, furniture, coins, and vases, among others. Not only do they grow in
sentimental, historical, and cultural worth, the also grow in
corresponding monetary value. For antiques, the older, the rarer, and the stronger the item is
despite its age, the more valuable it is. That’s why rare antiques cost
a lot of money, and only those who can afford it can really collect them.
Why do people collect antiques?
Antique collectors usually get into this hobby not just because of
antiques’ worth in all aspects, but also because of the pleasure of
being able to appreciate the art and craftsmanship of earlier humans etched in each
antique piece. Having antiques gives a feeling of collecting pieces of
history with these silent witnesses of the past.
Antiques are important in sociological, historical, and anthropological
studies. They are also especially important in many other social
sciences, and even in actual sciences such as geology.
What are the different types of antique collectables?
There are various types of antique collectables. Among them are antique
pieces of furniture (be it English, continental, American, African or
Asian, among others), glasses, plates and ceramics (such as silver plates, Sheffield
plates, and ceramic plates), pottery, porcelain, ivory items, enamels,
products of metallurgy, precious stones (such as ruby and jade), antique clocks and
watches, antique musical and jewelry boxes, jewelry, cars, laces,
embroidery and other fabric products, and tapestry, among many others.
Where can antiques be found?
Antiques can usually be found in museums, antique shops, homes of
antique collectors, old houses, and other places where antiques can be
displayed. Dealers of antiques, especially rare antiques, usually belong to national trade
associations, antique collectors associations, or other groups of
antique enthusiasts.
Antique Shopping: Testing Rare Antiques
There are various ways of testing the authenticity of antiques,
especially those that sellers claim to be “real antiques”. The first
and most basic is by checking if there is any marking or signature signifying the maker or the antique item and/or the year it was made.
Antique collectors make use of black light with long waves in checking
out antiques and testing if they are authentic. These black light
devices offer various ways of detecting fake or broken antiques. If you find any of
the following on the antique item before you, you might need to
reconsider the price and conditions of your trade.
1. Porcelain Repairs
Some signs of antique repair cannot be easily seen by the naked eye.
However, with the ultraviolet light from black light devices, it would
be easy to spot if repairs were made on porcelain antique.
2. Reproduction Glass
With today’s technology, it easy to make an imitation of almost any
work of art, including antiques. The use of black light on antiques
made of glass is particularly helpful in detecting reproduction glass. Reproduction
glass usually does not glow under black light. Also, you can determine
the type of glass used on the antique item simply by checking out the color that they’re
supposed to exhibit under black light. Depression glass, American
colorless glass,
Vaseline glass, and other glasses have their different characteristics.
3. Repairs in Works of Art
Even repairs, cracks, and other blemishes in art works can be detected
under black light. Some paintings might have been repaired.
4. Ephemera
Chemical bleaches and dyes glow under black light. Because of this,
you’d be able to see if any memorabilia item has been tampered with.
Even antique items made of fabric and iron can be checked using
black light. Just make sure to ask antique experts of read on how to
interpret what you would see under the black light.
About the Author
Philip Nash has been interested in antiques since he was young, with his father being an antique collector
himself. He inherited his father's collections, knowledge, and
interests. He studied more about antiques in a university in
Connecticut.
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