Antiques - How to Find Out How Much Something Is Worth

When you are on an antique hunting mission, and trying to find out how much something is worth, you need to answer a few preliminary questions. These are:

• What is it?
• Who made it?
• When was it made?

What is it?
What the item is may be obvious, or not - it depends on whether it is a well-known household article or piece of furniture or something more specialized like for example, a tool or something from a different culture that is not easy to classify.

These days you can take a photo of an unusual object and scan it into your computer, then do an image search on Google to see if you can find a picture and some information to help you identify your object.


Who made it?
This is not always easy to find out, unless the maker was in the habit of putting his name or some other distinguishing mark on the item. For example, in the past some retailers of what are now antique clocks put their own names on the clock casing.

This means that you may find a name that informs you who sold it, but not who actually made it. On the other hand, some clock makers did place their mark on the clock dial, where it can easily be seen.


When was it made?
Long case clocks often had the clock mechanism removed from the original case and set into a new housing, simply because the original wooden case was worn and damaged.

This reduces the value of the clock considerably, so watch out for this when you are planning to buy an antique clock. You are on much safer ground with Lantern clocks, because most of them are still in their original condition.


Furniture
The topic of antique furniture covers a vast field, spanning many centuries and countries of origin. However, once you have found out what your antique item is, the best way to proceed is to take a look online for the same object, for example, 'antique English high boys' which will take you to an online antiques shop with photos.

Then look at prices for the same or similar pieces of furniture. You must remember that a retail price is much higher than the value, because it is bound to include a hefty profit margin.


Auction houses
If you think you have a genuinely valuable item of glass, china, furniture or any other antique, my advice would be to make contact with a reputable auction house. They will ask you to furnish them with a set of photos taken from several different angles, which will be inspected by a specialist who can give you an accurate valuation.

I always advise antique hunters to look out for a short course on antiques, either online or in your local area. It is the only way to find out the basic secrets you need to know and get in touch with some reliable information on your field of interest.

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