How to Value Your Antique like a Professional Appraiser

Antique Vase

If you are an avid antique collector, it can save you both time and money knowing the basics of appraising your collectibles.  Not only does this help you make a better selection during the buying process, it can be helpful if and when you choose to sell your collectibles.  Listed below are a few tips on how to value your antique like a professional appraiser.  Allow these tips to save you money, and give you the knowledge that you need to appraise your own antiques.

  • Look for markings.  The first thing that you want to look for when trying to appraise your antiques is markings. The markings on an antique item can tell you many things. It tells you who created the piece, the timeframe the item was made, and also whether or not it is the piece of a collection.  When attempting to appraise your antique, always look for the mark.
  • Condition.  An antique’s value is heavily affected by the condition of the item.  Items that are damaged severely may be worth very little, while items that are in pristine condition are worth far more. When analyzing the condition of an item, look for defects, cracks, signs of repairs, missing pieces, stains, and other flaws.  Every little detail matters when appraising antiques.
  • Being knowledgeable of market trends.  To value your antique like a professional appraiser, you must be familiar with the market of the particular antique that you are trying to appraise.  What are other pieces similar to yours going for on the market.  The market of antiques can fluctuate at any given time.  The longer you hold old to the item, the more it will be worth.  In some cases, however, some antiques may actually lose value over time depending on market trends.
  • Is your antique rare?  The true value of an item often depends on the rarity of it.  Extremely rare items can be worth mega bucks and are appraised at higher values that items that can easily be found.  In the antique market, you will pay higher prices for those items that are extremely rare.
  • Do you have a reproduction or is it authentic?  You must determine the authenticity of the item to find its true value.  Reproductions or “fakes” will look very similar to the real thing and can often be very difficult to distinguish. Often times, you must have skills and knowledge to be able to spot a reproduction.  Discrepancies in markings and hardware that does not live up to the age of the antique are two examples of ways that you can spot a reproduction.  When collecting antiques, you are likely to come across reproduction or fakes more than once on your treasure hunting journey. Know details about the items you are searching for so that you don’t pay high prices for items that have no value.
  • Watch the experts.  To learn how to value antiques that a professional appraiser, it can be beneficial watching a professional appraiser do his job.  Perhaps you know a professional who can give you the ticks and tricks of the trade. Maybe you are even lucky enough to shadow him during a day of work. If not, spend some time watching videos and shows of professional appraisers doing their job.  You can pick up useful tips on how to value antiques like a professional appraiser.
  • When valuing an item, don’t shoot high.  While everyone wants to think that their antique is worth top dollar, the truth is, very few antiques stand the test of time and are worth the highest price.  Unless you luck up and find a pristine item that is one of a kind, it is beneficial to value your items for less than what they are actually worth rather than shooting high.  A median priced item is more likely to give you an accurate depiction of how much your item is really worth.  When valuing an item, the median value is often closer to the real value of the antique.
  • Knowledge is power.  When attempting to value an antique like a professional appraiser, it can take time. Antique appraisers often specialize in certain eras or time periods.  Because you probably don’t have this same knowledge, you will need to spend some time really researching the antique that you are attempting to value. The internet is a valuable resource in helping you to gain knowledge about an item.  The more you know about the time period of the item, the more accurate your appraisal will be.

When attempting to value antiques like an expert appraiser, the tips above can be very helpful.  Accurately appraising antiques is no easy process.  Allow the tips above to give you a great foundation in becoming a professional antique appraiser. Remember, knowledge is power when it comes to appraising antiques!

This article is written by www.limogesfactory.com/. Check their collection for antique porcelain collectibles.