How to recognize and evaluate antiques

Items are generally considered “antiquarian” if they are over 100 years old. Since there are costs associated with evaluation by independent experts, you should do a little research yourself in advance – literally.

As for old objects or frames for paintings, it all depends on the wood used. Cherry wood was often used during the Biedermeier period, and more expensive materials such as palisander or nut were used during the Baroque era. These traits also speak of antiques:

• signatures of famous workshops;
• uneven edges and roots due to purely manual work;
• A genuine state without special restoration.

Understand the value of jewelry and porcelain

Old porcelain and ornaments are often passed on to future generations and, if lucky, can be a real find. Again, there are a few things to consider before going to an appraiser.



In particular, historical jewelry can make you a lot of money. As with old furniture, in the past it was mostly handmade. Stamps often give information about the sample of precious metals and the manufacturer, engravings also allow you to draw conclusions about the era. Advice. If you don’t have a magnifying glass to make out the small embossings, you can zoom in with a smartphone camera.

Diamonds, sapphires and other precious stones in antique jewelry are always precisely installed, not glued. However, when assessing the gemstones themselves, it is better to consult with specialists - for non-specialists, any fakes can hardly be recognized as such.

Valuable porcelain is distinguished by its transparency, which ceramics lack. As for utensils, the trademarks of well-known manufacturers are also a good indicator of value. Hand-painted motifs, such as the famous Meissen porcelain onion pattern, are still in demand.

Rate Antiques Online
Evaluating antiques online will help provide users with reliable information about the value of the alleged antiques. To do this, you just need to upload as many significant images as possible to the application, which show the object as a whole, and also highlight details. So open the drawers, document any material damage, and photograph anything that seems important. Also provide a detailed description of the objects depicted in the photos.



Where can I sell antiques?
The next question is where to actually sell antiques. Previously, the only option was to contact the dealer or enter the market yourself. Today, the Internet is being added to this. Therefore, we offer different sales options that may be interesting:

1. Antiques dealer – if you want a quick and safe sale, it’s a good idea to contact a dealer. However, here sellers should understand that they are, of course, interested in buying antiques cheaper. He wants to earn money himself and also has to cover the costs of his shop and living expenses. This means that the amount that is ultimately paid to the antiquarian on sale is usually well below the value of the items.
2. Selling online is a very popular method used by many sellers today. Antiques can be sold on various sites or portals. The advantage, of course, is distance. Those who wish have the opportunity to buy antiques not only throughout the country, but also abroad. This can bring a very good profit. However, the efforts associated with online sales should not be underestimated.
3. Sale at auction – in the case of very valuable items that are already almost not sold, it may be advisable to go to an auction house and sell antiques at auction. However, it should be borne in mind that, of course, it may be that antiques are not sold at all. Especially in the case of highly attended events, the odds are high, and even higher values are often offered than expected.

Another option is to sell at the flea market. Anyone thinking about it should remember that less money changes hands and many visitors don’t even know how much antiques are worth. The alternative is special antique markets, where most dealers sell such items. These markets are very popular with collectors, but bargaining here is also very popular and you will probably have to say goodbye to the price you originally wanted.