How Do You Recognise Good Quality Antiques From Junk? - Features of Valuable Antiques - By: Matthew McLiddy

The value of antiques is based on what people are willing to pay for such an item created long ago. However, simply because something fits the loose definition of an antique—which is generally considered to be an object at least 70 to 100 years old—doesn't automatically make it valuable. There are several points you can look for in an antique item to know whether it's worth buying or if it's simply old junk with a heightened price tag.

The product should be of superior craftsmanship. Today, many pieces of furniture are made out of moulds and pumped out of factories at impressive rates. This is perfect for making money today, but when it comes to selling these objects 100 years from now, their inferior craftsmanship will probably prevent them from being very valuable. In fact, because of the shoddy quality of many factory-made items today, they may not even last 100 years to become antiques.

Historic objects will certainly be worth more if they can still function. Old gramophones that can still play records, antique pocket watches that still tick, and old phones that can still dial will be more valuable antiques than identical objects that have been damaged or broken over the years. The functionality of old objects despite the passing years ties in directly to the product being of high-quality craftsmanship.

Antiques that are worth a lot of money are rare, perhaps because few were originally made or because most were destroyed in the passing years. Because of the scarceness of the item in antique markets, collectors and investors are often willing to pay more to add it to their collection. Being rare will often mean the item is unique as well, which is a related feature of good quality antiques. Many items today are mass-produced, so since they are not scarce, they will probably not be worth very much money 100 years from now due to this simple fact.

Older items may be considered antiques if they were designed or owned by famous people. Examples include furniture from various historical time periods, famous leaders' glasses, and pistols used by renowned generals of wars gone by. If you are interested in buying an antique item, learn its history before you make your purchase. Before you gain experience in shopping for antiques, see if you can make a shopping trip with a friend who has been collecting for years. They will be able to help you recognize good quality antiques from junk.

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