Household Items

Prized household items range from the fine silver and china from a wealthy household to old kitchen utensils Both have their own associations with people from the past whether the rich and aristocratic or everyday individuals While signs of wear can lower a pieces monetary value theres a certain appeal to an item thats been handled by generations before

Light particularly sunlight can fade antique collectibles particularly textiles and printed material remarkably quickly Protect pieces by keeping them in places where they are not exposed to sunlight or excessive heat from close incandescent bulbs or by keeping them behind glass thats coated against UV rays The best glass is called museum glass while it is more expensive it not only protects the item but is nonreflective so it wont interfere with enjoying your item Humidity can deteriorate many items particularly anything on paper The threat is multiplied if the item is subjecting to changing temperatures because then condensation can form just like on the outside of a cold soda can in a warm room If you dont want to dehumidify your whole home you can just dehumidify the room where you keep your collection or use a closet unit However some antique collectibles made of material like ivory need moisture in the air to keep from cracking You can put these in a closed cabinet with a shot glass of water Cleaning materials designed for everyday use can be very destructive to antique collectibles Many of them are too abrasive and using them can reduce an items value

Pricing for antique collectibles is usually flexible particularly if you buy multiple items from a shop and it is inherently flexible at auction While pricing depends on subtle factors as well as obvious ones you can still get a sense of how much an item should cost Price guides are available for nearly every kind of collectible antique that exists and while bids on auction sites like eBay are not necessarily as reliable because you like the bidders are relying on a photograph and sellers description they can still provide a general sense of prices. It is hard to tell a fake item from an authentic one even professionals get fooled on a disconcertingly frequent basis In fact theres even a Museum of Fakes in Salerno Italy and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London has a Hall of Fakes and Forgeries items from their collection that turned out to be fakes Or for a fictional view read Jonathan Gashs novels featuring antiques dealer and frequent forger Lovejoy Again books are your friends here as books on antique collectibles often detail the most frequent signs of fakes In the case of a large purchase go to a dealer with a solid reputation and demand a detailed receipt Once a collectible is an antique the odds are that its will retain its value as long as it remains in the same condition Even so there are no guarantees and so very few financial advisers suggest investing in antique collectibles solely as an investment unless you already have a solid and diversified portfolio Instead most encourage you to collect what you love and can afford and then be pleasantly surprised if it turned out to be a sound financial investment