Is it Antique and is it Worth Anything?

Is it an antique and is it worth anything? Would you know?

At some point in our lives most of us are going to put in a position where we have to ask ourselves the question- Which of my treasured possesions should I keep because they might be worth something and which can I throw away?

Would you know??

We start our own homes full of enthusiasm and with all the lovely clutter that makes up our lives and that of the family, but as time goes on, the children leave home, we decide to move to a smaller house or maybe we decide to live abroad. At that stage we have to decide what to keep and what to part with.

As an antique dealer for many years I'm often invited into homes to assist customers with just that question - or with a cry for HELP!!

Well, we all have items we wouldn't part with for a million pounds, precious bits and pieces passed down from parents and little presents from partners, children and grandchildren. Then there's the layer of semi-precious items that, to make a bit more room, we could part with. Put these to one side and we'll come back to them later - our second best treasures.

But the 'cupboard fillers' are quite a different matter! How many teas services, lace cloths and glasses do we need? In fact, be really honest, when was the last time you set the table with a starched cloth and all the cutlery amd glassware matching?

Call me a slut, but I usually serve friends with tea in china beakers. Wine is poured into glasses that are dish-washer friendly and the crockery and cutlery is an interesting ........... mish-mash. It's the company and stimulating converstion that's important I tell myself.

So what should we keep and what should we part with? We've carefully put our special treasures to one side and now we must invite the children in to look through the 'second best' treasures.

Make sure they have a chance to refuse any bits you're thinking of parting with. An old scruffy chair to your way of thinking might be a favourite to them and the comfy setting for many a bedtime story.

On a personal note after my mum died, my sister and I were clearing her things and we found an enamelled dish of little value. Ir was put on one side to give to the charity shop when my son asked if he could have 'the money dish'. "Which money dish" I asked. "The one that gran always kept the pound coins in to give us when we visited". Luckily the 'money dish' was passed on to a very happy grandson.

So now the children, and possibly the grandchildren, have had their pick. Time to decide what to do with the rest. Space might determine how thorough the pruning must be, but it's worth knowing what you could sell and what you may have to give away.

Even antiques come and go 'in fashion'. At the moment the style is minimalist. One carefully placed figurine, one item of polished glassware, not the over-the-top, not an inch of wall showing, style of the Victorians!

Anything that needs polishing, ie, copper, brass, silver and silver plated items are unpopular especially with the younger generation who manage to juggle a full-on family/working life. Equally, if it won't go in the dishwasher, it's a bit of a no-no!

So we're narrowing the field of what we can easily sell.

Small, exquisite, exciting little pieces are desirable. It's easy to get good prices for antique sewing items, silver thimbles, old needle holders, silk winders, buttons, even wooden cotton reels and pin cushions.

Another highly collectable area is - drinking! Old cork screws, bottle openers, wine and spirit labels, champagne taps, spirit measures and the pub water jugs for serving up with a glass of whisky.

Check through your drawers for old fountain pens and pencils and boys will be boys so hang on to any sporting memorabilia. Would you believe that a feather filled golf ball fetched £6,000 and old golf clubs, tennis rackets and snooker cues and balls are highly collectable.

Smoking acessories are politically incorrect, but old silver vesta cases, cigar cutters and interesting cigarette lighters can fetch a tidy sum.

Don't neglect the children's toy cupboard. Early tin toys, lead soldiers and more recently Star Wars and James Bond can raise much needed cash. Would you fancy parting with over £1,000 for a Victorian marble? Well it's happened with a German end-of-the-day onionskin marble, so sift with care.

So there's a few tips when planning a bit of a life laundry. Lots more advice to follow because I have a little corner of the shop at present where I'm selling vintage clothing, shoes, handbage and costume jewellery and it's going down very well, especially with the younger age group.

Until then, happy spring cleaning!!

Loads of similar articles and a newsletter and resources for Antiques and Collectibles at: http://www.architus.com

We run a small but beautifully formed General Antiques Shop which is situated in Kirkby Lonsdale In the Yorkshire Dales/Cumbria Border.

---

How To Convert eBay Surfers into Bidders!

Do you know the phrase "A Call To Action"? Well,... Read More

An Emerging Market in eBay Consignments: The eBay Trading Post (Part II In A Series)

In 2002, the eBay consignments business was born, referred to... Read More

When is Wholesale Really Wholesale

You've finally found the wholesale source for the high demand... Read More

Ten Sure Fire Ways To Lose Bidders

The way some auction sellers approach their auctions, it's clear... Read More

Is it Antique and is it Worth Anything?

Is it an antique and is it worth anything? Would... Read More

Profit through Other Peoples eBay Errors

There are many issues that influence how an eBay auction... Read More

Start Selling On eBay - Getting Started On The Right Foot

You've started your own eBay business and, even though it's... Read More

All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) Sell Well On eBay

ATV auctions are healthy markets on eBay. All terrain vehicles... Read More

How To Sell Internationally On eBay Without Risk

Many people just getting started on eBay have reservations when... Read More

Online Auctions: 5 Ways Your Business Can Benefit From Online Auctions

Online auctions are now the new gold rush on the... Read More

Making Money On EBay Can Be So Simple, Just Let Somebody Else Do All The Hard Work For You

OK, so you've been bitten by the eBay bug!You've ransacked... Read More

Royal Memorabilia ?Smart Trading and Fake Dodging

This is my second article about trading royal memorabilia on... Read More

Fed Up With eBay?

For many people, their first experience of working online involves... Read More

How To Use A WYSIWYG HTML Editor To Make Stunning Ebay Auction Listings

What kind of browser are you using for online surfing?... Read More

12 Tips To Make Your eBay Business More Profitable

Sometimes it's the simple things that can make your eBay... Read More

E Bay.com HTML Auction Templates: Which is Best for Ebay Selling?

There are a plenty of free e bay.com free auction... Read More

The Quickest Way To Have A Product To Sell On The Internet

Creating a product from scratch that you can sell on... Read More

So, Can You Really Sell EBooks On EBay And Make Cold Hard Cash?

Selling eBooks on eBay, and making any worthwhile profit from... Read More

Why 95% of All eBay Sellers Fail

eBay is now the 8th most visited site on the... Read More

The Top Ten Tips For Auction Success!

If you were to look through eBay, or any other... Read More

Top 10 Free Online Wholesale Resources

By the time that a product has made it to... Read More

A WIN-WIN Scenario On eBay For Buyer/Sellers: Tips For Hunting Want It Now Postings

"Ask And You Shall Receive" Policy Works!You're one-of-a-kind baby clothes... Read More

Buying At Auction: 6 Hints to Make You a Successful Bidder

Buying at auction, be it for stamps or coins, antiques... Read More

eBay Bargain Hunting - Spell Your Way To Success!

Have you ever wondered how identical items can fetch such... Read More

Top Secret Ebay Powerseller Technique: Classifieds Produce Auction Power

I was browsing through all of the classified sections, and... Read More

Sell Your Items at Cost and Make a Fortune on eBay!

Like all ebay sellers I wanted to sell all of... Read More

Online Auctions: How To Generate Fast Traffic From Online Auctions

Have you ever participated in any online auctions?Yes, people are... Read More

Get Yourself A Piece of The eBay Pie

Ebay is without a doubt the greatest internet marketing phenomenon... Read More

Multiple Income Streams on eBay within 30 Minutes!

POWERSELL Status, the secrets revealed.If like thousands of people you... Read More

Why Its a BAD Idea To Promote Hot Selling Products on eBay

Do a quick search on Google, Yahoo, or your favorite... Read More

Are You an Ebay Shopper?

As I write this article, I am keeping an eye... Read More

From Ebay Zero To Power-Selling Hero: What It Takes

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be "the... Read More

Losing Sales By Overcharging For Shipping And Handling

As a serious seller on eBay you're familiar with their... Read More