How To Get Your Antiques Valued

by Perry Manku⁽³⁾

Over the years we all collect things and without realising we even have antiques in our collection. We are sometimes left items by older family members in a will reading and as good or precious as they may be they end up sitting in the loft gathering dust and are forgotten about. Many of us are unaware how to value antiques and don’t have a trained eye but with shows like Antiques Road Show, Cash In The Attic and Dickinson’s Real Deal, more people are now becoming aware to the fact that they are able to get a fair price for these antiques and collectibles when they sell them at an auction house or antiques fairs.

There are many ways available to get your collectibles and antiques valued. Some of these ways are free and some cost money. Here are some ways to help you get the true value of your antiques.

Visit an auction house with your antiques

Find an auction house and take your collectibles and antiques there. Auction houses have in-house experts who have the experience and knowledge to value your antiques as well as give you a price that they think the item will sell for in the auction. It is important to remember that this can cost quite a bit to do but if you place your item in the auction this charge is sometimes waived. If the auction house is popular the valuation fee will be higher. The reason for high fees is because large auction houses have much more advertising and many more buyers are attracted to large auction houses.

Antiques fairs for a valuation

Going to antiques fairs probably costs much less than an auction house and will be much more time consuming. However, all you need to do is take along your antiques and collectables and speak with the antiques dealers who have stalls at the fairs. One of the most popular antiques fairs takes place every Thursday in London and is the Old Spitalfields market. Here you will find many antique traders available and will be able to get more than one opinion. Traders at the Antiques market are on the lookout for bargains and will value and offer you cash for a quick sale of your item. If you have a large collection of items you are looking to sell then a great tip is to try and get a pitch at a stall and sell your items to the passing trade.

21st century valuation

If you don’t have the time to visit an auction house or antiques fair then you can take a picture of your antique or collectable and upload it to your computer. There are many websites that will do online valuations, you just simply send the photo to them. These websites generally respond within 48 hours with a valuation for your item. This is a fabulous service but these websites do not sell your items so the valuation may be less than expected.

If you are looking for a full experience of selling your antiques, then visiting an antiques market will give you just that as well as a fun and enjoyable day out. Old Spitalfields Market is the perfect day out in London as not only can you browse the various stalls but you can also grab a great bite to eat in one of the many fantastic eateries.

Article submitted Tuesday, June 07, 2011 & read 75 times.

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