Hobbies And Interests
Instructions
The Rules
Realize that even though artifacts from Greek, Roman or Egyptian times used to be considered antiques, they are now considered "artifacts."
Remember that the "elitist" definition of antiques is old-fashioned and should no longer be used. It claims that only items that are handmade and dated before 1820 are considered antiques.
Keep in mind the rules of antiques from the U.S. Customs Office. Around World War I, they decided that any item over 100 years old is an antique and can come into the country duty-free. (So try to buy your antiques overseas!)
Understand that this rule means that every year adds more antiques to the table. If you see something that is only a couple of years away from being an antique and is in good condition and fairly priced, snap it up!
Take into consideration that most items created after 1891 by foreign countries are required to be stamped or labeled in English with the country of origin. (However, some of these had paper labels and other markings, which could have fallen off or been rubbed off, and not all countries complied.)
Rugs
Get down on your hands and knees and look at the pile on rugs to be sure it is evenly worn and that there are no damages or repairs.
Look at the back of the rug for moth damage, repairs, color problems and reductions (places where the rug has been cut and reattached to accommodate room size).
Ask the dealer to do a crack test (where they bend a small corner to listen for a "cracking" sound similar to static electricity) on the rug. If it cracks, the rug has been damaged.
Keep your eyes peeled for color problems and reductions.
Furniture
Look for the number of dovetails in the dovetail joint (the corner joint that joins two pieces of wood). Generally, the fewer the dovetails, the older the furniture. Also note the distance between each dovetail. If they are evenly spaced, they were produced by machines and are not as old. If they are unevenly spaced, they were made by hand and are probably older.
Look for saw marks (rough marks made during the cutting and shaping of the wood). Look on the backs, edges and underneath the pieces of wood. Generally, furniture made before the mid-18th century will have straight but uneven marks. Furniture from then until the mid-19th century will have wavy lines and be unevenly spaced. Most furniture after that time period will be rounded and saw marks will be harder to see.
Expect older chairs to have a lot of wear and tear on their back legs and the pieces across the middle of the legs. Look for chairs with shorter back legs, which indicate someone wanted a recliner before there were any.
Look for scribe marks (shallow lines scratched into the wood to identify the craftsman of the piece). These are usually located at the widest ends of dovetails and near joints.
Check drawers in pieces. Bottoms and sides of old pieces will sometimes be worn, even wiggling in places. Look for signs of repairs on the sides of drawers. New wood will smell like lacquer, while older wood will smell musty and old, like an old attic. If repairs do not show, they only slightly diminish the value.
Look for shrinkage and marriage (two pieces joined together using man-made techniques).
Look for wormholes (small, uneven holes made by woodworms). They are usually winding holes that pins cannot go through. They are dark, filled with dirt and wax, and have no fine powder. Wormholes are usually not found in mahogany. The best bets for wormholes are pine, maple, oak and walnut.
Note the hardware, such as connecting pieces and handles on drawers and cabinets. Pegs are usually a sign of an older piece, although they are still in use today. The older pegs will usually be imperfect. Wrought- iron nails (which have rectangular heads) and finishing nails (which are smaller and L- or T-shaped) were commonly used in antique furniture. Antique screws had blunt ends. Cotter Pin hinges resemble heavy staples but are rather weak and leave a single hole as well as marks on the wood. Check hinges to be sure they are original.
Dishes and Silverware
Look for trademarks (markings or signings from the glass maker).
Look for signs of wear and tear. Flaking around the rim is normal. Nicks will keep the piece from being mint condition. Chips, missing parts, cracks, rough spots and breaks should all make you re-evaluate whether it is worth buying or not. Reputable dealers should note all flaws. There should be scratches that go in different directions and are different sizes on the bottom of older glass.
Look at the way the glass was made. Blown glass usually has a pontil mark (a mark where the craftsman separated it from the pontil rod).
Look at the style of the glass. Note the period it seems to be from.
Look at the pattern of the glass. Companies usually used their own pattern, and each pattern was usually produced during a certain time period.
Tables should have their wear and tear on the table top.