Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Collect Egyptian Artifacts
Think about what you want to collect. Ancient Egypt is well known for its amulets, stone statuettes, jewelry and bronze figurines, among others. While you may want to collect a little bit of everything, it's a good idea to become adept in one area to increase your chances of successful transactions.
Get as much knowledge as you can about Egyptian artifacts. Visiting major museums with extensive Egyptian art collections or reading books like 'The Art of Ancient Egypt' by Gay Robins, available through Amazon.com (see Resources below) will allow you to become familiar with the various styles, colors and types of objects frequently found on the market.
Research the going prices for major and minor Egyptian artifacts. You can look in old auction catalogs, or in bookstore price guides. The main points you'll want to pay attention to are the quality, condition, history and size of each piece.
Understand it will take you quite awhile to build up an interesting, substantial collection. You'll probably want to stretch your budget as far as it can go, but it's actually a better idea to spend your entire budget on one classic piece sure to appreciate than to waste money on lower-priced, inferior artifacts.
Work with reputable dealers who know a great deal about Egyptian artifacts. It may be tempting to purchase your first piece of Egyptian art online for an incredibly low price. However, it's best to go in person to choose the first item you collect. You'll be better able to tell a forgery from an authentic piece in person.
Write down a thorough, accurate description of each piece you buy and take plenty of photographs of it. You'll want to purchase insurance for your collection to safeguard your investment, and most insurance companies require expensive antiquities to be properly cataloged before a policy is granted.