• Tips To Decorate Your Home With Architectural Antiques

    Want to change the look of your room or just planning to re-decorate it? There are thousands of things which you can try to decorate your room but take care the decorative items that you are using must match your room as well as suit the place. A newly decorated room gives you a pleasant […]

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Buying Antiques: A Beginner’s Guide To A Passion

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Antiques&GardensHomeShowAntiques are a wonderful addition to any home. They add class and sophistication and can be instrumental in aiding in education for your visitors. It doesn’t take much to become educated and experienced in the world of antiques. Even absolute beginners can pick it up quickly. Here is some advice to help you.

Buying antiques is different from shopping for other types of home furniture. Regular home furniture and accessories depreciate over time. On the other hand, antiques become more valuable with age and could even provide you with a nice little investment to cash-in on your retirement if you buy well.

When considering buying antiques you need to understand the three basic principles on which antique valuation and significance are based. First, age. There is some debate about antiques as to how old they have to be, but more importantly, there are distinct periods most antiques are categorized into. Second, condition. The closer the condition is to the original the higher an antique’s value. Finally, pedigree. If you can properly trace an antique’s ownership you can more readily quantify its value.

I always recommend starting your journey with antiques by setting a strict budget and trying to find ‘bargains’ that you will simply enjoy. As you become more educated and experienced about antiques and the history of furniture and accessories you can start to increase your budget slowly. The reason I recommend this is that you will be less likely to buy something that seems valuable, but really isn’t.

Television shows like Antiques Roadshow highlight how frequently people find wonderful treasures for very little money while shopping. You don’t need to spend big to find some amazing pieces. Most antique dealers pick up their stock very inexpensively and there are some good bargains if you’ll take your time.

If possible, I’d also recommend shopping around with a local antiques dealer. He or she will probably enjoy mentoring you on the world of antiques. Their experience and knowledge will help you quickly come to understand the different periods and their significance. It will be a wonderful history lesson as well.

Although these tips are very short and lacking in detail they will help you get started on a firm foundation for building your knowledge of antiques and history. There are many other ways to build your education including online forums, blogs and libraries. Good luck on your journey. And have fun!

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Could You Have Valuable Antiques in Your Home?

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Most of us have heard of an incredible story where somebody finds an antique in their attic that is worth millions of dollars. While this kind of thing only happens on rare occasions, you may be surprised to learn that many people often do have a number of collectable and antique items of value in their own home without even realising it. This article takes a look at how you can locate these items, and how you can go about getting them valued

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Places to Look for Antiques

The best places to look in your home are those places which you haven’t visited for a while. An attic is often stuffed full of old memorabilia that has been passed down through generations, and you have probably forgotten about most of it. You can also try searching in your garage. It is worth sifting through everything and having a proper spring clean while you are at it. You can make separate piles for things that you want to keep, things that you want to donate, and items that you think may be valuable. You can also ask your parents if you can sift through their stuff in the attic, garage or storage to see what you can find. Often people will be grateful for helping you to organize their things, and if you do find something valuable they may give you a percentage of what it is sold for.

You can also try searching at estate sales or car boot sales for some valuable items that are going cheap. You can also try politely bargaining with the seller for an even better deal. Be sure to thoroughly check the condition of the item before making an offer.

Sometimes you can also find bargain antiques on online auction sites such as eBay. Just remember though, if you are purchasing from eBay you are not purchasing directly from an antiques dealer, so there is more of a chance that the item will be not be in the best condition, or it could even be counterfeit. Always do your research and only purchase from reputable sellers who have a good feedback score.

Take Care of Your Antiques

Just remember, whether you are looking in your own home, or purchasing them from another person, you should take as much care with the items as possible to avoid damaging them. Even the slightest bit of damage to an antique can cause its value to drop drastically. Always make sure that they are packaged carefully and correctly.

Where to Get Your Antiques Valued

The best place to get your antiques valued is in person at a trusted and reputable antique store. A trained dealer will be able to take a look at the item and give you a rough valuation of its price. If they are interested in purchasing the item then they may also make you an offer on it. Some dealers will allow you to email them photographs so that they can make a rough valuation of the item without physically seeing it.

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Indian Antiques – A Collection Of Precious Traditional Items

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Antiques&GardensHomeShow1India is a country of many different cultures and traditions and when referring to antiques, India stands with the top providers. Indian antiques not only represent the culture, but also the precious skills of creating unique and beautiful items. If you love to collect antiques, then antiques from India would be considered to be a treasure for you. You can find numerous antiques within a range of criteria. Beautiful designs and fine shapes of antiques are the specialty of these items.

Types of antiques:

Indian antiques are made of different types of materials. A large variety of selections are available in silver, brass, bronze, copper and combinations of some of these. Paintings and handicrafts are some of the antiques people love to buy and even gift to their loved ones.

Precious Indian antiques are in demand nowadays because of their uniqueness. However, some people are so fond of antiques that they collect and even decorate their home with beautiful antiques. As these antique items are attractive and unique, they have a status value. Most of the people are attracted towards useful antiques made of brass or copper or a combination of both.

Most popular copper antiques:

Though there are countless copper antiques available all over India, some of the most preferred items are:

Ashtrays- One of the most commonly used item of ancient days is an ashtray. To have an antique ashtray in your living room would definitely make your room striking. Antique ashtrays are available in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Beautifully designed pots- In ancient days, these pots were commonly used in every home. Different types of pots were used for different purposes. Water pots, food pots, flowerpots and many other types of pots were designed by hand. They were expertly casted and these pots can now be a part of your home.

Antique Surma dani/ Bottle- These bottles were widely used among women to keep surma in it. Surma, which is a mixture of soot and herbal ingredients, was used to put it the eyes. It is supposed to be good for eyes; and it was regularly used as an eye make-up to darken eyelids.

Apart from this, it was used as mascara too. Such surma danis were in use in Middle East, North America along with Arabic countries and South Asia. Some of them are a part of museums of antiques while some are available online for sale. These surmadanis come in a variety of shapes like mango, peacock, parrot and flowers.

Indian antiques are a part of the rare treasures from India. They are a sign of Indian culture and skills of unique creativity. So, visit  http://www.icollector.com/Native-Americana-Auctions_aca900582 and take a part of Indian culture into your home.