Entries from August 2009 ↓
August 28th, 2009 — Antique, Furniture
Unless you are shopping around in a museum, it may be difficult to buy antique furniture dated before the 16th century. Collectors are generally only able to obtain pieces of furniture from the 1485 to 1600 Tudor Period and onwards, and even the furniture selection from this period is relatively small in comparison.
It was not until the middle of the seventeenth century that things began to change. Before then, most furniture was made simply with oak and with peg joints. Some of these antique furniture items were inlaid or painted, but if there was any décor at all, it was typically carved directly into the wood. The most common antique furniture that you are going to find today includes paneled oak chests intended for linen, and many of these are hand carved in order to feature unique figures and architectural shapes. If the carving is to regular or geometrical, then there is a chance that the piece is either a reproduction, or that the decorations have been improved upon or added much more recently.
The chest of drawers is a piece of antique furniture that has evolved gradually since the latter half of the 17th century. It began with a simple carcass that contained a couple of drawers which were mounted on a stand that featured turned legs. This piece of furniture gradually progressed into what we now know as featuring drawers from top to bottom. This is also the same period of time where using veneer became popular. Thin pieces of carved wood or wood featuring interesting colors were glued onto the piece’s outside frame to serve as decorative paneling or to cover the entire structure.
At this point, chairs and settlings were also beginning to change from their basic, square and relatively plain designs into designs that were significantly more elaborate and featured backs and can backs and seats were being introduced. The very best antique furniture pieces were destined to suit aristocratic homes and they were upholstered lavishly. The backs became significantly higher and the seats became significantly lower.
Another influencing factor on antique furniture was trade with the Far East. Lacquered cabinets featuring two doors and a variety of drawers began to be imported from Japan and China. They were mounted on stands upon reaching England. This was the birth of a process that is known as Japanning, which involves imitating the Oriental style lacquers using spirit and oil varnishes.
Toward the end of the century, the influx of European craftsman brought about a radical change in what types of antique furniture were available. The writing bureau, for example, came to be during this period of time as an arrangement of a cabinet with a drop down, hinged front and an arrangement of cubbies and drawers that provided ample space for writing.
If you are interested in learning how to buy antique furniture, learning the history of the pieces is definitely a good way to go.
Photo Credits: mezzoblue
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Repairing Leather Furniture Furniture made of leather is generally more expensive than furniture made from other fabrics like cotton, acrylic, wool, or microfiber. However, furniture experts consider leather to be the best all-around upholstery fabric. This is because leather is extremely tough, softens and develops character with age, and is easy to clean. ......
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August 19th, 2009 — Antique, Antique Books, Collectible
Many people who collect rare books have relationships with a number of booksellers who handle these types of books, and have lists of the books they’d like to own. The seller, when that book becomes available, will contact the customer and then they negotiate on a price. Some online rare book sellers give the option of making such a wish list with them, and then you could be notified if they should find they have your books available.
If you’re interested in collecting rare books, establishing a relationship with several sellers and giving them your wish lists is an excellent beginning. You can at least be assured that if one of these sellers come across a book that you’ve expressed an interest in, you’ll be contacted and you’ll have the opportunity to negotiate its purchase. Whether or not you’ll end up with the book depends on how many other people the seller has to notify, and how aggressively the other customers go after the same rare book.
But rare book sellers aren’t the only way you can find rare books. Flea markets can provide interesting finds, as can yard sales. Very often people take their old books and sell them for pennies at these kinds of sales. If the seller isn’t well-read or interested in rare books, he or she might not be aware that the old book they’ve never read and don’t even remember where they got could be quite valuable in the rare book market.
Auctions like eBay are an excellent place to find rare books, too. While it’s fun to browse through the tables at flea markets and yard sales and come across an old book that costs virtually nothing and could very well be worth something, when you approach booksellers or auctions, it’s best to know exactly what books you want.
If you’re looking for rare books by a specific author, that makes it quite easy to search the numerous auctions you’ll find online, and if you’re looking for a specific book or books, then your search is simplified even more. Though it can worthwhile to simply browse the books at eBay, you’ll want to narrow it down. Go to the category called “Antiques” and then choose “Books and Manuscripts.” You can narrow it down further by choosing the region of the world you’d like the books to originate from, or you can choose the main category and spend hours browsing the rare book auctions.
As far as judging the value of rare books, much depends on the author, the condition of the book and its binding, and the book itself. First editions are the most coveted types of rare books available today, as they represent the very first printing of the book, and are almost always more valuable than later printings. If you’re looking at an auction that says “reading copy,” then pass on it. This is a book that’s in poor enough condition that you can enjoy reading it, but it’s not collectible.
Originally posted 2008-11-16 05:00:34. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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August 19th, 2009 — Antique, Antique Books
Maintaining the integrity of old books that are considered to be archives, historic or heirlooms can be a challenging task given the wide variety of elements and types of situations that are capable of causing damage to them. Fire, water, mold and smoke are all elements and situations that are capable of causing damage to books that are archived or historic if the proper level of prevention is not practiced in order to keep these books in worthwhile shape. Although much of what was once in print has been converted into an online format as a result of the digital age, there is still a great amount of value that comes from preserving the books that history has been built on.
Restoring antique books that have been in some way damaged is a unique and challenging task that is not impossible but may sometimes seem it. Depending on the severity of the damage, the type of binding and paper and other details, books are capable of being restored by way of freeze drying as well as vacuum drying methods. Both of these methods for restoring antique books is going to require professional services, meaning that you are going to want to work with a professional that understands how sensitive each of these methods is and how sensitive the books are to them.
When restoring a book that is damaged by water, it is recommended that the book be left in its original found condition. If the book was closed, do not open it. If it was open, do not close it. If there was coated paper on the book, then you can use wax paper between the pages. To store or move the books prior to treating them, pack them with their spines down in crates or boxes with freezer paper keeping individual books separated.
Mud and dirt should absolutely only be removed from the book if it has been allowed to dry fully. Do not use detergents or bleaches in order to clean the books. Dry the wet books using a fan. Do not use the sun. If you want to prevent mold and absorb extra moisture, you should use talcum powder or cornstarch. If the pages of the books are folded or wrinkles, then you need to wait until the book is at least partially dry before placing the book between two dry boards using a clamp or a vice for a period of at least 24 hours to allow for straightening of the pages.
If the delicacy and the detail involved in managing the restoration and drying of an old antique book seems too daunting for you, please find a service that can do the work for you. If you become overwhelmed by the process you may end up hurting the book sooner than helping it. Contact a professional immediately to find out what your options are and you may have better luck.
Photo Credits: Patrick Q
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August 16th, 2009 — Antique
If you are interested in a new and interesting way to make money, then selling antiques is a good way to go. If you enjoy dealing in old heirlooms, yard sales, estate sales and flea markets, and you think that selling antiques is a hobby that you will enjoy doing, then keep reading.
First and foremost, you need to decide what type of antique seller you want to be. Are you hoping to sell antiques full time or part time? Would you like to sell in flea markets or your own antique shop? Can you handle all of the unique responsibilities that go along with owning your very own antique shop? There are a number of considerations for you to make, including:
- * Money – You need money to make money, and starting such an endeavor is going to cost you a decent amount of money at first. You are going to have to buy or rent a building, utilities, fixtures, insurance, accounting and hiring employees as well.
- * Inventory – You are going to need a full inventory all the time in order to effectively run an antique store.
- * Taxes – You will need to pay taxes for your business and any income that you pay yourself, meaning that taxes will become more complicated than before.
- * Insurance – Insurance matters are also going to become more complicated since you will be paying insurance for yourself, for your company and for any employees that you hire as well.
- * Time - Most business owners, including antique shop owners, put in more than 40 hours of work every single week. Can you handle this?
Are you interested in selling antiques as a vendor at trade shows, craft shows and flea markets? You can work at antique shows and local fairs as well. This is going to require significantly less responsibility as if you owned your own store, but there are still some considerations that you need to make, including:
- You need to have enough merchandise on hand,
- You need to have the proper displays so that you can show off your products,
- You need to have proper transportation for your products,
- You may need assistance setting up or selling your products,
- You need to have a display plan that is pleasing to the idea.
In other words, no method of selling antiques is without its important considerations. No matter how you decide to sell your antiques, be it online, through flea markets or in your very own store, there are a number of things that you need to consider before you make any concrete decisions. Make sure that you weigh all of your options carefully before you choose one option over the other, and do not be afraid to start small and work your way up to something greater with time.
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August 6th, 2009 — Antique
There is quite a demand in today’s market for antique items of all types, and so learning how to conduct antique appraisal is becoming increasingly important. Antique items are supplied to customers by way of the market that buys goods in both unrestored and restored conditions. The process of the antique appraisal will enable the supplier as well as the consumer to arrive at a single number for price at the time of the antique’s sale. Antique appraisal gives us all of the information that we need pertaining to the manufacturer and the manufacture of the antique. Antique appraisals are largely judged on the look and feel of the antique and any other details that can be provided.
Antique appraisals are legal documents that are designed to describe the state of property, clarifying the value of the property following a strict pricing standard when it comes to addressing antiques. Some of the things that are included in this appraisal process include:
- A description of the property that is being appraised,
- An analysis of the current marketplace for the item in question,
- A notation of the donate that the antique was evaluated on,
- The value that the antique item was perceived to have,
- Information on the evaluator’s adherence to an ethical code,
- A report pertaining to the fee policy of the antique appraisal,
- An appraisal certificate stating pertinent facts about the appraisal process,
The value and the portrayal that is conducted by an experienced antique appraiser will assure in the insurance of such an antique. Many take these evaluations and use them to obtain loans from the bank or from another financial institution. Assessing an antique for price and value is a process that is time consuming, and as a result it can easily take between two weeks and four weeks. The antique will be appraised based on its condition, where and when it is from and how unique it is. Once the antique has been properly evaluated, the appraisal document is sent to the owner of the item, and the appraiser keeps a copy on hand for their own records as well.
Most appraisers of antiques are quite knowledgeable and experienced because there are a number of different factors that have to come into play when it comes to placing a value on the antique. These include condition, regional difference, the market value and rarity of the item in question.
Here is a word of caution to keep in mind: You should never make a trade with an appraiser, because you could potentially be taken for a ride. You also should never get your antique appraised over the internet. If you want an accurate evaluation, you need to go to a real appraiser because he or she will need to handle the item in order to make an accurate decision about the item.
Photo Credits: R. Motti
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