Antique Tips
So you want to buy an antique? The number one reason to buy is because you like it. Don’t be sold on a particular item unless you really want to live with it.
Looking to the past helps to put an item into context. Although the style of an antique is not bound by the reigning monarch at the time, this helps understand the mood and outside influences that helped style each reign. Get to know the era’s and what you are purchasing. View and download more information about the “era’s”
Make sure a detailed receipt accompanies the purchase of an antique piece. The Australian Customs Service recognizes an antique as being one hundred years old.
Look for antiques that have not been substantially altered or restored. Minor restoration is fine, in fact, it is almost expected, but if not if more than 80 per cent is original then it is not what it once was.
In the UK, pieces with original patina/patination will fetch two to three times the price of a repolished piece.
Authenticity is paramount to investment potential. A top quality piece will retain its value, so it is always better to buy one really good piece per year and go for true quality, rather than a number of smaller, fully restored pieces.
At Odd’n’Olde antiques, we can advise you where and when each piece was made and, generally, by whom. We invite you to browse our range at our Mount Tamborine store.
