Guide to Buying Original Antiques

Whether you're buying antiques for the first time or just want to brush up on your knowledge, this article is for you. Buying antiques can be a fun and exciting way to decorate or collect your home. It is especially important to ensure that you get value for money. This article covers the basics of recognizing and valuing antiques. In addition, we indicate which main categories of antiques we distinguish and where you can best buy original antiques.

When is something 'original' antique?

Objects that are more than 100 years old are generally considered antiques. We can say that most antique objects are made by hand and with the help of machines as little as possible. So most antiques date from before the 20th century because after 1900 most objects were mainly made with machines after that.

In addition to antiques, we distinguish between 'vintage' and 'brocante'. Vintage and brocante are items that are at least forty years old and come from the period 1920-1980. The difference between vintage and brocante is often in the condition of the product, where brocante often has a somewhat more rural and more weathered character.

Antique does not necessarily mean that something is also art. There is only art if the object is of an exceptional unique and original quality made by an artist. With antiques, age is therefore more important than artistic value.

For example, a Van Gogh is a work of art, not an antique. A nice painting from the same time, which cannot really lay claim to artistic qualities, is then called antique.

But the distinction is sometimes difficult to make, especially when it comes to utensils that have become famous because of their 'design'.

For example, the Rietveld chair from 1918 or glassware by Chris Lebeau from the 1920s or old batik work from Indonesia can, if the age criterion is not applied too strictly, be regarded as antiques, but they can also be regarded as works of art.

In another sense, the word 'antique' refers to classical antiquity as a period in history. "Ancient antiquity" sometimes serves as a synonym of "classical antiquity", people and especially the Greek and Roman writers of that period are "the ancients". 

What makes antiques valuable?

The price and value of antiques depends on a number of factors, the most important of which are listed below:

Who made it; which artist or which factory or which 'house' made the object and what has been the historical importance of the object in art history.

The age of the object; of course, fewer copies of an older work will have survived than of a less old copy, in addition, an early copy from a series or series is often worth more than a later copy.

Rarity and exceptions; here too, the fewer copies that still exist and the more special the object, the scarcer and the higher the value will be.

The authenticity and context; how sure do we know if something is real or authentic? It is important for the value of an antique to know if there is proof of authenticity or a description, for example showing who the object came from and where we can place the object in view of its users or original owners, the place, period or any other related objects.

The quality; of course an antique piece is worth less if it is damaged or restored. This is especially true for ceramics and glassware. The quality of the finish of the object is also important for the value.

In the case of antiques, it may be that repairs have already been made during the time or that parts have been added or replaced 'later', we regularly see this with clocks, for example. A natural 'patina' of older materials, on the other hand, is often appreciated by collectors. 

The materials used; the rarer and higher quality materials used, the 'intrinsically' more valuable the object. Think of silver or gold content and the use of precious stones or the type of wood used in furniture.

The current taste & trends; the contemporary trends and the desire for antique objects are constantly changing with the times. This is and was especially the case with antique furniture where the supply has grown and people have less and less space for larger objects.

Personal taste; if you like something yourself or if it fits well in your (eclectic) collection or interior, then it is of course valuable to you. So if you buy antiques, buy it anyway because you find it beautiful or special at first glance.

Which main categories of antiques do we distinguish?

You have antiques in all kinds, below we have made an explanation of the most common categories with the most important characteristics and points of attention.

Antique furniture
Antique furniture is not always valuable. Your grandma's tea cabinet may be 100 years old, but it doesn't have to make a fortune when sold.

If your grandmother left an Art Nouveau or Art Deco interior behind, these antique pieces of furniture may be worth a lot.
With antique wooden furniture, the type and quality of the wood (exotic or oak) and the patina are often important. Patina is the deep shade that wood acquires after centuries of use and care.

Antique printing and prints
Printmaking, such as old maps and pictures (often from books) are often sold as antique prints. Paper is often very vulnerable to damage caused by acids, moisture, tears and creases.

The condition or quality of the paper then has a major effect on the value. Also important for the value of antique prints is that they should be original 'prints' as much as possible and that there are no reproductions. The more original (perhaps hand signed) and the smaller the edition, the more valuable.

Antique glass and ceramics
Most of the antiques offered today in terms of glass and ceramics come from the Art Nouveau and Art Deco period. This often concerns applied or decorative art where production often took place with a combination of machine and human hand.

The more intact the object and the smaller the edition, the higher the value. With antique glass and ceramics we also regularly find offers from the Roman, Greek and Egyptian periods, the so-called antique or classical antiquity.

Antique bronze statues and sculptures
When it comes to antique sculptures or statues, most of the offerings also come from the Art Nouveau and Art Deco period. Important for the value of antique statues or sculptures is the reputation of the artist or foundry and the integrity of the statue.

Antique jewelry 
Today we see a lot of jewelery from the Victorian era (1837-1901), a period of great wealth and 'glitter and glamour'. In this time there was no electric light and jewelry was mainly made to shine as much as possible by candlelight.

Often these antique Victorian jewelry and jewelry are still quite affordable when you look at the gemstones and precious metals used and their intrinsic value. These antique pieces of jewelery are mainly richly decorated rings, earrings, pendants and brooches, which are still very wearable today.

Antique coins and medals
Collectors in particular often target coins and medals. The most sought after antique coins often come from the Greek and Roman periods. The latter depicts the reigning emperor at that time.

Another type of coin that was not used in payment transactions are 'tokens', often made to commemorate an important event and are also very popular among collectors of antique coins.

Antique silver objects and crockery
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, much attention was paid to silver tableware, such as dishes, plates and cutlery. In addition to impressing the guests, this was also insurance in case of bad times.

In addition, the silver crockery or tableware was often part of the dowry. Such antique crockery often passed from generation to generation, so that much of it has been preserved and sometimes it is not even used today.

Antique clocks and instruments
Antique clocks are still widely collected. In addition to the art-historical value, the value of the authentic parts and the name of the maker are also important.

There are different types of clocks such as the table clock, wall clock or longcase clock, they are often richly decorated, especially the antique clocks with the Empire style (1804-1814).

Colonial antique
We call many antique objects that come from the former colonies colonial antiques. This may concern prints and antique furniture from the colonies, but also often beautifully decorated objects (such as baskets, boxes or carvings) made of the most exotic materials.

These antique works of art were often taken back to their homeland as 'showpieces' to decorate the cabinets and homes of the rich.

Objects from ancient times
In addition to antique coins, you should also think of glass and pottery, such as figurines and jewelry. Here too, it is important to know the origin, such as the original collection or the previous owner.

The provenance of antiques from antiquity is very important because it sometimes happens that these objects have not been legally offered, but also to be able to estimate their (art) historical value.

Antique objects from antiquity are regularly smuggled out of the country as illegal archaeological finds, often from poor countries or countries involved in a (civil) war.