Antique Collecting Advice

So you have this old picture, and you're not sure who it's by. The right name could make all the difference at auction, but just how do you find out who painted your item—and were they famous?

Sterling silver and silver plate is attractive and collectible. Sterling is valuable for craftsmanship, rarity, and for melting as a commodity.

Sooner or later there will be a buyer for just about any item you care to name, but what makes an antique or collectible desirable? What does rarity, condition and provenance actually mean?

Vintage textiles are valuable, collectible, and need special treatment for laundering or storage. Cutting whole pieces for home craft projects destroys their value.

Blue Ridge Pottery dishes made in the Appalachian mountains are very popular with collectors. History and information on Blue Ridge Pottery Show and Sale yearly in Erwin, Tennessee

Treasures can be found amongst the family crockery. Check the manufacturing mark on the back. Examples include Japanese post-war imports, Chinese Fine China, Fireking USA, Aynsley, and Towerbrite.

If you like history, vintage paper items, & learning about people's lives, try collecting antique diaries. Here are guidelines for selling these or restoring them to a relative of the journal writer.

Whether you inherited it from your great-grandmother or picked it up at an estate sale, your old mirror may be worth more than you realize. It's time to put on your detective hat and look for clues!

There is a difference between antiques and collectibles and a difference between price guides and actual value which is influenced by consumer demand, availability, and condition of the item.

The British Mark their silver in symbols. Learn how to read them to properly identify your silver, and find treasures overlooked by others who don't know what the symbols mean.

Flow Blue is a highly collectible, antique blue-and-white china popular during the Victorian era, known for hazy blue floral, pastoral, or Asian patterns on bright white china.

Vintage teacups have an elegance all their own. There are an infinite amount of cup shapes and patterns. So very delicate and beautiful.

Antique and vintage plates and their modern reproductions are popular and collectible. A general overview of china dishware, its history, and how to identify patterns and designs.

Most often delicately colored or clear, Depression glass has its own unique look.

Before trying to learn the value of Depression Glass learn how to identify the pattern of your early 20th century collectible.

This spectacular ruby-colored, early-American pattern glass can add beauty and interest to your decor, and it is fun and affordable to find and collect.