The Best Way to Familiarize Yourself With Antiques

The passion for antiques is universal, part of a reverence for the past that has traditionally been used as a yardstick for the present. An appreciation of antiques is a particular, personal way to preserve the past, both in the form of the objects themselves and in the information these objects convey.

Containing thousands of pictures of antiques, antique price guide can be perfect for someone to pick up the art of collecting and buying antiques. They give you a pretty good idea of current prices and help to familiarize you with the language of antiques. Adult education courses run by leading auctioneers, such as Christie's and Sotheby's, or local education departments are also now widely available and offer expert tuition in a particular subject. If you do decide to attend one, do not feel embarrassed about asking questions

Many people also feel intimidated about striking up a conversation with a dealer when visiting a shop, antiques fair or market. However, as I have found over the years, this is one of the best ways of acquiring knowledge. Indeed, most dealers are only too happy to discuss a piece and answer a reasonable number of questions.

But do be sensitive to the fact that dealers have to make a living. Pick a quiet moment when they are not busy. Attending auctions, which are held once a week or fortnight in most parts of the country, gives you the opportunity to view an enormous range of antiques and also introduces you to the real nitty-gritty of buying and selling. Go to the sale previews, buy a catalogue and, if you are particularly interested in a piece, ask to see someone from the auction house and discuss factors such as its history, any damage and the estimated price.

Also go along to the sale itself, even if you have no intention of buying, and write down on the catalogue the prices pieces fetch as they go under the hammer. By doing this you will be able to compare estimates with realized prices, and gradually build up a feel for how the market is doing in particular areas. By the time you have done all or most of the above you will have acquired a considerable amount of knowledge about the antiques you have become interested in.

Antiques are time capsules, and their survival carries with it a vision of other worlds and other times. The pleasures gotten by the pursuit of antiques are, therefore, infinitely varied and valuable as a basis for an understanding of the past.

To find out loads more great information about antiques, from antique paperweights to antique glassware, hop on over to my antiques site.