The Six Worst Mistakes You Can Make When Shopping for Antiques

by Martin Swinton

Buying antiques can make a dent in your wallet, especially if you don’t know what you are doing. The novice buyer can overpay for an undervalued piece. Here are some things to avoid the next time you are antiquing.

1.) Casually examining an item. Don’t buy anything without looking at it thoroughly — top to bottom and inside and out. Look for potential problems — chips, cracks or marks. It’s buyer beware. No refunds and no exchanges are not uncommon. A number of years ago, I purchased a pink Depression glass dish from another dealer. I just grabbed it, haggled the price down and walked away with my purchase. A few weeks later, upon closer inspection, I noticed a very small, hard to see imprint: "Made in Indonesia." So, be careful out there.

2.) Not knowing your stuff. Knowledge is power, even more so with antiques. Nothing is more heartbreaking than finding out that your English sterling silver teapot is actually electroplate on copper and made in China. I recall a customer wanting to consign her Quebec 1880’s pine harvest table. It turned out that the table was from the 1970s and bore no similarities to anything that would have been manufactured in the 1880s.

3.) Buying the first thing that you see. Prices vary from shop to shop, shopping district to shopping district, city versus country. Do your homework. The big problem with antiques is that you’ll never be able to compare prices on the exact same thing. But, it’s worth shopping around because you will find a range in price for similar items.

4.) Buying from someone unfamiliar. Buy from a trusted dealer. Keep in mind at flea markets and fairs anyone can rent a table for a single weekend. Establish a relationship with someone you know and trust. It’s all about comfort. Plus, you’re likely to get better service and prices as a repeat customer rather than as a one-time customer. Get referrals from friends, family and acquaintances.

5.) Getting caught up in auction fever. Overpaying because of auction frenzy is not uncommon. Before you know it, you can be the proud owner of an armoire the size of an industrial refrigerator that you have no room for. That’s when the dreaded buyer’s remorse sets in. Stories abound about great deals at auctions. You don’t often hear about the blunders; yet they do happen.

6.) Non-do-it-yourselfers buying fixer-uppers. Unless you are an accomplished do-it-yourselfer, some deals don’t really turn out that way. I see lots of people bringing in a half-stripped chair for me to finish because the job was simply overwhelming. If you bought the chair for $25 it’s one thing to add the cost of restoration. However, if you paid $200 thinking that you’d do the work and then you don’t, now you have to add another $200 for restoration and your deal is now up to $400 — not so much of a deal. However, add $200 for restoration to your $25 chair you’re still only at $225 — still a deal.

Martin Swinton lives in Toronto, Canada and owns Take-A-Boo Emporium, a popular local antique shop. He has appeared on a variety of television programs and teaches courses on antiques. Contact him at www.takeaboo.com