Why buy antiques?

In a wealthier Ireland there is increasing interest in purchasing antiques. Auctioneers and antique dealers have noticed in recent times that sales are bringing new buyers, people not previously known in the salesroom or shop.

Antiques are for everyone. All indications are that many Irish people living in modern homes filled with up-to-date fashionable objects are prepared to consider the introduction of something older, an object that in old fashioned parlance would have been described as

"good".

The problem for many newcomers to the market is that to the uninitiated the world of antiques can be intimidating. Knowing that an antique, a collectable, an objet d’art might add a touch of classic grace to your home is one thing, actually picking out that object and finding the courage to acquire it is something else.

It is prudent to be cautious, especially in a strong market where prices are high. Most of us are aware that there are such things as fakes, forgeries, copies and reproductions. No one wants to be palmed off with a pig in a poke. The sort of after sales service that comes with a car or a fridge or a lawnmower is not available for something picked up at some stall. It is always necessary to find your way with some discretion. The good news is that this can be easier than it seems.

Some of us even find it great fun.

You can acquire knowledge through practical experience quite quickly.

Meanwhile there is plenty of friendly and expert advice to be had.

Dealers are approachable people, auctioneers can advise about value; specialist antique shops will welcome and nurture new customers. If you are new to it and if you do want to acquire something seriously worthwhile then for you expert advice is a must. You do not have to be mega rich to acquire antiques.

Rare and expensive items of furniture and paintings make headline prices but the field of collecting is vast. It embraces furniture, jewellery, silver, pottery, porcelain, glass, paintings, miniatures, clocks, curios, prints, coins and so on. Within all these fields there are major sub-specialisms.

You can, for instance, develop an eye for Irish silver, which is expensive, or silver made in Chester, London or Birmingham in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Rarity, style, quality, weight and size are all determining factors when it comes to value. Examples of prices from a recent auction in the south include an Irish bright cut silver spoon made in Dublin in 1811 making €340, a Cork silver spoon made by John Nicolson making €480, a three piece silver tea service made in London in 1899 making €750 and an 1895 London silver wine coaster making €210.

Old Derby china is hard enough to come by and you can expect to pay a lot for Sevres or antique Chinese or Japanese porcelain. Yet there are plenty of much more affordable examples in 19th and 20th century works.

A large Victorian brown and white meat platter made €100 at a recent Cork sale and an old Wedgwood jardinière made €120.

You might decide to collect modern teapots and plan to build up an attractive collection reasonably quickly. If, on the other hand, you opt for something like 18th and early 19th century Irish glass then it will take time, effort and money to build up a collection because these

pieces do not crop up every day.

A stamped Cork Glass Company decanter made €800 at the same sale. Know too that if something is in the style of Louis XVI it doesn’t mean that it is from the era of Louis XVI just that it is made in a style that was fashionable when he held court at Versailles.

A reproduction can be a genuine antique. Makers of 100 years ago copied earlier styles just as happens today. There is nothing wrong with a reproduction that is sold as a reproduction, but be aware of something that is new being sold as something old.

When it comes to furniture it is still possible to buy a Georgian chair for under €500. A pair of Regency carver chairs sold for €1050 at an autumn auction and you would certainly have to pay more for the same pair in a shop. If the piece is good you can be secure in the knowledge that the value will probably go up.

It is possible to go to an auction, a shop or a fair with as little as €100 and come away with a treasure if you are prepared to work at it, and especially when you get your eye in.

If you spend a lot of money on antique collecting then it is important to know that it is a good investment and that you are buying "right".

So call in the experts, especially when in doubt, and consult an up to date price guide.

Over time quality antique items perform well financially. One of the advantages of buying a good antique at the right price is that it will hold its price and grow in value. If you decide you don’t like it you can sell it on and hope to make a profit. This may in the future enable you to trade up, and buy an even better piece.

The primary purpose of a purchase should be because the object is beautiful, it was made by a craftsperson and that you like it. You buy what you like and the more informed your taste is the better. Keep your wits about you. If something at a fair appears to be a real bargain and experts in the room have passed it by ask yourself why.

Better still ask the experts.

If something looks like new you must ask yourself a question that

is so obvious it can be overlooked: "Is it old or is it new?” It is usually seriously self-delusional to assume that something you’ve just bought for €50 is actually worth ten times more. So be beware, in antique collecting as in life, of believing something just because you want it to be true.

It may seem intimidating but it isn’t really. The pleasure of collecting is something all sorts of diverse types of people can share. It can take time and patience to get what you really want but the satisfaction in finding something right is never to be under-estimated. Happy hunting.