Antique Collectibles

Collectibles Examples

Some of these highly desired items are household items, such as:

• Utensils
• Silverware
• Toys
• Textiles
• Coins
• Stamps
• Hardware

Others are ephemera, such as:

• Postcards
• Greeting cards
• Posters
• Trade Cards
• Playing cards

Decorative items such as cut glass, music boxes, jewelry, and paperweights are one of the largest categories.

The line between a vintage item and an antique varies from object to object. A book is usually more than 150 years old before it is generally considered an antique, but a toy is often labeled as an antique at 100 years, and a coin might not be referred to as an antique until it is more than 200 years old.

Antique Ephemera

Ephemera are items that weren't made to last, usually made out of paper. Antique postcards are a very popular category, as are antique valentines. Ones with messages inside can give a wonderful sense of connecting with individuals from history. Posters, particularly decorative ones by artists from the turn of the century, are both collectibles and art. The earliest playing cards were designed as art items, but by the end of the 19th century, were also made as commemoratives or advertisements.

Decorative Items

Decorative items appeal not just because of their collectible status or associations but for their intrinsic beauty. These are often the most expensive antique collectibles because of the additional time or craftsmanship that went into their design and making, and because many of them were made with intrinsically valuable materials.

Household Items

Prized household items range from the fine silver and china from a wealthy household to old kitchen utensils. Both have their own associations with people from the past, whether the rich and aristocratic or everyday individuals. While signs of wear can lower a piece's monetary value, there's a certain appeal to an item that's been handled by generations before.

Taking Care of Antique Collectibles

Light, particularly sunlight, can fade antique collectibles, particularly textiles and printed material, remarkably quickly. Protect pieces by keeping them in places where they are not exposed to sunlight or excessive heat from close incandescent bulbs, or by keeping them behind glass that's coated against UV rays. The best glass is called museum glass; while it is more expensive, it not only protects the item but is non-reflective, so it won't interfere with enjoying your item.

Humidity can deteriorate many items, particularly anything on paper. The threat is multiplied if the item is subjecting to changing temperatures because then condensation can form, just like on the outside of a cold soda can in a warm room. If you don't want to dehumidify your whole home, you can just dehumidify the room where you keep your collection or use a closet unit. However, some antique collectibles made of material like ivory, need moisture in the air to keep from cracking. You can put these in a closed cabinet with a shot glass of water.

Cleaning materials designed for everyday use can be very destructive to antique collectibles. Many of them are too abrasive and using them can reduce an item's value.

Purchasing Antique Collectibles

Pricing for antique collectibles is usually flexible, particularly if you buy multiple items from a shop, and it is inherently flexible at auction. While pricing depends on subtle factors as well as obvious ones, you can still get a sense of how much an item should cost. Price guides are available for nearly every kind of collectible antique that exists, and while bids on auction sites like eBay are not necessarily as reliable because you, like the bidders, are relying on a photograph and seller's description, they can still provide a general sense of prices.

It's hard to tell a fake item from an authentic one; even professionals get fooled on a disconcertingly frequent basis. In fact, there's even a Museum of Fakes in Salerno, Italy, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London has a Hall of Fakes and Forgeries, items from their collection that turned out to be fakes. Or for a fictional view, read Jonathan Gash's novels featuring antiques dealer and frequent forger Lovejoy. Again, books are your friends here, as books on antique collectibles often detail the most frequent signs of fakes. In the case of a large purchase, go to a dealer with a solid reputation and demand a detailed receipt.

Once a collectible is an antique, the odds are that it's will retain its value as long as it remains in the same condition. Even so, there are no guarantees, and so very few financial advisers suggest investing in antique collectibles solely as an investment unless you already have a solid and diversified portfolio. Instead most encourage you to collect what you love and can afford, and then be pleasantly surprised if it turned out to be a sound financial investment.