How to Find Out if Your Antiques Are Worth a Lot of Money

Some of the most common items that you will find in your attic when you are cleaning it out are antiques or at least things that look like antiques.  While not everything that is older than 5 decades can be considered valuable, there are some that are actually worth a lot of money. How can you determine if what you have in your attic is worth a load of cash or is something that you should throw away?

When you suspect that something old you have in your storage is valuable, you will definitely want to find out how much it is worth. One thing you should not do however is to ask an antique dealer the value of your item. They will simply ask you how much you want for it. If it is of high value, and you don’t know what that value is, you might get short-changed by asking such a question.

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So, before you go and ask about the value of your item, it is probably best if you do some research beforehand. Here are some things you should do to find out if your old item is worth anything:

Find out if it is from a reputable maker  to find out if an item is worth a lot, you first need to determine if it is manufactured by someone notable. Check for signatures or marks that show you who the manufacturer or artisan is. To find this mark, carefully search underneath or behind the item. These are usually obscure and cannot be found that easily.

Research about antiques – you won’t be able to find out if what you have is valuable unless you know what to look out for. For example, if you have an old crystal vase and you find glassware marks underneath it, you won’t be able to tell if it is worth much or is just an ordinary vase. Research the old markings of popular brands, like Anchor Hocking or Imperial, and compare the markings underneath your vase to the ones you find online.

Familiarize yourself with antique furniture styles – the value of antique furniture is one of the more difficult to determine since there are items that copy popular antique styles. If you are unsure about the style your furniture is in, look at images of popular antique styles online. Compare what you have with these and check to see if what you have is indeed the same as the examples you see.

Make sure your item is authentic – replicas and copies are common when it comes to antiques, particularly if these are popular ones. Reproductions are not that easy to spot so you need to be careful before you post that you have an antique that you are selling at a high price. Look for a guide online that can give you clues to look out for so that you can identify if your item is authentic or is a clever copy.

What to Do After Verifying Value

Once you determine whether or not you do have something valuable on your hands, the next thing you need to do is to find someone who might be interested in it. Remember, it does not matter if your antique is valuated at thousands of dollars if no one is interested in buying it. Your first option is to place your item on auction sites that sell anything from new stuff to antiques. These sites, like Ebay and other similar sites, can be used to find buyers for your stuff.

antique furniture

To be able to properly price your item, you first need to determine its condition. The better the condition, the more expensive it is. The most expensive antiques, and even collectibles for that matter, are those that are considered to be in mint condition. These are items that have no flaws whatsoever, have not undergone repairs, and still have its original finish.

The next best thing is an item that is in excellent condition, which has a few small flaws but is still pretty much intact. When an item is in good condition, it has a few defects but nothing major that will make it useless.

What to Do With Other Junk That You Find With Your Precious Antiques

If the item you found is not valuable antiques, or you have stuff that you want to dispose of that you found together with your antiques, you will need a reliable junk removal service for this. In Kansas City, the company you can contact for this is Junk Removal Authority Kansas.

We are a reputable junk removal service in Kansas City and we will help you get rid of your junk the conscientious and eco-friendly way. If your item is still usable, we will donate it to those who need it. If it is beyond repair but can still recycle it, we send it to a recycling facility. You can contact us at 816-974-8324. You can also book your junk hauling online for a discount.

Call 919-626-9209