Decorating With Antiques and Collectibles
Taking the First Step . . .
Anything goes. When decorating with antiques and collectibles, the idea
is to create an environment which reflects your personality and special
needs, an environment that helps family and guests feel comfortable
and at home. With antiques and collectibles, anything goes! Here are
some possible starting points:
(1) Visualize your home as a series of living spaces, each with a special
atmosphere. Certain periods of antique furniture, for example, will fit
into the atmosphere of a given living space more than others. In a
formal sitting room, where adult friends or business associates are
entertained, a walnut Eastlake (mid-1800's) settee and two side chairs
might be appropriate, whereas in a family room, a comfortable oak
morris recliner from the early 1900's and an old working Victrola or pump
organ would be more appreciated. Smaller items as well lend
themselves nicely to the theme of a given room. In a formal sitting
room, a delicate Tiffany glass lamp might be a perfect touch, whereas in
the family room a brass floor lamp is more likely to be enjoyed without
fear of breakage.
(2) Start a Collection. Visit antique shops and shows, keeping track of
what appeals to you. Does American oak furniture always catch your
eye? Do you gravitate toward pottery and china? Does every clock
chime your name? Focus on an area of special interest. Begin buying
pieces and incorporating them into your existing decor. Remember, it’s
your home, its okay to make changes as your taste evolves.
(3) Don't be afraid to upgrade and to recycle! Antiques and collectibles in
good condition are desirable and as a rule increase in value. As you
become more deeply involved in antiquing, your taste will undoubtedly
change. As likes and dislikes are defined, you may specialize in one
area and begin to appreciate finer, hard to find pieces within that area. If
you find that you are attracted to colored glass, for example you may
begin by snatching up every piece of old "blue glass" you find. As you
learn more by looking, reading, and asking questions, you may narrow
things down to blue depression glass, or to blue glass creamers from
before 1900, or even to a specific pattern of blue glass made only by one
company in the 1800's! You will undoubtedly discover that some of your
"old" finds are in fact contemporary pieces. When 70 pieces of blue
glass are acquired, you may change again, deciding that a mixture of
colors would be more appealing. Remember, anything goes. Have
confidence in your ability to pick things you like and want to try living
with.
(4) Move beyond home decorating. Why not incorporate your favorite
antiques and COLLECTIBLES into your work environment? Transform
your reception area or office with functional antique furniture, lighting,
and decorative arts. Include antique pieces in your window displays for
special advertising. Display collections in cases or on walls where your
customers may share in your discoveries.
Decorating with antiques and Collectibles can transform a house into
your home.
Antiques and collectibles: Investing in Antiques Today
When Sears and Roebuck printed their 1908 catalog, four-piece bedroom
suites sold for $39.25, Haviland china service for 12 for $27.69, and solid
oak dining chairs for $1.95 each. While we cannot step into H.G. Wells
time-machine with our wallets and make a buying trip in 1908, we can
learn from the trends of the past decades and invest in antiques today.
Investing in antiques can yield a double return: the functional solid
mahogany dining set, the Victorian colored glass bowl, the brass floor
lamp, the collection of inkwells, all work together to create an
atmosphere which makes your house your home, while quietly
increasing in value. We all have experience with collecting unique,
special items: movie star photographs saved from childhood, those
dime-store dishes from the depression, or the war medals grandfather
left which just couldn't be parted with -- can emerge from a box in the
basement to help form an exciting part of current home decor.
Starting a Collection
If you decide to collect tin kitchen items, for example, where do you
begin?
1. Go to libraries and bookstores and find any available books,
magazines or publications dealing with old tinware.
2. Go to antique stores and shows, asking to see their tinware, asking
questions about construction, age and pricing.
3. Visit museums and historical societies in North State for examples of
special pieces.
4. Start buying pieces you feel good about as you begin to get a better
knowledge of tinware.
5. Think of ways to display your new collection. Perhaps a pine pie safe
could fit into a vacant spot in your kitchen, or pieces could be hung from
hooks on a wall, or mounted in a large open picture frame with a fabric or
wallpaper background.
6. Consider space limitations, then either go for quantity, or set a fixed
number of pieces and upgrade as more unique items are discovered.
What to Watch For
While signs of age and use can indicate age and are often desirable on
very old pieces of glass or furniture, beware of chipped, damaged,
incomplete items, and "marriages" (parts of two or more pieces
combined to create an antique that never was). Experience is the best
teacher when it comes to evaluating any given piece. By looking, asking
questions, and thoroughly examining the pieces you buy, you will
develop confidence and knowledge. No one can be expected to be an
expert in all areas of antique collecting. The collector who focuses on a
specific area will master knowledge about their special interest and
more likely find unexpected treasures. A reputable antique dealer will be
pleased when you ask questions, examine merchandise, and even when
you ask for written documentation of their claims about age and
authenticity of a given piece you purchase. Here are a few examples to
illustrate:
(1) You are interested in a yellowish pair of glass candlesticks. The
dealers tell you that they are vaseline stretch glass and were made
between 1910 and 1930. The dealer is not sure of the maker, but thinks
the candlesticks were made by the Fenton Glass Company. You want
the candlesticks, but have heard stories about reproduction glass and
fear that, with your limited knowledge, you can't be sure of their
authenticity. The dealer offers to write on your sales receipt that they are
"vaseline stretch glass, circa 1910-1930", and assures you that they are
not a reproduction. IF, on the other hand, the dealer doesn't know much
about the candlesticks, only that they are "old" and not a reproduction,
you must act on your own instincts and opinion of the dealers
credibility. Antique dealers, like collectors, have areas of specialization
and expertise. Sometimes they acquire pieces about which they have
only general knowledge and can only make an educated guess as to age
and value. Their honesty in admitting that they do not know about a
piece only means that you must act on your instincts and draw upon
knowledge acquired from reading and having looked at other antiques.
(2) Go to stores carrying quality new merchandise: glass, china,
furniture, paintings, etc., and see what is available and at what prices.
Examine new fine china, oak dining chairs, wicker furniture, baskets,
brass, silver, and/or jewelry, focusing on your special area of interest.
This hands-on experience with new merchandise will help you to
recognize reproductions and new items that are falsely labeled as old, or
simply mixed in with legitimate antiques and COLLECTIBLES.
Decorating with a mixture of old and new is fine, but it is nice to know
the difference.
(3) Some antique dealers will verify that they carry no reproductions or
merchandise beyond a specific age, while others will mix in newer items
(hopefully so labeled) to offer customers a selection of often hard-to-find
newer collectibles or decorator items. There are many variations on the
type and age of merchandise handled by different dealers, but all
reputable dealers will be interested in establishing their credibility with
you so that you will return to buy from them again.
(4) What is a fair price for an antique? Price guides are available, listing
representative pieces and providing guidelines to current market value.
Price is determined by demand, as in any business. Most pieces, once
identified, can be valued within a price range. A trunk from the late
1800's may sell for $175 or $400; a 3" copper luster pitcher from the turn-
of-the-century for $30 or $80, and an unidentified Indian basket for $50 or
$250, depending on condition, style, and knowledge of the owner. By
shopping around, you will begin to get a sense of pricing, seeing similar
items in shops and shows.
Where To Find Antiques and Collectibles
--Check yellow pages for local antique stores; use phone books from
other areas to locate out-of-town shops (available at the public library).
--Check papers under classified for listings of antique shows in the area.
Antique shows provide an opportunity to see merchandise presented by
dozens to hundreds of exhibitors, all at once.
--Ask the Historical Society for the location of any historical buildings or
homes open to the public which contain old furnishings, including day
trips to surrounding points of interest.
--Check your local Community College (regular classes and continuing
education) and Parks and Recreation Department class schedules
periodically for classes on antiques and related areas (art history,
restoration, identification, collecting, etc.).
--Subscribe to, or ask local dealers to see antique collector's periodicals
for out-of-area shows. These publications also contain helpful articles on
antiques and COLLECTIBLES, as well as a marketplace for buying and
selling.
--Check with your favorite bookstore or librarian to obtain copies of
books and magazines listing museums and places of historical interest
to visit while traveling.
--Ask local antique dealers for suggestions when visiting another area.
--When buying, remember the old saying CAVEAT EMPTOR! (let the
buyer be ware).
Author's Note . . .
*Carole Berry of Twin Bridges Antique Productions, Redding, wrote the above
article in 1982 for a local publication when she and her late husband, Don, started
promoting antique shows. At that time, they were living in Ben Lomond, California.
Their business name, “Twin Bridges”, comes from the area of old Highway 9 in the
Santa Cruz Mountains fondly known by locals as “Twin Bridges”. The Berrys
moved to Redding in 1991. Don passed away in 1999. Carole has continued to build
and run Twin Bridges’, currently promoting shows throughout Northern and Central
California. Excerpts from this article were recently published in Today's VINTAGE.
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