| When an item celebrates its 100th birthday, it | | | | dispensers, Beanie Babies, old baseball cards, |
| graduates from "old" to "antique" according to | | | | Hollywood and or pop culture items all under 100 years |
| government standards-it doesn't matter what that item | | | | old. "Collectible" can be a relative term. To some |
| is. Dealers and collectors usually hold to that standard | | | | sectors of the world an item is a highly sought after |
| for furniture, but are a more liberal in their timeline with | | | | collectible with market value and to others it is just "a |
| other items and offer antique status to anything about | | | | thing." |
| 60 years old. Examples of these include; photographs, | | | | Another term you will often hear is "vintage." Vintage |
| postcards, textiles, pottery, china, jewelry and the list | | | | describes what is neither an antique nor a collectible, |
| could go on. Some unscrupulous sellers will label | | | | but may still have value. It may be collectible to |
| anything 30-40 years old as an antique, so when you | | | | someone, but doesn't really have a large demand in |
| see that word without a year listed in a description, | | | | the antique/collectible marketplace. Examples of |
| always, always do your research before bidding or | | | | vintage items include clothing (vintage jeans, vintage |
| buying. The term antique has nothing to do with the | | | | t-shirts), furniture, jewelry, kitchen or farm items, and |
| item, and everything to do with age, so as a buyer it is | | | | wedding dresses. As a buyer the term "vintage" has |
| important to know what age the seller considers to be | | | | an appealing sound, remember to perform extra |
| an antique. You'll often see descriptions online that read | | | | research to determine its value. Vintage items are |
| "Antique chair. Leather. Great condition. Clean. Picture | | | | huge in the home décor and crafting industries. |
| says it all." Well, no, the picture does not say it all. How | | | | How do you know something is old? |
| old is it? What hardware is on it? What does the | | | | It is not difficult to manufacture an item in the same |
| underneath look like? Was it refinished? What is the | | | | style as a period piece, but it takes work to age it. |
| seller's definition of antique? That is why it is very | | | | When something is old, you can usually tell and it will |
| important to stick to the standard age of 100 years as | | | | come easy the more you attend auctions, estate and |
| a seller describing items. It won't hurt your sales as long | | | | garage sales. Remember, you don't always have to |
| as you list the year in the description and as much | | | | go to an auction or sale to buy something--it can be a |
| information about it as possible. | | | | learning experience simply to attend. Look over the |
| A collectible on the other hand, is all about the item. | | | | items. Hold them. Feel the fabrics. Compare old pieces |
| Collectibles are highly sought after items that are less | | | | of glass, porcelain and pottery to newer ones. This is |
| than 100 years old. Collectibles are related to current | | | | also a good way to study how others grade items. |
| demand, nostalgia, pop culture, and trends of today and | | | | The more you see it, feel it, and study it, the more of |
| once an item hits 100 years of age it is officially an | | | | an expert you become. But age does not equal |
| antique. (Collectibles are often sold in antique stores | | | | authenticity. Knock offs have been created for |
| because they do generate a great deal of revenue, so | | | | centuries--as long as people have paid large amounts |
| be aware of this when antiquing offline.) Collectibles | | | | of money for antiques. Older reproductions require |
| include "brand" items such as Coca-Cola items, PEZ | | | | more research to identify, so do your homework. |