Buying Antiques

Unfortunately, most people end up paying too much for antiques because they don’t know how to buy them. They don’t know how to buy antiques because they buy into some popular myths about these items.

The first and biggest antique myth out there is: if it is old it must be rare and expensive. This often is not true, many old items, including quite a few of the heirlooms sold in the antique stores are neither rare nor valuable. The problem is that most antique buyers don’t know this, so storeowners take advantage of it by marking items up.

The truth is that many antique prices have come down in recent years become of the internet and the lousy economy. Items like bicycle lamps that used to sell for hundreds of dollars now routinely sell for less than $50 online.

If you see something old that you really want selling for a fairly high price at an antique store, auction, garage sale, estate sale, etc. Don’t immediately shell out the big bucks for it. Write down it is, then go and find a computer and see if you can find what it is selling for at sites like e-bay.

There is a big possibility that the expensive antique is selling for a much lower price online. You might be able to pick up an identical item for a fraction of the price the antique merchant is peddling it for.

Another tip is to print out a copy of the internet auction page on the item and show it to the merchant. There is a good possibility that the price will come down for you if you do that.

The other big mistake most people make when searching for antiques is to concentrate on the so-called antique stores. These places often charge a high markup on items that you can get elsewhere at lower prices. Look elsewhere before going to the antique stores.

A final suggestion is to be flexible when you are shopping. Don’t be afraid to make a store owner an offer of a lower price. The economy is bad these days and buyers are scarce so many people will be able to pick up bargains if they are willing to haggle.