Can you value my antique for me?
ByEvery day I receive a few requests for valuations of peoples precious antiques and collectables. As I have mentioned before this is not a service you can expect to have carried out for free. A proper valuation takes time and research, it is like asking any tradesman to offer their services for free:
- People wanting a valuation are normally convinced they have a real treasure and they get upset and argue with me over my opinion on the value of their antique or collectable
- A valuation done properly is quite time consuming and the help I offer here free of charge. Valuations and selling of antiques are two different areas of the antiques and I choose to concentrate on selling them and writing about them.
So how can you get your pieces valued?
- If you have a lot of items I would suggest that you contact your local auction house, they normally offer verbal valuations free of charge
- If you just have a small number of items you can research prices similar items have fetched on the internet. eBay is a brilliant source of prices items have fetched over the past couple of weeks and should give a good indication of the value of your antique
How to value an item using eBay:
Use the eBay search facility. Down the left hand side is a check box for completed items. Enter a description of your antique into the search box and ensure you tick the completed items box. Once ebay has returned results of the sale prices of similar items you can sort these results in price order by clicking on priceallong the top row.
For example: A lady wanted to know the price of some 1960s tiles she had. I entered the word “Tile” into the search box and checked the complete items box. This returned hundereds of results and so I narrowed the search by selection only tiles from the antiques category ( this excludes all new carpet tiles, wall and floor tiles). Now I scrolled down through the pictures until I found some similar to the ones the lady wanted to know more about.
Practice this a few times with items you have around you and you will soon get the hang of being your own antiques valuer.
hi, I found this coin like piece about the size of a silver dollar. has the sphenks and the pyrmids and sun on one side and a totompole with fish and snakes on the other . can you help me find out what this is lenny
Hi Lenny,
Unfortunatley coins are something I know very little about. I would suggest that you research on the interenet and find a specialist coin dealer who will have the necessary knowledge .
Anne
[...] value of a piece is not fixed but there are a few guidelines to help you find out what it is worth but as I often hear antiques dealers say : ” it is worth whatever you can sell it [...]
I HAVE HAIR RENOVATION MACHINE. THE ONLY DETAILS WE HAVE ON IT ARE THAT IT WAS MANUFACTURED BY ARTHUR J PYE OF 3/5 QUEENS STREET BLACKPOOL. IT HAS ALL THE PARTS NEATLY PACKED IN A WOODEN BOX. PLEASE CAN YOU GIVE US SOME INFORMATION
Hi Audrey
Sorry I know nothing about this sort of thing. Perhpas some other reader may be able to help. If not I suggest taking it to you local auciton house who may be able to advise.
[...] Can you value my antique for me Antiques Blog AntiquesAvenue Posted by root 17 minutes ago (http://www.antiquesavenue.com) Valuations and selling of antiques are two different areas of the antiques and only tiles from the antiques category this excludes all new carpet tiles wall and floor tiles how much can i excpect when selling my antiques leave a comment name mail will not Discuss | Bury | News | Can you value my antique for me Antiques Blog AntiquesAvenue [...]
Hi i recently bought a bronze eagle which was said to be found in a barn in France a few years ago along with German military items.The eagle is just over 6″ tall and almost 7″ wide it stands on a bronze base and is all 1 piece it weighs 5 kilos and in very good condition. On the front of the base it seems as if it has some markings which i cant make out and the same underneath could this be worth something? any shance of me sending some picks? Ive tried to research and it looks just like the Nuremburg eagle but not on a marble base please help. Thanks for your time
Hi James,
Send me some picis in .jpg format and I will add them here to see if anyone can help. Sorry I personally dont kow anything about this.
Hi i have a jasperware wedgewood biscuit barrel in the darker shade of blue underneath its stamped WEDGEWOOD at one end and the other ENGLAND with a letter maybe a v on it and something else maybe a letter which i cant make out the lid is silver maybe plated but it doesnt say epns it says sb&m with an inverted A and if you look hard enough there is an engraving in the silver which says P/DM i have done some research and the letter v is 1893 i think and sb&m who were Sturges,Bladdon and Middletown they were founded in 1884 i date this piece at around 1890-1895 how much would you value this at also its in very good condition no chips crazing or repairs many thanks James
Hi James,
You are right in assuming that the mounts are silver plated rather than solid silver on this piece. Is the beneath the base the same blue as the outside of the barrel or is it a white colour?. I would need to see a picture in .jpg format to attempt a value as this depends on the decoration – subject and quality
Anne
Hi Anne the bottom is white with wedgwood in capitals and england its in good condition but i dont know how to post a picture??
Try this Anne the pic isnt great [IMG]http://i855.photobucket.com/albums/ab119/jamenzo/wedg.jpg[/IMG]
Hi – you can send photo to me at anneh@antiquesavenue.com
Hi
I have a 1920′s Arts and Crafts high back rush bottomed chair, it has just been restored so in good condition. Please can you tell me if it has an value
Many thanks
Charlotte
Hi Charlotte,
I am sure your chair does have a value of some sort however i am not able to help without pictures and I am not a chair expert. I suggest that you take your chair to your local auction house who should be able to advise.
Hi,
I have a wedgewood jasperware blue plate. It was made to commemorate the Army Catereing corps 40th anniversary.
It is 6 inches in diameter and states
“40th Anniversary 1941-1981″
In the centre it has the army catering corps embulem.
Any ideas of a valuation.
I have tried searching although it has came up with nothing.
Thanks
Graeme
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I have some crockery inherited from my husband’s grandparents (possibly even older), they’re blue and white and have Electric & Co and a number on the bottom. Do you think these would be of interest to an antique dealer? Thanks.
Hi Annette,
I usually suggest that you take pieces like this to your local auciton house who would be able to take a look at it for you
Anne
HI I have a blue wedgewood plate with a jaguar in the middle 11 cm in its original box they were a limited edition made for jaguar cars years ago but i cannot find them anywhere on the internet. Do you have any idea what it would be worth ?
Many thanks Debbie