Antiques and collectibles ~ The English Home

The meet welcoming interiors always tell a story: first of the owners' tastes, but secondly of their lives, passions

?and personal history. As today's homeowners start on the property ladder much later in life, many miss the

opportunity to inherit antiques and collectibles?pieces ?from their grandparents, whilst others simply haven't the space to accommodate

larger items. Thankfully, it is possible to start a new chain of inheritance by buying a little slice of antiques and collectibles history.?

The recent economic instability has meant that there are many affordable pieces of antique furniture in the antique shops for sale, as

owners have been forced to sell, or prices have been reduced. "There has never been a better time to buy," declares Judith Miller, co-

founder and author of the annual Mtifer's Aridque Piice Gidde, first published in 1979.

When starting your antiques and collectibles?search, it pays to seek furniture pieces that will last, as well as look beautiful. Armchairs

and dining tables need to be robust as well as elegant; bureaus should be able to withstand everyday use. Unlike modern,

mass-produced pieces, antique furniture has already stood the test of time and, if properly restored and cared for, will outlive its

owners and become an heirloom.

Where to buy?antiques and collectibles

It should also keep antiques and collectibles value in the long term, enhancing an owner's bank account as well as a home.

Antiques and collectibles are generally sold at auction, via dealerships or at specialist antique fairs. There are

online antique auction sites although it is always advisable to see a piece before bidding on it; it pays to be

informed before purchasing. Research different periods and antiques and collectibles styles, compare prices, follow

auction house sales and talk to local dealers. The internet and price guide books are good places to start. Antique dealers, restorers

and auction houses may also advise customers and produce reports on the antiques and collectibles condition.

The benefit of buying?antiques and collectibles?at auction is that the customer is bidding on?the open market, explains Harvey

Cammell, director of furniture at Bonhams, "Why pay the mark-up that a dealer puts on when they have probably bought the piece at

auction anyway?" he questions. Nonetheless, novice bidders can get carried away at an auction so would be wise to adhere to a

realistic limit to avoid getting caught up in a bidding frenzy.

Naturally, the antiques and collectibles dealers advise to buy from them, for piece of mind. "If you are spending in the

thousands for a piece then you need to feel confident about where you are buying from," says Mark Etodgson, secretary general of the

British Antique Dealers' Association. He suggests, for example, buying antiques and collectibles?from a dealer

who sells only it ems from a specific period or style, so customers can be confident that they are getting expert advice.

Whether customers spend hundreds or thousands for their antique furniture, it is important that they buy something they love, as well

as something they use, "We are very much a disposable society," laments Judith Miller, "but in the eighteenth and nineteenth

century they weren't. The antique furniture from these periods was made from solid wood and was designed to be used," Richard Cook, who helps run the family antiques business William Cook, agrees. "Furniture was made to be used. Respect it but use it," Cook is an expert restorer of antique furniture with almost thirty years of experience and a member of the British Antique Furniture Restorers' Association (BAFRA), which monitors and helps train fellow craftsmen. He says antiques and collectibles condition is of vital importance when buying a piece.

Antique restoration

A patina built up over years of use or the odd nick or dint won't detract from a piece's value because they demonstrate its history. Poor antiques and collectibles restoration is a different story. Richard recommends using a BAFRA- registered restorer to make sure your antiques are professionally cared for. "Small antiques and collectibles repairs are fine to do yourself, but if a piece of furniture is scratched, don't try to polish the scratch away. If a chair leg is loose, don't try to glue or nail the leg back into position. It will do more damage and will be costly to make good." Specialist insurance policies can be purchased to cover an antiques and collectibles item for the cost of repairs or restoration, as well as for any depreciation that may occur if the antique piece is damaged, explains Geoff Moss of Dovetail Insurance Services, He suggests

specialist home insurance policies that offer sufficient cover for antiques, as standard policies may not provide adequate insurance. All the antique experts agree that antique furniture is a long-term investment. Prices are unlikely to dramatically increase in just a few years. Nonetheless, quality keeps its value in the end. "Those pieces which were expensive in their day are more likely to be expensive today still," advises Judith Miller. '"Good antique furniture holds its value." Harvey Cammell from Bonhams agrees. "The top end of the market in English furniture is as strong as ever." At a recent English furniture auction Bonhams sold a pair of George II carved gilt wood mirrors and an eighteenth-century walnut bureau for more than ?100,000 each.

So what should the novice antique buyer invest in? Judith Miller suggests "brown furniture". These well-made antiques and collectibles pieces in solid wood, often mahogany, from the eighteenth and nineteenth

centuries, were designed to be functional as well as affordable.

Today, an antique table or wardrobe from this period, in good condition, can cost between ?100 and ?200.

Another good antiques and collectibles purchase is the single dining chair, which can often be bought for much less than as part of a set. Judith Millers passion is to buy enough single chairs of the same period or style to make up a set. Often, when antiques and collectibles resold, the accumulated set will fetch more than the outlay.

Miller predicts that Victorian furniture will also appreciate over the next ten years, whilst Mark Dodgson reveals that nineteenth- century and Georgian antiques and collectibles furniture are currently competitively priced. Bonhams won't look into their crystal ball but Harvey Cammell comments that Old Master paintings and eighteenth-century walnut are two categories which have done well in recent times.

What is certain is that, as well as long-term investments, antiques and collectibles bring immediate and enduring aesthetic gain. As Judith Miller says; "Why keep your money in the bank when interest rates are so low? Instead, you can invest it in a beautiful piece of antiques and collectibles furniture that will last long enough for you to pass on to the next generation."

Antique shops and markets in England

A LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF RESOURCES

British Antique Dealers' Association 20 Rutland Gate, London, SW7 1BD

Tel +44 (0)20 7589 4128?

British Antique Furniture Restorers' Association

The Old Rectory, Warmwell,

Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 8HQ

Tel +44 (0) 1305 854822?

Bonhams

101 New Bond Street, London, W1S 1SR

Tel +44 (0)20 7447 7447?

Miller's Antique Price Guide

Tim Gosling (as profiled in this issue) recommends: The Elements of Style by Stephen Calloway as "an

essential read". He also values The Intelligent Layman's Book of British Furniture 1600-2000, saying: "It has all the time lines of the monarchy. It is incredibly important to relate furniture to the periods of rule."

Finally, an antique outlet he loves is Roderic Haugh Antiques at Core One, The Gasworks, 2 Michael Road,

London, SW6 2AN Tel: +44 (0) 20 7371 5700

USEFUL ANTIQUE SHOPS HUNTING GROUNDS

Here are just a few respected events and dealers worth a visit. Take with you key measurements of the

spaces you have in mind to accommodate an antique, and don't forget to do some preliminary research on

furniture styles or eras that most appeal, with current market values so that you feel confident to buy

BADA

The British Antique Dealers' Association Fair is considered by many to be the UK's leading antiques fair. The organization says that everything for sale is vetted for quality and authenticity and all exhibitors are members of the association, which gives peace of mind to the antique-buying beginner.

Duke of York Square, off Sloane Square, London, SW3

Admission fee: ?10 for a single ticket, ?15 for two

22nd Bath Decorative & Antiques Fair?

The 45 exhibitors at this prestigious regional fair include some highly respected names from across the south and south west of England and makes a relatively intimate fair at which to browse and shop.

The Pavilion, North Parade Road, Bath, BA2 4EU

Admission fee: Public ?3 per person - concessions available

The Decorative Antiques St Textiles Fair, Battersea Park

Held three times a year in a grand marquee, this specialist fair focuses primarily on English and European buys. The first fair was in January.?

Admission fee: ?10 on the door including the fair catalogue

Alfie's Antiques Market

Describing itself as London's largest indoor market for antiques, vintage collectables and twentieth century design, Alfie's Antiques Market is a permanently established market much beloved of London interior cognoscenti.

Alfie's Antiques Market, 13-25 Church St, Marylebone, London

Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 10am- 6pm

Tel +44 (0)20 7723 6066 email info@alfiesantiques.com

The Blanchard Collective

This gathering of 18 dealers that specialise in both antique and contemporary furniture, is often mentioned to The English Home magazine team by the top interior designers that we interview. Many name it as a favoured source for finding that elusive piece.

The Blanchard Collective, Froxfield, Nr Marlborough, Wiltshire

Opening times: Monday to Friday 9.30am - 5.30pm, Saturday

10am - 5am, Sunday closed.

Tel +44 (0)1488 686139

We hope that our article will help you to choose right?antiques and collectibles and also will help to find great antique shops and markets.

Source: http://theenglishome.blogspot.com/2013/02/antiques-and-collectibles.html

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