HOW TO APPRAISE ANTIQUES
Appraising an antique is like learning how to ski, operate a computer, program a VCR, or ride a bicycle. It's daunting at first, but once you get the feel for your new skill, you will discover that you are subliminally employing it wherever you go. "Isn't that a beautiful house?" your spouse or friend will say. "Dentil roof and door trim-molding, neoclassical Corinthian porch columns, clean linear design," you will respond. Keeping a right eye on the road while you scrutinize the domicile with your left, you'll continue: "The subdued white paint and black shutters befit it's puritan New England origin and American Federal period (1785-1825) construction."
On second thought, perhaps you'd be best served skipping this column, lest you be bore your family and acquaintances to tears.
My first suggestion in appraising an antique is to get an overview of where it is situated. Suppose you are considering an 18th century kitchen cupboard at a country auction. Look at all the other pieces in the preview room first. Does the sale look like it is comprised out of the estate contents from one or more old homes or does it appear to be a compilation of dealers' items of differing taste and vintage? If you see old mattresses, that's good. So too are dust and pins and wallpaper stuck inside drawers, and boxes of family paperwork and documents and photos, and an overall semblance of style and age. The cupboard you have your eye on should have the same "feel."
If a dealer or collector is offering something you like at his or her home or shop, or at a show or flea market, look at all their other items. Is the overall integrity of their antiques spurious or reliable? At estate sales, operators sometimes truck furnishings, rugs and other goods into empty old homes because it is an environment conducive for selling. Inspect the carpets and floors. Are there rug pile indentions and dust rings and other signs to prove that the estate furnishings have sat there for years? Look at the walls. If a cabinet has blocked light and airflow over a period of time the evidence will show up as a silhouette behind. The Shadow knows. If these telltale signs are not clearly evident, you are likely looking at wares with condition problems (some of the "antiques" might be brand new) or high reserve prices.
I likewise suggest that, like the dealers on the Antique Roadshow, you ask frank questions. "Where did this corner cupboard come from? Do you have any information regarding its history?" Generally, people who have trustworthy stories to tell are direct in eye contact and specific in response.
Just as you select vegetables from clean stores and healthy gardens, so too should you be just as discerning when it comes to selecting antiques. Attach premium value fresh, never-been-to-market-before, integrity-surrounded goods.
Your next antique inspection steps should be systematic and based on the following criteria.
1. Artistry: Antique beauty is assessed differently for different categories. While fine furnishing, art, and decorative arts are scored according to their pleasing form, materials, proportions and color; folk art, primitives, advertising and country furniture are often valued their naivety and whimsical themes.
2. Workmanship: Clues here can be a guide to integrity as well as quality. Circular saw marks are an indication of post 1840 age, as the rotary saw was not widely employed until then. A gifted artist signs his or her product by the excellent of their craftsmanship and fluidity in their handiwork. Fakers and imitators normally "just miss" when they take there turn at mimicking inspired design.
3. Age: While the degree of age is not necessarily an important component toward determining the value of an antique, determining whether it is "full-period" or not is. An object fashioned at a time later than when its design was first inspired is considered "out-of-period," and will normally be valued only according to its decorative or functional merit.
4. Condition: Pristine untouched antiques command top dollars. The more refinishing, resurfacing and restoration a piece endures over the years more difficult it is to prove its age and "rightness" That is, whether or not it is an authentic item.
5. Subject Matter: This is a category I didn't even mention five years ago. Now, with the advancement of the Internet and target marketing, I consider it amongst the most important criteria in gauging antiques. Next week, we'll discuss why subject matter matters and how you can prosper by making use of this principle.
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