Period, Style, Manner and Revival: Buying Terms Explained
Market descriptions use relationship words to separate date and authorship from visual influence. Understanding them prevents a style name from being mista
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Collecting & Valuation
20 published guides on repair, care and the stories behind well-made things.
How to Calculate the Full Cost of an Auction Purchase
The amount you bid is only one part of an auction purchase. Premium, tax, bidding-platform fees, packing, transport, insurance, import charges and restorat
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Auction Estimates, Reserves and Hammer Prices
An estimate is the auction house's guide to likely bidding, not a valuation guarantee. The reserve is the confidential minimum agreed with the seller, whil
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When to Seek an Independent Antique Valuation
A valuation has a purpose: insurance replacement, probate, family division, sale advice or loan security. The same object can have different appropriate va
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How to Understand Restoration Disclosure
Restoration can stabilise an object and preserve its use; it is not automatically a defect. The key questions are what was done, how much original material
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Buying Antique Furniture with Marble or Stone Tops
Stone tops are heavy, brittle and frequently associated with bases that have been altered or replaced. Examine top and support as related but distinct comp
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How to Arrange Insured Antique Transport
Professional transport begins with an agreed condition record and a clear allocation of responsibility. Standard parcel networks may be unsuitable for frag
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Buying an Antique Clock: Questions Before You Commit
A clock is furniture, mechanism and historical record in one. Cases, dials and movements can be original companions, legitimately restored, or assembled la
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How to Build a Focused Antique Collection
A collection becomes coherent through questions, not simply accumulation. A focus may be a maker, region, material, function, period or theme, and it can e
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How to Spot a Reproduction Sold as an Antique
Reproductions range from honest modern copies to objects artificially aged to deceive. No single screw, saw mark or colour proves the answer. Compare const
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Ten Condition Questions to Ask Before Buying an Antique
Condition is not a single grade. Ask how an object has changed, what is original, what has been repaired and whether any issue is active. Request views of
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How to Read an Auction Catalogue Entry
Auction catalogues compress attribution, date, materials, dimensions, provenance and condition into a small space. Every qualifier matters. Separate factua
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