5 Vital Tips for Antique Shopping
Photo Credit: Country Living
When it comes to buying new furniture, it sometimes seems as though your options are limited. You can either buy a mass produced piece, which can be trendy and lack character or pay a lot more money for something made with some true craftsmanship. If you refuse to go down the first road but don’t have enough money for the second option, then you need to check out antiquing.
Finding an older piece of furniture that was made with high quality materials and superior craftsmanship is a lot easier than you think. It may not look the best on the outside, but like mom always said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” With some patience, a sharp eye and some elbow grease, you can turn a rough looking antique into a stylish piece of furniture that will last you years.
Sorting through garage sales, flea markets and even online auctions for antiques can be a blast, but if you don’t know what to look for you’re going to miss out or waste money on something that isn’t right for you and your home. Follow these five simple tips and you can avoid a lot of headaches:
1) Proper Preparation
Making sure you are ready and have your “game face” on when you go antiquing makes things a whole lot easier. First, get a general idea what you’re looking for. Do you need certain piece or have to fill an empty space in your furniture lineup? If so measure that space and know what will fit and what won’t. If you’re just out browsing and aren’t sure what you’re after, take key measurements of your house: door widths and general room dimensions.
Visit a couple of auctions, flea markets and other antique sales to get a feeling for what things cost. Online auctions are a great resource to find out about prices and help you know when a seller is asking for way too much. Pick yourself up some antique pricing guides if you’re going to be doing a lot of this. Having them handy in your car will help answer a lot of questions you might otherwise have to just guess on.
Make sure you come ready to buy and transport your find home. That means bringing or borrowing a truck or something similar if you’re in the market for larger pieces. Rope, blankets and padding will all come in useful too. Don’t depend on the seller for any of this, as it may be used as a bargaining chip against you.
2) Inspect Intensely
When you come across something that looks interesting make sure you give it a thorough inspection. Examine the piece for blemishes, cracks or any areas that may show signs of being repaired previously. If possible, pick it up and look at the bottom of it as well as inside, on the top and any other area that may not be easily visible. Try to identify anything that gives a hint to where and when it was made.
3) Arrive Early, Stay Late
Make sure you’re there when the festivities kick off so you get a feeling for all of the pieces available. If you find something you just can’t live without, make sure you let the seller know you’re interested. However, don’t expect to get a deal first thing in the morning. With buyers all around, sellers might not feel like giving up too much. This will change throughout the day though. By sticking around until the later hours of the sale you can get some good deals. Many sellers would rather sacrifice some of their profits then pack the pieces back up and cart them home.
4) Don’t Get Hung Up on Value
I know it sounds crazy because you’re here trying to get a deal on some furniture, but don’t get too obsessed with value. Pay what you feel comfortable for a piece, factoring in the work and materials it will take to bring it back to its former glory. If you love the piece and are comfortable with the price, then go for it. Even though it may not be the greatest deal, the bigger part of this adventure is being happy with your find and the way it fits in your home!
5) Be Friendly
Yeah, it sounds like common sense but a lot of people let their manners fly out the window when they are negotiating with strangers. The people selling their antiques are people too. If they are owners like you would deal with at a garage sale, then they may have sentimental attachments to their pieces. Marching up and declaring “it’s junk” and that “they are lucky you’re here to take it off their hands” is a quick way to get the cold shoulder.
Even if they are professional antiques dealers, you can still let them know you’re interested and want to negotiate without being rude. Try these simple and polite ways to let them know you want to haggle:
- Is this the best possible price?
- I really like this piece but I only have X dollars, what can you do on the price?
- Is there any wiggle room on the price?
- I can see this piece needs to be fixed up a bit, considering that, would you accept X?
Follow these simple steps and you’ll be ready to buy antiques like a pro and get a great deal on quality furniture. If you’re not the handiest person, check out our upcoming post on how to stain furniture. We’ll walk you through what to do with that perfect piece that needs to be refinished.
Tags: Antiques, Buying Furniture, eco-friendly, economy, Interior Decorating, Reuse
