It’s always hunting season for a unique breed of enthusiasts. Whether it’s chasing rumors of a rare Victorian table through the morning mist at a rural garage sale or midnight stalking of a prized late 19th-century glass salt shaker on eBay, antique and collectible hunting rewards the persistent, thorough and brave. Navigating the labyrinth of antiques and collectibles is a daunting task, especially if you’re just starting out, but nothing
compares with the feeling of discovering a perfect piece at the right price. And, with some basic knowledge and a little persistence, your odds of sifting treasure from trash increase significantly.
THE MAKINGS OF AN ANTIQUE Just because something looks old doesn’t make it an antique. There are a variety of definitions, but the one used by U.S. Customs is perhaps the most unambiguous. “Anything one hundred years or older is an antique,” confirms Harold Broman, longtime Bellevue Club member and avid collector. “Thirty years or older can be a collectible.” Both retired educators, Harold and his wife, Sharry, definitely know the ins and outs of the antique business. Besides their own collections, they run estate sales and sell antiques at their store, Gone Buys, in the Star Center Mall in Snohomish. “We also do mock antique road shows for charity,” he says. From classic mailboxes to metal chocolate molds, collecting comes naturally to this husband-and-wife team. “We’ve been collecting ever since we were children,” he says.
GETTING STARTED There is a fine line between collecting and accumulating. Narrowing down your interests will go a long way toward both making research easier and unifying your displays. “Deciding on your interests is important when choosing antiques and collectibles to pursue,” Harold says. For example, Harold and Sharry currently have an Americana theme in their family room, complete with framed patriotic sheet music. Tastes can change, however. “It used to be farm with old equipment on the walls,” he says. “Some people collect old pocketknives, pen and pencil sets, almost anything.” Once you decide upon your interest, Harold says doing your homework is paramount. He recommends checking out reference books such as “Schroeder’s Antiques Price Guide” or “Kovels’ Antiques and Collectibles Price List.” “They have thousands of items that you can refer to,” he says. “You can find both books at the library.” Harold also frequently tracks online auctions on eBay to find out what certain items are going for. “It’s a great tool,” he says.
SPOTTING A 'SLEEPER' Finding a “sleeper” or significantly undervalued item has become increasingly difficult as antique buyers and sellers become more knowledgeable and connected through the Internet. Although antiquing has traditionally involved lots of legwork in tracking down obscure estate sales and independent sellers, many antique hunters now let their mouse do the walking. “A lot of people buy on eBay, but I’m more of a touch-and-feel person,” Harold says. “We’ve had friends sell for us on eBay, but when we buy we want to see the item.”
According to Harold, there’s still no substitute for a good old-fashioned estate sale for potential bargains. “The dealers go to estate sales to pick up the items they might put on eBay,” he says. “We’ve seen some really good art in estate sales.” Harold rarely hits the flea markets for good deals anymore. “They’re getting smart, and the prices are typically high,” he says. One of Harold’s most memorable sleepers was unintentional. Someone offered him a box of old jewelry for $100, and when he took a pocket watch from the box to get it appraised, he discovered that it was worth $2,000. “Once in a while you’ll run into things like that,” he says. Being a good sport, he ended up sending the original seller a check for half the watch’s value. “It’s not moneymaking, let me tell you. It’s more of a hobby for us,” he says. “There are people who make it their business, but we don’t. Every year our CPA man says, ‘what are you doing?’” While estate sales can be the mother lode for antiquing, garage sales can also yield good finds. “Sometimes garage sales are very successful for picking up items,” Harold says. Persistence pays off big in antique hunting. The more sales you check out, the better your chances for finding a bargain. Shop both early and late if you want to increase your odds of success. “If you want something really bad and you know that they have it, you need to get there first thing,” Harold says. Although the early bird may get the worm, many estate and garage sales lower prices toward the end of the sale, so it’s definitely worth checking back in the afternoon. “When we run estate sales, on the last day at noon, we go half-price,” Harold says. “People try to bargain with us, but we don’t do it until the last day.”
COMMON PITFALLS The most common mistake Harold sees with novice antique hunters is mistaking a replica for the genuine item. “People often buy reproductions and don’t know it’s a reproduction,” he says. “For example, with glassware, someone can reproduce a certain pattern. There are some dishonest people who do that, and you have to be careful. “One of the clues you can use with glassware is to turn it over and see if it has any wear on the bottom. If it looks too new, it’s been reproduced,” he says. Also, be cautious about a seller who has significant quantities of a known rare item. This should be a definite red light for the savvy antique shopper. The other frequent pitfall among collectors is a lack of diligent research, Harold says. “Often someone pays $100 for something and it’s only worth $50. You shouldn’t jump and buy something unless you really know what it’s worth,” he says. Keeping reference books in your car is not a bad idea when going antique hunting. If you’re not sure about an item, use some sort of pretense to go look it up without insulting the seller. If you’re trying to sell an antique, there are a number of professional appraisers in the area that can eliminate any guessing.
THE MUSEUM MISTAKE Perhaps even more difficult than finding a beloved antique is finding a place in your home to put it. Fitting an antique or quirky collection into a home’s interior design takes a special touch, and having an idea ahead of time about where you want to put something can definitely save headaches later. “When you’re buying an item, think about where you’re going to place it,” Harold says. “All of our collections are displayed. We don’t have anything that was just collected and put in a drawer.” Stella Gausman, longtime Club member and interior designer, says much of an antique’s placement depends on the home’s architectural style. “That gives you some clues about what design direction you go,” she says. Stella has been designing interiors for the past 17 years and says clients often have a special antique or heirloom that they want to fit in a room. Although each case is individualized, she says placing an antique table in the midst of more contemporary furniture can sometimes work, especially if the home’s architectural design is more “classic.” “It’s good to have contrasts,” she says. Club member Nichole Jacobson with Jacobson Interior says that sentimental value should not outweigh good design taste. “Incorporating antiques into home design is a lovely thing, but it also requires some patience and level-headed thinking. Placing an antique with sentimental value in a room where it clashes with the décor is simply not done,” she says. “Incorporating antiques into home design can give a home a very rustic and an old world feel, but if the placement of the antiques is not perfect, then the home will end up looking more like a museum.” However, Nichole also believes antiques can have a place amongst modern design. “A lot of famed and reputed interior designers repeatedly emphasize the fact that antique furniture has a very modern look and modern sensibilities,” she says. “The secret to bringing out this modern look in antique furniture and other antiques is anchoring one main piece and thoughtfully sprinkling a few curios here and a few antiques there. The thoughtful placement of the antiques will give the room a more open and uncluttered look.”
