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Is There A Difference Between Vintage And Antique?

By Herbert Sanchez

Antiques, simply put, are old items, things left over from a bygone world, markers of eras past. The Titanic wreck is an antique, although we don't think of it as such. The only difference between this and what we normally consider antiques is that the Titanic, though having value, can't be bought or auctioned off.

Thats another distinction regarding antiques: They have a market value. Although in an economic sense this is true, in the true definition of the word and concept of antiques, its irrelevant. Antiques are known for their age and, quite often, their rare and/or unusual design. Hey, even the Titanic has a particular design which represents it as an icon of a certain era, with a history all its own.

Of course, when it comes to antiques, its important to distinguish between antiques, collectibles, and vintage:

Antiques: Items of the past, usually identifying a particular era, with some value--economic, personal, cultural, artistic, but always intrinsic. Think: 1915 one-piece bathing suit, a 'Model A' automobile, an authentic revolutionary tricorn hat, and, of course, the Titanic.

Collectable: Items produced to be collected and can comprise a series, such as baseball cards. Of course some arent produced for this reason, such as butterflies or coins, but, like antiques, they can form interesting collections and are each of a particular type which distinguishes them from the rest in the series. Think: a 1912 penny or a 1956 Buffalo nickel. These are distinctively different but are both unique coins, therefore they are collectable. They are also antiques! Collectables usually have some monetary value, but they are always sought for their personal value.

Vintage: This is synonymous with 'antique,' but there is a difference. Vintage wine, for example, is that which is made primarily of grapes harvested within a specific year. Its not too unreasonable to presume, then, that vintage items are not only identifiers of a particular historical era, but also a particular year, such as the 1912 penny, or the 1956 Buffalo nickel--or the Titanic!

Antiques cannot be discussed without mentioning road shows. Begun in England during the 1950s, road shows are collectives of antique enthusiasts (dealers, collectors, specialists) who travel around a particular country (sometimes internationally) appraising the monetary value of old items for those who are interested. Sometimes auctions take place where interested owners can sell their antiques (or collectables) to others who are interested in buying them. Nowadays, both road shows and auctions take place online as well as in some physical place.

Modern antiques, a seeming contradiction, are those items that are either technologically obsolete, such as computer hardware no longer being made, or items that are more recent yet still old enough to be considered antiques. Customs laws and dealers vary on the stipulation of age, but the commonly accepted age range for modern antiques is anything made within the previous 100 years. The 1956 Buffalo nickel, a Beatles album, and, yes, even the Titanic fit into this category.

Historically, however, antiques hold a particular reference. Those relics from Old Greek and Roman civilizations--called the 'Age of Antiquity'--are particularly considered antiques, but this is only applied in certain contexts, not in the true sense of definition.

Antiques are all around us! They describe our world and who we are as a people, and measure where weve been and where we are now. Antiques are an ongoing commodity of human civilization and will always hold significance to us. Without antiques, we can never know ourselves.


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Antiques is their primary business. As in any exchange, dealing with someone who plans to be in the business on a continuing basis is much better for the customer. The reason for this is that those who have an ongoing antique business live or die by reputation. If they treat someone badly or cheat them, word of mouth will kill their business rather quickly. Therefore, they are motivated, if they wish to make a living selling antiques, to be honest.
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Be suspicious if the interior mechanism of a clock just looks too new. It is quite common for a new mechanism to be placed in an old case. If you are buying the clock for decorative and aesthetic reasons you may not care, but if the antique is to be an investment or part of a collection, the presence of a new mechanism essentially means the clock is a "fake."
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If, when it finally has to go, an antique shows a decent financial gain, that is a bonus. The real dividend on the original investment is the pleasure it has given. If profit is the main motive, the activity should be acknowledged as speculation, with all the inherent risks that it entails. Speculation is for dealers, investment for collectors and home-Iovers -- but seen in terms of quiet satisfaction rather than cash in the bank.
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Clean mildew on wooden furniture with a cloth moistened with one cup water mixed with one tablespoon bleach and one tablespoon liquid dishwashing detergent. Dry with a clean cloth.
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Vintage Collectibles from The Americas

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:22:10 -0600
Antique sacks of unsearched gems, civil war portraits, old home furnishings, antique prints including cowboy photos and drawings from the old Wild West, Indian relics and more. But how do you really know an item is the real deal? Is it really a collectible or someone else's discarded piece of junk? Here are tips from a Garage-Sale Junkie who swears by the collectible items she's found.

Chinese Paintings and Scrolls, Calligraphy on Antique Chinese Art Forms

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:22:38 -0600
Antique Chinese paintings and scrolls, calligraphy on wall panels, Chinese ancestor paintings, vintage art on reverse glass, porcelain and more.


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Why Is There So Much Antique Tin?

By Arturo Ronzon

Walk into any antique store, browse a couple of antique catalogs, tune in to the TV and catch an antique appreciation show and you will see antique tins everywhere. You would probably wonder what it is about tin that makes it so popular with antique collectors. There is probably a good explanation to it.

To begin with, tin resists the elements very well. Water and oxygen, the combination that will easily rust the strongest of steel, will do nothing to tin. If the mob were to sink a guy they didn�t like into the East River, you could pull him out 50 years later and the only thing intact would be his tin cigarette box (if he smoked that is). So now you can see why there are so many antique tin collectibles like tin antique jewelry. Tin items last a long time and when something lasts as long, they become antiques. They become rare collectibles when they have been out of production for about 50 years or so.

So what? If tin lasts a long time and tin items of the last few decades are still available today, why would people fork out big dollars for these antiques? For one thing, tin is easy to shape so craftsmen of long ago loved to shape them into some interesting pieces. Anything antique that was handmade would fetch a good price no matter what it was made of. Since tin is easy to work with, replacement pieces can be easily made today. If a collector paid for a three-wheeled tin racing car, he could easily send it to an expert to restore the missing wheel. These are just some of the reasons why tin antiques are so collectible.

Tin items are also rarely produced today. Big corporations still make tin cans but rely more on aluminum than tin. Containers and toys are being made with plastic more and more since plastics use standardized moldings that make mass production a breeze. With the combination of limited production, handmade quality and a long lifespan, it is no surprise that tin items are one of the most collectible items today.

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A good reputation with other dealers and collectors. Word of mouth is the primary advertising medium for antique dealers. Collectors tell one another when they have had good and bad dealings with particular dealers. Dealers tell one another what they have heard. This communication is a vital part of keeping everyone honest. Without it there is no mechanism for removing disreputable dealers (and collectors) from the trade. - see the first note above. So ask around. Ask at least 4 people who don't know each other, so you are sure to get a good and fair estimate of the general opinion. Remember that there will always be one or two people who don't like someone, but if 4 unacquainted people you talk to have horror stories of being ripped off by a dealer, steer clear of them. (This is fairly rare by the way.)
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Browse through antique stores and flea markets or visit auctions. Don't make impulse buys. If you're unsure about a piece, don't buy it on a whim. Learn to trust your instinct. Many old hands at collecting simply "know" when a piece is good or bad. At least in the beginning, stay away from buying online. Until you are more knowledgeable about your area of interest, it's simply too easy to be "taken."
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Comparison shop: some rare items cannot be compared for price, but you might be able to compare more common items. Also, look at reproductions. Some are good value for money as alternatives to antiques. And, knowing the features of repros may help you in the quest for the real.
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Does It Look Old? Examine the finish for natural signs of wear. Authentic pieces will have dirt in crevices or in places that are hard to clean, and wear around knobs and on drawers caused by friction. The absence of such wear may indicate that the piece is not old, or that it has been refinished. The latter is not necessarily bad if it�s been done well, but it will lower the piece�s value in most instances. Look inside and underneath the piece for dribbles of stain that indicate a sloppy refinishing job.
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Rearrange lamps and decorative items on wooden tabletops. If you don't, exposed wood will lighten and unexposed wood will remain dark after time.
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Vintage Collectibles from The Americas

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:22:10 -0600
Antique sacks of unsearched gems, civil war portraits, old home furnishings, antique prints including cowboy photos and drawings from the old Wild West, Indian relics and more. But how do you really know an item is the real deal? Is it really a collectible or someone else's discarded piece of junk? Here are tips from a Garage-Sale Junkie who swears by the collectible items she's found.

Greek Antiques - Collectibles and Artefacts

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Ancient Grecian Coins, Jewelry, Carvings, Statues & Sculptures. Ancient plates, and artefacts from The Iron Age. Facts about the first bracelets, and Origins of Greek Coinage gives you information about the ancient coins that may help you determine their value as collectibles before you buy.


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