Treasures from the Past Finding Antiques in the Modern World
At the beginning of a new year, it’s always fun to try a new adventure, and we have something that may be new to many members of our apartment community here at Cavalier Court. Our something new is actually something old. Antiques. Yes, our post today is about antiques, vintage items, and collectibles. Read on to learn more about this topic. Some definitions Antiques are items that are at least one-hundred years old. Vintage refers to items that are twenty years old. Collectibles are popular items that people like to collect. They may or may not be vintage or antique, but they often are. Provenance is the written history or proof of a piece’s authenticity, and it is most often found with more expensive items. It could be considered the paper trail of an antique and may include purchase receipts, marketing materials, documents from auctions houses, and even photographs of the piece. On Value Some good advice about determining the value of an antique and how much one should pay is succinctly summed up like this: A piece is worth as much as you’re willing to pay for it. This concept brings up the idea that following your heart when it comes to shopping for antiques is a good idea — just be sure to balance your heart with your budget. If you love the idea of having a unique item in your home that has a sense of history and a patina, then a piece of antique furniture may be the perfect gift for yourself. Receipts Always get a receipt, even for a cash purchase.The receipt should include the age of the item, the material it’s made from, any damage or restoration, its value, and the price. Be sure to find out the return policy of the shop or vendor in case you need to return an item, and if the item is a gift, find out if a gift receipt is available. To help you get started on an antiquing adventure, we used Yelp to find some antique shops in the Fairfax, VA area to start with. Let us know about your finds in the comments. We love hearing from our residents!
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