Today there is a great deal of interest for a lot of peaople to learn all about the buying and selling of antiques, more than possibly at any time in history.

No doubt the most popular U.S. television show ‘The Antiques Road Show’ and it’s British counterpart, have helped to create a huge interest in the antique industry.  What was once thought to be the world of stuffy and snobbish appraisers picking away at Chinese vases and other such oddities has now become a business that is quite intriguing to most people.  Those who perhaps never before had an interest in antiques suddenly saw how much fun it could be to find out that an old afghan or piece of jewelry is actually worth thousands of dollars.

What has also helped everyday people to appreciate the world of antiques is that they see how items they never thought about as actually being antique, and certainly never considered as being valuable, can actually fetch quite a price at the right auction with the right buyer.  Those who assumed that “antiques” only meant fancy furniture or Asian carvings had their eyes open to items such as early American folk art, different textiles including tablecloths and other linens, collectible bottles, and items such as these.

Obviously dealing with some antiques that you have already got some understanding to or possibly a keen interest in, can mean an endeavor that is not only enjoyable but also financially successful.

So if you’ve been considering trying your hand at dealing in antiques and just have not quite decided as to which area of antiques you want to specialize in, or are just looking for a little variety to bring to your business why not look at Architectural Oddments?

Architectural Oddments

Items from older buildings are often unappreciated by those sent in to demolition those buildings, but to the collector there are many elements and items that are truly a part of the history of architecture.

Salvaging these items is actually a big business.  Some antique stores specialize in this part of the industry alone and actually quite well.

While not every part of an older building is going to be valuable, many of the larger elements will be.  These are purchased by those who have an interest in a particular form of architecture or history buffs that collect items from a particular time period.

Fireplace Mantels

Most fireplaces today have some sort of mantel or shelf over them so it’s not as if this type of item is not to be found anywhere.  But older fireplace mantels are very unique in that they were usually hand-carved and very often had details and carvings that were unique for the time period in which they were made.  Many experts can tell the area in which the mantel was made just from the decorations on it.

The materials the mantels were made from have a lot to do with their value.  English oak is one of the most expensive materials and mantels made from this wood usually do very well at auction.  Others can be carved from marble or made from stone.

Along with mantels are fireplace screens and accessories.  Many of the original items were made from solid brass and the screens were typically very ornate and artistic.

Doors And Hardware

As with fireplace mantels, many antique doors were hand carved from solid oak and other such materials.  They too can say a lot about the time period in which they were made because of the decoration and design.

Many collectors use doors not really as doors but add a base and glass top and create a desk or table.  This way the decoration can be appreciated at all times without the door being overused or damaged.

Doors can also be used as other pieces of furniture; some designers have gotten very creative and used them to make headboards for the bed or just as wall art.

The hardware used for the doors is also very valuable.  This includes knobs, hinges, door knockers, and kick plates.  These too were made of brass and are used as decorations, bookends, and so on.

Stained Glass Windows

Today’s stained glass windows can be made with the help of machines whereas antique stained glass was made by hand.  The decorations of the glass and the details can really tell a lot about the craftsperson and the time period in which he or she lived. 

We often associate stained glass windows with churches and it’s true that some of the best can be found on old churches but other buildings would also incorporate these items into their architecture as well.

Tiffany style is one of the most valuable of all the brands of stained glass and of course the older the window the more expensive it will be.

Finials

Finials are those decorative “knobs” or caps that you see on the tops of things such as wrought iron fences or even the tops of different pieces of furniture.  While sometimes these items are actually a part of the architecture of design of an item, usually they are a separate part that is added on.  This means that they can be loosened from that piece of furniture and sold as is.

These items are used by collectors today as all decoration or sconces, bookends, doorstops, and so on.  They are usually very heavy and made of hand carved wood.  Some were also made of iron.

One of the reasons they are so valued is because they are full of intricate carved details, which too tell a story of the time period and style of furniture to which they were attached.

Other Architecture Items

There are so many other architecture items that do well at auction that it’s impossible to mention all of them.  Tin ceiling tiles, chandeliers, tiles, bathroom fixtures, bathtubs, kitchen and bathroom sinks, stoves, weathervanes, window locks, staircases, iron grates, and just about anything else that can be taken from an older home or building can do well at auction.  Buyers may be adding to a collection, may have an interest in a certain style of architecture, or may just appreciate the look of a certain pieces.

Deciding On Antiques

So if you’ve been thinking of entering the fun and exciting world of antiques, there should be nothing holding you back.  Do some reading about what makes each different item valuable and become familiar with about how much people are now paying at auction for them.You will possibly find that collecting antiques is the one of the most interesting business venture you’ve ever tried.

As they say, someone’s trash is another person’s treasure, so get start now and ‘hunting treasure’!

Today there are many people that are becoming very interested in the buying and selling of antiques, more than perhaps at any time in history.

No doubt the popular U.S. television series The Antiques Road Show and its British equivalent have done quite a bit to make this industry suddenly so popular.  What was once thought to be the world of stuffy and snobbish appraisers picking away at Chinese vases and other such oddities has now become a business that is quite intriguing to most people.  Those who perhaps never before had an interest in antiques suddenly saw how much fun it could be to find out that an old afghan or piece of jewelry is actually worth thousands of dollars.

What has also helped everyday people to appreciate the world of antiques is that they see how items they never thought about as actually being antique, and certainly never considered as being valuable, can actually fetch quite a price at the right auction with the right buyer.  Those who assumed that “antiques” only meant fancy furniture or Asian carvings had their eyes open to items such as early American folk art, different textiles including tablecloths and other linens, collectible bottles, and items such as these.

Quite probably buying and selling antiques that you have already attained a good deal of knowledge about or possibly a very keen interest in, can mean an business endeavor that is not only very enjoyable but also financially a good idea.

So if you’ve been considering dabbling in the world of antiques and just have not quite decided as to which type of antique you want to specialize in, or are just looking for a little bit of variety to bring to your business why not look at Antique Bottles?

Antique Bottles

Those empty beer bottles that you have in the garage waiting to be taken to the recycling center aren’t what we’re talking about here.

Antique bottles refer to a wide variety of types, uses, and designs.  They are typically sold to collectors who often want to build their collection one piece at a time.  They’re usually valued for their different colors and for the fact that many were custom made for a particular industry or use at the time.  Consider:

Apothecary Bottles

Today we don’t typically use the word apothecary but instead refer to someone as a pharmacist or we go to the pharmacy or drug store.  Today’s medicines are doled out in small plastic prescription bottles in pill format, but “way back when” medicines were almost always liquid or powder and were stored in large, heavy-duty apothecary bottles.

These bottles are unique in that they were made of a very thick type of glass that was often cobalt blue, dark green, or another appealing color.  Very often they had the name of the medicine or a poison warning painted right on the glass, as opposed to the stickers and labels we have today.

Most also came with a stopper top for them.  This was something unique in the world of bottle making, reserved for either apothecary bottles or certain liquor bottles.  As a matter of fact, if you can picture a bottle of a very fine scotch or other liquor that has a stopper top, you realize what an apothecary bottle looked like.  The only difference is that liquor bottles are usually short and stout whereas apothecary bottles were tall and slender.

Coca-Cola Bottles

No, we’re not talking about all those empties you have around the house that need to be taken back for your bottle deposit or to the recycling center.  We’re talking those bottles that were produced in the early 1900’s. 

Why the interest in this type of product?  Well, to many the Coca-Cola Company represents a part of American history.  It’s a product that even to this day is recognized as being all-American.  Having old Coke bottles is like having a classic 1966 Ford Mustang or a Joe DiMaggio baseball card.  Not only is it historically significant, it’s a piece of history that his unique to America.

Some antique Coke bottles can fetch literally hundreds of dollars at auction, while of course most go for a bit less.  But the fact that you really can’t get Coke in glass bottles anymore means that these items are probably just going to increase in value as time goes on.

Bitters Bottles

Bitters were old-fashioned medicines made of herbs and roots that were very bitter in taste, hence their name.  During prohibition many would brew a form of bitters that contained alcohol; this way a person could imbibe under the guide of taking medicine.

Bitters bottles were known for their various colors and even their shapes.  They were often fashioned to look like a log cabin, pig, corn cob, barrels, fish, Native Americans, or something similar.  Many were even made with the female form as a shape.  As a matter of fact, if you know the type and shape of bottle that Mrs. Butterworth’s maple syrup comes in, you have an idea of what a lot of bitters bottles looked like.

The unusual colors are what really set these bottles apart and those with a more unusual color are the ones that are more valuable.

Other Types Of Bottles

There are many other types of antique bottles that typically do very well on the market today.  These include vinegar bottles which were usually shaped like jugs with a rounded handle, cosmetics bottles, fruit jars, liquor bottles of all sorts, and many other sorts.

The market and price for all of these bottles is of course going to be different, and even among each style there is typically a higher price for older items or those that are more unusual.

If you’re interested in buying or selling antique bottles, it pays to have a price guide for each different type and what they usually go for at auction, and then you can find them virtually anywhere.  This means flea markets, estate sales, garage sales, and so many other places.  Those who have these older bottles usually don’t know what they’re worth and aren’t that concerned with finding out anyway, so if you do your homework before shopping you may find yourself with some great deals.

Deciding On Antiques

Hopefully by now we’ve convinced you that the world of antiques is not just for fancy Asian vases and old furniture.  There are buyers for virtually any type of antique item out there; as a matter of fact we haven’t even scratched the surface of the different types of items that you may find to be very financially lucrative.

So if you’ve been thinking of entering the fun and exciting world of antiques, there should be nothing holding you back.  Do some reading about what makes each different item valuable and become familiar with about how much people are now paying at auction for them.You will probably discover that collecting antiques is the one of the most interesting business venture you’ve ever tried.

As they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, so get out there and start trash, I mean treasure, hunting!