Monthly Archives: April 2010

It really should go without saying that when buying any antiques or collectible then the condition needs be carefully scrutinise. Very recently I foolishly bought a silver 1908 hip flask with a leather top. I did look at it quickly prior to the sale, but was not really interested, as this was a Fine arts auction so I always expect to pay a premium at such venues.
Anyway it came up and it was struggling to get to £80.00 so I put a bid in and won at £85.00 add 17.5% and my final bill was a touch under £100.00, I thought that was ok as I should be able to resell at about £200.00.

I got it home and decided to inspect it, first I could not get the cup of, so I filled it with water and it leaked like a seive, the glass was shattered, and they cost a fortune to replace, in the end I got rid of it for £30.00, nice loss of £70.00.
I’ve been going to auctions for years and still fall into the trap of not carefully inspecting lots before the auction, here some of the things to look out for:

1 – Cracks and repairs on ceramics and porcelain, I’m willing to bet most items you see have some fault however minor.
2 – Filler is a killer, look out for it on wood, odd looking grain, inspect the underside of furniture, look for authenticity, things that just cannot be faked.
3 – Silver items should have no splits or heavy dents, if things like mustard pots or salts then they need to have the blue insert as these cost a lot to replace. Look out for weld joints, especially on more fragile items like sugar tongs or ornate bowls.
4 – Watches whether wrist or pocket, they should be in working order unless you can repair, check pocket watch cases match the movement. The expensive watch market is riddled with fakes and you really need to do your homeowork before buying such brands as Rolex, longines, breitling etc.
5 – Anything that is expensive and has a rarity value needs to be authenticated, it should be covered by the auction house.

Even though an antique or collectible might be damage does not mean it’s instantly worthless, as antiques dealers and restorers will buy pieces that they can repair. Even antiques that seem to be very badly damaged can still be worth something, it will on the whole depend on the rarity, if their’s only a few examples then even broken it can have a high rarity value. If not sure then seek the advice of an antiques expert before deciding the value, as you could be pleasantly surprised!

It’s a fact that on many occasions I see that the the silver caddy spoon is worth a lot more than the tea caddy. Caddy spoons were primarily used to transfer tea from a tea caddy to the teapot, they are often very ornately shaped and extremely decorative.  The silver caddy spoon were made from the 1770s till they declined with the use of tea caddies in the late 19th century. See below for some great examples of silver caddy spoons being offered.

Normally made from a single sheet of silver the silver caddy spoon was then stamped with the design and pattern, this meant they can be very fragile and prone to damage. So collectors need to look out for repairs or twists as this will affect the value.
The handles can be made from bone, ivory or mother of pearl, some are even gold scrolled, the more ornate the more collectible. Popular designs are shells, jockey’s caps, eagle wings, character motifs and hands,
The best world wide source for silver Caddy spoon is without doubt eBay and this source should not be ignored by the collector, take a look above at just a few.

To collect pocket watches can be a satisfying and rewarding pastime, it will also be a good investment, if you so wish you could buy and sell pocket watches for profit.

Collectable Pocket watches come in all sort of sizes, made from various materials, and can vary hugely in value. The most common type of pocket watch are open faced watches, then hunters and half hunters. Movements naturally change from period to period, the more recent normally being more complex and sophisticated and usually more reliable.

During the 19th century the two most popular mechanisms were the cylinder escapement and the more reliable lever escapement, which came into its own from the 1830s.
In the 1870s an internal mechanism was developed that meant you could wind the pocket watch externally instead of using a key.
If you want to collect pocket watches then note the following pieces of advise. Make sure the movement inside the watch matches the case and face.
Condition is as usual very important when you collect pocket watches, make sure it works, never buy a pocket watch without checking it works, buy a special back opening knife and universal key, so you can check yourself that it works. To repair pocket watches can be very expensive due to lack of parts. You can buy pocket watch opening knives and universal keys very cheaply of eBay.
One thing to watch for is scratch marks, many people do not have the right tools to open a pocket watch case and leave nasty scratch marks when attempting to open, this detracts from the value and looks of the watch.

Collect Pocket watches by noted makers will fetch higher prices, as do watches with fine decoration, chronographs or additional dials showing such things as moon phases and calendars.

The best universal source for anyone wanting to collect pocket watches is eBay, because you reach a World wide market place eBay just cannot be ignored, ok you have offline auctions, these are fine but expect less choice, higher prices due to commissions and travelling expenses. Also offline auctions you are competing against dealers, collectors, local fine antique shops, plus you do not get sufficient time to study the item and really check it over, easy to make a costly mistake.
See above for a small selection of pocket watches on eBay at the moment, browse through if anything of interest then check the details, make sure the seller has excellent feedback 98% +, ask any questions, check thoroughly.

This superb gold bracelet has now been sold but see below similar quality bracelets on offer.

I’m offering for auction a gold bracelet tested for 18ct and weighing 7g, the links as you can see are decorated and joined by a plain link. The links I’ve been informed are hollow, the condition is good, I’ve checked carefully all the links and only one the join is not prefect, I’ve pictured this, do not believe this is in danger of coming apart though. The clasp is in excellent order, the part with the pin has a hallmark on but I cannot read it, the bracelet came from my mother who lived in France so the marks are possibly French. The bracelet is approx. 5.8cm in diameter and measures approx. 16.3cm in length, width 0.6cm.

Like most people I love to find a bargain, something that has been missed and you spot that then goes on to make a really good profit margin. If like me you go to main area Fine antique or fine art auctions, you will find the final values can be high, plus you must add on a raft of overheads. This means making a decent profit margin out of antiques and collectables when you sell on is significantly reduced, and you will be very lucky to unearth a real bargain that has been missed. Main fine art auctions always attract the dealer experts, buying for clients or large antique shops.

Product listing

How to Recognize and Refinish Antiques for Pleasure and Profit by Jacquelyn...

Current price:

$8.00

Type:

Auction

No. of bids so far:

0

Ends in:

0d 13h 11m

Seller: eBay

How to Recognize and Refinish Antiques for Pleasure and Profit by Jacquelyn...

Current price:

$0.99

Type:

Auction

No. of bids so far:

0

Ends in:

2d 4h 40m

Seller: eBay

MAKE ANTIQUE HORSE RACING PRINTS FOR PROFIT

Current price:

$18.95

'Buy now' item

Ends in:

3d 4h 15m

Seller: eBay

Antique 1913 Book How to Run a Store at a Profit

Current price:

$85.00

'Buy now' item

Ends in:

4d 21h 34m

Seller: eBay

LOT THREE Books on Selling Antiques Collectibles for Profit 1969, 1993, 1996 EUC

Current price:

$4.99

Type:

Auction

No. of bids so far:

0

Ends in:

5d 15h 13m

Seller: eBay

ANTIQUE 1867 GARDENING FOR PROFIT by PETER HENDERSON BOOK

Current price:

$6.00

Type:

Auction

No. of bids so far:

0

Ends in:

6d 7h 17m

Seller: eBay

VINTAGE WICO COLOR SALES DISPLAY MANUAL PROFIT MAKING HINTS ANTIQUE GAS ENGINE

Current price:

$11.00

'Buy now' item

Ends in:

7d 7h 16m

Seller: eBay

MAKE 'ANTIQUE' HORSE RACING ART PRINTS FOR PROFIT

Current price:

$18.95

'Buy now' item

Ends in:

9d 1h 32m

Seller: eBay

Collecting Antiques for Pleasure and Profit NEW

Current price:

$43.70

'Buy now' item

Ends in:

10d 6h 34m

Seller: eBay

Collecting Antiques for Pleasure and Profit NEW

Current price:

$59.34

'Buy now' item

Ends in:

10d 11h 27m

Seller: eBay

 

NOTE: to keep the site running smoothly, product data is only refreshed once every minute, approximately. Click on a product to see the most up-to-date data on the seller's page.

To have a chance of a ‘real’ bargain then I recommend you take a look at the local antique or household auctions, these are not advertised all over the internet, they are usually advertised in the local press, or have built up over years by word of mouth. They are really interesting can be a fun occassion and you can often spot and buy an antique or collectable that will sell for considerably more at a main fine antique auction, or through eBay.

What to look for is Boxes of china, books, silver plate in fact anything, rumage through these lots and you sometimes can find the unexpected, I have many times. For example bought a box with some broken Beswick items for £12.00, in it was a Beswick woodpecker with a slightly broken beak, I sold on for £15.00, ok not earth shattering, but also in the box was a Beswick Parrot, broken but all present, I sold on for £125.00. This was an item that normally would have sold for £250.00 and someone bought it who specialised in repairing ceramics – this gave me a huge profit on my £15.00 box.

Usually these small local auctions have specials cabinets, they put in odd bits of silver and other collectables that they consider of value. Many times the prices these items sell for is well below the upmarket fine antiques auction house, for example silver picture frames I often buy and make substantual profits by reselling on eBay, one I bought at £52.00 plus 12% commission and sold for £195.00 on eBay.

Also the overheads are so much lower, the commission is usually around 12% with no VAT as the turnover is so much lower, you have minimal travelling expenses as these auctions are local, and no expensive catalogues.

Tips on Selling your gold watch chain for the best price possible

This Silver Yard O Led Pencil has now been sold but see below for similar Yard O Len pencils being sold.

I’m offering for sale a solid silver hallmarked London 1953 Yard-O-Led pencil, the makers mark is JM & Co, also has a lion passant on the clip and the top half of the pencil. Yard-O-Led pencils from this period are becoming harder to find, this one is in good condition, with some slight surface wear and one or two minor bumps. The pencil comes loaded with lead, but cannot say if it has the full just under a yard.
The pencil measures just about five inches in length and weighs 26gms.