BASEMENT TREASURES
If you’re cleaning out basements and attics while staying at home, some of your items might be coveted by antique dealers
When spring cleaning while staying at home, some found items might be coveted by antique dealers
When it comes to digging for treasures and not being able to leave home, antique hunters only have to go up or downstairs.
Often, there are items that are clearly antiques due to their age. Other times, the value isn’t as clear, says Jack Craft, co-owner of Finer Things Antiques and Curios in Halifax, N.S.
“As for the most common undiscovered gems that turn up in homes, precious metals, such as silver and gold, would be near the top, simply because many people do not realize damaged pieces can have value,” says Craft.
“Dented, scratched and tarnished silver and broken pieces of gold jewellery all have value because of their metal content, so they shouldn’t be thrown away just because they are in poor condition or can’t be salvaged.”
Lisa Holt-Jones, owner of the Antiques Boutique in Baddeck, N.S., also says broken items shouldn’t be tossed, nor should they be fixed by those who aren’t trained.
“Just get professional advice,” she says. “I’ve, very often, had pieces brought to me that have been super glued and it’s really, really hard, if not impossible, to undo that and to correct it and, then, to work on it properly.”
She says super glue expands as it dries, causing the item to not “have a good finish.”
FORGOTTEN DECOR
As for other objects currently in demand, Julianne McDonald, co-owner of Finer Things, says toys, books, advertising signs and furniture that are 40 to 50 years old are highly sought after among antique lovers.
“I think people often overlook these things because they grew up with them and just don’t consider them to have collector value,” she says.
Dion Bolt, owner of North Brook Cottage Antiques and Collectibles in Brigus, N.L., finds that paintings are also often disregarded.
“As they came in and out of style, or (homeowners) change their decor, they would put them in the attic or in the basement, so a lot of people could be sitting on a piece of artwork that’s good,” says Bolt.
“If you find something like that, it’s great to have it checked out because, a lot of the time, it could have some monetary value, but, other times, it’s just a piece that was made in that house.”
He adds that items that have lost financial value can still be worth something.
“Coins can often be passed down, and especially here in Newfoundland, our paper money is highly sought after by collectors,” he says about the island’s pre-Confederation currency. “So, anything that comes up now will usually fetch a high premium.”
LOOK WAY UP
Holt-Jones says when looking for antiques and collectables, outside buildings like barns and sheds are worth a look, especially along ceiling rafters.
“When I go up on a pick, I always look up there … because you don’t know what’s stuffed up there, an old map or a fishing rod, or something,” she says.
No matter an item’s age, there many factors that can contribute to its worth or, in the case of storage, diminish it.
“With attics, the summer heat and rodents can damage valuable heirlooms, and with basements, you are faced with dampness and mold. We do not recommend people trying to clean their own items. It’s always best to show it to a dealer first, so they can determine whether or not it can be preserved,” says McDonald.
Worth can also be determined by selling and buying tends. When Downton Abbey was on television, for example, Holt-Jones says items from the Edwardian area were popular among buyers, while Bolt says 20 years ago, Victorian furniture was highly in-demand. Now, McDonald said, it’s items from the 1970s and ‘80s.
And, while there are isolation rules in place due to COVID-19, some antique shops are using their social media pages to help out potential clients who are cleaning out the nooks and crannies of their homes while staying at home and wondering what their treasures may be worth.
“I guess the only thing I can say for certain is that it’s never an inconvenience for us to receive photos of your objects,” says Craft. “We would rather not see good things end up in the landfill. If there’s any doubt at all, just show it to a dealer before discarding it.”