Top tips for holiday trading

With many of you heading off on holiday over the coming weeks, I wonder how many are like me, and see foreign trips as a good chance to find some unusual antiques?

Many countries are perfect for exploring the local antique shops and markets.

My favourite is Italy, and amongst many places I’ve enjoyed is one of the country’s regular antique fairs in the historic Tuscan town of Arezzo. This pretty place has around 100 antique shops in its own right, but on one weekend each month the streets and squares fill with up to 500 stalls selling antiques and collectables of every kind.

It’s easy to get carried away at such events, largely because many of the items are naturally things that you seldom see in the UK. Does that make them a good purchase? Well, of course, that depends.

It does mean that perhaps you wouldn’t have such a good knowledge of them, and therefore might be taking more of a risk. Only you can decide if that’s a risk you’re happy to take.

Don’t be afraid to haggle to try and lower the asking price, as you’ll be amazed what you can achieve.

I spent some time bartering with one trader over a gorgeous Pinosignoretto glass statue. Pinosignoretto is a renowned Italian glass maker, who had commissions from the likes of Salvador Dali. The asking price was €3,500, so I was more than pleased to walk away with my new treasure for just €2,700. Sometimes you can have the advantage if you see British items on sale at a bargain price, because they are less sought after in that country. Bring it home, and it could be more saleable here.

You have to be careful, however, as there always some who will try and mislead unsuspecting tourists.

We were invited by one lady to come away from the main market to her garden, where she offered us some ‘genuine’ Roman statues. Not the kind of items you should be buying without some serious research. Always beware of fakes, and remember the old mantra that if it looks too good to be true, then it probably is.

Happy holiday!

Find out more about Clive Attrell at www.freeantiquesvaluations.com

Clive Attrell antiques hunting in Arezzo, right