The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Money
Bag a bargain with these tricks of the antiques trade
David Dickinson, the host of television show Real Deal, says anyone can train their eye to find a ‘Bobby Dazzler’, with the help of his top tips
Ihave bought and sold many beautiful items in my years working as an antique dealer. But while I’ve spent time “developing my eye” as we say in the trade, anyone can do it.
While it’s important to do your research and establish the provenance of an objet d’art, the difference between a complete novice, an established amateur and a consummate professional is having a feeling for this sort of thing.
A lot of things appear before your eyes and this is where most of your information and, eventually, knowledge will come from. The more you see the more you will know and then you will be able to spot the real diamonds.
Most of the successful dealers I have been in business with also read copiously about their chosen specialism, filling libraries with reference books and making good use of the internet.
We have so many incredible public institutions, the V&A, the Ashmolean Museum, the British Museum. Go to these places and see the real thing, for free, and that will help your knowledge and feel for beauty, quality and detail. But I know that many amateurs are very nervous about questioning sellers, negotiating and separating the real deal from cheap copies. Here are some of my best tips for getting the most out of what you buy, whether it is an investment or for your home.
IF IN DOUBT, LEAVE IT OUT
When you buy something, you must take your time. Inspect, inspect, inspect – and make sure to ask the dealer lots of questions. Any antiques dealer worth their salt will have the answers readily available.
This will help you to establish the provenance of an object. Many sellers will try to tell you intriguing tales but you should try to stick to the facts and make your mind up about what could be exaggerated.
Make sure to get a receipt or an invoice. Have the seller put as much detail as they can on the receipt, with what it is and how much it is. This gives you good titles to the objects, and means you can prove you didn’t steal it and can trace it back to the seller.
Don’t just buy anything, buy something you really like and that talks to you, and that would fit in your home. I’m always looking for something different that really catches my eye, whether it’s a fabulous looking piece of furniture or a marble statue.
FINDING A GOOD DEAL ANYWHERE
A bargain is very much in the eye of the beholder. But you might look for different things in different places.
I am not great on the internet but it is an amazing tool. You can image search when you are thinking about buying something, and it will show you similar items and what they went for at auction. You can check out the artists, you can check the factory in which it was made.
But you do need to be careful about research online and make sure you look at reputable websites, such as auction houses. It’s not a perfect guide, because the market changes all the time, but it is a good starting point.
If you are heading to a car-boot sale, where you can make incredible finds with a discerning eye, the early bird catches the worm. Get there early and have a wander before the crowds descend. What you are looking for is something that suits you, something that you feel you want. You are perhaps a collector or starting a collection, or you are buying for your home.
Obviously there are all sorts of things you can find, from household and garden objects to furniture and urns: all kinds of things for decoration. But there ‘Quality costs more, which is something I discovered over many years, but is better in the long term’
Waterford crystal can be picked up at auction at a much lower cost than shops are lots of fakes and oddities at car-boot sales. When you see something, take 15 or 20 minutes and then have another look at it. Think about whether it still turns you on or whether you are not sure if you like it.
Another area is charity shops, which can be a lucrative source of antiques. People ask me what I am doing when I go into them, but a local charity shop can be a great place to find deals. Also, of course, they do some very good work for causes including the air ambulances and animal charities.
DON’T BE INTIMIDATED
Antique shops require a little bit of confidence, but shouldn’t be intimidating. Remember that you are a potential customer and there is no reason at all why you shouldn’t have a look around antique shops of all types. Dealers I know welcome people into their emporiums because business is not easy to do and they like people coming in. Have a good look around and don’t be scared to ask lots of questions. If anyone is indifferent to that I would say vote with your feet and go to another shop.
If they have any sense, they will help you. They will spend time with you courteously and give you the information you want. Because that’s the name of the game.
Building a relationship with a local dealer over time means you will have a great source of antiques and you won’t feel pressured to buy. A dealer should treat you with respect.
I think auctions are the best place for everybody. Especially if you are thinking of interior decoration and want some pieces to put in your flat or house. I’ve seen wonderful Waterford sets of crystal glasses, whether they be champagne flutes or an assortment, water jugs and all types of things.
They are there for nothing in comparison to what you would have to pay in a good high street retailer for cut glass today. Very inexpensive.
BUY PERFECT
Something that is both beautiful and in perfect condition will always cost you a little bit more. Quality costs more, which is something I discovered over many years, but is better in the long term.
If you are buying for your home, buying perfect often works out cheaper than buying and restoring a piece. A chip on a piece of porcelain, for example, can set you back £30 an hour for a professional restoration. So you need to be careful with that.
As an investment, you are much safer with something of quality, I’ve found. Prices will go up and down. English brown furniture, for example, has hit the floor unless it’s a really prominent and important maker. People don’t live in country houses anymore so it has taken a hit.
Happy hunting!