Antique Shopping Tips 101

Antique shopping and browsing is a favorite past time for a great deal of Americans. Even if you are just looking for that special piece to finish of that room you have been working on for years or looking forward to filling a period home, there are simple things you can do to improve your luck and make sure that early 18th century cradle is the real thing.

If it is your preference to shop for antiques when you are on vacation you face the dilemma of not being in the know about the best Antique shops to explore. You can save time, money and a great deal of frustration if you use your connections and a little research on the internet or in guide books to determine where you should go. If you are looking for a very specific piece or time period ;it pays to use the internet to socially network online with folks who are also interested in the same type of antique furnishing. Talk to local antique dealers and get their suggestions about where to go out of town. Shop owners will not be so hesitant to share their connections ;if you have been a patron of their shop before.

Antique malls are a good place to start looking for antique furnishing if the piece you are looking for is not very specific. You have a better chance of finding a greater selection of the type of piece you are looking for or a greater selection of pieces from the same period. You can also benefit from the competition that naturally occurs when you have so many different proprieties. The store owner knows pretty much for sure that you will be strolling to the antique store next door if you find his prices or services unacceptable.

Don't leave at home your common sense either. If that flawless rare piece you found is a real shopping miracle ; chances are it is a replica. Be sure to bring along your bag of investigational goodies when you antique shop. This should include obvious basics like a flashlight and measuring tape. Furthermore, bring along photos , general guidebooks , and any research about a specific piece you did . It will be sad if you think that great antique quilt you have been researching for weeks is too hard to distinguish from a similar quilt square because your memory is failing you.

When you are paying for antiques many dealers would prefer checks or cash over credit card payments. If you are not just browsing for pleasure bring more than one method of payment. The piece that you love may be gone if you have to run home to get your check book or run to the ATM. If you are going to negotiate on the price of something do not degrade the quality of the piece in front of the store owner hoping to get a better price.

The store owner probably is not so desperate as to be moved by such an argument. Besides, you are not entitled to get a certain piece at the price you want anyway. Be a polite patron and you might find your haggling to be more effective. Don't think you have the upper hand if the price for a piece is far below market value ,that is another good sign that the piece is a replica.

If you can take a friend or relative along for a second opinion on your finds. Antique lovers can get very emotional about the piece they are looking for or the great piece they discovered. You can avoid impulse buying if you bring someone along to help you keep perspective on the antique furnishing you are enthralled by.

http://www.antiqueweb.com/articles/antiqueshops.html

Very solid guide to finding reputable dealers and prospecting.

http://blog.askthedecorator.com/Shopping_the_Antique_Stores.shtml

Good general tips and specifics for matching pieces.

http://www.addtips.com/info/antiquing-tips.htm