Are you on the hunt for some vintage items, antiques, or collectibles? Maria Fabiani from Awesome Stuff has some information to help educate you about these treasures.
Antiques and collectibles are usually rare items that one acquires for their investment value. There is quite a thrill hunting and finding them.
Antiques:
For items to qualify as an antique, the item should be at least 100 years old.
Collectibles:
Collectibles are items that can vary in physical size and cost. Collectibles include baseball cards, coins, classic cars, beanie babies, stamps and vinyl records, etc. They usually fall within the 50-years-old or less. They are worth more than when originally sold.
Vintage Items:
Vintage items are items under 100 years old but less than 20 years old. They usually represent a previous era or time-period in society.
Shopping for these items:
Antiques, Vintage items, and Collectibles can found at Antique Stores, Consignment and Thrift Stores, Garage Sales, and even Flea Markets. Knowing as much information as you can about your particular item will help you when purchasing it. Then when you would like to sell it, you can get a higher price.
Knowledge and Storage:
Pottery and porcelain often have visible marks that help you identify an Antique. Antique furniture will have a marking, label, or tag at the bottom of it. Some pieces will have this information in a drawer. With silver, this usually has a series of small symbols.
When storing Antiques, you need to find a place with the humidity levels is at 50%. Too much moisture creates mold and rust, and too little can shrink or crack some materials. Maintaining a steady temperature and make changes gradually. Extreme temperature changes between warm and cool can create cracks in the glaze of ceramics or glass.
It is the hunt for Antiques, Vintage, and Collectables that is exciting.