How Do You Determine the Age of an Antique or Collectible?

[jewelrychina002]

Antiques, Crystal, Jewelry

[railman44]

I'll take a stab at this.  Factory marks, period style, method of construction, materials used and lots of knowledge through continual research.  When all else fails, I guess carbon 14 dating.  Fakes, restorations and/or excellent reproductions abound so this is NOT an easy process.  Even the 'experts' get stung once in a while.  Volumes could be written trying to answer your question.  Seems the rarer an antique is, the better the chance for a reproduction.  Chemicals even exist to age or add patina to metals and other materials.  If a deal seems too good to be true, many times it is.  Even in the realm of coin collecting, people have found ways to 'change' old coins into much rarer more valuable coins.  My advice is to seek expert advice if you're planning on dropping a lot of dough on something.  I'm sure others on this forum will have much more to add...  

[D&b antiques]

Railman pretty well sum's that question up. if it looks to good to be true it most likely is.

[KC]

great job Railman44!

Just have to add 2 cents here.  ANTIQUE, according to the IRS is an item that is over 100 years old! However, when referring to clothing it is anything 1920 or earlier.  VINTAGE originally related to the year a wine or oil was bottled then came to mean the year a particular item was made and was first used to describe vintage cars, (cars that were at least 50 years old). Next second hand clothing took on the word vintage to describe all previously owned clothing 25 years of age or more....then with the evolution of the internet, EBAY, etc...the market overuses these terms and most of the time incorrectly which is misleading to uninformed people who are buying. The intended definition of the word is to say "Vintage 1930" not just the word vintage!  So, in other words, it is buyer beware unless you are working with a reputable seller/dealer who knows their stuff!

When referring to jewelryand other collectibles,  the word HEIRLOOM arises.  HEIRLOOM originated in the 15th Century English form of heir and loom (textile inheritance).  It has then taken on the meaning of a piece of property that descends to the heir as an inseparable part of an inheritance of real property.  The dealers/sellers with the evolution of selling on the internet and an opportunity to make more $$ by relying on people's emotional attachment to this word (with it family attachment and endearment) then took on the word to mean "something of special value handed on from one generation to another" or in their case, "sold" from one generation to another - diluting the original meaning.

[regularjoe2]

Really good question & answers .

Sometimes it seems more of an art than a science , but I think as time goes on , both worlds ( learned experience & technology ) are coming together to try to verify the authenticity of antiques .
All of the 'fakes' have helped in this field , really .
Science does not always get it right ( and vice-versa ) .

In earlier times , the general 'rule-of-thumb' for defining an authentic antique , the criterion were :
1. The item had to be 'hand-made' (ie - no powered machines used in manufacture , except for human/water or animal powered , and sometimes 'fire-powered') , with few exceptions .
2. The item had to be at least 100 years old .

The industrial revolution came about , and machine production came into it's own , offering 'mass produced' products .
This allowed people worldwide to own many items that were previously limited in production and manufactured by 'artisans & craftsmen' .

Nowadays , we're seeing alot of these machine produced items classified as antiques , due to the fact they are 100yrs. old .

Look around in most any 'antique shop' these days for handmade items & I think you'll find them in short supply , and with premium prices .

I think this is as it should be , but I am still 'old school' in my collecting 'standards' .

I guess dinosaurs still walk the earth ...

[D&b antiques]

You have a right to feel the way you do. Theres a lot of '' junk'' out there that qualify's as '' Antique'' that would best qualify as fire wood.

A better term. is early american Dumpster.

[KC]

I like that term D&b!  EMD Early American Dumpster!!!  So sad but true!