Antiques Online
Any business without a website and online presence through which clients can make contact, interact, communicate, make enquiries and place orders, is at a distinct disadvantage today in 2014, but is it advisable to buy antiques via this convenient, instant shopping method?
If one were to set any hard and fast rules about secure online purchases of any merchandise, but especially valuable, often expensive antique items, research and knowledge would probably top the list of priorities.
General Points to Consider
- Gather as much information as you can about antiques in general and the items in which you are interested in particular, as well as their typical characteristics.
- Visit local antique stores and attend auctions at which such pieces are advertised. You will learn more about merchandise and prices.
- Compare prices. Everyone loves a bargain, but often obtaining a great price is purely coincidental; you just happened to be in the right place at the right time. By the same token, you do not want to be paying inflated prices.
- If something seems to be too good to be true, it is possibly a risky acquisition.
- Be patient and prepared to search for what you want; it is actually part of the challenge and fun of collecting.
- Beware of reproductions being passed off as originals. As good as they may be, they are nevertheless copies and should state that they are in the “style of” whatever period, region or country.
- Is the item certified by a reputable, independent industry body?
- View and inspect the piece personally if this is at all possible. At auctions, the auction house usually has pre-auction viewing hours, during which interested parties may inspect the items prior to bidding.
- Find out whether there is a provenance and/or as much of the antique’s history as is known; this adds to the charm, interest and appeal of your proposed purchase.
Online Advantages
The advantages of online buying are numerous. Instead of being restricted to a few local sellers, buyers now have a global shopping experience, with access to antique pieces from all over the world. Modern technology enables one to get a pretty accurate ideal of an item’s appearance and style.
You can browse and shop anytime that it suits you, without the restriction of normal trading hours, whilst you will find it a lot easier to locate a particularly rare or unique item. Online trading caters for buyers and sellers alike, and has proved invaluable ever since its inception.
Sellers should provide a comprehensive and accurate description, and good picture of the item that they are offering, disclose defects, handle enquiries promptly and answer questions truthfully. Buyers should avoid sellers who fail to do so.
Although some websites will state their prices, others operate much like an auction – prices are not published, but buyers bid online. The successful bidder is the one who offers the highest acceptable price, since the seller probably has a good idea of the piece’s value and/or a minimum amount that they will accept.
Our Website
Our website features good quality pictures, brief descriptions and prices of most pieces, most of which are imported and carry BADA certification, unless otherwise indicated. We welcome all enquiries and look forward to assisting you in your exciting online
(and offline) purchases of antiques.
