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items were liquidated within a short time span. Now the market is flooded, art deco is not as hot, and the pieces lose value. With a few stalwart exceptions, antiques as an investment can be as volatile as the stock market.

The market may be fickle, but insurance companies are not. Insuring antiques is always advisable; the option is usually available in homeowners' insurance policies. What an insurance company will pay in compensation for loss is not dependent on market value. A professional appraisal is likely to be necessary, and the value is more likely lower than market value.

Age and authenticity, history, condition, and market are the keywords for determining the value of an antique. But the actual practice of evaluation is a complicated and many-layered process. The piece should be old, or at least older. If the history is unknown, it should at least show it has a history. If the history is known, it should be documented. These elements will prove essential when bringing the item to market.

Beyond that, the materials used in construction or manufacture should be scrutinized to be certain they are consistent with the time period of the piece. It should also be apparent the piece was made with the tools and practices used in that time period. Is there evidence of repairs or replacements? Does the item still function? Should it still function? Has the piece been altered to serve a new purpose, such as a vase being reconfigured into a lamp? Such practices inevitably lower the value of the original piece. There are many, many more things to consider when evaluating a piece; these are but a few. Reference books are an absolute necessity; even the experts use them.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, an antique is most valuable when it is treasured. A monetary value is useful for those who wish to trade in, levy tax on, or insure antiques. But for those who treasure these pieces for their history, for their beauty, for the memories they represent, give antiques the greatest value of all.

Learn more about this author, Shelly Mcrae.
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