Use this guide as a starting point to research your antiques and collectibles. If
you have questions after consulting these resources, contact a
librarian by visiting your local Monroe County Library System
library, calling a reference librarian (use the
Member Library Directory
to find phone
numbers), or by completing the
Ask a Librarian online
form.
This guide answers the following questions:
WHAT ARE ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES?
Antiques are legally defined as any object 100 years old or older. Some categories become antique in a shorter time, such as automobiles and
fine jewelry. Collectibles are less than 100 years old, and they are
often objects made to be used and discarded. Condition is very important
for both; for collectibles, if the item is untouched, in the original box,
it is worth much more. Information on its past, such as who once owned
it, is called the provenance and can add value. The rarity of the items
can be important, but more important is the demand for it.
Just about anything is collected by someone! A sampling of categories
includes advertising items, artwork, books, clocks and watches, coins, comic
books, dolls, furniture, glass, jewelry, kitchen items, lamps, movie
posters, oriental rugs, pottery and porcelain, quilts, recordings, silver,
sporting goods, sports cards, stamps, and toys.
HOW CAN THE LIBRARY HELP ME?
Monroe County libraries can help you find information on your antique
or collectible and help you determine an approximate value. There are
books on all kinds of collectibles. Finding values from auction
sales for the same or similar items can help you determine an approximate
value.
Librarians are not antiques experts and cannot evaluate or precisely price
your items, nor can they recommend particular dealers.
HOW MUCH IS MY ARTWORK WORTH?
The value of artwork is
determined by many factors. The most important facts are the artist’s
name and the current fashion for that artist; do people want to buy works
by this artist? Other factors are the medium of the work, condition,
rarity, subject matter, and size. Authenticity (is it real or a fake) is
almost never a problem; only extremely well known artists have fake copies
made of their work.
Is it a painting or a print?
It is important to know if a work of art is a painting, a print copy,
or something else. If it is an oil painting, brush strokes can be seen
and felt as texture by your finger. If it is a print, it will generally
be smooth, although some prints have a top coat of some substance which
creates brush strokes. By looking closely you see that the strokes do not
match the painting underneath. On a print, with a magnifying glass, you
can often see a dot pattern. There is one reproduction process, the Giclee Process, which produces prints almost impossible to tell from the
original; these are valuable museum quality works. If it is a limited
edition print there will be written on it information such as “No. 36 of
500” meaning there were 500 copies made and this is number 36. Limited
edition prints are more valuable than mass produced prints. Some are also signed. If there is a
label with artist name and title, it is probably a copy.
If the paper is thin and light, it is a copy. This is especially true
of mass produced prints. The frame is also sometimes a clue; whether it
is old or new, is the backing untouched, and how substantial is the frame?
What can the library do?
The library can give you information on the artist. There are a few
Internet sites which have information on well-known artists. The Arts
Division at the Central Library has many biographical book resources.
There are several sources that give auction results. If a print,
another copy may have recently sold which will give a good idea of the
value. If an original painting, other similar paintings by the artist may
have been sold at auction that will give a possible value guide. These
resources are in the Arts Division at the Central Library.
HOW DO I SEARCH THE LIBRARY CATALOG FOR
INFORMATION ABOUT MY ITEM?
Monroe County libraries, and especially the Central library, have many
books on specific antique and collectible items. There are also some
general price guides that cover many items. A book specific to your item
will have more information in it and a better chance for pricing your
specific item.
You will need to search the library catalog,
LIBRAWeb, by keyword
subject. (The LIBRAWeb Tutorial is a good starting place to learn
how to do a keyword subject search.) There is no universal subject word
given to books on collecting, although there are two that are usually
used: 1) collecting, and 2) collectibles. To look for a book, do a
keyword search on the name of the item, then type “collect*” (the asterisk is
very important as it will pick up both of the subject words “collecting”
and “collectibles"). Then select the keyword matches. As examples,
“Noritake collect*,” “oak furniture collect*,” or “nutcrackers collect*.”
WHAT LIBRARY RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO
HELP PRICE ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES?
The following books are good guides for information on a variety of
antiques and collectibles. Clicking on a book title will display
information about the book in the library catalog. Scrolling down
the page will show a list of libraries that own the book.
Good general lists of antiques and collectibles, also widely available,
are:
A sampling of specific books, available in several libraries:
HOW DO I FIND A LOCAL APPRAISER?
If you wish to get an expert to value your item, you need an
appraiser. Look in the yellow pages under “appraisers” for someone who
can tell you the retail or replacement value and furnish a written value
for a fee. Look under “auctioneers” for someone who can tell you the
auction value, sometimes for free. The retail value will usually be
higher than the auction value. Artwork needs to be seen to be valued. Contact the Memorial Art Gallery to see if a curator will value, for a
fee, your artwork. You can also try private galleries found in the yellow
pages under “art galleries.”
WHAT INTERNET RESOURCES SHOULD I USE?
Use the search engine Google to search on the item name. Do
a general search using the company name and descriptive terms, such as
"Johnson ironstone china pitcher". You may not find your specific item but
something similar. (The Google Tutorial is a good starting place to learn how to do a search on
Google.)
Excellent sites:
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Abebooks has millions of used
books from about 10,000 sellers; useful to establish the retail
value of a book. |
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ArtFact lists
over 5 million public auction sales by auction houses, of generally
more valuable items. |
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CGFA – a Virtual Art
Museum has biographies of artists and images of their work. |
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eBay has millions of items up for
auction, many with pictures and good description. Search using
specific terms, and also check the Completed Items section. |
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Maloney’sOnline Antiques &
Collectibles Resource Directory lists experts, appraisers,
dealers, collectors, collector clubs and more. |
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Replacements, Ltd. lists
pottery, porcelain, crystal, and silver by manufacturer and pattern
name; many have pictures and replacement values. |
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