An Educated Collector is a Wise One

QUESTION: Every time I go into an antique mall or visit a show, I become overwhelmed by all the items.  How can I make sense of it all?

ANSWER: Looks like your mind and senses have gone into antiques overload. So many items—furniture, ceramics, pictures, jewelry, old Coca-Cola signs, and things that look like the cat dragged them in.

Go into any antiques mall, and you’ll soon be swooning. Lots and lots of stuff, much of it junk. Where did all of it come from? And who’s buying it?

The world of antiques is a big one and is often confusing. But there is a way through this maze. The key is education. If you’re serious about collecting antiques, it’s important to become an educated collector.

An education in antiques and collectibles can take many forms. You could begin by obtaining books on whatever category of antiques you plan to collect. You could enroll in evening classes dealing in antiques. You can visit the decorative arts collections in noted art museums. You can read antiques magazines, in print or online (Be sure to check out The Antiques Almanac.)

It all seems so confusing. And the prices for some products seem ridiculous , especially if you’re a beginning collector. But don’t despair. There’s a method to all that antique madness. Believe it or not, there are some main categories.

When most people think of antiques, they think of furniture. And though it makes up a good percentage of antiques out there, smaller items, known as “smalls” in the antiques business—ceramics, glassware, silverware, toys, and commemorative item—all play important roles.



All in all, there are about 15 major categories and 75 sub-categories. Within these there are other, more specialized areas, such as antique maps and posters, two very specialized categories.

Even though antiques can be categorized generally, dealers and serious collectors use historical periods—Victorian, Gothic, Civil War, Western, Retro—to sort things out. Often, these terms also indicate different styles.

For instance, in the world of furniture, you’ll probably see examples of English, French, American, and Chinese styles at most antique malls, shows, or auctions. Most English furniture falls into the pre-Victorian or Victorian category while American furniture tends to fall into different types: Pennsylvania, Shaker, New York, etc..

Porcelain or pottery pieces fall into categories associated with the country in which they were made–England, Germany, France, American, Chinese and Japanese are just a few. The four you’ll see most are English, German and Japanese, and American. You’ll soon become familiar with names such as Royal Doulton, Staffordshire, and Meissen, Blue Willow, Limoge, Belleek and Sevres, especially if you frequent the better antiques venues.

Glassware is the third most popular category. You’ll see all types, including Depression, Venetian, English, and Czech glass. Most glassware collectors specialize in a particular produce line–bowls, tumblers, decanters, etc. There’s also a refined category known as art glass in which you’ll find all those pretty vases blown in amberina, peach blow, and ruby.

Other specific categories include silverware, jewelry, memorabilia, militaria, toys, clocks, commemorative and architectural antiques.

These are just some of the many categories of antiques that you can begin to collect. While some tend to be higher priced, you’ll find plenty of small pieces of furniture, ceramics, and glassware to get you on your way.

To read more articles on antiques, please visit the Antiques Articles section of my Web site.  And to stay up to the minute on antiques and collectibles, please join the over 30,000 readers by following my free online magazine, #TheAntiquesAlmanac. Learn more about  La Belle Epoque in the 2020 Spring Edition, online now. And to read daily posts about unique objects from the past and their histories, like the #Antiques and More Collection on Facebook.