Antique Collection

There is no need to pay a King’s Ransom for something Old and Aesthetically top-notch. A true devotee of the Money-Making Scheme will have to cut out the middleman to go directly to the source of the goodies, i.e. people’s homes, wherein lurks an Aladdin’s Cave of unsuspected treasures.

Compared with ceramics of the same date, much antique glass remains relatively inexpensive. You can still find sets of 19th century glasses for under £100 at antiques shops and general auctions, and incredibly, an antique decanter will often cost less than a modern one.

Knives, forks and spoons are usually termed “flatware” by silver collectors. Depending on your budget there are many ways of collecting flatware. Complete services, which usually comprise settings for 12, may seem prohibitively expensive, but odd numbers of spoons and forks in the most common patterns, such as Old English, Fiddle,

Whether you prefer the subtle sensuality of the Art Nouveau potters, or the uncluttered modern approach of the Art Deco era, pottery of this period provides something to suit almost every taste. If you’re an inexperienced collector this could be an ideal choice of subject to begin with: most pottery and porcelain is marked; wares [...]

The most sought-after antique paperweights are those made by famous French factories such as Baccarat, Clichy and St Louis during the middle years of the 19th century. Patterns were built up from tiny slices of differently coloured rods or canes of glass, set in a mould and covered in clear glass. The size can vary [...]

Perhaps because of their homely appearance and reassuring “tick-tock”, longcases, popularly known as “grandfather” clocks, are among the most appealing of all antique clocks. Most longcases were made in England from the late 17th-19th centuries, although lesser numbers were also produced in Europe and America. The standard long- case runs for 8 days and has [...]

Novelty clocks, which tell the time in a particularly unusual or intriguing way, are among the most fascinating of all clocks. Most of those seen today date from the 19th century when they were produced by French, Swiss and English makers.

Various exciting new porcelain-making techniques were introduced and perfected in the 19th century. The development of bone china, which was made from the same ingredients as hard-paste porcelain with large quantities of animal bone added, meant that less expensive porcelain became widely available.

When discussing antique fakes the buyer is frequently curious and will often enquire as to the extent of antique faking in this country. The answer may be surprising. Obviously no exact figures can be given, only estimates. After all, the shady side of this business is very surreptitious.

The cupboard originated in the middle ages and was an open shelved structure used to display pewter, silver and other untensils. Styles changed and in the 17th century the lower section was enclosed. In Georgian and Victorian times there was a wide variation in designs.