Collections Antiques & Accessories

French furniture from the Art Deco period features elegant and sophisticated forms characterized by bold, geometric designs. Exotic woods and new finishes, as well as materials containing metals, were quite common.

Mylar film bags are the best option when it comes to the protection and storage of antique art prints. Mylar is so reliable, in fact, that it is used by the Library of Congress for storing valuable documents and has a minimum shelf life of a hundred years.

Antique collecting dates back to the early 16th century, to a time when private collections of English and European rarities were in abundance. Since then, antiques have been preserved, appraised, and kept for their value all over the world.

Just because something is old doesn’t automatically mean it’s an antique. Age is not the only criterion in the antiques world. Other factors such as quality, condition, and historical significance are also important.

Did you know that most antique French bedroom sets consist of a bed, dresser, armoire, and bedside cabinet? In most cases, these can be made to accommodate queen-sized mattresses.

Novelties tend to come and go, but after enough time, they can become interesting antiques. For example, consider the Stanhope photo novelties. Using microphotography, these novelties had a tiny view hole with a variety of photos visible inside. They were made from the late 1800s through the early 1970s in a variety of materials from bone and glass to plastic.

Cabriole legs and scalloped carvings are common features of provincial French furnishing styles. Dining chairs that feature a wheat pattern carving and ladder back chairs with a woven rush are representative of the provincial French furnishing style.

What is a carpet cutter? This is an old term that was applied to early types of rocking chairs because the chairs, when rocked back and forth in the same space overtime, would eventually wear or “cut” the carpet where they were sitting.

Are you considering buying art or antiques? The Federal Trade Commission asks buyers to request close-up photographs and to insist on purchases on an approval basis. That way you have the chance to physically take the item to your own expert before the sale is officially completed.

Did you know that the old toys taking up space in your attic could be worth a substantial amount of money? Let’s talk about the types of items you’ve been holding onto since your children grew up so that we can help you determine if any of it is worth selling.

Provincial French furnishings are coated in a variety of finishes. Regardless of color, though, provincial French furnishings tend to accumulate grime or polish in their carving grooves over time which leads to a distinctive aged patina.

One of the benefits of purchasing art for investment purposes is that art is generally not as volatile as stocks, equity funds and other traditional investments, according to experts. That makes your investment safer, even if it is not likely to appreciate as much in value as other types of investments.