Featured The Best Road to Antique Expertise

I thought it would be Interesting to get a discussion going on what you think are the ideal steps to gaining a scholarly knowledge in any field. Be it books, hands on experience in the field, engaging in the community, studying past markets. It is likely a mix of all but if you consider yourself an expert in a category of antiques then what do you believe you owe to getting you that wealth of knowledge?

I’m not an expert but in my opinion I think to begin with experience in the field and getting yourself out there looking and buying at sales will establish a wide and varied knowledge of the base items in your category. Say for example porcelain figurines, you handle them, you begin to distinguish quality from cheaper items at a glance. You become comfortable with spotting and identifying marks and styles in person. You know the basics and the more common sights when it comes to porcelain figures.

The next step for me to elevate your learning seems to be discourse with experts. Unless you know any experts, books are the definite source for seeing what experts deem as important. What they know can be passed down to you. The more the better, till one day I suppose, somebody asks you a million questions about porcelain figures and you realise you know them all, you are the god of porcelain and you own the greatest collection known to mankind.

But anyway, what is the community’s reckoning?

 

Hello Nathan
If you are in business knowledge is profit, if you are a collector knowledge is the quality of your collection...... find someone to share their know how, ask questions , feel items......close your eyes if collecting furniture...., know how things are made, timbers , thickness of veneers, construction techniques, know a bit of history....when and what parts of the new world was navigated and discovered, this helps to know when exotic timbers were introduced.....this aids in dating etc.
eg you wouldn't expect a c1700 chest of drawer to be veneered with brazillian rosewood , or a teapot to be represented as being older than when tea was introduced, knowing that porcelain was only developed in Germany in early 1700's, and later in England.

My hardest thing to understand was soft paste, hard paste porcelain....how to recognise, identify, likewise tin glazed, lead glazed pottery ..this comes with handling, asking questions........ i picked up a small tea bowl last week from a local antiques centre...tag said Chinese bowl.....$30....uh uh it was c1760/70 Lowestoft tea bowl...value over here around $200....another 3 weeks ago, a Georgian creamer $15...told the "dealer" it is sterling silver, her comment was "I don't understand silver marks and don't have time".

In my early days of collecting there was no internet for research so the younger collectors have an advantage now, and dealers are more savvy ( well some are ),

My attitude to collecting then was to accumulate my own reference library which i still refer to....the old days only minimal reference was available and i gave up with libraries...everything seemed to be in the other branch or in their compacta shelves....call back later !!!.....I spent around 10% of my purchases on reference.

I tended to specialise in several areas....collecting one area for 6 months, onto next area thus gaining confidence and knowledge....piling small items pyramid fashion so my wife didn't notice.....I have also warned her at a later date that most stuff didn't cost me "only $2 "as stated.

Pewter was a big area of collecting although the 260 odd pieces I had have been sold and have only retained 10 pieces, likewise sterling silver, furniture , porcelain, Staffordshire, Old Sheffield plate ( fused plate) Matthew Boulton is my favourite maker.

I could ramble on forever....collecting has been a passion for almost 60 years, you have an interesting collecting life ahead of you...lots of listening, questioning, touching and feeling, spending.......you will make errors of judgment...don't be deterred.......good luck in your collecting.....regards...pewter2

 

Thanks @pewter2 definately inspired to keep on collecting. I’m getting a great Staffordshire and porcelain collection I love. My prize pieces are my two Derby figures. 18th Century Milton and 18th Century Time clipping the wings of love. Which I’ll compile into an album on here eventually when I get time.

I cannot believe they said they don’t want to understand silver marks haha xD . Just like saying ‘Yeh I don’t understand diamonds, too difficult. Have it for £5’

I’m all internet mostly, I’m the guy taking photos of marks and points of interest then getting home and researching. I have a small collection of reference books. Mostly for a more comprehensive view of production techniques. Can’t wait till I find an unidentified item like that one day, that sounds coolest to me. Thanks man

 

Three things come to mind; good books, lots of interaction with knowledgeable people, & putting your hands on quality Antiques.

Of course there is what a dealer friend told me 28 years ago. . ."Go out and buy something, then resell it to some who knows antiques - repeat this a few hundred times, then you're on your way to becoming an expert".

 

I'm no expert but I say there is no substitute for hands on, eyes on experience.

In my case I realize my area of interest and visit museums and really good antique shops to see and touch as many as possible. I purchase less that perfect examples to study and research. From that I've amassed what is really a study collection. For most items I've also collected the best books I can find on the subject so now I have a nice little library too.

In my case my interest in ceramics led me into archaeology (actual archaeology not treasure hunting) where the two meld seamlessly. There is nothing that equals pulling something from the ground that you already know a good bit of history about. At least to me.

If you're buying to sell (which I only occasionally do) then you also need to know the market.
Anyway, hands on.....no substitute for it.

 

If you go into business, buying and selling, you learn by losing money. You usually do not make the same mistake twice, but there is always another pitfall around the corner.

 

Hands on is 100% the best way. No pitfalls yet but definately, everyone should always be wary

 

I developed a love for old things at a very young age (9-10 and Im now 54) and Ive read tons of material over the years (decades,and it floors me to think that!) studied,talked to people,touched,handled etc, and Ive learned one very valuable thing. You will NEVER know all their is to know about antiques! Always something to learn every single day.

 

No such thing as an expert on anything. People always THINK they are experts until someone else comes along with updated or innovated info that blows their theorys and viewpoints out of the water or changes them completely.

Oh yeah and losing money on anything will usually turn you into an expert pretty quick though Lmao

 

@pewter2 - Very good post.

I don't consider myself an expert of anything. I am one of those people who knows a lot about many things, but nothing about anything.
Most of learning is knowing where to look for answers and Who to talk to.

As pewter said, the internet has made it easier for today's collector. However, you need a good working knowledge to know what is true and what isn't. Just because info spreads over the internet doesn't make it correct.

A good library in your areas of interest is essential.
As S_I_S mentioned museums, high end antique shops and I'll add specialty shows. Also talking to people who have spent time in one field or another - they will prove to be the most interesting.

And as Johnny said, you will never learn it all. This is a life long learning experience. Enjoy!

 

Oh and as for losing money, you have to know you made a mistake. Many times people don't realize they did.
Maybe a couple of years later you stumble across the information you didn't have when you sold an item. That isn't as likely in today's world with the internet. But happened to me in my early years when there weren't as many books or info wasn't as readily found.
Today many of us hold onto things until we find out what they are.

There are true antique dealers who know what they are selling. Then there are the cottage industry people who buy things to sell at 2, 3 or more times what they paid for it. They are only interested in flipping. Those are the people you want to find to buy from, particularly if you have done your homework.

Like the lady who wasn't interested in knowing what Georgian silver was. Do you think she took the time to look it up?

 

Sorry, one more thing.

I think the importance of these boards should be mentioned. Prior to joining the old ebay forums. I had a very limited interest area. In fact would turn my nose up at glass ware that didn't fit antique or depression era. Because of that I made a very, very costly mistake.

It wasn't until years later while reading the ebay boards, that I learned about newer glass artists, broadened my knowledge of porcelains and ceramics, etc.

Antiquers is the cream of the crop from the old ebay boards. Learn as much as you can from the people who offer info here.
As you gather info, you will need to verify it. Verifying info usually leads you to something else interesting.

 

I'll leave giving advice to those who have accumulated more knowledge.

I was however reminded about something that irks me, which is how so many experts and "experts" know so much about the high-end or otherwise "special" stuff. All the TV-shows about antiques are about wonderful and incredibly expensive treasures with provenances.

The less expensive and more mundane pieces get usually dismissed as "just something from a period". Or worse are thought to be reproductions, because of someone appraising only being familiar with the high-end examples. Antiques don't have to be one-of-a-kind or jewel-encrusted in order to be interesting.

 

Focus on what you love...
buy the best you can afford...
and live long...

 

Look, listen, read, research. In other words, keep eyes and ears wide open.
If you get the chance, handle and feel the good stuff.

 

or a.......no never mind......