Trash or Treasure: Assessing Your Possessions
One personal junk is another personal treasure. Never is that more true than when you are doing a spring clean up.
The good weather held out for Fred Dowling's 25th anniversary junk day and treasure exchange. Each year for the past 25 years, co-op residents have gathered in the spirit of reducing, reusing, recycling of their possessions. Residents trade and dispose of unwanted items; it's a win-win situation, all around. This year an Antiques Road Show was added to the day. I was on-hand as residents brought their prized possessions and family heirlooms to be appraised.
Some of the riches unearthed include: a 1953 Coronation toy carriage at $350; a Queen Victoria Jubilee milk pitcher at $175;a pearl brooch for $250; an antique desk for $275. The "piece de resistance" was a silver and diamond necklace valued at $750.
Here are some things to keep in mind when assessing the value of your items.
Condition
Chips, cracks and breaks on crystal, glass, porcelain and ceramics reduces the value of anything to a very minimal amount. Despite that fact, any item can have sentimental value even those with damage can have value to you.
Spotting Damage
Sometimes you can't tell if a piece of porcelain is cracked. Use the ping test - flicking you're your thumb and finger again the porcelain. If it gives a ping sound, there are no cracks. If it gives a thud sound, it is damaged. The same test applies to crystal.
Value
Appraised value, retail value and your selling value are all different amounts.
The appraised value, sometimes called the insurance value is the amount that you would insure an item for. It is based on the amount you would have to pay to replace the item if it made an insurance claim.
The retail value is the amount that a store would sell it for. Your selling price is the amount that you would get if you sold it.
Your selling price will always be less than the retail value because most likely, you would sell your item to a dealer who in turn marks up the price.
Martin Swinton owns Take-A-Boo Emporium, an antique shop located in Toronto, Canada. He does furniture restoration, caning and rushing repairs, custom reproductions, upholstery, teaches courses on antiques and does appraisals for estates and community events. He can be reached at 416-785-4555 or by visiting http://www.takeaboo.com
Latest News
Interior decorators in Central Jersey reflect clients' tastes Scarlet Scuttlebutt, NJ - By BRANDON LAUSCH • Staff Writer • November 27, 2008 BRANCHBURG —The sales pitch of custom interior-decorating business Decor&You basically comes down to ... |
Decorator turns Dubuque theater into holiday site Chicago Tribune, United States - "You either got it or you don't," said Meyer, a man with a penchant for interior design and storytelling. "And, no, I'm not going to do anybody's house. ... |
Fathead(R) Offers to Decorate the First Daughters Rooms with Jonas ... MarketWatch - ... about decorating their own rooms, we wanted to reach out to the First Lady's transition team to offer our expertise in the 'Department of the Interior', ... |
 NewsReleaseWire.com (press release) | : New Home Staging Design Guide Takes Guesswork Out of How to ... NewsReleaseWire.com (press release) - In fact, even if you’re an interior designer, decorating to sell and decorating to live are two completely different objectives and need to be handled ... |
Top 10 Home Decor Trends for 2009 - Interior Genius Imperial Valley News, CA - Carmen Natschke -- editor of "The Decorating Diva" -- sees a revival of what she calls “Hollywood Regency.” According to her Web site, this style is ... |
 WHIZ | Holiday Decorating Safet WHIZ, OH - "You want to make sure that you use interior for interior and exterior for exterior. And something safety-wise for your interior, you want to make sure you ... |
Interior decorating trends toward rich color, vintage look Tampabay.com, FL - "We are drawn to old-culture decor — a Tuscan farmhouse kitchen — but we want state-of-the-art appliances in that kitchen. So we are drawn to both vintage ... |
 Pittsburgh Post Gazette | Business partners use house to show off design, decorating talents Pittsburgh Post Gazette, PA - "A house should be more than a place to eat and sleep," said Mr. Tot, 56, a North Side resident and owner of Nolen Painting & Interior Decorating. ... |
Local shop offers interesting vintage Christmas decor Huntington Herald Dispatch, WV - Brass Rabbit Home Accents has been selling interior decorations for the past five years. "I've been in this kind of business for 15 years and I felt like it ... |
Lights, music, Christmas: Area houses decorated to brighten spirits Southeast Missourian, MO - A little bit of extra lighting in the interior of the home will include lights around tall bookcases. "Their greenery was natural. ... Glenn House serves as alternative to Parade of Lights |
Resources
-
Sorry Currently Unavailable