Best Guide to Find Antiques and Collectables
Do you still remember the scene of Liu Yiqian drinking with the chicken cup he bought at a cost of 100 million RMB? Do you still remember those famous paintings sold at millions of dollars? All of these seem to tell us that the collection of the antiques and the art will never get a touch with us, the general public, and the antiques are the exclusive toy to the rich. Is this true? I think that it is not at all. In the world of antique art collection, there is always no distinction between the rich and the poor. Different collectors have different ways to collect.
Below, I will use Melbourne, Australia, where I live, as an example, to explain where to find the antiques.
Every Sunday, a Sunday flea market is usually held in the main areas of each major suburbs which called Sunday Market. You will find a lot of hidden treasures over there. For those collectors who live on wages, there are full of opportunities. Due to the high popularity, many merchants will deliberately bring more goods to sell when the market is open. And among these second-hand goods, there are many treasures that are decorative, artistic and economical. For example, I have a friend who bought a vase for a few Australian dollars at the weekend market a year ago. Later, he showed to a friend who collects European porcelain. His friend immediately told him that this was an 19th century Antique Moorcroft Vase. According to its purchase price, it is a big bargain and early this year, he sold it and made a good profit.
The second place that is more suitable for the general public to find treasures is those second-hand stores owned by charitable organizations. The sources of these stores are mainly obtained through donations. Sometimes, the original owner will not do a special check before donating, and usually donate them all in one mind and this situation is not rare, so there are plenty of opportunities. I remember that a Ming Dynasty rhino horn cup that was auctioned at Sotheby's Australia in the early years was bought by the vendor in such a store. I remember the hammer price was about A$50,000. Just as you know, the vendor only bought it for A$5. This story was also widely reported by the Australian media at that time.
The third place that I would like to introduce is the clearance sale of household items held by the residents themselves, which we usually call "Garage Sale". The items sold there are mainly items that are no longer used in the family, including some art that has not been "identified" or some old objects left by the elders. Therefore, as long as you have a good eye, you definitely can find something over there.
Finally, the place that I would like to introduce is the most common one which is the antique shop. Although the prices of the items in the antique shop are slightly higher than the prices at the stalls, the “learning cost” can also be reduced because of the supervision of the professionals. For example, Graham Geddes Antiques, the largest antiques dealer in the southern hemisphere, and its online antique shop brand Fine Classic Antiques. Although they focus on high-end customers, collectors can still find a lot of cheap and high-quality collections in the show room. From small corkscrews to large silverware, accompanyed with the qualifications of the exclusive registered valuer of the Commonwealth of Australia, this family business is well-known and has been in operation for more than 50 years.
The above is the check-in place for the people who are interested in participating in antique collection. Always remember to get more knowledge before spending!