Antiques Near Me

Collecting antiques is a popular pastime that both preserves history and helps bring past eras back to life. If you’re an antique collector, then you know that there is value not only in the pieces themselves but in the stories many pieces can hold.

Are you interested in finding antiques near you? Simply browse antiques near me and find a list of antiques dealers in your area. Looking for a bit more information on antiques? Read on for facts, trivia, and more information. You might just learn something new on your journey to buy some antiques.

Antiques Near Me – Find it on the Map

Antiques Near Me – Antiques Trivia

When did antique collecting first emerge?

Collecting antiques and visiting your local antique shop for some great pieces might seem like a fairly modern venture, but historians believe that the very act of procuring antiques predates America itself. When exactly did antique collecting first emerge? Consider this as you search antiques near me. According to historians, antique collecting has a history dating all the way back to the preservation of early religious objects. Individuals and esteemed nobles collected these objects and displayed them in their private homes. By the 16th century, English and European private collections of antiques and rare items began to burgeon, soaring in popularity as interior design gained more and more traction as a notable art. Antique collecting truly hit the mainstream in the 18th century along with the development of archaeology, when items were more reliably dated and collected. This garnered more interest in private collecting and acquiring items from one specific era or historical event.

Antiques stores can be filled with treasures from long ago!

What antiques were most popular in early US history?

Nowadays, popular antique items can range from furniture and records to clothing and notables. Back when United States antiques collectors first began to take the art of antiquing seriously (in the early 18th century), most collectors concentrated on procuring old books, manuscripts, and mementos from famous people. They were also interested in acquiring the possessions of historical figures who had passed or had great influence. Soon enough, historical societies formed, which encouraged individuals to take interest in colonial history and the many artifacts from the colonial time period. In the 1850s, a movement began to restore and preserve Mount Vernon. In restoring the house, antiquing items from the time period such as pewter ware and furniture garnered great interest from the public. When the reconstructed rooms were exhibited, people seemed genuinely fascinated by the idea of making what’s old relevant again. What will you find after searching antiques near me?

Antiques Near Me – Antiques Facts

Scarcity Matters

In the antiques world, a lot of factors can go into what an item is worth and how revered it is in the antiquing community. Consider these facts as you search antiques near me. In the modern day, one of the most pressing factors in the cost and value of an item is scarcity and interest. This is why objects such as comic books, fruit crate labels, and even old toys have emerged to be worth hundreds and even thousands of dollars, despite the fact that many of the items only cost a few cents when first sold. Antique dealers also take into account the particular characteristics of an item and trending fads in interior design. For example, when the art deco style came back into fashion, pieces from this time period often sold for much more than they were intrinsically worth. Nowadays, furniture dubbed mid-century modern is all the range, meaning items that fit into this stylistic time period will often sell at a higher markup, especially in trendy or popular antique stores with a high customer rate.

What makes something an actual antique?

There’s a lot of misinformation floating around about what actually makes something an antique. If you’re searching antiques near me and think that the only requirement is that the piece be older than 20 years, you’re going to be in for a surprise. The rule of thumb put into place by most antique dealers in the US is that anything older than 100 years old can be properly considered an antique. Items that are pretty old, but not quite 100 years old, are considered vintage items. Vintage items and antiques are not one in the same. Antiques tend to have a higher value, have hit the 100 year mark, and are typically more scarce. In 1930, the US government formally implemented a tax law that stated an item was to be considered an antique if made prior to the year 1830, this marked the time when mass production began in the United States. After mass production, many items lost their value as they existed in a large quantity, thus cutting into the aspect of scarcity.