Investing in antiques - any opinions please?

Sapphire

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

This needs lots of research. You can't simply assume that all antiques bought today will sell for more in 5, 10 or 30 years time. Antiques are "fashionable". Twenty or so years ago, you couldn't give Clarice Cliffe away. Now ... you have to pay over the top just to own a piece and it's probably not worth it, if you want a real investment (as you now have to pay a premium, as so many people are trying to get on the bandwagon).

What you need to do is to spot what will be in demand in x years time, but which is currently viewed as "junk". So you buy it cheap now and sell it for a fortune in a few years time when everyone wants it. What is it? Well ... who knows?

Serious suggestion .... watch Flog It!

I agree that some antiques are fashionable, but there are areas that will always appeal to other collectors, and you can find things in these areas at (sometimes) even below the current going rate. That's worth doing, IMHO. You do have to know a lot about the area you are collecting in to do this.

I would agree with what you say about Clarice Cliffe, and I'd never buy the stuff (I dislike it).

I have watched Flog It, and rarely see anything on it that I would collect - it is generally fairly minor stuff, and rarely attractive (to me - and I'll only collect things that I like and know about). I do find the presenter's outings quite interesting, though.

As an aside, apart from the question of insurance, you have to make sure that you can home your antiques. I have a cousin who collects a certain type of glass and she has had to have a floor reinforced to ensure it doesn't cave in under the weight of her collection. :rotfl:

shiredeon

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

For many, you need to hold a Gun License. For some, you need a Firearms Certificate ... it really depends on the gun.

And you need to compete with the likes of Holland & Holland who buy old stuff to sell on at extortionate prices to well-heeled clients

For genuine antique guns over 100 years old you need no licence, holland and holland make and sell modern guns and a few 20 century ones to well heeled pheasant shooters, but like anything you need to know your stuff and research is the only way, even then you'll get the odd dodgy piece, good luck anyway.

Contains_Mild_Peril

I wouldn't buy Clarice Cliff right now either, because prices seem to be at their peak. I do like Clarice Cliff Bizarre ware for its aesthetic value, and I would buy some if it were much cheaper. For now, I have to settle for Wedgwood reproduction, which looks pretty much like the Clarice Cliff originals. Fashions do play a large part, particularly for 20th century collectables. Dinky cars seem to have peaked in value in the late 1980s, and sell for considerably less now, and royal memorabilia has plummeted in value since Diana's death.
There are occasionally opportunities to predict sudden (and probably temporary) upsurges in demand for certain items: for instance, values of virtually anything Titanic-related sky-rocketed following the film's huge success.