Antiques - What is an Antique?

By Sharon Stajda

As a rule a collector of antiques do not limit themselves to one particular collectable. Their homes are filled with interesting antiques of every kind. Staffordshire figurines, silver, and a wonderful collection of antique furniture. Perhaps a stately Rosewood secretary by John Better or a Petit-point portrait adorning a Victorian fireplace? I have often pondered, what motivates a person to collect antique's?

Practically everybody collects something, and all sorts of people collect antiques. Some antique collectors go on the assumption that if its very old, its wonderful, and well worth owning. This most likely answers the question of why an antique collector ends up going off in many directions with what they collect.

But what motivates an antique collector? I have a friend that started collecting antiques by wanting to ad to a tea cup and saucer she had received as an heirloom when her Grandmother passed on. It did not take long for her to start collecting more antique tea cups and saucers. Which then to graduate into collecting antique tea sets, antique silver, and onto antique furniture. You see to display all these lovely antique tea services she need the proper antique tea cart. Which looked out of place with her decor. So she started collecting antique furniture.

Another type of antique collectors, collect antique's as investments. These investors purchase antiques on the bases that a given piece will appreciate with time. This type of antique collector takes the buying of antiques very serious. They are as a rule well educated in antiques, and have made sure to be well versed on the value of any given antique. The antique investor depend on the antique's they purchase to appreciate and show a profit in the future.

It is also apparent that many antique collectors are more dealers than collectors. The dealers search out fine antiques to sell to the serious antique collectors. Most dealers are in the business of making money, and the bottom line is a sale, with a profit. Unlike the investor, the dealer buys to sell quickly, at a profit. At no time in history has it been easier to search out fine antique' . This is mainly due to the Internet. The internet has expanded the ease of buying antiques for the avid dealer. The Internet enables one to be able to search the globe for desired treasure's, and purchase them from the comforts of ones own home. An antique consumer can find the rarest, and oddest of antiques, right at their finger tips.

So to get back to what motivates an antique collector? We can certainly demise that it is not always the beauty of an antique that attracts, and motivates the collector? In some cases it is strictly business and purely financial gain.

I have found that most antique collectors, weather in it for business or pleasure have one thing in common that clearly stands out... The love of the hunt, and the more rare the find, the bigger the thrill. What can further adds to the thrill, is to find an antique that has a less than worth price tag attached to it. So is part of the motivation, the thrill of finding a great bargain?

I mentioned my good friend that collects antiques of every kind. When asked how she preferred to find her antiques? She claimed she prefer to go out, and peruse the antique shops. "Its very accelerating, yet at the same time relaxing, going from shop to shop". She stated that she loves to visit with the many friend she had made through the years, that either work in the shop or own the shop. So is part of the motivation the comradery the collector finds in the friendships they acquire along the way?

Do collectors have something more in common? After interviewing many antique collectors, I have found that most will admit to being drawn to, and loving very old things. Admitting feelings of familiarity with a particular antique. I have had a few antique collectors confide that they feel they may have lived other lives, in centuries gone by. That having antiques around them provides them with a sort of comfort, and brings peace into their homes. One shop keeper explained to me." I look at a piece, and I wonder how many people have come and gone that have held, and used this? Who else may have enjoyed owning this?" It became quit clear to me that some antique collectors are motivated by a deep seeded emotional drive. A drive to capture some elusive feelings of times gone by.

I don't know if anyone has or ever will be able to actually give a defining answer or the underlying motives to what makes a person a collector of antique's? Is it possible that it harks back to the most primal human impulse---- Desire. A desire for beauty, a desire for peace in ones surroundings or the desire to cultivate friendship's. Perhaps the desire to connect with another time, another life. And finally, the desire for making a profit, and adding to ones wealth?