Other than Selling, What Good Are Artifacts for?

• Posted on 28th December 2022
• in antique appraisal, Antique Art, antique dealer, antiques
• by Alan

If you’ve collected artifacts, antiques, and other objects, you may have done so with the intent of selling them. But what if that’s not your plan at all? There are many ancient artifacts out there that look amazing, and you may not want to sell them at all. If you don’t sell them, what else can you do with them? There are actually a number of things you can do with these items.

Decorate Your Home

Many people collect antiques and other artifacts for their own personal decoration. They love how these antique artifacts look, so they collect as many of them as they can. Some focus on particular artifacts such as antique coins, while others may collect anything that catches their eye or that they’re interested in. Some purchase mostly small artifacts that aren’t that rare, while others may want to invest in the rarer and more expensive items.

It’s a Fun Hobby

For some people, owning the artifact is actually not their main goal. They love the thrill of learning about each artifact, carefully tracing its route from where it originated to where they found it, and even hunting for specific artifacts they have read about. They’re something like modern-day treasure hunters, searching for specific artifacts to purchase. For these individuals, it’s the journey that they’re really invested in. Owning the artifact is, of course, a nice ending to that journey, but even if they don’t end up finding what they want, they’ve still enjoyed the search.

They’re an Investment

The reason some ancient artifact buyers want to purchase the rarest items they can find is that they’re making investments. They plan on holding on to these artifacts for quite some time and then may sell them later. Others plan on leaving these items to their children. They know that they or their descendants will have these rare items on hand if things get particularly bad financially. They’re a long-term safety net.

They Plan on Donating Them

Some people look for artifacts to purchase and later donate to a museum or other organization. Some of the most famous artifacts in history were purchased by individuals and included in their private collections until they made the decision to donate them. In fact, this is how many museums built up their collections. Some people donate their artifacts while they’re still alive. Others leave their collections to a museum when they die. In many cases, donating these items does provide the individual or their estate with a tax write-off.

Artifacts can provide important historical lessons or show how things were once done. In many cases, people want to share these artifacts with others. Even those who don’t want to permanently donate their collection may loan their antique artifacts to museums or other organizations for display. This lets them share the items they’ve painstakingly hunted down without actually giving them away. Many people who love hunting for artifacts later do donate them or loan them out. Some even make it their mission to find specific artifacts for museums.