Where Can I Find an Antique Bronze Dealer Near Me?
- Posted on 14th January 2023
- in antique bronze
- by Alan
When you are going through old china cabinets or the estate of a relative, you may come across some valuable antiques, maybe even some bronze antiques. Before you toss them away or donate them, you should take a step back and understand that those antique bronzes could potentially be worth a lot. Depending on the manufacturer or how old the antique bronze is, you could have an item that is a rare find and therefore worth a decent amount of money.
So, how can you find a local antique bronze dealer? There are several methods to locate an antique bronze dealer near you, but in order to identify the best one who will be a perfect partner throughout the antique selling process, there are a few things you should think about and do before leaving your house with your antiques in tow.
Educate Yourself
First, before looking for an antique dealer near you, you should educate yourself. If you’re a collector, you shouldn’t rely solely on appraisers to determine the value of your antiques. Before you ever contact a Sarasota antiques shop, you need to educate yourself. This is because having the appropriate background knowledge will assist you in being a better consumer and receiving the most money for your item while having an educated conversation with the antique buyer so that you don’t waste anyone’s time throughout the process.
To help you educate yourself, start with general reference books to get your feet wet with the antiques you may have. If you can find an art history class or other course related to your collection, take it. Another big tip is to go to auction previews and sales to slowly learn what pieces sell for, how the process works, and to familiarize yourself with the way conversations go between a dealer and buyer.
Renew old appraisals
Another thing that you should do before trying to find a local antique dealer near you is to renew old appraisals. If you’re relying on appraisals that are decades old, they’re probably way off the mark for what your items are actually valued at in the present. That’s because the value of an object can rise or fall dramatically over time. In most cases, you should have appraisals done every three to five years, and every appraisal should have some kind of indication of the kind of marketplace you’re dealing with at that time. This will help you determine when you’ll next need to check in with your appraiser.
Decide how you’ll use the item
When it comes to appraisal, the value of an antique or collectible will vary depending on its use. Do you plan on selling anything? Is it insured? Donate it to charity? A qualified appraiser will ask you about your intentions so that he or she may appropriately assess your property. If you wish to sell something, an appraiser will determine its fair market value, which is the highest price you can get from a willing buyer. This pricing will be lower than what dealers will charge. After all, antiques dealers must mark up their prices in order to make a profit. However, knowing the market value of an article will ensure that you do not receive the value you deserve.
If you’re assessing a piece to insure it, however, an appraiser will look at its replacement value from a source where you’d likely find a similar article. This could be from an antique shop, an auction, or a flea market – or if you had a duplicate made. But because you’re going to be going to retailers, who will mark up prices, the appraised value for insurance purposes will be higher than if you were selling something.
Before selling your antiques, it is critical to conduct preliminary research to ensure an excellent, pain-free transaction. Sarasota Antiques specializes in estate liquidation and covers Sarasota, St. Petersburg, and the surrounding communities. Because of our experience with antiques, we are an excellent choice for anyone considering estate liquidation.
As a leading Sarasota area antique buyer we visit your area to buy antiques and we are happy to offer an appraisal and valuation of the antiques and other collectables within your estate. Our expert team is well-versed in many different antiques from all over the world and we buy antiques of a wide variety. If you want to know the value of your antiques, bring them in, or visit us when we come to your area, for appraisal and we can tell you all about the antiques that you have.