Columbia County

Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals

 All Canaan Listings

 Canaan Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals

Early American, antiques, Canaan, NY, Columbia County | Columbia Iris Cottage

518-781-4379
  Iris Cottage, specializing in Early American antiques, is located at 2068 Route-295, Canaan, NY, Columbia County. Iris Cottage | Columbia  more . . .
 All Chatham Listings

 Chatham Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals

12037, Refinishers Antiques, Chatham NY, Columbia County, Old World techniques, furniture finish restoration, repairs, Central Square | Columbia Pitkin Refinishers & Antiques

518-392-3162
  Pitkin Co. Refinishers & Antiques is located at 14 River Street on Central Square, Chatham NY 12037, in Columbia County.

From Pitkin: Pitkin Company has worked to develop a blend of the best Old World techniques and methods combined with the latest developments in hi-tech products to produce finished products that are classically beautiful, yet extremely durable. All work that we undertake should enhance not only the visual aspect but also the value of the piece and in doing so, our goal is to make each client’s experience with us, a relaxed and pleasurable experience, as we rely almost exclusively on referrals. Pitkin Refinishers & Antiques | Columbia  website and more . . .

White Goose

518-766-3909
 
 All Columbia County Listings

 Columbia County Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals

world's best dealers, finest shops and most important galleries | Columbia 1stdibs

  1stdibs, connecting the "world's best dealers, finest shops and most important galleries with individuals like you, the world's most sophisticated collectors, designers and curators. Starting with the few dealers that were hand-selected by our founder Michael Bruno at Paris's legendary antiques market, Marché Aux Puces, in 2001, we've become the global destination for those who must have 'first dibs' on treasures - from around the world - that would otherwise be inaccessible.

1stdibs IS THE WORLD'S LEADING ONLINE MARKETPLACE
FOR THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS ON EARTH


Inspired by the Historic MARCHÉ AUX PUCES in Paris
1stdibs | Columbia  website and more . . .
 All Copake Listings

 Copake Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals

12516, full service auction house, Copake, NY, auction firm, Live "real time" bidding is also available, competitive commission rates for consignors, antiques | Columbia Copake Auction House

518-329-1142
  Copake Auction, a full service auction house since 1952, is located at 266 Route 7A, Copake, NY 12516 in Columbia County.

From Copake Auction: "Copake Auction Inc. is the longest running auction house in Columbia County New York as well as members of the New York State and National Auctioneers Associations. Mike Fallon purchased the auction gallery in 1985 and was joined by his son, Seth Fallon, in 1995." Copake Auction House | Columbia  website and more . . .
 All Hillsdale Listings

 Hillsdale Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals

12529, Antiques, Hillsdale, Columbia County, Hudson Valley, American Country Furniture, Folk Art, Hooked Rugs, Quilts, Baskets, Stoneware, original and old painted surfaces, paint decoration,  antiques for sale, previous antique sales, Barn Antiques | Columbia Hillsdale Barn Antiques

518-325-1357
  Hillsdale Barn Antiques is located at 10394 State Route 22, Hillsdale, NY 12529, Columbia County in the upper-Hudson Valley.

From Hillsdale Barn: "Frank and Rose Marie Francis, owners of Hillsdale Barn Antiques, have over 40 years' experience in buying and selling fine Country Americana and Folk Art. They moved to Hillsdale, New York, in beautiful Columbia County, in September 1999. The shop was opened in May 2000. The open shop occupies 2,000 square feet in a wonderful 19th century barn. Prior to this, Frank and Rose Marie exhibited at numerous antique shows, primarily in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Dealers are always welcome. Hillsdale Barn Antiques | Columbia  website and more . . .

12529, Antiques, Hillsdale NY, Columbia County, Americana, Folk Art, Early American, English furniture | Columbia Red Fox Antiques

518-325-3841
  Red Fox Antiques is located at 9315 Old State Route 22, Hillsdale, NY in Columbia County 12529. Red Fox specializes in Americana, Folk Art, Early American and English furniture, and more. Red Fox Antiques | Columbia  more . . .
 All Hudson Listings

 Hudson Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals

12534, Antiques & Interiors, Hudson NY 12534, European antiques furniture, decorative accessories, European chandeliers, from the 18th to the 20th Century | Columbia Ad Lib Antiques & Interiors

518-822-6522
  Ad Lib Antiques & Interiors is located at 522 Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley. Ad Lib Antiques & Interiors, handles mostly European antiques furniture, decorative accessories, and a nice selections of European chandeliers, from the 18th to the 20th Century. Ad Lib Antiques & Interiors | Columbia  website and more . . .

12534, Clock, Warren Street, Hudson NY, Columbia County, Hudson River Valley | Columbia Amorous Clock

518-828-5751
  The Amorous Clock is located at 603 Warren Street (2nd Floor), Hudson NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley. Amorous Clock | Columbia  more . . .

12534, Antiques, Art, Danish modern, mid-century furniture, eclectic mix, fine antiques, Hudson NY, Columbia County, Hudson River Valley | Columbia Arenskjold Antiques Art

518-828-2800
  Arenskjold Antiques Art is located at 605 Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley. Arenskjold specializes in Danish modern, mid-century furniture, and an eclectic mix of fine antiques. Arenskjold Antiques Art | Columbia  more . . .

12534, antique dealer, Hudson NY, Columbia County, Hudson Valley, country, mid-centuy decorative, antique items, antiquing, upper Hudson River Valley, New York's major antique center, country, mid-centuy, decorative antique items, antique district | Columbia Colonia Antiques

518-828-1422
  Colonia, an antique dealer, is located at 528 Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley. Colonia offers country, mid-centuy and decorative antique items. Colonia Antiques | Columbia  more . . .

12534, Antiques, Warren Street, Hudson NY, Columbia County, Hudson River Valley | Columbia Doyle Hudson

518-828-3929
  Doyle Antiques is located at 711 Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley. Doyle Hudson | Columbia  more . . .

12534, Antiques, Period American Antiques, Hepplewhite, Federal, Sheraton, Empire, Chippendale,18th Century through 20th Century, antiquing, Hudson River Valley, major antique center, antique district, historic town, Decorative accessories | Columbia Eustace & Zamus Antiques

518-822-9200
  Eustace & Zamus Antiques is located at 513 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley. Eustace & Zamus Antiques is a treasure trove of the unusual and stylish. Specializing in Period American Antiques - Hepplewhite, Federal, Sheraton, Empire, and Chippendale. In Country and, Formal Styles. Decorative accessories of the 18th Century through 20th Century. Priced to suit all pockets. Eustace & Zamus Antiques | Columbia  more . . .

12534, antique dealer, Hudson NY, Columbia County, Hudson River Valley | Columbia Gris New York

518-828-1611
  Gris, an antique dealer, is located at 614 Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley. Gris New York | Columbia  more . . .

12534, antique dealer, Warren Street, Hudson, Columbia County, Hudson River Valley | Columbia Henry

518-828-2354
  Henry, antique dealer, is located at 348 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley.

From Henry: "Objects at Henry are specifically chosen for their visual qualities, color, shape, form, texture. It is primarily an eclectic mixture of objects: primitive, industrial, mass produced, or hand made. All are singular and chosen for decorative purposes, with the belief that almost anything can be decorative in a specific setting. Decoration and/or art are not exclusive." Henry | Columbia  more . . .

12534, Historical, Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534, Columbia County, Hudson River Valley | Columbia Historical Materialist

  Historical Materialism is an online store under 1stdibs.

From 1stdibs: "At 1stdibs, we're here to connect the world's best dealers, finest shops and most important galleries with individuals like you, the world's most sophisticated collectors, designers and curators.Starting with the few dealers that were hand-selected by our founder Michael Bruno at Paris's legendary antiques market, Marché Aux Puces, in 2001, we've become the global destination for those who must have 'first dibs' on treasures — from around the world — that would otherwise be inaccessible." Historical Materialist | Columbia  website and more . . .

12534, antiques dealer, antique, vintage furnishings market, antiquing, plan a daytrip, Manhattan to Hudson, upper Hudson River Valley, Penn Station, New York's major antique center, visit antique and vintage furnishings market, premier antique district | Columbia Hudson Supermarket

518-822-0028
  Hudson Supermarket, antiques dealer, is located at 310 Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley.

From Hudson Supermarket: "The Hudson Supermarket is 7,000 square feet of soaring space that once served as a (surprise!) supermarket and is now a dynamic antique and vintage furnishings market. Featuring a variety of dealers whose merchandise acts as a timeline from the very ancient to the very modern, our inventory is ever evolving and always inspiring. The market's dealers have established reputations and built collections that include the very best from a wide variety of genres, era, and styles. Hudson Supermarket | Columbia  website and more . . .

12534, Books, Records, Hudson River Valley, legendary record store, great antique stores, charming places to eat, vinyl sanctuary, serious vinyl lovers, stacks of records, scenic drive, Amtrak, leading antique district, historic city of Hudson | Columbia John Doe Records & Books - Hudson

518-212-7653
  John Doe Records and Books is located at 434 Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley.

"The name fits the description for this legendary record store in Upstate New York. Actually the residence of Bunny Brains mastermind Dan Seward, John Doe is tucked away on the main drag of Warren Street and has only a small guidepost that signals the location of this vinyl sanctuary . . . All of the contents of the store are his collection, with virtually no organizational pattern whatsoever. The shop is, therefore, strictly for serious vinyl lovers - those willing to spend hours sifting through stacks and stacks of records in order to find what they're looking for." John Doe Records & Books - Hudson | Columbia  more . . .

12534, Restoration, restores fine furniture, French Polishing, restoration of fine furniture, antique furniture, traditional finishes, restoration of fine antiques, scenic drive, premier antique district, historic city of Hudson | Columbia Keegan's Restoration and Conservation

518-821-7995
  Keegan's Restoration is located at 515 Columbia Street, Hudson, NY 12534, Columbia County in the upper-Hudson Valley. Dee Keegan restores fine furniture using French Polishing. Keegan's Restoration and Conservation | Columbia  more . . .

12534,  Antiques, quality !8th and 19th century, furniture, Folk Art, collectibles, Vintage Toys, New York's antique district, antiquing in Hudson New York, major antique center, premier antique district, historic town of Hudson | Columbia Kendon Antiques

518-822-8627
  Kendon Antiques is located at 508 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley.

Kendon Antiques specializes in quality 18th and 19th century American formal and country furniture, paintings and prints, Folk Art, collectibles and Vintage Toys. Kendon Antiques | Columbia  more . . .

12534, Antiques, Hudson, NY, inventory of architectural elements, industrial design, primitives, furniture, sculpture, and paintings | Columbia Larry's Back Room

518-248-2643
  Larry's Back Room and Mark's Antiques is located at 612 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534 in Columbia County.

Larry's Back Room and Mark's Antiques is a 2,000 square foot shop that offers a constantly changing inventory of architectural elements, industrial design, primitives, furniture, sculpture, and paintings. Among the array of inventory, find a collection of various shaped composite pieces used to polish porcelain cups and plates at Larry's Back Room, in Hudson. Larry's Back Room | Columbia  more . . .

12534, antiques dealer, Hudson Valley, mid-century period, antiquing, upper Hudson River Valley, Penn Station, major antique center, Warren Street, mid-century modern | Columbia Mark McDonald

518-828-6320
  Mark McDonald offering jewelry, furniture, decorative, art, and publications, is located at 555 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534 in Columbia County.

From Mark McDonald: "A variety of publications are available through MARK MCDONALD, including out-of-print catalogues from exhibitions at the Fifty/50 Gallery and catalogues that have accompanied more recent exhibitions at Gansevoort Gallery. Mark McDonald | Columbia  more . . .

12534, Antiques, Hudson NY, Columbia County, Hudson River Valley, daytrip antiquing, antiquing, Penn Station, major antique center, architectural, industrial design, furniture, paintings and pottery | Columbia Mark's Antiques

518-701-5382
  Mark's Antiques is located at 612 Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534, Columbia County, in the Hudson River Valley.

Mark’s Antiques is a 2,000 square foot shop that offers a constantly changing inventory of architectural elements, industrial design, primitives, furniture, sculpture, and paintings. Mark's Antiques | Columbia  more . . .

12534, Antiques, Hudson Valley, Japanese Screens, Asian antiques, source for Japanese screens, bronzes, ceramics, porcelains, lacquer, sculpture, furniture, antique, one-of-a-kind screens,16th century to the 20th century, screen restoration | Columbia NAGA

518-828-8585
  Naga Antiques is located at 536 Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley.

From Naga Antiques: "Naga Antiques in New York City celebrates 40 years as a leading source of fine Asian antiques, specializing in Japanese screens, bronzes, ceramics, porcelains, fine lacquer objects, sculpture, and furniture. Along with Naga North in Hudson, NY, both galleries also feature Art Deco, American Modern and Biedermeier furniture and assorted objects. Our inventory of over 300 Japanese screens ranges from the 16th century to the 20th century." NAGA | Columbia  website and more . . .

12534, antique dealer, Warren Street, Hudson NY, Columbia County, Hudson River Valley | Columbia Neven and Neven Moderne

518-828-4214
  Neven and Neven Moderne, an antique dealer, is located at 618 Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley. Neven and Neven Moderne | Columbia  more . . .

12534, Antiques, Warren Street, Hudson NY, Columbia County, Hudson Valley, antiquing, plan a daytrip, Hudson River Valley, Penn Station, major antique center, scenic drive, antique district, historic Hudson, New York State | Columbia Regan & Smith Antiques

917-757-5310
  Regan & Smith Antiques is located at 602 Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley. Regan & Smith Antiques | Columbia  more . . .

12534, Antiques, Hudson NY, Columbia County, Hudson River Valley, daytrip, visit historic Hudson New York, upper Hudson Valley, Penn Station, Hudson, New York's major antique center, mid-century modern and art deco | Columbia Skalar Antiques

518-828-1173
  Skalar Antiques is located at 438 1/2 Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley.

From Skalar: "Skalar was founded by Jarek Barglowski, an architect and Danusia Jarecka, a graduate of Academy of Fine Arts. Both met in New York City where Jarek worked an an interior designer and Dsanusia an illustrator.

"The couple moved back to Poland in 1998 and opened an antique store in Warsaw. Soon therir showroom gained an international clientele and became a successful business featuring a hand-pick collection of high end antiques. In 2005 Jarkaek and Danusia relocated to Hudson and opened Skalar. Skalar Antiques | Columbia  more . . .

12534, Auctioneers, Appraisers, Warren Street, Hudson, Columbia County, Hudson Valley, full-service auction house, entire estate | Columbia Stair Galleries - Auctioneers & Appraisers

518-751-1000
  Stair Galleries, auctioneers & appraisers is located at 549 Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534, Columbia County in the upper-Hudson Valley.

From Stair Galleries: "Stair Galleries has grown to be one of the leading regional auction houses in America, primarily servicing the New York City metro area and tri-state region. Our main focus is fine and decorative arts from the 17th to 20th Centuries. Stair Galleries - Auctioneers & Appraisers | Columbia  more . . .

12534, Antiques, Hudson, NY, antiques shop, decorative objects, lighting, furniture from the Biedermeir, Empire and Art deco periods, mid-20th Century, Amtrak Station at Hudson | Columbia Sutter Antiques

518-822-0729
  Sutter Antiques is located at 556 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley.

From Sutter: "Swiss born antiques dealer, Alfons Sutter opened his first antiques shop, Sutter Antiques, in London at the prestigious Kings Road Market in 1973. In 1976 he moved his business to the Flatiron district in New York City where he specialized in Oriental furniture and objects. He and his long time business associate, Frank Rosa, would spend their weekends driving through the Hudson River Valley antiquing. In 1990, after falling in love with Columbia County, they decided to relocate Sutter Antiques to Hudson, NY. Sutter Antiques | Columbia  more . . .

12534, Antiques, collection of antiques, daytrip, Hudson River Valley, New York's major antique center, scenic drive, Amtrak, premier antique district, historic town of Hudson, New York State,  historic town of Hudson in New York State | Columbia Vince Mulford Antiques

518-828-5489
  Vince Mulford Antiques is located at 417 - 419 Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534, Columbia County in the Hudson River Valley.

Plan a daytrip from Manhattan to Hudson NY located in the upper Hudson Valley. Penn Station is only two hours from New York's major antique center on Warren Street where you can visit Vince Mulford Antiques in his beautifully renovated 10,000 square foot space that he also calls home. Vince Mulford Antiques | Columbia  more . . .

12534, Warren Street Antiques, Hudson, NY, antique shows, shop in Hudson NY, antique district, historic city, antique stores | Columbia Warren Street Antiques

518-671-6699
  Warren Street Antiques is located at 322 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534 in Columbia County.

From Warren Street Antiques: "Steven and I offer our selections at antique shows throughout the year, as well as year-round at our shop in Hudson NY – Warren Street Antiques. And although we love to meet people and sell face-to-face, we are excited to add this website to our venues."

From Manhattan, take the Amtrak to Columbia Hudson Station and visit this premier antique district in this historic city on the shores of the Hudson River; offering a large and upscale selection of antique stores. Warren Street Antiques | Columbia  more . . .
 All New Lebanon Listings

 New Lebanon Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals

Auction Service, New Lebanon NY, Columbia County | Columbia Meissner's Auction Service

518-766-5002
  Meissner's Auction Service is located at Route 20 & 22, New Lebanon, NY, Columbia County in the upper-Hudson Valley. Meissner's Auction Service | Columbia  more . . .
 All Valatie Listings

 Valatie Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals

12184, Antiques, fine antiques for the home, quality collectibles, exquisite Estate jewelry, Valatie, NY, antique, decorative arts, Victorian, Art Nouveau, Edwardian, Art Deco eras, antique and vintage furniture, mirrors, continental porcelain | Columbia Beaver Mill Antiques

518-331-5334
  Beaver Mill Antiques offering fine antiques for the home, quality collectibles, and exquisite Estate jewelry, is located at 3045 Main Street, Valatie, NY 12184 in the upper-Hudson Valley.

From Beaver Mill: "Beaver Mill Antiques features fine antiques for the home, quality collectibles, and exquisite Estate jewelry. We are centrally located in the picturesque Hudson Valley, just 2 1/2 hours north of NYC, 20 minutes from Hudson and 25 minutes south of Albany in historic Valatie, New York. Our shop’s name is inspired by the breathtaking Beaver Kill Falls and the Beaver Cotton Mill that once stood across the street in the 1800s. Beaver Mill Antiques | Columbia  website and more . . .

12184, Antiques & Collectibles, Valatie NY, Columbia County, Antiques, general line of antiques, furniture, estate jewelry, costume jewelry, glassware | Columbia JGA Antiques & Collectibles

518-758-6393
  JGA Antiques & Collectibles located at 3025 Main Street, Valatie, NY 12184 in Columbia County. JGA Antiques offers a general line of antiques, specializing in furniture, estate jewelry, costume jewelry, glassware, and more. JGA Antiques & Collectibles | Columbia  more . . .
 All West Taghkanic Listings

 West Taghkanic Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals

12523, Bed and Breakfast, Antiques, antiques store, West Taghkanic, NY, Columbia County, Dutchess, Green, Berkshire, Visit Columbia County, Hudson Valley, B&B, Antiques, antique shopping, beautiful Hudson Valley | Columbia Changing Times B&B - Almost Antiques

518-851-3510
  Changing Times, a Bed and Breakfast and Almost Antiques, a charming antiques store, is located at 624 Old State Route 82, West Taghkanic, NY 12523 in Columbia County. Changing Times is centrally located for an enjoyable country drive from Columbia County to Duchess, Green and Berkshire counties. Visit Columbia County and enjoy the beautiful Hudson Valley all year long.

From Changing Times: "There we were (in photograph on our website) more than 100 years ago as the general store and post office for our small town as seen in this penny postcard. That penny included the cost of the card as well as the mailing. Today Changing Times B&B and Almost Antiques Shop, are owned and operated by Loretta and James Carley. Changing Times B&B - Almost Antiques | Columbia  website and more . . .

 More Hudson Valley  Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals


Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals | Albany Albany County
      [15 listings over 4 locations]


Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals | Dutchess Dutchess County
      [21 listings over 10 locations]


Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals | Greene Greene County
      [5 listings over 4 locations]


Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals | Orange Orange County
      [25 listings over 13 locations]


Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals | Putnam Putnam County
      [16 listings over 3 locations]


Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals | Rensselaer Rensselaer County
      [2 listings over 2 locations]


Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals | Rockland Rockland County
      [2 listings over 2 locations]


Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals | Saratoga Saratoga County
      [1 listing over 1 location]


Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals | Schenectady Schenectady County
      [1 listing over 1 location]


Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals | Ulster Ulster County
      [12 listings over 6 locations]


Antique Shops | Consignment | Appraisals | Westchester Westchester County
      [69 listings over 27 locations]



Antique Shops | Consignment |Appraisals
Collectibles | Auctions
Columbia County
Hudson Valley

Antiques in Columbia
Verified (2016) up-to-date and comprehensive list of antique stores in Columbia County, New York. Be sure to visit the antique district on Warren Street in Hudson, New York. Shop for the best antique shops in Hudson. The Hudson Antique District offers more than 50 antique shops with a wide range of inventory covering decorative objects, furniture, and lighting dating back to the 17th century. Enjoy the thrill of searching for that special antique armoire, vase, chair, or one-of-a-kind lighting fixture.

Hudson Antique Center of New York
Plan a daytrip from Manhattan to Hudson, located in the upper-Hudson Valley. Penn Station is only two hours from New York's major antique center on Warren Street where you can visit the historic city of Hudson, NY. Visit antique shops and more than 100 antique dealers on Warren Street where you can explore the Hudson Antique District offering a range of moderate to high-end shops. Take a scenic drive or take Amtrak to Hudson and visit this exceptional antique district.

Antiques shops and stores are also available throughout Columbia where you can find:

There are many charming and beautiful villages in Columbia where you can go: In fair weather, enjoy al fresco dining at cafes and restaurants offering outdoor dining as an option. After lunch, when you are recharged, you may want to continue shopping or browsing the antique shops and antique malls until closing time.

At the end of a busy day looking for antiques, select a place to eat-out in Columbia New York, offering a wide selection of excellent restaurants. Find some of the best restaurants in Hudson, New York offering healthy organic options.

Before buying that next piece of antique furniture, or getting an appraisal on an antique, from an experienced antique dealer, read "What is an Antique"? The more you learn and understand about antiques, the more fun you can have talking to antique dealers and the more likely you are to select that perfect antique.

What is an Antique?
In 1930 the U.S. Government ruled that objects had to be at least 100 years old to be classified as antiques, so they could be admitted duty free into the U.S. This was a legislative tax decision. Since then, antiques have often been defined as objects made before 1830.

In Europe, items as recent as that seem quite young. In contrast with a classic Roman head, an 18th-century chair is modern. Antique shops in European cities are often called "antiquities" shops. Except for Indian relics and a few Spanish buildings in the Southwest, the oldest American antiques are but 300 years old.

Americans experience the same contrast in their shops. To a New Englander who knows the pine furniture of Pilgrim days, a Victorian sofa doesn't seem antique. But in Nebraska or Oregon it does, because it represents the earliest furnishings in the region. The age of antiques seems to vary in relation to their environment. The perception of "What is antique?" changes from region to region in different parts of the world.

Americans often count among their antiques items made by machine as well as those wrought by hand. Most of these are later than 1830. Circa 1830, may serve as a dividing line between the age of craftsmanship and the machine age.

A cup without a handle but with two saucers, a salt crock to hang on a kitchen wall, a cream pitcher in the form of a cow with luster spots over its white pottery body, an amber bottle shaped like a fish - all these were useful and probably treasured possessions in homes 85 to 150 years ago. Today, eyebrows would be raised if tea were served in a cup without a handle, and the salt crock would be considered unsanitary. Their value lies in their being antiques. As such, they are as genuine as the brass lantern with beveled glass sides that hangs in the hall of the Governor's Palace, restored to its eighteenth-century splendor, in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Antiques command more attention today than they ever have. Nothing that was of personal or household use during the last 300 years is too minor for consideration in this century. Yet hundreds of simple everyday articles that once were indispensable now are left to gather dust or are unrecognized for what they are.

An antique, according to the dictionary, is "a piece of furniture, tableware or the like, made at a much earlier period than the present." It is not, however, necessarily out-of-date or old fashioned. A chair that was built soundly from good hardwood around 1820 and is comfortable to sit on is never out-of-date. How many years old must a chair, a plate, a trivet, a fan, or a clock be to warrant its being called an antique without anyone's arguing the point? Some people insist on a precise number of years, such as 80 or 100. The 80-year span is justified on the basis of two generations, each generation covering 40 years. Yet a watch that is only 75 years old is likely to look old-fashioned, and so perhaps it also is an antique. Certainly anything that is 100 years old deserves the label.

An official definition of an antique is stated in the Tariff Act of 1930. According to Paragraph 1811 of that Act, antiques are "works of art (except rugs and carpets made after the year 1700), collections in illustration of the progress of the arts, works in bronze, marble, terra cotta, Parian, pottery or porcelain, artistic antiquities and objects of ornamental character or educational value which shall have been produced prior to the year 1830."

This statement is clear in its application to imports and the payment of duty on them. But the year 1830 is more than an arbitrary date in the classification of American antiques. It was about this time that mass production and factory manufacture began to displace the making of individual pieces entirely by hand. Glass began to be pressed into forms by machine instead of being hand-blown. Chairs were the first piece of furniture to which assembly line methods were applied. Although the cabinetmaker, the glassblower, the blacksmith, and other craftsmen were not put out of business immediately, each succeeding decade brought an increase in mass manufacturing.

The fact that a chair or table was made by a cabinetmaker before 1830 does not necessarily make it a more valuable antique than another made at a later date. All the cabinetmakers in any period were not equally skillful; many of them turned out mediocre pieces. But in every craft that contributed to daily living, some workmen produced wares that made their names famous.

The painted side chair with stencil decoration and rush seat was produced in quantity and sold cheaply during the 1820's because Lambert Hitchcock turned his Connecticut workroom into a factory where the parts were cut and turned, assembled, and then decorated, so that many more chairs were completed in a day than if a workman had concentrated on each piece from start to finish. The Hitchcock chair now is as undeniably an antique as a mahogany fiddle-back Empire chair or a Chippendale ladder-back made many years earlier by cabinetmakers. So also are a steeple clock of the 1860's, a pressed glass lamp that burned whale oil during the 1840's or a brass student lamp that burned kerosene in the 1880's, and the cut glass wedding presents of the 1890's.

The quest for antiques can be as successful in different regions of the country. In the Southwest, the oldest traditions and antiques are Spanish in origin, although people there share with the rest of the United States a rich Victorian background. Louisiana is a notable area in the United States and Canada where the influence was primarily French. In the Northwest and in the north central states, descendants of Scandinavian settlers are proud of handsome carved bedsteads and equally handsome household linens.

Except for small districts where certain nationalities tended to settle during the nineteenth century, the eastern, southeastern, and Midwestern states reflect in their antiques a predominantly English influence. Household and family goods brought to this country, imported during Colonial days, and later produced here in great quantity followed trends and living habits established in England. The Orient also placed its stamp on eastern towns that thrived as seaports in the late 1700's and much of the 1800's, just as it did on England. To such centers as Salem and New Bedford, Massachusetts, Baltimore, Maryland, and Norfolk, Virginia, came Canton tableware, Kashmir shawls, teakwood chests and tables.

Not a day goes by but that someone in the United States glances at some object and fails to recognize it as an antique. Many homely things are packed away in trunks, chests, and cupboards or are gathering dust in attics and cellars. Clearing out a house where a family has lived for a long time, or disposing of the possessions of an elderly relative is almost certain to be rewarded with the discovery of some antiques. Few of the articles may be of museum quality. Some will have greater sentimental or nostalgic than monetary value. However, not even the stacks of magazines, the scrapbooks put together 75 or more years ago, or the clutter of dusty bottles should be tossed aside for the trash collector. At the very least, publications and clippings represent valuable research material for people in many fields of work today. If there's time to go through them, you may find an issue of a magazine, a lithograph in a scrapbook, or a historical flask among the old canning jars and milk bottles that will bring hard cash in the antique market.

It is a fact that any antique you come across that has no appeal for you or suggests no use to you is likely to be a treasure to someone else, who will gladly pay for it. Often the person who buys is a collector. The really zealous collector typically specializes. Preferences range from such popular things as pressed glass, some type of pottery, clocks, lamps, coins, coin banks, bottles, souvenir spoons, and guns to oddments such as butter pats, hatpin-holders, mustache cups, cut glass knife rests, and toothpicks.

Many collectors, including those who buy relatively inexpensive items such as hatpin-holders, gradually assemble a group that becomes valuable in terms of money. In contrast, there are people who literally buy antiques as an investment which they expect to increase in value. Such things as authentic Queen Anne and Philadelphia Chippendale furniture made here during the 1700's, Meissen figurines, and Lowestoft china are currently expensive examples of sound investments. Less costly now, but almost certain to increase in value during the next twenty years, are furniture made between 1785 and 1820, eighteenth and early nineteenth century brass, early nineteenth century china, Tiffany glass, and probably - cut glass.

People with money to invest seldom buy without the advice of a reliable antique dealer. Collectors, both those who rely on an expert and those who do not, are bound eventually to learn a good deal about their field and most of them become shrewd buyers. In self-defense, therefore, a person who owns or finds antiques must learn something about them before offering them for sale. It is not enough to be halfway convinced that the iridescent, marigold-hued glass bowl that you've kept in the cupboard because it came from home, but have never liked or used, is carnival or taffeta glass. When you attempt to make certain that it is, you undoubtedly will hear that there is at present a brisk market for this glass, which is hardly old enough yet to be antique.

Carnival glass does not have the name of the manufacturer or the butcher who gave it away worked in with the design, nor does any pressed glass that was obtained as a premium. Many other things displaying the name of the manufacturer or merchant that were given away between 1850 and 1900 are worth money today. If you find any fans, spoons, calendars, paper dolls (printing on the backs), a bootjack, or tin containers emblazoned with firm or trade names, they need not be discarded as trash.

Anyone who is in a hurry to sell the antiques found in an old house is probably wise to ask a reliable dealer to come in and look them over. He may be willing to handle the sale of some or all of them on the usual commission basis. Or, for a small fee, he may merely advise on the value and salability of the entire lot. Remember, antique dealers have customers, whereas you must find an interested buyer before you can dispose of anything, however rare, odd, or valuable it may seem.

If selling is not urgent, there are several ways a person can learn to recognize and, eventually, evaluate an antique. Visits to antique shops and occasional attendance at an auction in a city gallery or on a rural green are means of learning what is being offered for sale, what people are buying, and what prices are being paid.

Visiting restorations show how people lived - they are full of everyday things. Visitors to a restoration are often reminded of a nineteenth-century duplicate consigned to a cupboard at home as too ordinary to be considered an antique but too good to throw away. Fully as enlightening are the specialized exhibits at the Clock Museum in Bristol, Connecticut, the Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown, New York, the Maritime Museum in San Francisco. California, and Henry Ford Museum and Dearborn Village in Dearborn, Michigan, to mention only a few.

Books are perhaps the easiest way to sharpen recognition and aid in the identification of antiques. There also are books on subjects as specific as milk glass, paperweights, and pewter.

Once an antique has been identified, its characteristics will have to be evaluated. Its approximate age, workmanship, the quality of the materials, present condition, and rarity all have a hearing on both its intrinsic and market values. Repair or restoration may downgrade an antique. A piece of pressed glass that can be authenticated as having been made at the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company's factory in Sandwich, Massachusetts, is to be prized or sold for a good price. However, many excellent as well as beautiful pieces came from factories elsewhere in New England and in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio.

Owners often carelessly fool themselves into believing that an antique is older than it actually is. The Queen Anne style in furniture, for example, was made everywhere in America between 1725 and 1750. Its distinguishing details continued to be followed, particularly in rural areas, for many years after other styles had come into fashion. Thus, a tea table made in New Hampshire in the early 1800's may well have some distinctly Queen Anne characteristics.

There is a tendency also among owners who are not familiar with the antique market to set an inflated valuation on anything they wish to sell. Pride and sentiment have nothing to do with selling prices. The appraised value of an antique, stated after careful examination by a qualified expert, may well be higher than current market value. In antiques as in everything else, the selling price is determined by supply and demand. Pressed glass brings much higher prices now than it did thirty years ago when collecting it first became popular.

Every year adds both prestige and value to nineteenth-century antiques. It will take longer, because more of everything was made during the 1800's, but sooner or later the number of nineteenth-century pieces will be reduced just as eighteenth-century antiques have been-by collectors and investors. Add those who enjoy living with antiques. The increasing number of folk museums and restorations is another drain, for such places may sell reproductions but not authentic pieces. If not this week, then some day, the Double Nine-Patch quilt hand stitched about 1810 and other equally unpretentious furnishings and belongings are certain to rank as important inheritances. A second look at utensils from a nineteenth-century kitchen may prove them to be as worthwhile from an antique standpoint as the parlor furniture.

Source "What is an Antique"




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