For someone getting involved in the business of antiques, it is usually a passion as much as a profession. This is not to say capital is not a veritable reason to enter this market. The art of antiques can be a very lucrative and productive business, demonstrated highly by the rising number of auction houses, dealers and websites dedicated to the subject.

Creating a home business around antiques can be both rewarding and challenging. It gives you the opportunity to work from the comforts of your own home while also allowing you the mobility to travel, collect and investigate possible buyers and sellers. It can be a transportable business, as the universal accessibility of the Internet now allows you to remain in touch while on the go. If desired you can work primarily from you’re computer using your home as a storage space and allowing the web to be your online showroom. This immediately gives your business publicity. Along with a website, you cannot ignore the growing popularity of social networks as a media and advertising tool. These sites can help you’re business gain recognition and reach a wider audience.

Antiquing your own home to the style of your business can be a smart but subtle advertisement, as the visual impact for a prospective customer can be very effective. Furthermore, selecting a specific room for your collection allows you to deal with business matters in a designated space of your home, creating an important separation between your home and business affairs.

As a buyer or seller you want to be aware of your market and the people in it. It is important to be accessible to the broad spectrum of customers and personalities who may walk in your door; old, young; veteran, novice. The easier it is for your customer to navigate and browse your collection the more likely it is they will return, whether this be through your website or showroom.

For the antique novice, knowing or understanding the value of an antique is often difficult as there are many facets involved in the process.

While saying this, the opportunity to learn about the art of antiquing is more accessible than ever. The numerous television programmes dedicated to the antique market is impressive to say the least. The likes of the veteran Antiques Roadshow to the more recent Four Rooms and Flog It allows even the amateur enthusiast to pick up a few tips along the way. These shows prove to be as entertaining as they are informing as we witness images of shock, horror, elation and pride as antique hopefuls learn the history and value of their possessions.

The truth is, many of us virtually have an antique shop sitting idle in our attics, some may be more prestigious than others but none the less it is very likely you have “junk” up there that is gaining in value as we speak.

According to Henry Sandon of the Antiques Roadshow (and notable authority on Royal Worcester porcelain) the modern definition of antiques is an item of fine quality and something people want to buy. A piece no longer has to be 100 years old to be an antique as it used to be. It can be an instant antique if it is of fine craftsmanship and caliber. The necessity for an antique to be of a certain vintage has itself passed its time. This is not to dismiss the worth in age when it comes to antiques, as usually things will increase in value as they mature.

it is worth taking the time to explore what treasures you may have in your own house. As well as the opportunity to profit from your belongings you are also detoxing your attic! You never know what information could be hidden beneath the dust and cobwebs, for example family heirlooms can offer up dates and geographical references that may otherwise be untraceable.

There are endless numbers of appraisers available to assist you with your evaluation. You may find some more helpful or knowledgeable than others so it is worth ‘shopping around’ to find the one which suits you best. There are some dealers who will specialise in specific items and others who will have a broad knowledge of antiques. If transport, weight or time is an issue for you, a second option is to source an online appraiser. This process is becoming increasingly popular as businesses become more reliant on their online customer. It also gives you a wider database of specialists as well as saving you time and transport costs. There are many websites offering this service, some more user-friendly than others but nonetheless they are convenient and for the most part the service is offered at a nominal price.

The first time I saw our Grandfather clock, it was love at first sight – even though it was only part of the backdrop to a photograph from the other side of the world. The photo was of my husband’s grandmother on her 80th birthday, in Denmark.

Some years later she died, and our Danish family offered us (their relatives in Australia) anything we wanted as memorabilia of a past era. My parents-in-law were at the stage of life when they had all they wanted or could fit in their home – and so they passed the offer on to us. When we established for sure that the clock was indeed one of the items, we made our choice – ‘in a heartbeat’ – as they say.

Strong and careful packaging was required to ship our ‘old darling’ to us, all the way from Upover to Downunder. It seemed to take forever, but all good things DO come to those who wait – and at last, all was revealed. And it had made the amazing immigration without any damage whatsoever – ready to be wound up and work again. (I should add that we often had to hang it slightly ‘off’ centre to have it continue working – but as it was trying to adjust to younger homes and a different climate – AND considering it was not young anymore, we forgave it everything.

Our Grandfather clock is intricately carved Oak, polished over the years to a mellow, glowing golden brown. There is a ball atop a patterned half-moon shape on small ‘turned’ spindles, all on top of the first ledge. The whole middle section is the door, cunningly fitted with carved ‘columns’ each side, and a circular glass framing the face of the old clock, with numbers that can only be described as ‘Algerian’ font style, with ornate hands. The bottom section also has a ‘window’, revealing the heavily carved old-gold pendulum, gently but steadily swinging its mesmerizing rhythm.

The ticking and single ‘bong’ on the half hour – and appropriate number on the hours – are a joy, with their deep and mellow resonance that seemingly makes the passing of the hours – even the decades – OK, and just the way Life should be moving along, somehow.

But the best and totally unexpected discovery was a brass plaque that had been too small to even know it was there, in the photo. Translated from the Danish, it says:

From the Townspeople of Nr. Broby

23/5/1909

Unbeknown to us until that moment, when my husband translated the words, and our parents told us the story – this beautiful old clock had been designed and created as a wedding present for our grandparents – to celebrate and commemorate the high esteem the people of their town felt for these two fine people. You see, our grandfather had not only been the Postmaster of the town for an untold number of years, but he was also the Bank Manager, simultaneously. Imagine that!

Attending a vintage clothing auction is the best way to find fine vintage textiles. When you attend a vintage clothing auction, you can find fashionable retro designs for a fraction of the cost of retail. Here are a few benefits you get when you buy clothing from a mid-range vintage collectable sale.

Advantages of attending a vintage clothing auction

When you attend a mid-range collectable sale you get the following benefits:

High Quality Fashions: Many people don’t realise that the clothing found in vintage auctions is neither low quality, out of style nor unwearable. In fact you can find desirable fashion that is selected and sorted from ordinary old clothes in the sales. There are centres that hold regular auctions of textiles including vintage garments and accessories, linens, textile drapes, curtains and shawls. You can also sell your own old yet valuable clothes in such sales.

Large Selection: You can find a large collection of fashion from the glorious past at these sales. Most vintage clothing auction centres have websites and by skimming through their catalogue, you will get an idea of what sort of items they have for auction. Embroideries, costumes or textiles, you can find an assortment of fine old cloths that resonate with the memories of a classic age. You can also find authentic vintage accessories to complete your outfits.

Low Prices

The collectables generally come at a lower price. Normally auctioning begins at a significantly lower cost and goes up incrementally according to the demand for the style. Most of the time, you will be able to get high quality textiles and vintage clothing for lesser prices.

Although Lalique initially trained as a jeweller he soon realised that glass was his first love. He became interested in glass through his friendship and association with Francois Coty, who produced some of the finest and most expensive perfume. Perfume was traditionally made from the best ingredients and could only be afforded by the very rich. As ingredients became less expensive it was difficult to justify the high prices and Coty turned to Lalique for help, who soon realised that in order to keep the produce exclusive they should work on the packaging and Lalique would design beautiful and extravagant glass perfume bottles.

Lalique bought his first factory in Combs le Ville in 1909 and started mass producing glass. He made scent bottles, drinking glasses, boxes and seals and from this moved on to tableware, lighting, vases and other items. He was so successful that in 1921 he opened a second factory in Wingen-sur-Moder in the Alsace. His most prolific period was during the 1920s and early 1930s and he produced exclusively for the rich. The great Paris exhibition of 1925 added further to his fame, he designed the exhibition’s main attraction – a huge illuminated fountain, which was impressive to behold. It was 50 feet high and had 17 graduated tiers which supported eight frosted and polished glass figurines known as Source de la Fontaine. He won further aclaim by getting the gold medal for the best piece of industrially produced glass in the exhibition for his ‘Whirlwinds’ vase which was made out of polished clear glass heightened with black enamel. If you were lucky to find one today it would cost between 25,000 and 30,000.

Lalique’s fame now spread throughout the world and, although he was capable of mass production he deliberately limited his output in order to keep the prices high. It worked! His international rich customers, those that had weathered the Wall Street Crash of 1929, loved his pieces and filled their houses with Lalique glass. As he also designed 29 car mascots they also adorned their luxury cars.

His designs were concentrated mainly on nature and the female form. Lalique’s women are gorgeous and range from nudes in a Baccanalian orgy to nymphs swathed in gossamer gowns. These are still sought after today, a ‘Bacchantes’ vase was sold a couple of years ago for 11,500 and a rare ‘Vitesse’ car mascot went for 14,000.

His most stunning designs were probably for the SS Normandie, launched in 1932. He created an amazing first class dining salon with an illuminated glass ceiling and side panels, as well as a dozen glass fountains. Unfortunately the SS Normandie was destroyed by a fire while anchored in New York in 1942. If you are a Lalique enthusiast and ever visit the island of Jersey, one of the Channel Islands, you should make your way to St Matthews at Millbrook. Lalique installed a massive glass cruciform moulded with lily flowers and a lady chapel guarded by angels. This was commissioned by Lady Trent in memory of her late husband, Jesse Boot. Everyone refers to it as ‘the glass church’, and people come from all over the world to see it.

Lalique died in 1945 at the age of 85 and the business was taken over by his son Marc and then by Marc’s daughter Marie-Claude. Collectors however are interested in Rene Lalique’s designs and they are much sought after. As already indicated they are expensive but some of the smaller pieces are worth collecting and affordable. A ‘Coquilles’ opalescent glass dish, which would have been made in large quantities in the 1920s and 1930s can be had for around 200 and a lovely pair of cufflinks ‘Masque de Femme’, designed by Lalique in 1935 would cost around 330. His gorgeous perfume bottles are probably far too expensive for most of us, I’ve never seen one for under 500 and they are quite often sold for several thousand pounds.