Belt Auction

how should i go about finding out the real value of some antiques?

My mother has some very old pieces that we believe may be worth some money. Can we bring them to any Antique store to have them appraised? What is the best way to get antique items appraised and how do you know if your getting ripped off or not? We live in Rhode Island. I greatly appreciate your help. :)

Public Comments

1. get them appraised from a few places, and round out the answers they give you. if one if really low or really high, then you know that place is probably not the most accurate. another great place is ebay, but maybe not the most accurate. also just google search if you know the year and model and stuff like that. :)
2. Well it depends on what it is really. As the other answerer said, get various appraisals and take an average. Dealer will be giving you a "their price" , not necessarily what it is worth on the open market. Also, research the pieces so you know exactly what you have before you start. You don't say what sort of antiques but for instance, if it is silver, look for the hallmarks. It is even worth investing in a Hallmark handbook if it is silver or gold. Then you will know who made it, where, when, what it is etc etc. Same with Porcelain. Look for the makers marks and research it. Thomas Till for instance is very well documented on the internet. Beswick animal figures are similarly well documented. Look for the pattern number. 992 for instance is a small bluetit. Glass is a different matter as there are usually no makers marks and it is a bit more difficult to research what you have. Old glass make have a dimple ( called a Pontil mark) on the bottom. This usually means it was hand blown as it is where the glass rod ( called a Pontil )was attached during blowing. Have fun