Criteria For Antiques

When something is inherited, it is only natural to expect and wonder about the value of such inheritance. Secretly, everyone wishes that somehow such inheritance which has been with the family for years may have some intrinsic value based on its history if not of monetary value. Furthermore, everyone hopes that a supposed incredible find in the attic or underground storage would turn out to be an antique with an astounding value.

Not all old items are considered antiques in the same way that not all antiques are priceless and valuable. For a merchandise, a clock or furniture for that matter to be considered an antique, it has to pass certain criteria. There are no blueprint rules governing its qualifications, however veterans in the antique world rule, thus somehow they themselves determine and set the rules.

One criterion is the relative age of the item. It is agreed upon that according to the US Customs Service, that those over 100 years old and over and made it to the present that escaped the harsh environment unscathed are considered antique. Furthermore, a 1930 US tariff act defines antique as any works of art and ornaments manufactured before 1830 as an association to the fact that the invention of machines and its application to production started after that year. Prior to 1830, art pieces and ornaments were primarily handcrafted. Thus those items manufactured and handcrafted under the Victorian Era are now considered antiques. However, as the calendar moves forward, the antique scale moves with regards to the actual age of objects.

Another criterion is beauty and rarity. Some experts consider high style and elegant design thus interpret antiques as masterpieces. With such dimension of antique then, anything from an ordinary unpainted 150 year-old earthen jar or a faceless rag doll is not considered antique. However, many still consider such items antiques in the absence of a considerable monetary value because of the rarity of an object. Such items that were able to reach present times are in themselves extraordinary and do not have any exact replica from present creations.

The third category is provenance. Because of its association with history, an item, though faceless and ordinary may always be called antique because of its age. Of course, one must be realistic that an antique collector collects because of beauty and monetary value and not just because of historical relevance. Nonetheless, even an ordinary tattered comb of King George III of the United Kingdom in the 1800 will definitely earn somebody's attention and money despite its absurdity.

The definition and criteria then varies as the young generation of today may consider a sixty year old jacket as antique which legitimate antique collectors do not. However, certain guidelines apply such that buyers and traders are protected and be guaranteed that what they are spending their money with, are legitimate and original.