Antique Lamps Are Hot Collectibles

Antique lamps are among the hottest collectibles on the planet. An antique lamp is just about any lamp that's from an era gone by, though legal definitions may vary a little. Some may consider lamps over a hundred years old to be antiques and call lamps below that age "vintage" instead. However, for our purposes, any older lamp can be considered an antique.

 

Of course, if you're thinking about looking for one of these great lighting fixtures, you may need to learn to determine whether or not it's the real deal, or a reproduction. There are a number of factors in determining the age of an antique lamp, including style, markings, and signs of age. Sometimes the style alone will do it. Other times, you'll find that the components are stamped with a date or other information to tell you how old it is. In other cases, you'll need to use old advertisements or photos to date your lamp.

 

Collectors do need to realize that they must educate themselves about their lamps. There are lots of auctions out there, but often these listings are full of information that's vague or just plain wrong! Unmarked lamps may be wrongly attributed to really collectible manufacturers. If you want to use an auction listing as a source, make sure you're dealing with a well known, professional, reliable auctioneer or auction house that has a long history of providing accurate listings.

 

Sources for identifying these older lamps are relatively difficult to find in most areas. The best ones are dealers, appraisers and professional collectors. Their knowledge can be incredibly helpful. However, you need to think about things before you approach them. After all, they're often inundated with letters and messages from people asking how old their lamp is, where it came from, and what it's worth.

 

Many people will give you a quick answer or some advice for free. However, you should remember that any information you get for free is suspect, even if it comes from someone really knowledgeable. That's because it's just not worth it for them to think long and hard about a free answer. If you want a solid answer, you'll need to take your lamp to a professional, and you'll probably have to pay for the privilege.

 

However, you're getting your money's worth, here. Genuine appraisals of antique lamps determine the value and identity of the item by looking carefully at it and comparing real sales of the same lamp or similar ones. The appraisal that results gives you an accurate snapshot of the value of your lamp, as well as historical information about it and its manufacturer.