antiques pieces

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1. great antiques are cheaper than good modern furniture
2. Spotting the real thing
3. Best Antiques shops in NYC
4. Collecting antique American clocks
5. Collecting antique jewelry
6. Collecting antique playing cards
7. Restoring antiques

Antique furniture also "stores" value better

In contrast, antique furniture retains its value. If you buy a Georgian mahogany chest at auction for $1,000, change your mind and consign it to the next auction, it will probably get around $1,000 again. Allowing for commissions at both ends, you'll have lost $200. But if you hold on to that chest for two or three years, you'll see an increase in value. And the longer you keep an antique piece -- barring your buying at the top of a vogue and selling at its bottom -- the more valuable it will become. It's a much better investment than its modern reproduction, which can cost you $3,000-$4,000 and bring you only $1,000-$1,200 if you should decide to resell it.

Furniture buyers should look for simple lines and consider their space limitations. Buy basic shapes. You won't get tired of looking at the pieces, and they'll be easy to sell if you move or redecorate. Some antiques are especially suitable for small apartments -- for example, drop-leaf tables (often with a drawer underneath for silver and linens) and nests of tables. Very large pieces are often sold at low prices because most people don't have enough room to accommodate them. Similarly, tall chests sell for less than low chests because people can't hang pictures above them.

When buying antique furniture at auction, look closely at the catalog's glossary and definition of terms. Christie's East, for example, distinguishes among "A George II mahogany chest of drawers, mid-18th century" ("the piece is essentially of the period and has not been significantly altered or restored"), "A George II mahogany chest of drawers"), " (no date: "the piece is essentially of the period and has been significantly restored or altered") and "A George II-style mahogany chest of drawers" ("the piece is an intentional copy of an earlier design").

Antique furniture should be examined carefully before purchase. For chests and desks, check the drawers to make sure they move properly, and check the alignment of the runners. Check tables for structural stability. Federal and Empire tables on a central pedestal are frequently top-heavy and wobbly. Open a drop-leaf table to see whether its leaves lie flat or are warped. Are the leaves the same color? Or has the table been sitting in the sun so that one or more leaves have faded?

Inspect upholstered furniture very carefully. If the upholstery is in good shape, the rest of the piece is probably sound or has only minor damage that can be repaired easily. Keep in mind that professional reupholstering adds $500-$600 to the cost of a chair and $800-$1,200 to the cost of a couch.

Other repairs: Any reputable auction house or antique dealer can recommend a good cabinetmaker and tell you what should be repaired and approximately how many hours it should take.

Even first-timers can learn a lot by asking auction-house personnel the following questions:

• Has this piece been repaired or altered?
• Were the repairs done well or badly?
• Will it need work? If so, what should be done?

• Wedgwood. The only way to determine if a piece of Wedgwood is old or recent (assuming it bears the impressed mark of "Wedgwood") is by close examination of the raised relief molding. The earlier works have greater depth and more delicacy.
• Porcelain. The Chinese made porcelains a thousand years before anyone else did. Pieces that were copied at a later date may also have had the original identifying marks copied. (The Chinese didn't do this to deceive but rather to pay their respects to the skill of their ancestors.) Only a real expert can distinguish between the old and the very old.
• Pewter. The alloy of tin and other metals is easily identified by its color and appearance, which are more mellow and subtle than silver or silver plate. If a piece called pewter is marked Dixon or Sheffield, with a number on its underside, it is not pewter at all but Britannia metal, a substitute.
• Ironstone. Mason's ironstone, found largely in jugs made for the home and in dinner services, is the original only if the words "Mason's Patent Ironstone China" appear in capital letters on the bottom.
• Enamels. A dealer offering Battersea enamel does not necessarily mean a snuffbox or needle-and-thread case made at the small factory at York House, Battersea, between 1753 and 1756. The term has come to be used for old enamels made mostly in other English towns in the 18th century. However, the piece could also have been produced within recent years in a factory in Birmingham, or even in Czechoslovakia. The originals are of copper, surfaced with an opaque glass that was then hand-decorated with inked paper transfers taken from copper plates.
• Silver. An old Sheffield plate will show the copper where the silver plating has worn off. This generally means that the piece was made before 1850. Once a piece has been resilvered by modern electroplating methods, it is just about impossible to differentiate it from other kinds of silver.
• China. The patterns are not always an indication of age since copyright is a relatively new idea. In years gone by, one porcelain maker cheerfully borrowed the pattern of a predecessor. The only way to cope with the resultant identification problem, say the experts, is to look carefully until you become savvy enough to recognize a Staffordshire printed earthenware plate by the flowers of its border.
• Collecting in general. When looking around, always be on the alert for items whose design is basically sound. In this way you have the best chance of picking up the so-called antiques of tomorrow. Meanwhile, since more and more Americans have become collectors, and the supply of items made before 1830 (the cutoff date between antiques and nonantiques) is limited, the value of any good old piece increases.

• Arthur Ackerman & Sons, 50 E. 57 ST., 753-5292. Stunning collection of Chippendale, Sheraton and Queen Anne.
• Jean-Paul Beaujard, 209 E. 76 St. 249-3790. Large collection of 19th century furniture, with emphasis on the French Empire.

• Dalva Brothers, 44 E. 57 St., 758-2297. Mainly 18th-century French antiques, including porcelain sculptures, but you can also find a few fine Italian and English pieces here.

• Rita Ford, 19 E. 65 St., 535-6717. Finest collection of antique and contemporary music boxes in the city.
• Edwin Jackson, Inc., 307 E. 60th St. 759-8210. Antique fireplaces, mantels and accessories.

Banjo clocks. In the late 18th century, banjo shaped wall clocks were created. The earliest ones are now as valuable as tall-case clocks made in the same years. At a recent auction, an elaborate early-19th century banjo clock by Lemuel Curtis sold for $15,000. One of uncertifiable make sold for $2,000.

Shelf clocks. In the early 19th century, these more affordable clocks appeared. About two feet high, they fit comfortably on the mantel. Their mass-production methods, devised by Eli Terry and Seth Thomas, were America's main contribution to the clock industry. A good shelf clock can cost from $200 to several thousand dollars.

• The best clocks have, besides age and beauty, all their original parts in good working order. Cases must also be in good condition.
• Replacements or repairs should have been expertly done with methods and materials of the clock's period. With proper restoration, a clock maintains its quality.
• Signatures and labels of esteemed clockmakers enhance value. But fine unsigned clocks also command good prices.
• Embellishments to conform to a current fashion detract from a clock's worth.
• Scarcity is not synonymous with value. Some fine clockmakers made many clocks, all of which command high prices because of quality, not rarity.

For the serious beginner, the best way to buy is through a reliable dealer who gives a written guarantee that the clock can be returned.

Clocks are no longer a good high-return, short term investment. But quality clocks, especially tall case clocks, will retain their value and grow with inflation. Even some pre-World War II clocks may be of collecting value. Two contemporary American clock companies, Chelsea and Howard, are still making limited quantities of high-quality clocks that may turn out to be the desirable antiques of the future.

Antique jewelry is, of course, also marked up for retail. However, other factors besides gemstones help stabilize and increase its value. Setting, workmanship, style, rarity and history all determine price. The passing of time enhances rather than diminishes value. Excellent antique jewelry nearly always rises in value.

Browsing to compare prices and learning what you can from books are basic. Auctions can be instructive, but novices are better off out of the bidding until they have some expertise.

Georgian: Jewelry from the early 1700s to approximately 1830 looks different from any other style in history. Its characteristics are well worth studying. Comparative rarity and aesthetic appeal keep its prices high.

Although Georgian gold jewelry appears to be substantial, it is light in weight. Stones were often foiled (backed with colored metal) to enhance their hue. Glass gems, cut and polished as carefully as real ones, were often set in silver. The brilliant-cut diamond was new to the era and popular, but all precious and semiprecious stones were used, as well as natural Orental pearls, coral and ivory.

Victorian: From 1830 to the turn of the century, a great deal of jewelry was made, and much of it still survives. Victorian jewelry is characterized by massive pieces of heavy gold and silver. Colorful stones and impressive parures (matched sets0 were common. Jewelry with sentimental messages was highly popular.

Most available Victorian jewelry is English-made. American-made jewelry, though simpler in design, is scarce and apt to be higher in price.

Art Nouveau: At the end of the Victorian era, the flowing, sensuous lines of Art Nouveau emerged to dominate design, Jewelry became graceful, slender and feminine. Sterling silver was often used, and popular stones were muted in color or even colorless. Many odd stoneswere also used, and iridescence was highly regarded, Opals, mother-of-pearl, horn and shell were common. Craftspeople aimed for unique designs. Fakes and reproductions are common.

Art Deco: From World War I to about 1940, the angular, shiny designs of Art Deco came into vogue. Its clean geometric lines and contrasts of black and white are still appealing and very wearable. Onyx, enamel, white gold, crystal, diamonds, and jade are characteristic. Although such jewelry is not old enough to qualify as truly antique, the continuing popularity of Art Deco has caused prices to escalate.

A 10-power jeweler's loupe is essential for the serious collector: Check for glued-in stones, thin ring shanks, and poorlymended or broken parts. Signs of repair or alteration are drawbacks. The jewelry should be very close to its original state. Avoid jewelry that has been put together from various pieces, such as earrings from bits of a necklace.

When cleaning, be gentle. When in doubt, do nothing. Avoid overzealous polishing or electronic cleaning. It can be damaging, and it destroys the wonderful patina of age. Soapy water will do for most pieces, but read up on the care and composition of a piece before trying anything.

For home-restoration enthusiasts, Rubin recommends the following books as the best guides in repairing techniques. Most are out of print but can be found in large public and museum librafies.