To Clean or not to Clean, That is the Question

In terms of antiques, the general school of thought is that you don't clean antiques for fear of damaging the patina. In America (unlike the UK where they polish everything to a near new finish) an antique without patina is worth a fraction of the price. I don't disagree with that however...

Here's a pair of sterling overlaid candlesticks, the left one has the original patina, the right one I cleaned lightly with silver cream.

The one on the left looks good here, but the one on the right looks more like silver. Overall it's a toss-up between patina and presentation. But take a look at the same pair presented on a black background:

From the point of view of a dealer, it will be easier for me to sell a pair that looks like the one on the right (if I display them on a dark background). Is it going to devalue the candlesticks? I doubt it. Keep in mind that they're only $75; if they were were worth $750 I would think twice about it.

Here's another example, a 19th century reliquary in before and after states. It is rare and expensive enough that I paid to have this professionally restored. I think the results speaks for themselves; it's still authentic, but now you can actually see that the roof is gold plated (which I didn't even know before), which was hidden by corrosion (aka patina). In this case, I feel justified in asking for more money than I thought it was worth before.

The Secret of Finding the Highest Buyer

I've been wrapping my head around this concept all year in tiny increments, but just recently an example came up that make it easy to understand. You can make money by selling in the right place. Here's the example:

Earlier this year, I purchased at online auction (not eBay), this small brass box with copper and silver overlay in Arabic script. It looked like a nice piece and despite not being able to read the calligraphy, I thought I could double my $150 investment fairly quickly.

 

I took it to every swap meet I went to and tried to sell it. I displayed it prominently at the front of my table so all could see. Many people came, looked, touched, appreciated the box; some asked for a price. I started at $300, then after a couple months of no takers, lowered the price to $250, and later again to $200. I was beginning to feel like I had made a mistake, and the best case scenario was going to be a break-even. Things like this can shake your confidence, and the last thing I need is more doubt.

Anyway, I was putting together a few items to take to a local live auction, and on a whim I added the box in to the other 11 items I was bringing them. Imagine my surprise when I heard the box sold for $800! Turns out there were two bidders who were both intent on going home with the box and dukes it out with their bids.

Although the question "What did I do wrong?" in trying to sell it at the swap meets does come up, I think it is not the right question. The correct question from the very beginning should have been "Where is the best market to sell this item?".

Each item I buy and sell has the optimum (highest price) buyer, sometimes that happens to be on eBay, sometimes at a swap, sometimes live auction. The secret is to figure out what the right market (location where you find the buyer who will pay the most for your item) is for each item and sell it there. I mean some items you can make a good profit on at $20, and there's no sense in taking that to auction or eBay. While other items are heavy, bulky or fragile and there's no sense in beating yourself up lugging them to countless swaps until they sell (unless you're a furniture dealer or masochist).

Now all you have to do is figure out your market for your items, and how to get them there.