Holiday season is around the corner and many of us are planning to get a perfect present for our nearest and dearest. As every year it is hard to come up with something new, thoughtful and not overly priced. If you want to get something other than the latest electronic gadget or a fresh pair of leather gloves, it’s time to look on a second hand market. Check out our present guide and learn more about our top 5 ideas for perfect pre-loved gifts!
There's a lot of information online about free valuation and appraisal reports, the various reports available, what they offer and who benefits from them. So, we thought we would collate all that we know about valuation and appraisal reports, particularly given that we are the world's number one online valuations service.
written by Valerie Hammond
Everything old is new again and that brings new meaning to the term “recycling”. We all have “bits and pieces” purchased, given by family or friends, and all things bright and beautiful aren't always as clean and shiny as they could be. As the holiday season approaches, and we prepare to entertain family and friends, it's the perfect time to polish and shine items which have lost their gleam. Read further and learn the best methods to keep your antiques nice and fresh using natural products.
written by Nicholas Skeaping
With Halloween just a few weeks away, we take a look at the selection of the scariest, disturbing and most terrifying art pieces created from the birth of the Gothic art movement up until today. Read more about the artist behind those terrifying pieces, and get some ideas of what to decorate your walls with if you want your guests feel the Halloween spirit even more.
written by Patrick Morgan
With new laws in place, more museums are keen to return unethically and illegally sourced artifacts to the countries of their origin. Read more about the recent art repatriations and why now more than ever before, it is so important to build an ethically sound collection.
written by Martin Snape
Granny’s attic is cooler than ever! Amazingly the pared-back and sleek modern designs of the 1950’s and ensuing decades have been with us for sixty to seventy years. In another generation they’ll be officially antique! The furniture of this period has been around long enough for it to fall out of fashion leading to a certain amount of inevitable destruction, but is now enjoying a reappraisal.
Does the wedding ring you inherited from your grandmother have any value? Could the bracelet you picked up at the antique store be worth more than you thought? Fine jewelry is precious and highly valuable for many people, as it is easy to appreciate such beauty and history.
written by Luke Honey
The appeal of the toy soldier is as old as recorded history. Toy soldiers, or at least, more accurately, 'soldier figures in miniature,' have been discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs in Ancient Egypt. The Romans manufactured miniature soldiers in lead- found in excavations in Spain, Britain, Germany, and Ethiopia- and intended, possibly, as children's playthings.
written by Patrick Morgan
NFTs, crypto-currency, the blockchain. These are the investment buzzwords of Millennials and Generation Z. Digital wallets and virtual assets are certainly here to stay, but can they transform how we see, feel and appreciate art ? Or, for that matter, how we buy and sell art?
The aim of this article is to give a brief overview of this area of the antique furniture market, and to show what to look for in the category and recent trends in the market. The market has changed noticeably in the last 25 years.
by Angelina Barzey
Exquisite gold plated and encrusted diamond makeup compacts, Marilyn Monroe’s signature red lips, Greta Garbo’s flawless skin complexion… 1950’s was certainly a time where vintage makeup brands such as Max Factor, Maybelline, and Lancôme flourished in the industry. Today, people all around the world are collecting vintage makeup, and some have even sold for thousands of dollars. Read this article and learn more about antique makeup brands throughout history today!
by Tom Orr
For many, comic books are like a nostalgia speedway back to careless childhood. Our favourite and timeless heroes such as Spider-Man, Batman, X-men but also Asterix and Obelix, Tintin, and many others can still make clearing out the attic take longer time than it should. Today the comics are not only considered an entertainment but also a respected art form that inspired many bestselling and loved Hollywood productions and TV series. But did you ever wonder how much your old comic books may be worth? Read our Expert article and find out!
Vintage fashion can provide a thrill for fashionistas, history lovers, and niche collectors alike, so it is no wonder that today the area enjoys such a lucrative market amongst enthusiasts.
written by Joanna van der Lande
Ancient Greek bronze sculpture, 2000 years old Roman marble bust or maybe a turquoise scarab amulet straight from an ancient Egyptian tomb? Although in general those things belong in the museums, the collector's market for antiquities is growing and is as fascinating as ever. Who would not love to have a piece of ancient history in their collection! Read our Antiquities Expert explaining the joys and hardships of collecting ancient artefacts.
written by Valerie Hammond
For centuries the world has been mesmerised with shiny objects and precious metals. Diamonds used to be “a girl's best friend” and a person was thought to be wonderful if they were “worth their weight in gold“. But we also had “the silver screen“, “served on a silver platter“ and, of course, “look for the Silver Lining“ plus many other notable quotes about this wondrous metal.
Gold, shiny bright and very expensive. So, if all that glitters is not gold, could it be silver? Silver, a precious metal, shiny, bright and far more affordable.
written by Crispian Riley-Smith
It happens very rarely that the drawings by major Old Masters, such as Michelangelo come up for auction sales. And yet, the Art Market is full of surprises! Read a first hand report from this historical sale last month!
written by Urszula Frick
Whether it is an old photograph of our late relative, a majestic depiction of a royal in a coronation suit, or one of the many unknown faces caught in glittering baroque frames in a museum gallery, portraits are one of the most powerful images humans can create. Not only because they show a specific person but also because they often are a reflection of this person in a certain moment of their life, through the eyes of an artist.
written by Patrick Morgan
In the process where Western World is trying to make amends for its colonial past, many of the artworks got caught in the dispute of where they belong. Art repatriation is a delicate subject and as the objects looted during colonialism or war should be returned where they belong, the matter seems to still lack the clarity. Read more about the processes of cultural repatriation of art ant antiquities to the countries of their origin, and the influence this process has on the art market.
written by Nicholas Skeaping
Terrier, Corgi, Dachshund, Poodle, Pug, Boxer, Shiba Inu, German Shepherd, Greyhound or Mongrel. The breed really does not matter, dog owners will love them all unconditionally, treating them as family members. Read our article and unravel the dog-human relationship through the history of art.
written by Jean Lafortune
Collecting stamps is probably one of the most popular hobbies there is. You do not need a great knowledge to start just your curiosity and some patience. Your collection can reflect you interests, personality, profession or taste. Read the article and learn more about collecting stamps from our VMS Expert.
