An old collectible item in general is considered an antique. The term antique originates from the word 'Antiquus' which means old in Latin. Because of their beauty, rarity and various other unique features, antique items are preserved or collected with utmost care. These items represent various time periods and ages that human beings or human society has gone through or witnessed. Generally, objects that are quite old are termed as antique items. The main definition of an antique is derived from the real law concerning this term which is prevalent in the US customs office. This law states that anything 100 years old is considered as an antique.
Antique is an object that is generally associated with a high level of craftsmanship. They were also designed with the utmost attention and sincerity to boost up the beauty of the object so that it would seek attention of the people in the near future. Example of popular antique items are desks of the early twentieth century or early automobiles. Unique and exclusive antiques are mostly passed down from generation to generation. Nowadays these valuable antiques are up for sale at various antique shops in various cities and can also be bought directly from antique dealers or auctioned services that function via internet.
Antique is an object that is generally associated with a high level of craftsmanship. They were also designed with the utmost attention and sincerity to boost up the beauty of the object so that it would seek attention of the people in the near future. Example of popular antique items are desks of the early twentieth century or early automobiles. Unique and exclusive antiques are mostly passed down from generation to generation. Nowadays these valuable antiques are up for sale at various antique shops in various cities and can also be bought directly from antique dealers or auctioned services that function via internet.
The antique pieces that are up for sale can be of very high price because of their rarity, but it does not matter much to the collectors because such people are very passionate about these items. However, the area of interest is different for different collectors. Some of them even focus on specific antique period while others may choose specific items no matter which period or age they are of like art, furniture or may be jewelry. Collectors visit various antique fairs, antique shops and also antique auctions in search of these collectibles. Most of the antique items are of great value, but those with specific connection to a noteworthy person or an important moment in history are of great worth.
Technically an antique can be over 100 years old, but collectors mainly tend to focus on certain areas according to their desirability and value. The cost of an antique item completely depends upon its design, quality and condition as per the collectors market. The items that can be termed as antiques depending upon the nature of the article are as follows:
- Furniture
- Art
- Porcelain
- Figurines
- Jewelry
- Watches
- Clocks
The most expensive antique furniture that was ever sold in an auction is a fourteen feet high ebony and gilt bronze Badminton Cabinet. It was custom-made for Henry Somerset, the third Duke of Beauport in 1726. It is said to be the finest Florentine art work of the time. It was sold for a record price of 19,045,250 pounds to Hans Adam II who was the prince of Liechtenstein. Pinner Qing Dynasty Vase was the most costly antique vase ever sold. It was sold at a whooping amount of 53.1 million pounds on 11th November, 2010.
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