Saturday, September 20, 2008

What is an antique?

Generally speaking, an antique is anything that’s at least 100 years old. So that means I'm well on my way to qualifying. Kidding.

This "100-year-old rule" is both the common law definition as well as the definition employed by the U.S. Customs Service. If a piece was made after 1909, it's not an antique—it is, at best, an "antique in the making" (in the case of a fine reproduction). More typically, it's termed a "vintage" piece, a “collectible,” or simply "junk." And there's a lot of that going around these days.


Shown below: A 19th Century Italian Palazzo 68 Light Chandelier:
List price: $680,000 USD


I SWEAR I took this picture myself.