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Article: Avoiding the pitfalls of buying art & antiques.
- Article from:
- Consumers' Research Magazine
- Article date:
- January 1, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Consumers' Research, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Like walking on water, buying art and antiques requires a lot of faith. One has to trust one's tastes, the dealer, and the market. But relying so much on faith when purchasing something valuable can understandably make potential collectors a bit nervous.
What if the Queen Anne chair was actually made less than 100 years ago? What if the grandfather clock was so thoroughly restored that it cannot be viewed as an authentic antique? These concerns would naturally be less troublesome for those who just like the look of the object. However, antiques--which, by industry definition, are objects over 100 years old as opposed to pieces that are newer (say, a 50 year-old ...