Photo courtesy of Earle D. Vandekar Antiques

When you have antiques in your home and want to sell your home what do you do with your antiques? Well it depends on the situation. Are you going to keep your antiques and move them? If so do they stay in the house or do you pack them up? Is this an estate, how many antiques are there, do you want to keep the antiques?

If you are keeping your antiques and this is simply a move to another house your next steps depend on the fragility of the pieces. If you have porcelains and other ceramics that are not in cabinets you may want to remove them from the home before allowing showings. Furniture and paintings are different as they are not so fragile. Other items that are small and portable you may decide to remove. In cases where collections are worth significantly more than the home, you may request the listing agent to be present at all showings as a precaution.

 If it is an estate there are several steps. Firstly you need an appraisal for estate taxes etc. Secondly you need to decide what you will do with the antiques at this stage. Are you able to donate them to a museum? If the collection is important enough a museum may be willing to accept them with certain conditions. Preferably if this was the case in an estate this should be worked out ahead of time as donations to museums can take a long time to arrange and agree upon terms.

If you decide to sell the antiques the decision of what to do with the antiques and the house may be decided on location. If the home lends itself to an on-site auction and the number of antiques is sufficient it may be suitable to auction not just the antiques but the home as well. Even if the home is not auctioned, the antique auction can bring a lot of good publicity to the house enabling it to sell more quickly.

If the home does not lend it self to an on-site auction you need advice on where and how to sell the antiques you wish to dispose of. Not all items should go to New York for sale, but also not all items need be sold locally either. There are also alternatives to selling at auction, private sales can be arranged with other collectors, dealers or even museums for single or multiple important pieces.

I have advised several clients on the way forward, soome pieces being sold at local auctions, some pieces being sent to one of the major auction rooms in New York and even connecting clients with dealers who are willing to help the collector sell their collection over time through exhibitions. There are many options and each client has different needs depending on their situation.

For more advice or if you have a question feel free to contact me direct at Nick@VandekarTeam.com

Moving home always seems to be a stressful decision whatever time in our lives we make the decision for several reasons. But as we age, or if we have remained in a home for a long time much of the worry seems to be what to do with all the stuff.

It is not easy but the there are some simple methods to reduce if not remove the stress this "stuff" brings with it so you can be ready when it is time to move.

First you need to break the whole move down into manageable parts so it is not overwhelming. To begin with sort out what you have. If you have collections or antiques are you going to take these with you, give them to children, donate them to a museum or simply try to sell them? Do you have  a catalog of these pieces and receipts for these items as well. If so this all needs to be organized, if it is not already, so that a plan can be implemented with what to do with each piece and so the pieces can be adequately insured. These are all small decisions. If selling you also need to know where you will sell what you have, some pieces can be sold at local auctions but better pieces may demand higher prices and therefore a better return for you by being sent to a major auction house in New York or elsewhere. If you need advice in this area please contact me as with my background in antiques both as a dealer and in auctions I can offer advice.

Secondly, the things you have held onto for years that are not worth anything and have no emotional value either, need to be disposed of. This can be done in several ways, from the simple dumpster, to calling someone who may see some value in it to take it away.

You need to decide what furniture you need in your new home, maybe you have large pieces and your new home will not hold such large pieces, maybe you just have too many pieces of furniture, again you need to decide what you will do with these. There are many charities that will give you tax receipts for unwanted furniture that will help others who are just starting out.

Are you going to use a mover or are freinds and family helping you? If using a mover get some reccomendations and ask for estimates. Many companies will estimate over the phone without coming to see what needs to done, avoid these, you need a representative to come and see what needs moving so you get an accurate price without surprises on moving day. Make sure all boxes are labeled, good moving companies will do this, but add your own labels if needed. Unmarked boxes often get left unpacked.

Obtain adequate insurance coverage for your pieces, if you have antiques check with your home owner policy or agent to make sure you are covered for a move so you dont end up with a problem later.

If you have questions, or need advice feel free to contact me at Nick@VandekarTeam.com. I have several contacts in move management services as well who can help with the whole process.

Whatever you buy new loses value as soon as you buy it and leave the store. Very few things actually increase in value, some rare production cars, some collectible items such as baseball cards etc. Antiques and some art, however, do not lose their value when you buy them. Whilst they do not necessarily have an immediate increased value, although some do if you have bought well, they do maintain their value.

Therefore they are an excellent way to furnish your home, if you can incorporate them into your style of design and living. Thhere are many items that can easily be incorporated, furniture, paintings, ceramics, sculpture etc. Many of us when we think of antiques or art think of what we know best, but their are many different styles and periods that you can incorporate in decorating your home.

Some of the pieces I personally like are Asian because they have very clean lines, they have classic designs that work well with many homes. For example Chnese furniture can be incorporated into almost any room as a side table or coffee table. Chinese pottery forms add wonderful touches in a room setting without being over powering. Chinese art ranges from wonderful paintings of flowers to landscapes and even contemporary Chinese art is drawing high prices.

Another angle to use is to use a clorway, as many people love blue and white, you can use these colors to decorate and highlight with antique pieces as lamps, if correctly mounted this does not affect their value, and then you can mix and match different peices, some Asian porcelain with European pottery. Nearly every ceramic factory started with making pieces decorated in blue and white, using cobalt to provide the blue coloring when fired.

Not only are these antiques a good investment, they add an interesting touch to your home, from the story of purchasing, to the story behind the pieces themselves. who handled them, how were they used, what is their history, these all add to the fascination of  using antiques to decorate your home.

There are many ways to begin using antiques, at first just buy some accent pieces and see how you like the look as you develop your own style and taste. You will find dealers who are ready and willing to advise and share their knowledge and as your knowledge increases you can buy at auction with or without advice from a dealer you trust. Generally any good dealer will guarantee to buy back from you any piece that he sells to you for what you have paid for it. Another major benefit of buying antiques is that it helps the environment and allows continual production of new pieces to be reduced allowing forests to recover from the continual cutting that new furniture construction demands. So consider going green and making your next purchase something old or antique. A great place to stop by is this year's Main Line Antique Show to be held at Valley Forge Military Academy and College from November 22-23rd 2008 to see what you can add to your home.

The Main Line Antiques Show opened this evening, November 30th. As one of the sponsors of the show I shot some video footage on a new flip video camera Trudy, my wife gave me for my recent birthday. I hope you enjoy. The show is being held at Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, PA on Radnor Road. The show is larger this year and has very good dealers exhibiting good antiques and jewelry. It is Open on Saturday December 1st from 10 am till 5 pm and on Sunday December 2nd from 11 am to 4 pm. Elinor Gordon will be giving a lecture on Saturday morning on Chinese Export Porcelain.

Mark your Calendar!   

The Main Line Antiques Show returns to Valley Forge Military Academy & College in Wayne, PA on December 1st and 2nd!  Admission is $6.   The show features top quality dealers and, due to demand, has expanded in size this year. The show benefits Surrey Services for Seniors in Berwyn and Broomall, an organisation helping Seniors stay in their homes and running different programs for seniors at their center in Berwyn.

On Saturday Elinor Gordon, a recognized expert in Chinese Export Porcelain will give a lecture.  Tickets for the lecture are $50 per person and include two day show admission.  

The Preview Party will be held Friday, November 30th, 6pm-9pm.  Individual tickets are $50 per person and include two day show admission.  

For further information or to purchase tickets for the Preview Party or the Saturday Lecture, please call 610.647.8632.  

Be sure to check out the website:  www.mlas.org  

Great chance to do some Christmas shopping and get something original this year.

I got an invitation to a new show to be held at the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia today.  It is going to held November 30 thru December 2nd. titled WinterFest at Valley Forge, A Holiday Celebration it is aimed at all those who want to warm their homes. They will have Santas,Pottery, Story Telling, ornaments, Home Accents, Furniture, Specialty Foods, Exterior and Interior Decor, Carvings, Holiday Carolers,Gift Wrapping, Holiday Crafts, Candles & Potpourri and other unique gifts. For more information go to www.goodrichpromotions.com. Admission is $7 and is good for all three days.

This is the same weekend as The Main Line Antiques Show being held to benefit Surrey Services for Seniors in Berwyn being held at Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne. For more information go to www.MLAS.org. You have a great opportunity to hear Elinor Gordon, a renowned expert an author give a talk about Chinese Export Porcelain on Saturday at the show for an additional fee to entry.