Consumer Protection

Be a Smart Antique Shopper

LITTLE ROCK - Many Arkansans love antiques, and even casual buyers enjoy spending carefree summer days travelling the back roads of the state on "antiquing" adventures.

Buying and selling antiques and collectibles, after all, is big business. As with any big business, however, the chance for fraud arises. The best way to make certain a purchase is authentic and not a replica or imitation, consumers should enter antique stores armed with knowledge as well as with their wallets.

"With any sizable purchase, consumers should know what they are shopping for and what to look for in order to obtain the best value, and shopping for antiques is no different," Attorney General Dustin McDaniel said. He issued today's consumer alert to help antique shoppers obtain that knowledge.

For starters, pay attention to the terms being used. According to the Federal Trade Commission:

• An "antique" is an item that's at least 100 years old.
• A "collectible" is just about anything that people collect. The age of a collectible is not important, except if an item is labeled a vintage collectible. A vintage collectible is an item that is at least 50 years old.
• A "reproduction" is an item created to look like an original, but that has no value in the antiques world. For example, new furniture can be manufactured to resemble styles from the 18th century, like Queen Anne, Chippendale and Hepplewhite. The same is true of antique reproduction jewelry - the items are not old; they simply are manufactured in the style of a certain period, like the Victorian era.
• Depending on the quality of materials and the manufacturing process, a reproduction can be expensive, but not nearly as expensive as an original. You also may see or hear the term "repro." Repro is not short for reproduction. Some people use the term repro to describe a new item that has been purposefully created with the intent to deceive and sell at its genuine counterpart antique price. Essentially, a repro is a fake. For example, an unscrupulous dealer may knowingly try to sell you a repro Tiffany lamp as an original.
• "Price guides" are books filled with technical information on specific antiques, brief histories, references, short descriptions, photos, and average retail prices. The prices listed can't take certain variables into account - like the condition of a particular item or its popularity in a particular location (for example, an antique platform rocking chair may be more popular in one part of the country than another).
• Price guides can be general or specialized: some cover a broad range of antiques, from furniture to ceramics. Others specialize in items like American pottery and porcelain, Oriental decorative arts, furniture from the Arts and Crafts movement, or pressed glass. Price guides are updated routinely. Make sure you consult the latest editions.
• "Auction catalogs," published by auction houses, suggest how much selling price varies from asking price. Get a catalog before a sale, and ask to receive the "prices realized" list, which details what items actually sold for. Items are worth what people are willing to pay for them. Prices can rise quickly and dramatically if bidding gets heated.
• In addition, avoid buying an antique on a whim. Instead, research the items you want before you buy them. This may include visiting antique shops, malls, and auctions; talking with collectors and reputable dealers; and reading price guides, auction catalogs, books, and magazines on the items you're interested in buying. The more you know, the less likely you are to buy something that isn't what you thought, or to pay more than you should.