With 2026 declared the year of antiquing, its time that everyone gave it a go! So what is “Antiquing”? Well as the name suggests it is about antiques. Its not just the buying of antiques but everything that goes with it! It is about the hunt for antiques, travelling to different antique shops, markets and auctions. Antiquing is the experience, getting out for the day looking around for antiques, having a nice lunch and a pint in a country pub or glass of wine in a deli. Antiquing is a pastime, a hobby, with the thrill of finding some treasure and the fact that you have that item to remind you for years to come of the adventure you went on to find it.
If you are not a seasoned purchaser of antiques, then antiquing can seem daunting and bewildering. How do you know its genuine? Does it suit your style? Is it fashionable? And most importantly how do you know the price is okay!
Where to start
Look up local antique shops on Google, always a handy starting place. Start local and then branch out, if there is an antique centre near, these are great as they have more varied stock from different dealers. Look out for Antique fairs which offer a bigger range of dealers and you can often find a bargain. If you’re a serious antiquer; get there early! Then there are auctions, where deals can be had, but inspect the items carefully, be aware of extra charges, like commission and tax and set yourself limits as it is easy to get carried away in an auction! Markets and auctions are great experiences and you can sometimes do really well from them, just beware that there are no returns with items bought at auction or fairs, while a good antique shop will stand over what they sell you.
Antique pricing
The first thing you have to understand is there are no set prices in antiques! Most retailers buy from wholesalers and work on a set retail price with a profit margin of 25%-80% depending on the sector. But with antiques there is no wholesalers and no set retail price. Antique dealers buy from auctions, house clearances, from people bringing items into their shop and from other antique shops and dealers. They may have a fair idea what the current values and trends are, however general they have to look at an item and decide how much they can afford to buy it for and what they might be able to charge for it.
The best thing to do is to inspect an item and decide on how much you like it and how much you would be willing to pay for it before looking at the price. If the price is scary, keep looking; if the price is pleasantly surprising, buy it; and, if its somewhere in the middle, go with your gut instinct or do some more research. Remember antiquing is as much about the fun of looking as buying, but then again sometimes the item that got away can haunt you.
What to look for in an antique?
You could spend a lifetime studying antiques and still have a lot to learn. But don’t let this put you off. Antiquing is an experience and that is half the fun. In general you are looking for something made of good materials, teak, mahogany or oak, rather than chipboard, ply or laminate. Look under the item, back of drawers and hidden areas, if it looks perfect it is probably machine made. If the quality is good but there are small differences it is hand made. Look for aging and patina in the right places, ie where it would be handled, or on protruding parts. Also look closely for repairs and for the dreaded woodworm holes, these will often be on the cheaper bits of wood like the pine back or drawers in a chest as woodworm will go for pine before mahogany. The more you handle antiques the more you will learn.
There is nowhere better to start your antiquing journey than On The Square Emporium in Belfast, Irelands largest antique Emporium, with over 14,000sq ft of antique and vintage furniture and collectables
For an extensive guide to buying antiques go to the On The Square Emporium’s website Journal section. If you have any questions or you’re after advice on antiques, On The Square Emporium are happy to help.