Whether you're building your own collection or finding collectible pieces to sell, antique knives are a fascinating and rewarding item to purchase. Antique knives and swords don't merely fill out a display case; they bring a piece of history into the lives of the collectors and provide a compelling gateway to understanding the past. Identifying and valuing these pieces, can be difficult.
Instructions
Identifying and Pricing
1. Consult an identification guide book. For the new collector, the first resource that should be consulted is the relevant identification guide. Historians and antique dealers compile extensive indexes of knives that fall within a certain category. There are specialized guides available for every war, continent or historical era. These guides help collectors identify individual pieces by examining the style, construction, and other details of the knife or sword. A good general reference would be "The Official Price Guide to Collector Knives" by Houston Price and Mark Zelesky.
2. Determine whether or not the knife is a rare piece. Antique goods gain their value from several factors, and knives are no different. Rarity will always make an item more expensive than more commonplace items. The condition of the knife or sword, the materials used, the style and construction, all of these elements are unique for each piece, and will help determine its market value.
Knowing which markings are features are authentic is also essential to avoid paying too much for cheaply made reproductions. Collector Ric Savage, on his website SavageStation.com, points out many fakes that are easily identified merely by familiarizing yourself with common manufacturers marks.
Perhaps more important to the individual collector is the value that they themselves place upon an item. Their own interests and passions will play a large role in building a collection, and these interests may make an item quite valuable to them, even though it might otherwise be inexpensive. When buying and selling knives, one should always bear in mind whether they are purchasing for their own collection or for profitable resale.
3. Research the previous ownership of the knife. Because the historical background of an item is so central to both its market value and its worth to a collector, it is important to learn verify a knife's authenticity. Many items that have already been part of a collection, or that are sold through an antique dealer, will come with records indicating previous ownership and the original source of the item.
Others, such as knives found through flea markets or second-hand stores, may have no identifying information with them at all. In these instances, it falls upon the purchaser to learn more about the piece. They may consult an identification and pricing guide, examine the knife and determine its unique characteristics, or they may have the knife appraised by an established dealer or appraiser.
Tags: identification guide, knife sword, make item, market value, previous ownership
