Antiques (Antiquitäten)

What still sells today

There is demand for: Biedermeier and Art Deco furniture, design classics of post-war modernism, mechanical watches and longcase clocks, jewellery and silver, oil paintings and prints by known artists, genuine oriental rugs, musical instruments, scientific instruments, old cameras, militaria and first editions.

Demand has fallen sharply for Gründerzeit and period-style furniture, for collectible porcelain and mass-produced figurines, for pewter and crystal, and for dark-stained furniture in general.

Condition and originality decide the price

A restored piece of furniture is often worth less than one in original, if used, condition — provided the substance is sound. Later coats of varnish, replaced fittings or refinished surfaces reduce the value considerably.

Hence the rule: do not «tidy up» anything before it has been valued. Sanding down an old cabinet and repainting it before a sale usually destroys most of its value.

Provenance

For valuable pieces, the documented history of ownership can move the price substantially. Purchase receipts, old photographs, correspondence, expert reports or mentions in an estate inventory should therefore be kept and handed to the valuer — not thrown out with the rest of the paperwork.