Antiquing For Dummies [Paperback]

Ron Zoglin (Author), Deborah Shouse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 1999

“This is a fun and painless way to give yourself a firm grounding in the wide wonderful world of antiques and collectibles.”
Kyle Husfloen, Managing Editor, Antique Trader Weekly and Antique Trader’s Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide

Do you love to poke around estate sales and antique shops, but can’t tell the difference between Queen Anne and Queen Victoria furniture? Do you dream of owning that old Oriental rug or Meissen figurine — but worry that the dealer might gouge you on the price? Do you own pieces you think might be valuable — but don’t know where to go for a reliable appraisal? Relax. Antiquing For Dummies answers all your antiquing questions—and more.

Whether you’re a beginner or you’ve already gotten your feet wet, this fun, friendly guide will give you the savvy you need to cruise, schmooze, bargain for, and care for antiques with confidence. In no time you’ll be able to:

• Tell the difference between real antiques and stuff that’s just old
• Develop an antique hunt plan of attack
• Select antiques based on the 5 key points of the “RADAR Test”
• Discover hidden treasures at garages, estate sales, auctions, and shops
• Get the best deals when buying and selling antiques
• Decorate with antique glass and porcelain from around the world
• Clean and care for your precious finds
• Work an auction—real-time and online

Writing with humor and common sense, Ron Zoglin and Deborah Shouse demystify the highfaluting terminology of the antique world. And step-by-step they walk you through all the antiquing essential, including:

• Different furniture styles and periods of furniture and how to distinguish them
• Dovetails, nails, and other construction elements that offer clues to a piece’s age
• Where to go for the best antique bargains — includes tips on how to bid at auctions in person or online
• All about antique glass, ceramics and silver
• Integrating antiques into your life at home and at the office

Antiquing For Dummies gets you up and running with what you need to know to find, research, and negotiate prices like a pro.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"This is a fun and painless way to give yourself a firm grounding in the wide wonderful world of antiques and collectibles."
— Kyle Husfloen, Managing Editor, Antique Trader Weekly and Antique Trader's Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide

"Whether you consider yourself a beginner…or a dedicated collector, you will find chapters in this easy-to-read book…designed to enhance your material needs."
— Milton L. Talbert, Jr., 1st Vice President, National Association of Dealers in Antiques

Includes Tips on Spotting Fakes!

Do you love to poke around at estate sales and antique shops — but can't really tell the difference between Queen Anne and Queen Victoria? Do you dream of owning that old Oriental rug or Meissen figurine — but worry that the dealer might gouge you on the price? Relax. Writing with humor and common sense, Ron Zoglin and Deborah Shouse demystify the highfalutin terminology of the antique world — and show you step-by-step how to find, bargain for, buy, and decorate with antiques.

Inside, find helpful advice on how to:

• Distinguish between real antiques and stuff that's just plain old
• Develop a plan of attack before you begin your hunt
• Select antiques based on the five key points of the Radar Test
• Accessorize your home or office with antique European, Oriental, and American glass and porcelain
• Clean and care for your precious finds
• Work an auction — real time and online

About the Author

Ron Zoglin has been in the antique business for more than 25 years and owns Brookside Antiques in Kansas City, MO. He specializes in various types of Continental, American, and Oriental porcelain, glass, furniture, and accessories. He is an accredited senior member of the American Society of Appraisers, a certified member of the Appraisers Association of America, an accredited member of the International Society of Appraisers, and a member of the National Association of Dealers in Antiques.

Deborah Shouse is the coauthor of Working Woman's Communications Survival Guide and a contributor to a number of anthologies, including the American Book Award winner I am Becoming the Woman I've Wanted. Her articles and essays have appeared in Redbook, Family Circle, Woman's Day, Reader's Digest, Family Life, and Ms.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (April 27, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764551086
• ISBN-13: 978-0764551086
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #52,956 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Reference

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful read as well as educational content, November 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Antiquing For Dummies (Paperback)

Whether you are someone who breaks for garage sales or the serious collector of rare antiques, Antiquing for Dummies offers information, tips, insight and inspiration. Zoglin and Shouse help de-mystify the world of antiques and collecting and leave you feeling like you, too, can confidently and successfully find treasures that fit your lifestyle and needs. The tips on negotiating are especially helpful and I have never seen them appear anywhere else. Zoglin has spent three decades in the antique business and knows what he is talking about. Whether you are interested in antiquing or not, this book provides an entertaining read, and you will likely not look at a teacup or Granny's old desk again without a deeper appreciation of its history.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST FOR BEGINNERS OR INTERMEDIATE COLLECTORS!, March 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Antiquing For Dummies (Paperback)

I have collected, sold and even appraised antiques and artwork for 25 years. This book is well written, and has valuable insights and tips for the beginning or the intermediate collector. It has very good illustrations, good anecdotes and hints, and is all in all a delight to have and read! I learned a couple of things myself, and have bought copies for my antique collecting friends and colleagues as gifts. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to gather practical and easy to understand tips and facts from authors and experts who obviously have many years of study and work in the field of antiques, collectibles and fine art. For this price, it is worth more than many of my big fancy books on single topics within the field of antiques or antique collecting. This is easy to read, humerous and fun to read, and offers good basic information on many kinds of antiques and fine art which are being collected, inherited and sold. Bravo to the writers and to Dummies!

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I never throught antiquing could be so much fun!, June 12, 1999

By 

Michael Friedman ([e-mail]) (Santa Barbara, Califronia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Antiquing For Dummies (Paperback)

As a sub-novice on the subject, I've always been a little intimidated walking into antique shops. So many pieces that looked so interesting and beautiful, but what hell was I really looking at here?

This chair would look great in my study, but is it really worth $700? Not much point asking the store owner, who'd be the last to point out a serious flaw, or admit that it was horribly overpriced. And when a clark says that this table is neoclassical, can she tell that my sage nod of agreement betrays an utter lack of comprehension about what that actually means?

From what little I did know, I realized that the subject of antiques was incredibly complex, and I for one did not have a lifetime to spend in arcane study. So, basically, my ignorance caused me to stay well clear of something that held a fascinating attraction for me.

That is why I was so happy to find a book called Antiquing for Dummies. I knew the Dummies series fairly well, and some of the computer-related books had saved my skin at work a number of times. But could the same principles of clear, simple and entertaining prose that marked the Dummies series in general really give me enough information to get safely started with antiques? The answer was yes, and in spades!

This book is not meant as a guide for those who are already experts. Instead, it is an exciting, entertaining, easy-to-read handbook that will help give timid new collectors a great overview of a vast subject, teaching them to swim safely in what might otherwise be very choppy waters for the uninitated.

The authors have a wonderful, light-hearted approach that is very non-intimidating and not the slightest bit elitist. They deliberately paint with broad brush strokes so that we can get a real feel for the subject and decide for ourselves which areas to explore more deeply.

Zoglin and Shouse clearly know and love antiques, and they take the position of advocates for the reader. Intead of saying, "this stuff is way too complex for the average person," they say, "hey, antiquing is fun, and with just a bit of knowledge, you can build the self-confidence to beautify your home, enrich your life, enjoy yourself and impress the hell out of your friends."

I love tongue-in-cheek tone and the wide range of information and practical tips. I could not recommend this book more highly.