Antique roadshow: How to sharpen your antique-hunting skills

Filling your home with thrift store finds and antique shop buys can certainly inject character and personality into any space. Finding a vintage piece, whether you’re going for a discarded old desk or a precious blue and white porcelain vase, enables you to inject a certain history into your home.
 
Unlike picking a piece of furniture out of a catalog or visiting a showroom and recreating it in your own home, finding the perfect antique requires a different skill set­—being on the lookout for a particular 18th century statue or a set of vinyl records from the 1970s entails knowing where to look, being able to bargain and learning to filter the worthwhile finds from those that should easily be cast away.
 
Sharpen your hunting skills before you set off to go vintage with these quick and easy tips:
 
See the DIY potential. Junk shops and garage sales often sell run down pieces of furniture that are outdated and archaic in their current state. Don’t be quick to ignore these pieces—remember that a fresh coat of paint in a modern color palette or some new upholstery can instantly give an old piece a new lease on life.

Watch out for joints and structural elements. You may want to see whether functional pieces like tables, chairs, desks or beds can still hold up despite their age. You may have to invest a little more in repairs, so checking on whether your bargain still holds up is key in getting a good buy.
 
Do your research. If you are looking for a specific piece, it is good to know how much it generally goes for in the market so you are not duped into paying double or triple its actual value. Make mental notes of prices when visiting both high-end antique stores and flea markets, or even during trips abroad.

Haggle politely. Negotiations are a huge part of playing the antiques game. Make sure you maintain a healthy relationship with your suppliers by making offers graciously. Professionals may approach the business of selling antiques objectively, but many of those wanting to dispose of personal items may carry a certain sentimentality towards their wares and it’s best to approach them with some sensitivity.

Ask always. Discounts are typically not offered until asked for, so be ready to assume that the first price offered can still go down.
 
Come early. When visiting a garage sale or flea market, it is always best to drop by just as the shop opens to ensure you’ve got the pick of the litter. Professional buyers like to purchase their goods by bulk very early in the day—getting there early allows you to scope the premises long before the good pieces sell out and the racks, shelves and displays get messy.

Be back later. Prices usually drop right before a sale closes off and last-minute deals are typically offered by those who want to dispose of their goods completely. Ask the sellers what time they plan on closing shop to get a good timeframe for your return.
 

Have any home and decorating questions for the author? Email her at chinggaylabrador@yahoo.com

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Chinggay Labrador is a freelance writer and stylist, contributing articles on beauty, lifestyle and design to local magazines. Her background in architecture has her profiling trends and homes throughout the region. A travel junkie who likes to frequent Japan and Korea, Chinggay is the former editor-in-chief of Sparkling, a quarterly K-Pop publication and is also the author of Popped and Popped, Too, books based on the fun, frivolity and friendship centered on Korean Pop music.