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77714
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Wedgwood
Wedgwood is one of those household names that we’ve all come across at some point in our lives. Whether it’s from a love of antiques or simply while out shopping for cups, saucers, and plates, the name Wedgwood crops up every time. Read More>>
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77713
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Eco-Friendly Furniture
Eco-Friendly Furniture We’re all under pressure to do our bit when it comes to being environmentally friendly these days, and, inevitably, we’re bombarded... Read More>>
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77712
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Dining room furniture
The dining room is a fascinating place. In the daylight hours its terribly refined, smart, unused and conservative looking. A place were you to visit it on a weekday at 3pm, you’d feel almost compelled to whisper... Read More>>
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77711
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Work Tables
Work Tables The term worktable conjures up an image of a solid, basic, and functional table that was made quickly, cheaply, and... Read More>>
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77710
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Wine Coolers & Cellarets
Wine-related antiques have always been good news when it comes to buying and selling antiques for living. They have a passionate following and are eagerly sought after by wealthier buyers who purchase for pleasure, not out of... Read More>>
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7779
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Sugar & Spice...
and All Things Nice The array of small, interesting, and useful items associated with the daily need to eat is truly massive. Salt cellars,... Read More>>
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7778
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The best value dining tables in the world!
The best quality dining tables in the world – for the cost of a flat-pack wardrobe! Just imagine if you could build a house worth £1 million for the bargain price of £100,000 – wouldn’t that... Read More>>
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7777
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Bargains Galore
Call me tight, but it always amazes me just how expensive new furniture is, especially when you take into account build quality. Take, for example, the humble chest of drawers – something that’s been... Read More>>
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7776
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Miniatures
Before the invention of photography, the only way our ancestors could carry images of loved ones around with them was to commission someone to paint or draw a miniature picture – something small enough to be held in one hand conveniently... Read More>>
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7775
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The Oriental Fascination
We’ve always had a fascination with all things oriental – whether it be the spices, the silks, the pottery, or the culture. There is something of the exotic in... Read More>>
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7774
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Ivory
Now, here is an emotive subject – Ivory carvings... Read More>>
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7773
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Tea & Games Tables
Tea and games tables In the antique business some items are always popular. Tea and games tables are big winners when it comes to being always... Read More>>
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7772
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Clarice Cliff
Clarice Cliff is regarded as one of the most important and influential ceramic artists of the twentieth century. People the world over eagerly collect her pieces, and the demand for her work grows bigger and... Read More>>
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7771
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Bureaus
Bureaus Five or ten years ago an antique bureau was a dead cert for a quick sale and a nice profit, as buyers were queuing up to purchase them. Then... Read More>>
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Desks
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Desks
Desks Desks come in all sorts of guises. From the typical four-legged, simple type of thing made from pine – the sort we all used at school – to the most extravagant and mind-bogglingly expensive Louis XV bronze-mounted and exotic-timbered museum pieces. The first pieces of furniture referred to as... Read More>>
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Antique Armchairs
Buying an antique armchair Antique armchairs are fabulous quality, full of character, very comfortable, almost always unique, and incredible value for money. You can buy a 120-year-old Victorian chair made by a true craftsman from only the best materials for around £50! To buy the same quality new –... Read More>>
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Armoires
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Armoires
The French call their wardrobes Armoires and we love them. Doesn't it sound so much more sophisticated to shout up the stairs to your loved one, "Please close the Armoire door after you darling," rather than, "Oi, shut the blasted wardrobe door when you’ve finished!" Like most items of furniture... Read More>>
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chest
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The History of the Chest of Drawers
The top picture is of an 18th cnetury 'Mule Chest' and the bottom one of a standard 'Chest of Drawers' You can see how the chest of drawers developed from the mule chest - and how the mule chest developed from the 'Coffer' The chest of drawers is one of those pieces of furniture that we truly... Read More>>
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Ceramics
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A History of Pottery & Porcelain
Pottery and porcelain is one of the most fascinating, varied, and affordable areas in which to start collecting antiques. It is also probably the most frustrating and confusing, but don’t let that put you off. Yes, there is an awful lot to learn, but there are so many dealers, collectors, auction rooms... Read More>>
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knole
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Knole Sofa
No one quite knows when the first knole sofa was made, but the most famous one of all is around 350 years old and can still be seen today. Named after the house it has lived in for over three centuries, people can see the oldest known knole in the world at Knole House in Sevenoaks, Kent. Visitors aren... Read More>>
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mirrors
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Mirrors
Glass mirrors date back to the third century A.D. Before this, you might off had to make do with a highly polished stone or piece of metal. If you weren’t in a position to afford one of those though, I’m afraid your best bet was probably to stick your head over the nearest stream if you needed to catch... Read More>>
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pembroke
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Pembroke or Sofa table?
The top picture is a Pembroke table and the bottom picture is a Sofa table. Can you spot the big design difference? The antique business is full of confusing descriptions and terminologies, and a person needs to be reasonably well up on these to understand what dealers or auctioneers are talking... Read More>>
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clocks
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Clocks
The soothing of an ancient clock’s ticking and chiming is something that warms and comforts the soul. If you’re staying somewhere spooky, however, it can terrify the life out of you. Still, some people say every house should have one. The earliest timepieces were probably simple candles with notches... Read More>>
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reupholstery
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Reupholstery
Smelly old cushions, flee infested horsehair and seat springs that flip you backwards and spike you in the rear end for good measure! Oh, the joys of owning antique upholstery. Just imagine for a bargain price, you’ve bought yourself an old Victorian sofa with droopy seats and sticky, worn out... Read More>>
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rugs
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Rugs
The covering of cold, damp, and hard floors with a soft and warm layer is as old as civilisation itself. The first basic rugs were made from woven reeds and straw. They weren’t too great to look at, even though they did do a good job of keeping rooms cosier than otherwise. As time moved on the need... Read More>>
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silver
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Silver
I just love antique silver. It is a complete nightmare to clean, of course, but it nonetheless has given me countless hours of pleasure. I find handling it, deciphering the markings and studying the shapes, to be almost therapeutic. It’s a definite feel-good material that has been used to make ornaments... Read More>>
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tea
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Tea Drinking
I hope you appreciate your morning cup of tea as much as you should. Tea might well be a cheap necessity for most of us, but go back in time two or three hundred years and you would have had to have a bucket load of money to afford such a luxury. Would you still be a tea-drinker if you had to pay an... Read More>>
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dining
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Dining Tables & Chairs
Antique Dining Tables and Chairs Antique dining tables are always in demand, but this time of year (Article published January 2007) is the best time to buy one. Festive celebrations are well and truly completed, so prices naturally dip as auction rooms and dealers realise that the back end of the year... Read More>>
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G-t
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Tea & Games tables
Tea and games tables In the antique business some items are always popular. Tea and games tables are big winners when it comes to being always... Read More>>
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fourposters
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Four Poster Beds
Four-Poster Beds In medieval times only the very wealthy could afford beds. Most people simply slept on the floor on anything remotely soft,... Read More>>
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campaignfurn
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Campaign furniture
Campaign Furniture Campaign furniture is relatively rare, so it’s unlikely that you will come across it in an everyday auction or a dealer’s... Read More>>
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22
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Bronze
A bronze model or statue that is well-cast, finely detailed, and nicely patinated is amongst the most beautiful items you can have in your home. There really is something special about this alloy, which is simply made from varying proportions of copper and tin, with occasional additives... Read More>>
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120
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Glass
Introduction No one really knows when glass was first invented, although we do know that it was in use in ancient Egypt, Syria, and Rome. The basic material was... Read More>>
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3000
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The history of Sideboards
THE HISTORY OF SIDEBOARDS All antiques have a fun side and each has a fascinating history. &... Read More>>
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3001
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Toy Collecting
Toy Collecting. Toy collecting is a relatively recent phenomenon. It all started in the mid-60s and has steadily grown each year. Now it is a huge area of collecting with massive amounts of money changing hands for odd little things that we as kids stamped on, stuck pins in, and chucked... Read More>>
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3002
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What are Dumb Waiters?
Dumb Waiters Basil Fawlty may have thought that he employed one in his Torquay hotel, or today you might think it means a lift or elevator for transporting items between floors of a house, but in antique furniture terms a dumb... Read More>>
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3003
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Who was Thomas Chippendale?
Surely the biggest and best-known name in English cabinet making has to be Thomas Chippendale. We’ve all heard of him and know that his pieces of furniture are worth absolute fortunes, but who was he, where did he come from, and how did his furniture become so well known? ... Read More>>
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