Antique Allure
Established 1990
 (215) 322-5868
  • facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • eBay Shop
  • About Us
  • Antiques & Collectibles
  • Antique Blog
  • Contact

Shopping for Antiques Around Philadelphia

Published on: March 4, 2020

Shopping for antiques just outside Philadelphia in Southampton

shopping-for-antiques-around-philadelphia

It’s been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But it’s not really a compliment when imitations or reproductions are used to defraud consumers. When you buy what is told is a genuine antique or a vintage collectible, but later learn they were knowingly sold as a fake, it’s fraud.

Buying and selling antiques is big business. You can buy antiques at auctions, shops, shows, and online. You may even discover treasures at garage sales and flea markets. It’s a smart buyer who learns about the differences between genuine antiques, reproductions, and their fake counterparts. Before you shop for antiques, it’s important to understand some terms used in the marketplace.

By law, an antique is an item that is at least 100 years old. A collectible is just about anything that people collect. The age of a collectible isn’t important except if it is labeled a vintage collectible. A vintage collectible is an item that is at least 50 years old. A reproduction is an item created to look like an original, but that has no value in the antique world.

Just as you do your homework before making other important purchases, it’s a good idea to research antiques before you buy them. This may include visiting antique shops, malls, and auctions, talking with collectors and reputable dealers and reading price guides, auction catalogs, books and magazines on the items you’re interested in buying. The more you know, the less likely you are to buy something that isn’t what you thought or to pay more than you should.

When shopping, ask questions:

  • How long have you been a dealer?
  • Do you belong to any professional organizations like dealer associations, appraiser associations, or organizations related to specific types of merchandise?
  • Do you specialize in certain items? Dealers who specialize can teach you a lot about telling the difference between real antiques, reproductions, and fakes.
  • Do you carry reproductions? If dealers have reproductions mixed in with antiques, the reproductions should be labeled clearly.
  • How do you know the item is genuine and not a fake or reproduction?
  • How did you determine the price of the item?
  • What criteria did you use to identify the item?
  • Will you guarantee the authenticity of the item in writing? If the dealer won’t give you a guarantee, don’t disqualify the purchase. Many dealers buy items without absolute certainty about their authenticity but the price should reflect that.
  • What is your return policy? A reputable dealer should agree, in writing, to take back anything that was misrepresented.

If you have a problem with an antique dealer, first try to resolve the dispute with the dealer. If the item was purchased at an antiques show, mall or auction house, report the seller to the management. Make sure you act quickly. Some companies may not accept responsibility if you fail to complain within a certain time. If you can’t get satisfaction, consider contacting your local consumer protection agency for information and help.

To make sure you are getting quality antiques AND service, visit Antique Allure today!

Phone: (215) 322-5868

Email:

Search

Business Hours

Business hours on Wednesday
11 - 5
[Show working hours]
Day Open Close
Monday Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 11 5
Thursday 11 5
Friday 11 5
Saturday 11 6
Sunday 11 4

Antique Allure Store

  • Antique & Vintage Furniture
  • Antique & Vintage Advertising Metal & Porcelain Signs
  • Black Memoribila
  • Candy Boxes & Signs
  • Coke & Pepsi Collectibles
  • Oil & Gas Advertising Cans, Bottles & other Petroliana
  • Primitives
  • Soda & Dairy Bottles & Signs
  • Toys (including pressed metal trucks)
  • Vintage Health & Beauty Aids
  • Vintage Nautical
  • Wooden Advertising Crates
  • Antique Tools
  • Model Trains and Accessories
  • Fiesta
  • Railroad Lanterns & Signs
  • Tobacco Ads

Antique Allure Store

614 Second Street Pike (Route 232) Southampton, PA, 18966

Terms & Conditions | Privacy | Contact

Copyright © 1990 - 2023. All Rights Reserved.

Designed by WebAuthorings.

We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience, analyze site traffic, personalize content, and serve targeted advertisements. Read about how we use cookies and how you can control them by clicking "Privacy Preferences". If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies.

Privacy Preference Center

Consent Management

Read about how we use cookies and how you can control them by clicking "Privacy Preferences".

Privacy Policy

You read and agreed to our Privacy Policy.

Terms & Conditions

You read and agreed to our Terms & Conditions.

How we use cookies

Cookies are little pieces of code that make pages load quicker or remember things like products in a shopping cart.

Cookies Used

PHPSESSID,__cfduid,__hstc,__qca,_ga,_gid,gdprprivacy_bar,gdpr[allowed_cookies],gdpr[consent_types],hubspotutk,mp_a36067b00a263cce0299cfd960e26ecf_mixpanel,wordpress_logged_in_08a6dec7cf92b5f12b1582dca149f9ac,,wordpress_sec_08a6dec7cf92b5f12b1582dca149f9ac,,wordpress_test_cookie,wp-settings-1,wp-settings-time-1

cloudflare.com

Opt Out
__cfduid,

google.com

Opt Out
_ga,_gid