Antique value checker
Antique value from a photo: what is it, and what is it worth?
The antique value check identifies the piece and its likely maker and period from one photo, estimates what comparable items actually sold for, and says whether to keep it, sell it or have it appraised.
Your turn
Check an antique value from one photo
One photo of the whole piece in daylight, with its mark, label or serial number in view if it has one.
Method
How the antique value check works
- 01
Take one photo
The whole piece in daylight on a plain background, turned so that its maker's mark, label or serial number shows if it has one.
- 02
Identify the piece
The check names the object, its likely maker, model and period, and the details that tell it apart from similar pieces.
- 03
Estimate from comparable sales
It finds what comparable items sold for recently at auction and online, not what sellers ask, and adjusts for the condition the photo shows.
- 04
Read the verdict
Keep it, sell it locally, list it online, take it to a specialist auction or have it appraised, with the reason.
- 05
Take the next steps
What to photograph for a sale, which marks to show, and what to clean or leave alone.
The result
What the antique value report shows
One report per piece, from the photo you take: what it is, what comparable pieces sold for, and why it is worth that.
What it is, its likely maker, model and period, and what it is made of.
An estimate from recent auction hammer prices and sold listings of comparable items.
Age, originality, rust, repaint, rewiring or repairs the photo shows, and how they move the estimate.
One plain verdict, with the reason.
- Keep or donate
- Sell locally
- List online
- Specialist auction
- Get an appraisal
How to photograph it for a sale, which marks or serial numbers to show, where similar pieces sold, and basic care.
Photos
How to photograph an antique for a value check
Collectors ask for every side and a close-up of the mark. The check works from one photo, so make it the one that shows the most.
- Use daylightNear a window, with the flash off: flash causes glare on glossy surfaces.
- Show the whole pieceOn a plain background, with nothing else in the frame.
- Turn the mark to the cameraA maker's mark, label, stamp or serial number, often on the base, the back or the bed of a machine.
- Show the damage tooChips, cracks, rust and replaced parts: a buyer will ask about them.
- Show the sizePut a ruler or a coin next to the piece: size helps tell similar pieces apart.
- Do not clean or polish itPhotograph the piece as it is. Original condition is part of what makes an antique.
- Do not take it apartPhotograph a mark where it is. Do not remove labels, backboards or parts to reach one.
- No filtersFilters change the colour and hide the surface.
Reference
What decides an antique value
No price guide covers every piece, and a photo alone rarely settles it. An antique is collected for its age, beauty, rarity, condition, use or history, and these are the details a buyer weighs.
- Age
An antique is often defined as at least 100 years old. Vintage and collectible describe old items that do not meet that mark.
- Maker and marks
A maker's mark, a label, a model name or a serial number is where identification starts: on a Singer, the serial number is cross-referenced to find the model.
- Condition and originality
The customary definition asks for original condition. For machines, working order and few missing parts add value.
- Rarity
Mass production began in the United States around 1830, so a scarce model, an unusual decoration or a short production run sets a piece apart.
- Decorative arts
Antiques are usually objects of the decorative arts, from furniture to metalwork, ceramics, jewelry and glass, that show craftsmanship or attention to design.
- Where it sells
Antiques are bought at antique shops, estate sales, auction houses and online auctions; recent sold prices say more than asking prices.
Source: Wikipedia (Antique; Decorative arts); Singer (Sewing Machine Value), as of
Reference
Antique Singer sewing machine worth: model, serial number, condition
Singer machines lead the antique searches. The model and the serial number come first, then the condition.
Founded in 1851 by Isaac M. Singer; its machine was the first complex standardised technology to be mass marketed
Machines over 100 years old, often treadle or hand-crank, count as antiques; machines between 20 and 100 years old as vintage
On treadle and hand-crank machines, on the throat plate or bed, as many as eight digits; on older electric machines, two letters and six numbers on the right-hand side
The Featherweight (made 1933 to 1968) and the 66 Red Eye are among the most collected Singer machines
Working order, little cosmetic damage, a working foot pedal, an intact case, original accessories, and features such as gold decals
Source: Singer (Sewing Machine Value); Wikipedia (Singer Corporation; Singer Featherweight), as of
Reference
Antique lamp value: the fuel and the burner date it
Each kind of lamp came in with its fuel and its burner. Read the burner, and you have a rough date to start from.
| Lamp | From | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Argand lamp | Invented in 1780 | A sleeve-shaped wick under a glass chimney, burning whale oil, seal oil, colza or olive oil |
| Kerosene lamp | Kerosene from 1846, a substitute for whale oil; the modern lamp from 1853 | A burner with a flat or round wick under a glass chimney or globe |
| Duplex lamp | On the market in 1865 | Two flat wicks in one glass chimney, each with its own wick raiser knob |
| Mantle lamp | Popular from 1882 until after the Second World War | A mantle above the wick that glows when heated |
- Lamp
- Argand lamp
- Invented in 1780
- A sleeve-shaped wick under a glass chimney, burning whale oil, seal oil, colza or olive oil
- Lamp
- Kerosene lamp
- Kerosene from 1846, a substitute for whale oil; the modern lamp from 1853
- A burner with a flat or round wick under a glass chimney or globe
- Lamp
- Duplex lamp
- On the market in 1865
- Two flat wicks in one glass chimney, each with its own wick raiser knob
- Lamp
- Mantle lamp
- Popular from 1882 until after the Second World War
- A mantle above the wick that glows when heated
The dates are when each kind came in. A lamp of an older kind can have been made later.
Source: Wikipedia (Argand lamp; Kerosene lamp), as of
Reference
Antique doll value: bisque, china and the mark
What the head is made of, and the mark on it, tell you most about an old doll.
- Bisque doll
A doll made partly or wholly of unglazed porcelain with a matte, skin-like finish; most popular between 1860 and 1900 with French and German dolls.
- China doll
Glazed white porcelain with painted hair, made mainly in Germany between 1840 and 1880.
- Parian doll
White unglazed porcelain, made in Germany from the 1850s.
- Bébé
The childlike French dolls of makers such as Jumeau, Bru, Steiner and Gaultier, after most earlier dolls looked like grown-ups.
- Body
Most bisque heads sit on a body of cloth or leather, or a jointed body of wood, papier-mache or composition.
- Reproductions
Hobby reproductions of 1860s and 1870s heads began in the US before the Second World War, so an old-looking head can be newer.
Source: Wikipedia (Bisque doll), as of
Reference
Antique mirror value, pocket watches and bottles
The same steps work for most old things: the material, the way it was made, the mark and the condition.
- Mirrors
From the Renaissance, glass mirrors were backed with a tin and mercury amalgam; the silvered-glass mirror is credited to Justus von Liebig in 1835. The backing and the frame help date a mirror.
- Pocket watches
Hunter-case watches have a hinged lid over the dial; open-face watches do not. Most antique hunter cases have the hinge at 9 o'clock and the crown at 3.
- Bottles
The automatic glass bottle-blowing machine came in 1903 and industrialised bottle making, so how a bottle was made helps date it.
- Perfume bottles
Glass, crystal and decorated bottles are read like other glass: the maker's mark, the stopper and any chips or repairs.
Source: Wikipedia (Mirror; Pocket watch; Glass bottle), as of
Antique toy value and dollhouses
Old toys, the doll house and dolls in a collection are read the same way: the maker, the material, the mark and the condition. Today's dollhouses for adult collectors are commonly built at 1:12 scale, play houses mostly at 1:18. For tin toys, cars, action figures and plush, the toy identifier reads the box and the brand too.
Scope
What an antique value check can and cannot tell from a photo
A photo can show
- What the piece is, its likely maker, model and period
- The marks, labels and serial numbers the photo shows
- Condition the photo shows: wear, rust, repaint, repairs
- A value range from recent sold prices of comparable items
- Whether to keep it, sell it or have it appraised
Only an expert with it in hand can tell
- Whether a valuable piece is genuine or a reproduction, beyond the signs a photo shows
- Marks, damage and repairs on a side the photo does not show
- Whether a machine, lamp or watch still works safely
- A formal appraisal for insurance, an estate or a donation
Searchers want to know whether they have junk or treasure, and what to do next. The check gives the name, a value range from real sold prices and a verdict with its reason.
Next
After the antique value check: keep, sell or appraise
- 01
Look up sold prices
Search sold listings, not asking prices: completed sales give a realistic price range.
- 02
Ask a qualified appraiser
For insurance, an estate or a donation, use an appraiser who knows your kind of object and works for a fee.
American Society of Appraisers - 03
Ask a specialist
An antique store, a specialty dealer or a collectors' fair can give a ballpark estimate in person.
- 04
Ask a conservator before any repair
A trained conservator can say what is safe to clean or mend.
American Institute for Conservation
Limits
What an antique value estimate cannot promise
Values are estimates from recent sales, not an offer or a formal appraisal. A photo cannot prove a piece is genuine or safe to use: have a valuable piece appraised before you sell it, and an old lamp or machine checked before you use it. We do not buy, sell or bid on antiques.
FAQ
Antique value questions, frequently asked
How do I find the value of an old Singer sewing machine?
Find the model and the serial number first: on treadle and hand-crank machines it is on the throat plate or the bed. Then compare sold prices, not asking prices, for the same model in the same condition. The check reads the machine from your photo and does the comparison.
Are old Singer sewing machines of any value?
Some are. Singer made huge numbers of machines, so most are common; models such as the Featherweight and the 66 Red Eye are collected, and working order, original accessories and decals add value. The check says which kind you have.
How much is a 70 year old Singer sewing machine worth?
At 70 years it counts as vintage, not antique. Its model, its condition and whether it works decide the price; the check estimates it from recent sales of the same model.
How do I get an antique sewing machine value from a photo?
Photograph the whole machine in daylight with the serial number or the model name in view. The check names the likely maker and model, notes the condition and estimates the value from comparable sales.
What is my antique doll value, and how can I tell if a doll is valuable?
The head's material and mark come first: bisque, china or parian, a maker's mark or mould number, and original clothes and wig. Reproductions exist, so the check reads the signs the photo shows and says when a doll needs a specialist.
What decides an antique pocket watch value?
The maker, the case (hunter or open face, and its metal), the movement and whether it runs. Photograph the dial side with the case open; the check names the type and the case and estimates the value from comparable sales; the movement and whether it runs need a watchmaker to check.
How is an antique bottle value estimated?
From what the bottle is, how it was made and its embossing or label, then from recent sales of comparable bottles. Photograph it against a plain background with the embossing toward the light.
What about an antique perfume bottle value?
Perfume bottles are read like other glass: the maker's mark, the stopper, any decoration and any chips. The check estimates the value from comparable sold bottles.
What decides an antique dollhouse value?
Its age and maker, how it was built, its scale and its original furniture and paint. Today, collectors' houses are commonly 1:12 scale and play houses mostly 1:18.
Can an app really identify antiques from a photo and tell me what they're worth?
It gives a first answer: what the piece is, its likely maker and period, and a value range from comparable sales. One-of-a-kind pieces have few comparable sales, so the report says when a specialist should look.
Is a photo scan the same as a formal appraisal?
No. A formal appraisal is a written opinion by a qualified appraiser, usually for insurance, an estate or a donation. The check tells you whether a piece is worth paying for one.
Do you use asking prices or actual sold prices?
Sold prices: auction hammer prices and completed sales of comparable items. Asking prices say what sellers hope for, not what buyers pay.
Is this antique identifier free, or will I be charged after a trial?
Trying the form is free: no card, no account and no trial, so nothing renews and nothing needs cancelling. It works online in your browser, with no app to download.
What photos and maker's marks should I take?
One photo of the whole piece in daylight, turned so the mark, label or serial number shows, with a ruler beside it for size. Do not clean the piece first.
What counts as an antique?
Often an item at least 100 years old and in original condition; old items that do not meet that are called vintage or collectible. Definitions vary by item and by country.
Should I clean or restore it before I sell?
No. Photograph it as it is and ask a conservator before any cleaning or repair: original condition is part of the value.
Do you buy antiques?
No. We do not buy, sell or bid on antiques.
Back from an estate sale?
Photograph each piece with its mark. The antique value check says what it is, what comparable pieces sold for and what to do next.