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Antiques Auction Houses and Auctioneers make money by selling Antiques & Collectibles to the general public. Most items sold at Auction are consigned to the auctioneer by individuals, dealers or collectors. If an item sells, at the end of an Auction, the Auctioneer receives a fee from the consignors. Since usually this fee is a percentage of the Hammer Price, it is in the interest of the Auctioneer to sell the consigned items at a good price.
The vast majority of Auctions are public events, which means that the bidding audience usually sets the Hammer Price. Therefore, the Auctioneer needs to make sure that the bidders know as much as possible about an item to ensure a fair price for the consignor. In addition to beautifully displaying items in the salesroom and marketing an upcoming Auction sale, it is important that the Auction Catalogue describes and lists the items accurately. Most potential bidders at an Antiques Auction, pay special attention to the maker or provenance on an item to determine its value so that they can bid accordingly.
Often, many Antiques Auction Houses employ antiques experts or Appraisers to identify items and to have them properly listed in the Auction Catalogue. However, most Auctions have hundreds of items for sale and this task can be daunting. Therefore, Auctioneers welcome the opportunity to get some help on identifying their items since this will ensure higher profits and more satisfied customers.
Marks4Antiques.com has developed an easy and quick visual method of identifying Antiques & Collectibles online, especially when it comes to Ceramics and Silver or Jewelry. Antiques marks are divided in Shape Categories that help locate a mark and learn its identity very quickly by just browsing pages filled with marks that look alike. “Using Marks4Antiques.com has cut down at least 20 hours of pre-sale preparation when it comes to our Auctions,” says Kathleen Greenaway, Senior Appraiser for Cambridge Auctions in Sunnyvale, CA. “I am a member of both the American and International Society of Appraisers (ASA and ISA) and have numerous resources and plenty of experience to draw upon. Yet, it is a very vital and efficient tool that we use daily” she continues.
Bidders at auctions also appreciate accurate and correct information on items they would like to buy. When an Auction catalogue is accurate, it helps them find items they are missing from their own collection and are usually inclined to bid more during the sale. In fact, this becomes even more important in cases where an Auction is also broadcast on the web, as is the trend today. Bidders that cannot physically be on location to inspect or “preview” the items, often have to rely on descriptions of these items on the Internet version of the Catalogue. Although many such Internet versions are nicely presented with photos and all, many bidders use “search” features to find items they are interested. So the name of the maker of an item, which is usually the most important aspect to determine its value, is the key element that is used to find it and possibly bid during a specific sale.
As a matter of fact, beyond the level of specific Auction Sales that are also broadcast on the Internet, many Antiques Dealers have Internet storefronts or websites that list and display their items for sale. In these cases, identifying an Antique or Collectible accurately is of utmost importance, since this will become the main way that an interested buyer searching through Google or other Search Engine will find it. In technical terms, the maker of an Antique or Collectible becomes the “keyword” that determines whether an item will surface during an Internet search and result in a sale. It is the most frequently visited online tool that is used to help in this effort, since the information available to members is constantly updated and vetted. Fakes or Forged antiques marks are easily identified, which helps avoid mistakes. In fact, members to Marks4Antiques.com have access to personal expert advice at no additional charge in order to inquire on marks they may have doubts or need to confirm.
“Our experts are particularly careful in addressing members’ inquiries accurately and quickly,” says Lisa Marion of Marks4Antiques.com. “We are very aware that our answers are an important consideration in a member’s decision, whether they are a Seller or a Buyer of an Antique item. We like to think ourselves as ‘antiques experts on retainer’ to our members. For some Antiques Professionals, this advice can be very important to their business.” Ms Marion added.
About Marks4Antiques.com
Marks4Antiques.com was created to help Collectors and Dealers to research Antiques & Collectibles. The successful launch of Marks4Ceramics.com in 2004 was quickly followed by Marks4Silver.com in 2006 and then Values4Antiques.com this year. All websites were designed for use online in order to accommodate the growing number of mobile Antiques and Collectibles Dealers that roam the country to different Auctions or Shows and those that sell or buy online (eBay etc). Subscribing to any of the websites provides easy and fast pictorial methods of identifying and elf-appraising items. An active member can also contact the experts of each website for personal assistance when a mark is not already in the database at no additional cost. To facilitate an unbiased Antiques Research & Evaluation environment, no Trade (buying or selling) of items is allowed through these sites as they are totally dedicated to Research. All staff are avid Collectors, Appraisers and professional Dealers. The company is owned and operated in the State of California, USA.
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