It’s pretty hard for me to pay retail these days. Not after seeing how little items go for at auction.
The key is knowing when these items are up for sale. You can find that out by checking out auction sites in your area via auctionzip.com. Most auction houses announce on their websites – and with photos – what they will be selling, especially if they have a big sale of special items.
Take one of my favorite auction houses. A week ago, it sold about 100 lamps, sconces, chandeliers, lighting parts, glass globes, andirons and fireplace screens from an antique lighting store whose owner had retired. An ad for the company on the web said that it sold, repaired and restored antique lighting. Weeks before, the auction house had announced the sale and then advertised it with photos on its website.
The lighting appeared to be more vintage and modern to me (rather than antique, defined as being 100 years or older). The most elaborate was a tall white floor lamp with curved leaves and petals at the top, and a 1950s look. It was a little much for me, but someone loved it enough to pay $175 for it.
No one seemed to be interested, though, in the glass globes (even at $5 for about 15 of them on one table). Two tables of them remained after the sale, including some pretty soft yellow ones for a chandelier. The auctioneer asked me if I were interested. What would I do with globes?
Fewer than 10 people followed the auctioneer as he went from piece to piece, starting with table lamps, including a nice brass desk lamp that I bidded on at $5 when no one else seemed interested (and which I really didn’t need – beware of this at auctions!). I was outbidded by a regular who got the lamp for $9 and like me admitted that he didn’t need it, either.
In all, many of the fixtures sold for about $2 to $60 (a lot went for less than $10). Few were sold for more than $100. I wasn’t around when the auctioneer sold the brass sconces, about 25 to 30 of them hanging on a wall. You can’t get lighting at these prices at your local home store, especially ones with some age and good crafstmanship.
Here are some tips on buying antique lighting that I found on ehow.com. Be sure to check and update the wiring (by a professional) for safety. This site offered some information on the styles of antique lighting, and this lighting company has some beautiful antique lighting for sale.
Here are photos of some of the lighting sold at the auction. (Click on each photo below rather than viewing through PicLens.)
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