August 2026

Wear, construction, materials, marks and paperwork — the practical signs dealers use to tell a genuine antique from a reproduction, and when to call an expert.

Reserves, estimates, increments and buyer’s premium explained — a plain-English guide to bidding at online art and antiques auctions with confidence.

The words antique, vintage and retro are used loosely — but to dealers they mean different things, and the difference changes value, documentation and how you judge a piece.