As the new year arrives, thoughts inevitably turn to new beginnings, including the prospect of spring cleaning or having a clear-out. If you do decide to de-clutter, downsize or otherwise have a bit of a tidy-up, you may well find things among your possessions that have the potential to earn you a bit of money. If so, here are a couple of tips to remember.
Firstly, don’t spruce up anything antique in the hope of making it more attractive to buyers. You may well find that you damage them or make them less appealing. Dealers, for instance, generally prefer to buy things in ‘untouched’ condition, as it gives them the opportunity to have them restored and build in their own margin. Take that away and they tend to lose interest.
No matter how lacking in detail, if you have any paperwork linked to the items in question, include it with the consignment. It can make all the difference. In many cases, you won’t have any, but if you have memories of that clock sitting on your grandfather’s mantelpiece for the past 50 years, write a note saying so and date it. It may not be much, but it helps a little to fill in the gaps of the piece’s provenance, and that’s what every buyer looks for.
2026 also promises to be an exceptional year for all things American. July 4 will mark the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence, so expect specialist auctions and exhibitions linked to that in the coming months. Will a copy of the Declaration come up for auction? It would be worth putting a bet on that. Around three or four copies of the first 1776 printing, known as the Dunlap Broadsides, remain in private hands. One sold in 2000 for $8.1 million.
It is also the centenary of two of the greatest female icons of the 20th century: the late Queen Elizabeth II (April 21) and Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe (June 1). Jazz great Miles Davis would also have turned 100 (May 26), while Walt Disney would be celebrating his 125th (December 5). October 31, 1926 was the fateful date that Harry Houdini failed to make his final escape. And to show how good the Catholic Church is at keeping records, October 3 marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi.
