How To Detect The Old and Recognize Valuable

The experts on the Antique Roadshow know their stuff.  They also know a few tricks.  Here's a sampling.

• Earthenware or not?  Touch it with your tongue.  If it sticks, it's real!
• Could it be Tiffany?  Carefully tap on the side of the lampshade and listen for the unmistakable "Tiffany Whisper."
• The number of prongs on a fork are a tell-tale sign of age.  Is there 4 or maybe 5?
• When it says "Made in ..." it was almost certainly made after 1912!
• Repair spots on silver pieces may diminish the value.  How do you tell?  Breathe lightly on the piece of silver in question to reveal the repair.
• Looking carefully at the architecture of any building pictured on a needlepoint sampler helps to date it.
• The key to dating old lamps is determining what type of oil was used in the lamp.
• When you see the letters "EPNS" on silver, you know two things:  1) It's not very old, and 2)It's not silver!
• Examine the signature on an old painting from the side, if it appears to be "floating" on the canvas, it was probably added later.
• The best day to go to an auction is on a rainy day!
• Anniversaries, centennials, birthdays and death days all add value to the item for sell. So, check your calendar.