Antique shops: How to spot fake goods

Even antique experts can be fooled into buying fakes, so how is an ordinary member of the public supposed to know whether they are purchasing a fake in an antique shop or the real thing? Only experience and knowledge can help you through this minefield, but here are some tips to help you avoid it.

Furniture:

• Be wary if something seems cheap for what it is supposed to be. Don't assume the antique shop has made a mistake

• When buying furniture, stand back and look at the whole piece. Does it look right? Are the legs in the same style as the top or are they more or less elegant than the rest? Could it be two separate pieces of furniture put together to make one? This is particularly common with dressers

• You might think that woodworm holes are a good sign of age. Unfortunately, that is not necessarily so. They could have been put in the piece with a spike. The best way to tell is look at them through a magnifying glass and see if there are tiny cracks coming from the hole - woodworm don't do that

• Look carefully at anything that is described as antique pine. A lot of supposedly antique pine furniture has been made up from old floorboards or panelling, so the wood is antique, but the piece of furniture is not

• Scrutiny of an item often reveals its true age. For example, examine furniture to determine if the manufacturing methods are consistent with the piece's alleged age. Ask yourself, what type of wood was the piece made from? Are there signs of shrinkage? Does the piece show signs of authentic wear or age? Is there evidence of modern tools or construction methods? Has the item been glorified, altered or converted from something else? Does the interior smell old? Are there signs of repair or refinishing? If the item passes these preliminary tests, consider the purchase

Silver:

• There is a very simple way to tell if something is genuine silver; by smelling it. Try smelling an item that you know is silver and then you'll get the idea

• If silver jewellery has a small gold tip on the clasp, it usually means it is platinum

China:

• Look for authenticating watermarks

Synthetic ivories:

• Keep an eye out for these faux ivory names: 'celluloid', 'casein', 'French ivory', 'ivoride' or 'ivorine'. With fake ivory, the grain patterns are added, so look out for very regular patterns as genuine ivory is more irregular

Sunnyside Antiques is a highly reputable antique shop selling quality antiques at realistic prices. We specialise in 17th – 19th century furniture and objets d'art. We also offer a fully comprehensive and professional restoration service. Call us today on 01899 850 552 for more information.