A Glass Door Handle – Is It Really An Antique Or Not

Posted on August 21, 2010 | Category: Decorating Trivia, Featured

When you’ve decided to buy a glass door handle or a glass door knob and have decided you want something “antique”, you should probably understand what antique really means.  It’s nothing to be embarrassed about if you don’t because “antique” is used so frequently as a marketing term that many people these days have lost track of its real meaning.   Understanding its real meaning would make a difference when you’re shopping for a real antique glass door handle or door knob.

In general terms, an antique is something that is an old collectible item.  It becomes “collectible” because it is a rare item.  There was a time that the item may have been common but because it’s now a rare commodity, the item is a collectible.  However, throwing around descriptions as “old”, “rare”, and “collectible” doesn’t necessarily make an object antique.  You can own an item that’s not more than 30 years old that falls into those three descriptions and not be antique.  Therefore, a more specific definition is needed.

Definitions of “antique” vary according to who is defining it.  Some will argue that the item needs be at least 100 years old while others define it as having to be only 75 years old.  The most generally accepted definition, however, is that antique is an object that’s at least 100 years old.  With that said, a glass door handle that is 100 years old or more is an actual antique.  There are other categories for old items in which a glass door handle can fall under.   These include vintage and collectible. Like antique, these terms are used for marketing purposes to suggest age and rarity.  However, they are usually items much less than 100 years old.

Why do these definitions make a difference when you’re just buying a glass door handle?  When shopping for a rare item and not a facsimile, it’s important to be as informed as possible.  You can protect yourself as a consumer knowing what these terms really mean.  If someone is selling an item that is a collectible but is selling it as an “antique” at a price that a real antique would fetch, you may want to ask details about it.  You will want to know its age for starters.  Understanding even more than the seller knows might even bring the price down.

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