Are My Antiques Worth Money?

When you’re downsizing your home or cleaning out a loved one’s estate, it can be overwhelming.

You have to dig through decades of “stuff” and you’re afraid of throwing away anything that might be valuable. 

You can always use apps like Valuable to upload photos and see what comparable (or identical) pieces are selling for. 

What if an otherwise valuable piece is damaged or broken? 

Well, you go to Mumford Restoration.

Mumford Restoration is the name in antique and furniture repair and restoration, not just in Raleigh, North Carolina, but across the United States. 

Our clients trust us to help them decide whether or not to invest in antique or collectable they hope to sell.  

Since our founding in 1982, we have maintained our reputation as some of the most principled antique restorers in the business.

Which antiques and vintage items are valuable enough to justify the work?

Here are a few things to look for. 

Photos Above: An antique oil painting and a Lane Buffet that Mumford Restoration brought back to life!

Mid-Century Modern Furniture and Decorative Items

Clean lines and tailored upholstery are hallmarks of mid-century modern interior design.

These sleek characteristics have always made MCM style attractive to collectors. 

But it was Mad Men that expanded MCM’s appeal to the general public. 

Since then, mid-century modern furniture (particularly chairs and sofas), lamps, art, glass, and kitchen items have been a hot commodity. 

Original 1930s-1960s items can fetch thousands of dollars at auctions, but beware of reproductions! 

Vassily chairs, Eames chairs, and Arco floor lamps were so iconic that they inspired countless knockoffs over the years. 

If you need help get your collectables back to their old selves, look no farther than Mumford Restoration!

Photos Above: A Midcentury Modern chair and buffet that are as beautiful as ever, thanks to Mumford Restoration's artisans!

Chandeliers and Sconces

Don’t throw away an antique or vintage light fixture just because the wiring is bad!

Collectors and historic home owners are always looking for beautiful old chandeliers, overhead lights, and sconces. 

Antique chandeliers are particularly valuable if they are ornate or unusual, but even simpler lighting elements can bring a fair price.

It all depends on the design, age, and rarity of the piece. 

A good restorer can help you clean and rewire your antique lamp. If you need assistance, we're here to help!

We have countless clients who've shipped them to us over the years.

Check out our antique lamp and chandelier before and afters!

We can  install new wires and sockets and take your chandelier from haunted-house nightmare to Biltmore-worthy dream! 

Photo Above: One of the many chandeliers Mumford Restoration has cleaned, restored, and rewired!

Toys and Games

Now, collectors keep their limited edition Funko pops, Barbies, and action figures mint-in-box and sometimes even in additional protective plastic cases. 

That wasn’t always the case. 

Before the collection craze seized American culture, toys were intended to be played with! 

Tiny metal trucks excavated sand boxes, Barbies played in swimming pools, and baby dolls were force-fed mud pies. 

That’s why these vintage toys are so precious–so few survived their young owner’s adventures! 

If you have a toy made in the days when playthings were actually played with and not locked away like gold at Fort Knox, you might have something worth selling. 

Mumford Restoration has restored toys such as:

• Sleds
• Metal Trucks and Cars
• Pedal Cars
• Wagons
• Arcade Games
• Pinball Machines 
• And More!

If your vintage toys and games need help, you can trust Mumford. 

Photos Above: Two vintage pinball machines awaiting repairs in Mumford's  workshop and one of our completed projects: a vintage pedal car!

Occupational Items

Did your great-grandpa work for the railroad and keep some of his equipment?

There are collectors out there who prize original antique lanterns and other railroad occupational items. 

The same thing goes for antique fire-fighting and law enforcement paraphernalia: helmets, uniforms, badges, etc. 

If you had family members in certain professions, their vintage or antique gear might be worth a great deal to the right collector!

Photo Above: An antique fire extinguisher Mumford Restoration made downright gorgeous again!

Signs and Metal Items

That antique metal sign from Grandpa Bill’s gas station might seem boring to you, but collectors could climb over one another to buy it! 

There are a variety of antique and vintage signs to look out for: neon, metal, wooden, hand-painted, stenciled, factory-made, etc. 

These signs appeal to more than just sign collectors. They can lure in collectors of:

• Brand names (think of Coca-Cola or old Esso memorabilia)
• Artwork styles
• Typography 
• Vintage Diner Enthusiasts
• General Store Item Collectors

If you see a vintage sign or metal item in good shape, take a look online and see what similar pieces sell for! 

Mumford Restoration has restored more metal and wood signs (and even some scoreboards) than you can imagine.

We have worked on nearly every kind of vintage advertising!

We are such a trusted name, that clients all over the United States send us their antique and vintage signs for repair!

Photos Above: Two examples of Mumford Restoration's metal repair projects.

Art Pottery

It doesn’t have to be an ancient Chinese vase to be valuable!

In the 19th century, many manufacturers began producing incredibly beautiful and desirable pottery. 

There are many collectable art pottery pieces, so look online to see how valuable a particular maker and style is. 

Some of collector’s most respected art pottery makers include: 

• Grueby
• Martinware
• Meissen
• Moorcroft
• Newcomb College
• Rockwood
• Roseville
• Sevres
• Weller

If you find that you have a valuable piece that’s suffered some damage, Mumford Restoration will be glad to help! 

Our art restorers have rescued many priceless ceramic and porcelain pieces over the years! 

Photo Above: A beloved ceramic keepsake that Mumford Restoration pieced back together and color-matched.

Photo Below: A broken vase that has been carefully repaired and inpainted. 

Art

It’s unlikely there’s an undiscovered Van Gogh in your attic. 

Fortunately, a piece can be valuable without being a lost masterpiece! There are countless pieces of vintage and antique pieces of art that collectors love! 

If your piece is damaged, an an appraiser might suggest some art restoration to enhance the value.

If you proceed with the project, Mumford will ensure the gentlest and most effective art conservation
methods are used.

Oil Paintings

Antique and vintage oil paintings can be valuable due to their subject matter or their artist. 

Some artists are not known worldwide, but they can have excellent reputations regionally. 

It’s worth checking for the artist's name at the bottom of the canvas and researching similar looking pieces. 

An appraiser can give you more details about the style, era, artist, and value of your oil painting.

Photo Above: A damaged oil painting that Mumford's art restorer stabilized and in-painted.

Paint-by-Numbers

We think of original art as having value, but did you know that 1950s-1960s paint-by-numbers art is collectable? 

Collectors love the fun subjects of the paintings and appreciate how rare these pieces are. 

Lithographs 1920s-1950s

Lithographs are a printed art that has existed for over 200 years. 

Early lithographs are highly valuable due their age and rarity, but comparatively plentiful twentieth century lithographs are still desirable. 

Popular lithograph artists of the 20th century include:

• Maxfield Parrish
• R. Atkinson Fox
• Henri G. Reynard
• William Thompson

Photo Above: a mid-century paint-by-number flamingo painting for sale on an online auction site.

Textiles

Antique and vintage woven pieces such as rugs, quilts, clothing, and embroidery are some of the most striking and intimate collectables. They were often hand made, which lends a human element to them. 

If you have a valuable decades- or even centuries-old woven piece you’d like to sell, it might need a little extra attention. 

Heavily used items such as rugs, quilts, and clothing may have sustained stains and wear over time. These imperfections could potentially mar an item’s value. 

Even pieces that spent years in storage can have yellowing, insect-damage, and soiling in spite of an owner’s best effort. 

If you have valuable textile art that needs a bit of help, call Mumford Restoration! We can walk you through all of your options.

Quilts

Valuable quilts tend to exhibit small, regular stitching and complex, eye-catching patterns.

Some simpler quilt patterns may still command a high price, as in the case of antique and vintage Amish quilts. 

Collectors also prize patriotic quilts such as:

• War-Time Quilts ( Civil War, Spanish-American War, WWI, and WWII)
• Centennial quilts from 1876
• Event-themed quilts, such as quilts that celebrate the Lindburgh crossing in 1927.

Photo Above: A 1930s Amish Diamond Quilt (Photo listed on Stella Rubin Antique Quilts and Decorative Arts)

Rugs

Did you know that some  antique and vintage rugs / carpets can sell for tens of thousands of dollars?

In 2013, the 17th century The Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet sold for $34 million! 

There are several factors that make a rug valuable: 

• Age
• Origin: 
• Design/Pattern: 
• Material and Craftsmanship

Photo Above: The extraordinary Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet. No, it didn't come into Mumford Restoration's work shop, but we can dream!

Embroidery

Embroidery is essentially using thread to create a picture on fabric. 

Some embroidery can use cotton or silk thread to create images that are somewhat flush with the fabric.

More specific forms of embroidery use specific types of thread or patterns to create pictures.

For example, crewelwork uses thick wool thread to create raised pictures on fabric. 

A decades-old embroidered piece can be valuable depending on the subject, technique, colors, and rarity. Even a common piece can still fetch a few dollars with collectors. 

Above: Mumford Restoration stabilized this priceless historic sampler, a treasured piece from the Burgwin-Wright House Museum in Wilmington.

We mounted it to a 100% cotton conservation-level museum board, matted it with acid-free and lignin-free rag matting, and placed it under museum glass.

This beautiful sampler is now preserved for generations to come!

"Can I Clean my Rugs and Textiles Myself?"

Do not attempt to clean antique rugs or other vintage textiles yourself.

Their age and the thread and yard’s dye content may lead to color bleeding. 

The water may also cause shrinkage and distortion of the textile’s pattern. 

Consult with an appraiser and an experienced textile restorer regarding your textile’s condition and value. 

If you have stained or damaged textiles, Mumford Restoration would be happy to discuss treatment options with you.

Call us today to speak with one of our specialists!

Trusting Mumford

Whether you need to restore a highly sentimental family heirloom or a high-dollar treasure (maybe they’re the same piece!), you can count on Mumford Restoration. 

We are among the most meticulous and reputable antique refinishers and antique restorers in North Carolina.

Clients from across the United States routinely ship or drive their items to our Raleigh workshop.

They just don’t trust anyone else with their priceless antiques and collectables!

We stake our reputation on our honesty and the quality of our work.

Your valuable and cherished pieces are safe with us. 

Call us today at 919-510-6310.  One of our knowledgeable specialists will be happy to discuss your project and all of its possibilities!

Or you can submit an online form and one of our specialists will call you shortly!