Saving a Fortune: One Piece At A Time

Have You Ever Found a Hidden Treasure?

Have you ever stumbled upon something in a home that turned out to be worth more than the house itself? It’s pretty wild, right? Well, let me share a fascinating story with you. A British couple was cleaning out an inherited house when they discovered an old Chinese vase tucked away. After giving it a good dusting, they sent it off to Sotheby’s, where it fetched an astonishing bid of nearly $65 million! Can you believe that?

And it doesn’t stop there! There was a rare Ming Dynasty vase that had been used as a doorstop in a Long Island home, and it sold for $1.3 million at Sotheby’s New York. Then there’s the guy who picked up a blue and white Chinese bowl at a yard sale for just $35, only to watch it sell for a jaw-dropping $721,800 at auction. Talk about a lucky find!

Understanding the Value of Antiques

Now, while spotting these antiques might not be our specialty, restoring their value definitely is. Imagine you have a beautiful 40-piece estate set of crystal valued at over $1,100. If a firefighter accidentally breaks just one wine glass, the value of that set plummets. Collectors know that a complete set is worth a pretty penny, but a missing piece can significantly decrease its worth. It’s like discovering that your silverware set is missing a fork—it’s a real bummer, right?

But here’s the good news: our contents specialists have the resources to often replace that broken glass, plate, cup, fork, or knife with an exact match—not just something that looks similar. We can find the same pattern from the same manufacturer, using the same materials. And the best part? We do it at very reasonable prices. For example, one site lists a discontinued Lenox estate 40-piece set for $1,195, but we found a single wine glass from that set for just $49.95. So, if a glass gets broken, crisis averted!