ordicio

Collecting guide

How to Collect Antiques and Decorative Arts

Furniture, ceramics, glass, silver, clocks and other decorative and applied art from all periods.

Antiques are identified by their marks, their materials and their style, and valued by their condition and history. A good record lets you date a piece, compare it with others and prove what it is - which is exactly what an appraiser or an auction house will ask for.

Getting Started

ordicio follows the departments of the auction houses:

Many collectors focus on one maker or factory, one material, or one period such as Art Nouveau or mid-century design.

What to Record

Condition

Record damage and repairs honestly: chips, cracks, restorations, replaced parts, refinishing and re-gilding. Original surface and finish are often worth more than a bright restoration.

Care and Storage

Keep furniture away from heat sources and direct sunlight, porcelain and glass out of reach of knocks, and silver in tarnish-resistant cloth. Wind and service clocks regularly, or let them rest safely. Steady humidity protects wood, textiles and veneers.

Mistakes to Avoid

Kinds of Antiques & Decorative Arts

The Data Sheet for Antiques & Decorative Arts

The 33 fields worth recording for antiques & decorative arts, grouped as in the ordicio app.

Identification

Object type Text
What the object is, in the most specific common term, e.g. commode, tea caddy, candlestick, longcase clock.
Maker Text
Person, workshop or firm that made the object; write 'attributed to' or 'workshop of' when not certain.
Designer Text
Designer when different from the maker, e.g. Josef Hoffmann for Wiener Werkstaette.
Place of origin Place
Town, region or workshop location where the object was made.
Country Text
Country of origin or issue, by its usual English name (historic states as named at the time, e.g. Kingdom of Bavaria).
Style / period Choice, or your own
Style or period the object belongs to.
22 choices
  • Gothic / medieval
  • Renaissance
  • Baroque
  • Louis XIV
  • Régence
  • Rococo / Louis XV
  • Neoclassical / Louis XVI
  • Georgian
  • Directoire / Empire
  • Regency
  • Biedermeier
  • Victorian
  • Historicism / Revival styles
  • Arts & Crafts
  • Art Nouveau / Jugendstil
  • Edwardian
  • Art Deco
  • Bauhaus / Modernism
  • Mid-century modern
  • Postmodern
  • Contemporary
  • Asian / non-Western tradition
Date / period Text
When the object was made, as precise as known, e.g. 1876, c. 1890, 1920s, 2nd century AD.
Pattern / model Text
Model, form or pattern name and number, e.g. Swan Service, Blue Onion, model 1234.

Materials & technique

Materials Text
Materials the object is made of, main material first.
Technique Text
How the object was made or decorated.
Colour Text
Colour or colours as seen in daylight, main colour first.

Measurements

Height (cm) Number
Height, measured upright as the object is meant to stand or hang.
Width (cm) Number
Width, measured from the front.
Depth (cm) Number
Depth, measured from front to back.
Diameter (mm) Number
Diameter at the widest point.
Weight (g) Number
Weight of the object (without stand, frame or holder unless noted).

Marks

Marks, signatures and labels that identify maker, place and date.

Inscriptions & marks Text
Signatures, labels, stamps, hallmarks, maker's marks and numbers, transcribed as they appear and with their position.
Distinguishing features Text
Damage, repairs or peculiarities that identify this very object (helps to recognise it after a loss or theft).

Condition

Condition Choice
Overall condition in plain terms; domains with an established grading scale use that scale instead.
  • Mint / as new
  • Excellent
  • Very good
  • Good
  • Fair
  • Poor
Condition notes Text
Faults, wear and damage in detail.
Restoration & repairs Text
Restorations, repairs, replaced parts and cleaning, with who did them and when if known.
Certificate / expertise Text
Certificates of authenticity or expert opinions, with issuer, date and number.

Acquisition

How and when the object came into the collection.

Acquisition date Date
Date the object came into the collection.
Acquisition method Choice, or your own
How the object came into the collection.
  • Purchase
  • Auction
  • Gift
  • Inheritance
  • Exchange / trade
  • Self-collected / found
  • Commission
Acquired from Text
Seller, auction house (with sale and lot number), donor or place where it was found.
Purchase price Amount
Price paid including fees and premiums.
Provenance Text
Earlier owners and the object's history, oldest first, with sources (labels, invoices, sale catalogues).

Value

Estimated and insured value.

Estimated value Amount
Current market value as estimated.
Valuation date Date
Date of the current value estimate.
Valuation basis Choice
What the estimated value is based on.
  • Own estimate
  • Recent sales / auction results
  • Dealer offer
  • Catalogue value
  • Professional appraisal
  • Insurance valuation
Insured value Amount
Sum the object is insured for.

Collection record

Your own inventory data.

Inventory number Text
Your own number or label for the object, e.g. C-0042, as written on its label or album page.
Storage location Text
Where the object is kept, e.g. room, cabinet, drawer, album and page, box.

Standards and References

The data sheets follow the standards collectors, dealers and museums use:

Updated October 24, 2026