All good quality Antiques prices guide should contain a Policy Statement as to how values have been recorded or the methodology that has been used while preparing that Antique prices guide-if it does not contain the method how prices in that particular guide have been worked out, it will be more sensible not to place too much trust in those prices.
Another method to determineis to make a comparison between prices for different conditions.
Whether we like it or not, it is a fact that antiques which are stamped with the manufacturers mark usually cost more than similar pieces which do not have such a mark.
If need be, take along a magnifying glass so that one can carefully make sure that one is not overlooking such marks .
With pieces which are made by human beings with their own hands(not by machines)once one finds a signature of an artist along with the mark of manufacturer is a great blessing.
Please make sure that one takes care to be painstaking in ones search.
Condition One of the most important factors that one needs to keep in mind is the condition of that antique-even when you search and find a particular item in a price guide ,even if the item is not in very good condition then one needs to do further study.
Take the precautions of taking all flaws, defects into consideration such as cracks, chips, excessive wear and tear and parts which may be missing.
Look for the reason why your item in which you have an interest in is not in a "new" condition Rare or easily found There are occasions when a very rare antique with condition factors may still be worth purchasing -for example, if you decide that you must have a piece of Majolica Pottery eben though it may be having a small hairline crack, this could still be quite valuable-however, on the other hand, if you own piece of Art Deco glass with a crack, this will not be very valuable except probably for purpose of decoration.
If you are unsure about how to determine if an antique is rare or not, it will be prudent to discuss with an expert before deciding to discard a damaged "item".
"Old will not be always valuable" A lot of value is determined by how badly buyers need that particular antique.
There are quite a few items which may be over 100 years old but they may not necessarily be in great demand.
Determining the value of an Antique is not only locating a particular item in an antique.