There are a lot of differing opinions as to what makes a good antique. Some believe that slight imperfections or something missing due to use are just authenticators and should never be repaired; others believe that the antique has to be complete and perfect for their consideration; still others, who consider themselves true connoisseurs insist that an antique be signed, just as any other work of art would be. These last clearly have the means to support this expensive point of view.

The real way to collect antiques is to be constantly alert to the kinds of antiques that are out there. If you were shopping for a race horse, a pedigreed dog, or a certain car, you would always keep your eyes and ears open for the right one for you. As for antiques, perhaps you would be just as happy with one of the quality reproductions that are made in the major cities of the world. People buy these all the time, and there are very many beautiful and sought after furniture and accessory reproductions. Real antique collectors, however, can spot a reproduction from a mile away. For the afficianado, reproductions do not have the ageless quality that an antique displays.

All of the parts of a true antique fit a perfect whole and the finish gains a certain patina with age. A fine antique is almost "good in its skin", as a confident person may be said to be. If your pocketbook does not allow you to indulge in good antiques, you would probably be better off investing in lower cost but good quality modern furniture. In that way, the inexpensive rugs and materials you will have to buy will go better with your more modest furniture. This is a good beginning, because as you get older and your tastes mature and your bank account grows, you can then begin to collect one fine item at a time, all the while enjoying the pieces you were able to afford at the beginning. There are many very fine antique collections that started out just blending in with the furniture at hand until, at some point, after more and more pieces were accumulated, there is a cohesive whole to the collection.

As you become more and more financially successful, even the less expensive antiques can be replaced by rarer and finer items until the perfect antique collection has been amassed. This is a much wiser system than trying to build a collection that may be of dubious value (even if you pay a lot for it) if you do not have the experience and wisdom to make the right choices. Whether a piece of good furniture is from the antique or modern era is irrelevant if the piece is a cherished part of one's life. Antiques and other works of art can be bought, inherited and passed down. You want to be sure to be able to pass down fine works of art and pieces of furniture, so make sure that you choose items that are beautiful in their own right, whatever the period they represent. You don't want the antiques you pass down to end up in the back of a closet or dusty on a shelf because the item was never chosen with care in the first place.