Does this look like $1000 to you?
By The Horse
@TheHorse (205753)
Walnut Creek, California
May 2, 2016 9:21am CST
Several years ago, I bough a pair of Acoustic Research AR-3a loudspeakers for something like $280 from a fella in Berkeley. They're vintage, from the late 1960s. I refinished the cabinets, made new screens for the speakers, and traded some other refinishing work to get the insides working 100%. They're now worth close to $1000 on ebay.
But I've learned that with some antiques, you DON'T want to refinish them, as this will reduce, rather than increase, their value. This is true of old guitars, for example. A pre-WWII Martin guitar, which may have cost $200 in 1938, can now be worth $20,000 if it's all original.
Do you have antiques around your house that may have significant value? How do you decide whether to have them restored (or restore them yourself) versus leaving them "as is"?
47 people like this
42 responses
if you get a make over will it increase or decrease the value. 
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
2 May 16
We have learned from "Antique Road Show" about how "improving" items' appearance can lessen their value. That wood glows and is beautiful.
6 people like this
@TheHorse (205753)
• Walnut Creek, California
2 May 16
RIght. With most '60s and '70s speakers, restoring the cabinets is OK (increases value), as long as one honors the original look. It's why I use oil but no stain. With older things, I'd be doing research before I restored them.
2 people like this
@RasmaSandra (73422)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
3 May 16
@TheHorse I think by now most of my furniture is antique. I have been thinking of selling off some buffets but then I'll need to have an appraiser come to my house. They are big pieces of furniture.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (205753)
• Walnut Creek, California
3 May 16
@RasmaSandra Can you do some of the research on-line?
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157551)
• United States
2 May 16
I will restore or refinish all the older wooden pieces I have because I will be preparing them for my use, not for resale. I will not paint them, however.
4 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
2 May 16
Most furniture and other such antiquities should be left in their natural state. It shows character, like with people. 
6 people like this
@TheHorse (205753)
• Walnut Creek, California
2 May 16
One of the chests my friend had yesterday had a top that had been covered with some kind of contact paper. We decided to remove that paper and restore the wood top to its original finish, or as close as we could get. I've advised him to oil the rest but otherwise leave it alone.
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
2 May 16
I have collected old books during 30 years, and I have rarely asked to restore them : a 16th C book with a poor 16th C bookbinding will always be worth 10 times the price than the same book with a rich modern bookbinding... In this case the best to do is to ask the binder to create a simple box for the book, to preserve it with its original binding.
3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
5 May 16
@TheHorse Well, pony, yes and no. Some antique computers can be restored to as close to original as they can be, and can then still run those old programs, but most can't be restored, especially if the owner didn't take care of it. Most of them have been recycled for the materials.
Those that can be restored would lose their value if they were upgraded, pony. They neither have the space for someone to restore them and add new technology nor do they have access to programs that can be run on one of the older machines without extensive upgrades...
@Carmelanirel2 (8084)
• United States
2 May 16
Now that I know what they are, I can see them being worth that amount. I have some antiques, but not super old stuff. I have a model of a cast iron stove salesmen would take from house to house to sell. Back in the late 80s a friend saw my same stove on antique roadshow and it was wroth 2,000. Unfortunately, I guess the value went down, because last I checked a couple years ago, they were selling for 25.00. Of course the seller may not have known it could be worth more, I wouldn't know unless an expert saw it.
3 people like this
@Carmelanirel2 (8084)
• United States
3 May 16
@TheHorse Oh wow, I am sure that is worth a fortune and I don't blame you for not selling.
@LeaPea2417 (36442)
• Toccoa, Georgia
2 May 16
I have some antiques but I hadn't thought about if I should restore them.
3 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
2 May 16
not a thing, we've moved so many times and had a storage unit broken into and have little to nothing from more than ten years ago.
3 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
3 May 16
@TheHorse was a storage unit on a friends land, I felt bad enough as they lost stuff too, just no point going after it. And honestly my stuff wasnt worth much, it was just the loss of memories, used books that I inherited from grandpa, college papers I wrote, etc.
@JudyEv (325758)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 May 16
I know with coins it is very important not to try to clean them in any way. They lose most of their value if they are cleaned and the experts are very clever at picking up if someone has had a go at cleaning them. This speaker looks superb.
3 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
2 May 16
My exidiot ruined an old table that was painted a deep green when I got it. He painted it white. I hated it. I know that the table must have been a beautiful color when it was first made. He also ruined some great old dressers that I purchased for a song at a tag sale. Used stain on them and I tweaked over that.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
4 May 16
@TheHorse I just love the warmth of an antique with its original finish.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205753)
• Walnut Creek, California
4 May 16
@ElusiveButterfly Oh, I NEVER use anything with a gloss or semi-gloss to it.
1 person likes this
@cherriefic (10400)
• Philippines
2 May 16
I don't like antique furniture or whatever. I'm scared of it's history.
2 people like this
@Butchcass4 (5895)
• United States
2 May 16
Yes I have a few antiques and I went online to research mostly on ebay what they were going for. I found ebay very helpful. I decided to keep them as they'll be worth more down the road maybe when I really need the money. Just my thoughts on the subject.
2 people like this
@Butchcass4 (5895)
• United States
4 May 16
@TheHorse Good luck on selling them, will you use ebay to sell them?
@TheHorse (205753)
• Walnut Creek, California
2 May 16
That's pretty much what I'm doing with these AR-3as. There are other speakers I actually enjoy listening to more than the ARs. But they are considered classics and therefore appreciate in value over time. I have them hooked up right now, and they do sound quite good, but I'll probably sell them eventually.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
2 May 16
Yes, I have two paintings that are highly collectible if left alone. So we leave them alone! One is small and is kept in a shadowbox to keep anyone from touching it. The other is large and is carefully wrapped and stored. (They honestly should go to a museum, but I can't part with them yet. My will does designate where they should end up when and if.)
I collect small items. I have several coins worth their weight in gold... LOL! One of them is gold, so worth much more than that. Several sets of the collectible state quarters. Collectible stamps/gold first editions, first edition/signed copies of books and collectible postmarked envelopes... All are stored professionally.
LOL! The uncirculated state quarters were a fun collectible back when, but have apparently dropped off drastically in price... That's okay. I still enjoy looking at them once in a while. Even if I can't do anything else with them they could still buy me one cup of coffee at Starbucks! LMFAO!
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
2 May 16
@TheHorse I inherited one from a woman I was dating who passed from cancer. I admired it (the large painting.) when she took me to her home for the first time. I had no idea it was worth anything. I just loved the way it looked! She had originally had it listed to go to the same museum I have it listed for now. She wanted me to be able to keep enjoying it, but you are right... I am so afraid I will damage it by accident I almost never open the packing. (Apparently even light will damage whatever the paint was made from.)
I bought the other in a flea market, believe it or not... And yes, I worry I might do something to damage it, too.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205753)
• Walnut Creek, California
2 May 16
@DaddyEvil Interesting origins. Sorry to hear about losing a loved one to cancer.
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@TheHorse (205753)
• Walnut Creek, California
2 May 16
With '60s and '70s speakers, people want them to look good in their living rooms. On these things, there's not so much a patina as lots of scratches and missing veneer. On older things, or guitars, I'd be doing a lot of research before I messed with the finish.
2 people like this
