Photograph Buying Tips
Bidding on Antique Photographs
Online auctions are largely a safe place to shop, but there are always exceptions. By practicing caution, you will raise your chances for safe transactions when buying photographs. Don't leave auction sites to transact business, such as in private emails. Use the email contact the site provides. Read the sellers' return policy and only purchase if you understand and are okay with their terms. If you don't understand their terms, ask them for clarification before placing any bids. Avoid sellers who have many unrelated high ticket items for sale at one time. American buyers, avoid buying from sellers outside of your country. Foreign sellers are not subject to the laws of the United States. Make sure the photograph you are buying is not just a website image off of the internet. It should be a photograph of the exact item in the description. Read the description carefully. Words can be misleading. Don't just assume a photograph is an original. Beware of words like "print" and "reproduction" when buying original antique photographs. Take note of the category the listing is under as well. Be wary of unrealistic finds. A large portion of the fraudulent listings are of high ticket items that are priced extremely low. Never send hundreds or thousands of dollars to sellers who have no feedback. Do not purchase from people claiming to be traveling while the auction is taking place. They will likely not ship the item for a long time, if at all.
If you are the victim of a scam contact the auction site and the payment processor and/or credit card that you used. Often they will get your money back, but they're not perfect. Read and understand their terms and conditions before placing any bids.
Antique Photograph Buying Tips
Like when purchasing any antiques online or offline, research is your greatest ally. The more authentic photographs you see in archives, books, online, collections, and in person, the easier it is to determine authenticity and uniqueness. Compare these images to new images such as at NewDags.com for example, which are not originals from the 19th century, to get a better feel. Unfortunately, some people do sell fake photographs. With modern wet plate photography resurging in popularity, some shady individuals have discovered that collectors are willing to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars for authentic pieces, and they try to capitalize on uninformed buyers. Fake photos are more common at gun and militaria shows, but even in auction houses fakes can slip by. Even well-intentioned sellers that do not know any better unknowingly mislabel or mis-categorize what they have. Keeping in mind that even experts have a hard time determining authenticity with 100% accuracy, these tips will largely increase your chances of finding quality photos.
Look at the people in the photo. Believe it or not, people evolve physically even in only a century. People generally are taller than they used to be and are of different weights depending on locations or circumstances. For example, in the 1860s during the American Civil War, soldiers were leaner, shorter, and had bony faces. So if shopping for Civil War tintypes for example, avoid questionable images with many well-proportioned soldiers posing together. They could be modern day Civil War reenactors. Another example, in the 19th century women wore rings on both hands and on various fingers, so don't look for the typical wedding ring on the ring finger. A proper study of clothing of the times is a large subject, but something that will help you tremendously.
Many skylight studios in the late 19th century gave off shadows from lighting above the sitter, so shadows under the nose at a downward angle are usually more authentic. Also black asphalt varnish was used on the rear of the plates to right the negative image. Fewer modern photographers use this. Sometimes newer images are placed inside antique cases, so don't assume a photo is authentic by the wear of the case alone. Also, authentic ruby glass is thin and plum-colored and is unlike modern glass. Avoid black glass photos, as they were not available in the mid-1860s. Visible aging in these photos is appropriate, as they are over 100 years old. Chipping of silver tarnish or yellowing of the paper tape peeling that joins the image to its glass cover is normal. The photo case as well should not look prestine. It should show age.
While still possible, tintypes, ambrotypes, and daguerreotypes are harder to fake as they are on plates of iron or sheets of glass. The transparent negative image is a giveaway, so if a seller won't let you inspect the material of the photo yourself, ask them if they will open it. Some experts suggest not buying daguerreotypes online at all because you cannot tell if it's a daguerreotype. Dags are much more likely to be authentic if the mirror glare is obvious in the photo and the reversed image is shown without its backing. Earlier daguerreotypes had a blue or gray tinge, later daguerreotypes were more brownish. Remember that ambrotype images are on glass, so photos showing the glass out of its case are more reliable. Read our store page descriptions of all of the photos for more details. Cabinet cards are easier to fake, as modern color copiers can make near-identical images, and people glue them over cheap cabinet cards. Study the details of the card and look for tiny dots or fine lines of color to tip off that they're a copy. Curled up stereoviewer cards are usually okay, as the material bends with age.
I have not added an American Indian category as I have read that the numbers of fakes are relatively high. I'm sure there are many authentic Native American photos online, but unless I can find info to the contrary or unless I can find a way to better filter authentic results, I'll leave them out for now. Also avoid photographs claiming to be high profile people like Abraham Lincoln or Robert E. Lee, as they are most likely overpriced and lookalikes. Also, don't worry about plastic cases, as they were available at the time.
As for pricing, generally, you'll pay less for cabinet cards, carte de visites, and stereoscopic cards than you will for daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and tintypes because the former were mass produced from originals. High profile figures on cabinet cards and CDVs can fetch higher prices though as the supply is still limited. In general, rarer photograph subjects such as profession-specific, children, identified people (especially famous), soldiers, animals, wagons, rare scenes, and photos in good condition are more expensive. The way I look at purchasing antique photographs is the way I look at investing. Never purchase an item that would hurt financially if it turned out to be worth zero. Only invest what you can afford to lose. Study as much as you can and use common sense. I also like the expression, "If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is".
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