As you're doing your holiday shopping this season, you may stumble upon a local yard or estate sale that piques your interest — and spot something more valuable than you realize. bought at garage sales that turn out to be valuable. Differentiating between trash and treasure isn't easy, but experts say there are tricks to navigating sales to help you strike gold.
, a former appraiser for"Antiques Roadshow" and the owner of an art gallery, recommends bringing two items: a black light and a loupe.She recommended taking paintings into a dark room and hovering the black light over the signature. If the signature appears to pop off the canvas, it was added at a later time and the painting is not an original piece of art.
For clothing, furniture, or handbags, check labels to ensure that an item is not only from the apparent designer, but that the label is consistent with a company's brand during a specified period.