• Discover Antiques

• Evaluate and Select Antiques

• Find Antiques on eBay Australia

• Buy with Confidence

• Need More Help?

• Legal Disclaimer

Discover Antiques

Discover Antiques

You can find every kind of antique on eBay Australia, from antique salt and pepper shakers and antique quilts, to antique maps and antique books. The following provides just a small sampling of the myriad of antiques that can be found on eBay Australia.

Antique furniture

Whether you’re looking for antique beds, antique bookcases, antique coffee tables, antique dining tables, antique chairs, antique lounge, antique desks, antique wardrobes or other antique furniture, you’ll find just about every style of antique furniture on eBay Australia.

Period furniture, as opposed to reproductions, was made in the time period when that particular style was new and popular. After furniture manufacturing technology became prevalent, revivals such as Gothic Revival and Renaissance Revival were created, which has led to the prevalence of antique reproductions. Some of the period furniture you’ll find on eBay Australia includes pre 1900, 1900-1949, and 1950 to now.

Each period of history has a corresponding style of furniture that was produced during that time. If you’re after some American style antique furniture, consider Queen Anne (1725-1750) or if you’re into collecting French furniture, buy Louis XV (1723-1774) style. Popular English furniture styles you might find to your liking also include Victorian (1837-1901) and Edwardian (1901-1910).

Asian antiques

This category includes antique furniture, carvings, statues, porcelain, and art; these antiques originate from areas like China, Japan, and other Asian countries. Antique Buddha figures are quite common and are made of varied materials like bronze and wood. Also, look into highly detailed antique jade statues or antique cloisonné decorative ornaments.

Antique silver

You may want to organise your antique silver collection by time period, style, or maker. Alternatively, you may want to collect a certain kind of piece, such as antique silver-plated serving forks. Notice the hallmark, or stamp, which often indicates the standard of silver, origin, and other valuable information. There are two major categories of antique silverware:

• Antique flatware: Antique flatware includes utensils such as knives, forks, and spoons.

• Antique hollowware: Antique hollowware includes vessels like bowls, tea sets, trays, and vases.

Sterling silver is the highest-quality silver, but silver plate is affordable and retains all of the beauty of sterling.

Antique art deco

Art deco antiques are characterised by sweeping curves and symmetrical geometrical forms. Part of the decorative art movement, you’ll find some great art deco pieces between 1925 and 1940, to add to your collection, including tables, lights, lamps and glass on eBay Australia.

Antique home décor and kitchenware

If you love decorating your kitchen and home with antiques, you’ll find a great variety of antique kitchenware and decorative ornaments on eBay Australia. Add to the ambience of your lounge room with everything from antique mirrors and antique statues, to antique vases and candle holders.

Antique rugs and carpets

Many antique rugs are handmade and are truly folk art. Rugs can have a flat surface, like on a tapestry or a pile surface. Anything smaller than 2.7 x 1.8 m is a rug, while anything larger is a carpet. Runners refer to long, narrow carpets. Antique rugs refer to rugs more than 50 years old.

Persian rugs can also be referred to as Oriental rugs. Persian rugs include prayer rugs, urban-made rugs, village rugs, and nomadic rugs. Other rugs include those of American Indian origin, and folk rugs.

Antique ceramics and porcelain

Porcelain is also known as china, so named for the country of its origin. Chinese porcelain typically has patterns of rose medallions, honeycombs, and butterflies. A popular English china maker includes Royal Doulton . A popular colour scheme for dinnerware and other porcelain is blue and white.

Antique pottery

The mineral content in clay gives pottery its basic colour. Some varieties of antique pottery include redware, yellowware, and stoneware. You’ll find some unique and collectable Australian pottery as well as art deco pottery on eBay Australia.

Antique glass

Popular antique glass pieces include depression glass from the Great Depression era and Murano art glass (also synonymous with Italian art glass).

Antique clocks

There are many varieties of antique clocks, including tall case clocks (or grandfather clocks), mantle clocks, wall clocks, and pocket watches. The case design of clocks generally follows the style of furniture of the period. Clocks that are elaborately designed are usually more highly valued. You’ll also find antique barometers on eBay Australia.

Antique metalware

Antique metalwork or metalware comes in many forms, from magnificent bronze sculptures to humble pewter kitchenware. Metals commonly found include copper, brass, bronze, cast iron, and pewter. Much of the metalware being sold today is in the form of folk art.

Other popular antiques

Some other popular antiques categories on eBay Australia include: 20th century antiques, antiquities and artifacts, architectural & house fittings, Art Noveau, ethnographic, maritime, musical instruments, science & medical, textiles, linens, and woodenware.

Evaluate and Select Antiques

Evaluate and Select Antiques

Whether you collect antiques as a hobby, investment, or way of life, it pays to do your research.

Reference guides and resources

Antique guides are available on almost every topic and will help you identify key markings for specific items. For example, porcelain marks and silver hallmarks, can help you decipher symbols on a piece, revealing information about the origin and maker of an item. Use your local library to do research and check out references. Become friends with the owner of a local antiques shop - they are often a wealth of information and happy to help.

Identify antiques

Look for hand-embellished designs and materials not commonly used in modern manufacturing. When you’re searching for antique furniture, note the following:

• Sharp corners and edges can mean the furniture was made more recently. The back and edges of a piece of furniture should be slightly uneven, smooth, and soft.

• Wood veneers on antique furniture will be thicker and more substantial than the veneers found on modern pieces.

• Circular saw marks are a sign the furniture was made after 1840. Note if there are any smooth edges, produced by a power saw.

• Normal wear is expected in areas such as the tops of chair rails or table legs.

• Handmade dovetails are large and uneven, while machine-made dovetails are even.

When searching for antique silver:

• Silver manufactured before industrialisation shows signs of being hand-hammered.

• If the stamp reads EPNS, it is not real silver but metal with a silvery coating.

• The date on a piece may not be the date it was made. Initials engraved in a piece, they can provide clues as to the date and origin. For example, the style of the lettering might give a hint as to the time period.

When searching for antique pottery:

• Marks are stamped, painted, or incised on the bottom or the back of a piece. The mark will often give you information of the date and country of manufacture.

• Some pottery, made before the advent of marking, or during the 19th and 20th century, is unmarked.

It’s always a good idea to have an item appraised and, if you have questions that aren’t answered in the item listing, ask the seller directly.

Find Antiques on eBay Australia

Find Antiques on eBay Australia

Once you know what type of antique you want, go to the Antiques portal and start searching for item listings on eBay Australia.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. You'll find links for Asian Antiques, Furniture, Home & Décor, Art Deco (1925-1940), Silver and more. As you dig deeper into the site you'll also be able to narrow down your choice by item type.

• Keyword search: Search eBay Australia listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find a Murano vase, type "Murano vase" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay Australia's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.  When searching, make sure to include common search terms like “vintage” and “antique.” You can also earch by time period (such as 17th century) or by country of origin.

If you still can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Australia Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay Australia will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy with Confidence

Buy with Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay Australia and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay Australia (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay Australia are not covered by eBay Australia protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay Australia item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay Australia sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay Australia and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorised payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,500.      

eBay Australia Security & Resolution Centre: Visit the Security & Resolution Centre to learn how to protect your account and use eBay Australia's quick and efficient resolution tools.

Need More Help?

Need More Help?

Visit our help pages or start a thread on one of our Community Discussion Boards - If you have a quick question that needs answering, try posting it on our community Answer Centre - there's bound to be a seasoned eBay Australia veteran with just the information you're looking for!                     

Legal Disclaimer

Legal Disclaimer

Buying Guides are intended merely as a guide or review for members when considering what products or services they may be interested in bidding on or purchasing. eBay does not make, and nothing in these Buying Guides is intended to constitute, any warranties, guarantees, representations or assurances about the accuracy of the information or content contained in these Buying Guides. Furthermore, eBay does not make, and nothing in these Buying Guides is intended to constitute, any warranties, guarantees, representations or assurances about the nature or performance of the products or services appearing in the Buying Guides. eBay is not affiliated with nor does it endorse the use of any particular product or service.