【往期回顾】

【本期内容】

Researching Antiques and Collectibles on the Internet

互联网上的文物与收藏品研究

Sometimes it takes diligence, perseverance, and patience to finally find the best path for antique research. But learning to be an antiques detective can be quite rewarding, once you get a few online basics under your belt.

有时需要勤奋、毅力和耐心才能最终找到古董研究的最佳途径。但是，一旦你掌握了一些网络基础知识，学习成为一名古董侦探可能会非常有收获。

Research All Marks

研究所有符号

Use a magnifying glass or jeweler's loupe if needed, but don't overlook a mark. Even cryptic symbols can provide major clues.

如果需要，可以使用放大镜或珠宝商的专用放大镜，但不要忽视任何符号。即使是晦涩的符号也可以提供重要线索。

Using a guide, like Kovel's New Dictionary of Marks for Pottery and Porcelain, another specialty guide whether in print or online, will help you determine who made the piece and when the mark was used. There are also several guides to marks listed here on The Spruce pertaining to pottery and porcelain, jewelry, and old silver. Then you can do an online search to learn even more about the particular manufacturer.

使用指南，如科沃尔的《陶器和瓷器符号新词典》，这是另一本专业指南，无论是印刷版还是在线版，都将帮助您确定是谁制作了这件作品以及何时使用了该符号。Spruce网上也列出了一些与陶器、珠宝和旧白银有关的符号指南。然后你可以进行在线搜索，了解更多关于特定制造商的信息。

There will be some overlap in basic research and valuing techniques mentioned in these features, like making sure you don't overlook a mark, but those are important points so they're always worth reiterating. And if an item isn't readily marked, or you can't find the mark described online, you might have to continue your research before the valuation process can begin.

在这些特征中提到的基础研究和评估技术方面会有一些重叠，比如确保你不会忽视某个符号，但那些都是重点，所以总是值得重申。如果一件物品没有现成的符号，或者你在网上找不到描述的符号，你可能必须继续你的研究，然后才能开始估价过程。

Use Resources From The Spruce

使用Spruce网站资源

Writers on The Spruce work hard to provide you with information on antiques and collectibles, so this is always a great place to start when researching your treasures. In addition to information on antiques and collectibles, you'll find lots of articles on dolls, coins, and related topics. You'll also find antiques and collectibles information from a variety of writers pertaining to jewelry, vintage clothing, and flea markets here.

Spruce网站上的作者们努力为你提供古董和收藏品的信息，所以在研究你的宝藏时，这里总是一个很好的起点。除了古董和收藏品的信息，你还会发现很多关于玩偶、硬币和相关主题的文章。你还可以在这里找到来自各种作者的古董和收藏品信息，涉及珠宝、古董衫和跳蚤市场。

After you've used the mark to research the item, then you can move on to valuing it.

在你用了符号去研究某个物品之后，你就可以继续评估它了。

Let Your Library Lend a Hand

让你的图书馆伸出援手

Most libraries, even in the smallest towns, have online catalogs. If you do not have a marks dictionary or reference guide on the topic you're researching, visit your local library online to see if they have a copy available for use.

大多数图书馆，即使是在最小的城镇，也有在线目录。如果你没有关于你所研究主题的符号词典或参考指南，请在线访问当地图书馆，看看他们是否有可用的副本。

Even if they don't have the book you need, your librarian can often obtain a copy on loan. Many librarians are open to suggestions for books to purchase as well. Don't be shy; talk to library personnel about your needs. After all, your tax dollars help support the library in your community and you might as well use it.

即使他们没有你需要的书，图书管理员也可以借你一本。许多图书馆员也对购买书籍的建议持开放态度。不要害羞；与图书馆工作人员谈谈你的需求。毕竟，你支付的税款帮助维护了你所在社区的图书馆，你不妨用用它。

Go Shopping

购物

By searching online auction sites and reputable online malls for similar items, you can find pricing information very easily. Many times collectors or dealers selling on these sites will provide valuable descriptions as well. Be sure to confirm what you learn from site descriptions with further research, since there are many inexperienced dealers (and those who might not mind stretching the truth a bit) setting up shop every day, but always keep in mind it's a great place to start. It's also important to be sure you're searching for completed sales; it's the final sales price that matters, not the original asking price.

通过在网上拍卖网站和信誉良好的网上购物中心搜索类似物品，你可以很容易地找到价格信息。很多时候，在这些网站上销售的收藏家或经销商也会提供有价值的描述。一定要通过进一步的研究来证实你从网站描述中学到的东西，因为每天都有许多缺乏经验的经销商（以及那些可能不介意夸大真相的人）在开店，但要记住这是一个很好的起点。同样重要的是要确保您正在搜索已完成的销售；重要的是最终的销售价格，而不是最初的要价。

Narrow the Search

缩小搜索范围

Be sure to narrow your focus as much as possible when doing online searches. If you type in "carnival glass" you'll get hundreds of items to browse. Trying "carnival glass basket" instead, you'll narrow the field to a manageable number.

在进行在线搜索时，一定要尽可能缩小你的关注范围。如果你输入“嘉年华玻璃”，你会得到数百个项目浏览。尝试“狂欢节玻璃篮子”，你会把范围缩小到一个可控的数量。

For items like china, silver flatware, and crystal, it's also good to keep a china matching service in mind. The big name in this business is Replacements, Ltd. Contacting this company via email, or another in your area, for a photo evaluation not only yields information on who made your pieces but when they were made and for how long.

对于瓷器、银质餐具和水晶等物品，最好记住瓷器匹配服务。这类公司的大品牌是Replacements有限公司。通过电子邮件或您所在地区的其他方式联系这家公司，进行照片评估，不仅可以获得谁制作了您的作品的信息，还可以获得作品制作时间和花了多长时间做好的信息。

Email a Friend Who Shares Your Love of Collectibles

给对收藏品有共同爱好的朋友发电子邮件

When you've exhausted all your Internet resources, think about your friends and family members who love to collect old things. It won't hurt anything to run your question by them. They may have a book on the topic you can borrow or provide a reference to a trusted dealer you can ask. And with so many people connected by email and social media resources nowadays, this can be accomplished more easily than ever.

当你用尽了所有的网络资源时，想想你的朋友和家人，他们喜欢收集旧东西。让他们来回答你的问题不会有什么坏处。他们可能有一本关于这个主题的书，你可以向他们借，或者向你提供可以询问的值得信赖的经销商。如今，有这么多人通过电子邮件和社交媒体资源进行联系，这比以往任何时候都更容易实现。

Don't discount making friends with the owner of your favorite online antique shop as well. These proprietors are often good resources on various types of antiques and most will gladly correspond by email with their valued customers. Be sure you don't take advantage of this, however. Try to research things on your own as much as possible.

也不要低估与你最喜欢的网上古董店老板交朋友的机会。这些店主通常是各种古董的好资源，大多数人都会很乐意通过电子邮件与他们尊贵的客户联系。不过，一定不要只利用这一点。要尽可能多地自己研究事情。

Use Image Sources to Identify Unmarked Items

使用图像源识别未标记符号的物品

So the item you're researching isn't marked, does that mean you like it any less? Probably not. But items that aren't marked certainly present a more of a research challenge.

所以如果你正在研究的物品没有标记符号，这是否意味着你不再喜欢它了？很可能不会。但没有标记符号的物品无疑是一个更大的研究挑战。

Take a piece of unmarked pottery you're researching, for example. Once you get a feel for different types of antiques, you'll recognize a piece of pottery as pottery, for example, instead of confusing it with porcelain. Begin from there. Look on sites related to American art pottery and review the images. If that doesn't work, switch to English pottery, and so on. Eventually, you'll hit the nail on the head. Patience will be your greatest virtue in these situations.

以你正在研究的一块没有标记符号的陶器为例。一旦你对不同类型的古董有了感觉，你就会认出一件陶器就是陶器，而不是把它和瓷器混淆。从那里开始。查看与美国艺术陶器相关的网站并查看图片。如果这不起作用，那就换成英国陶器，以此类推。最终，你会一语中的、切中要害的。在这种情况下，耐心将是你最大的美德。

After a while, you may decide you like the item regardless of its origin or value and decide to leave the intense research to its next owner.

过一段时间，你可能会确定自己喜欢这件物品，无论它的来源或价值如何，并决定将后续深入的研究留给它的下一个主人。

Summing It Up

总结

Basically, you'll start broad, narrow the focus, and cover all your bases before giving up. Once you get the hang of researching your finds and objects you've inherited, you'll enjoy the discovery part of the hobby just as much as the shopping.

基本上，在你放弃之前，你会从更宽泛的范围开始，缩小聚焦范围，覆盖所有的基本问题。一旦你掌握了研究你发现和继承的物品的窍门，你就会像购物一样享受爱好中的发现部分。

【Source】www.thesprucecrafts.com

【Translated by】Spark Liao (廖怀宝)

【Illustration】From Bing