10 Tips for Buying Antiques, Memorize them and never present yourself as an amateur. When Buying Antiques, Always ask for discounts … No matter where you buy from. Many professional dealers will have a code marked somewhere on the item that you’re interested in and this will tell them exactly how low they can go. Something like X10 or X50 could mean they will discount up to that figure or go as low as that figure. Use your own judgment and always ask. Always, always ask about damage and/or restoration. If you don’t ask, they don’t need to tell you. Always, always, always handle the item — Get touchy feely … Pick it up, put it down, pick it up again. Look at the bottom, the top, the sides. Look from odd angles and use a magnifier to look close. Never be afraid to pick anything up in a shop, at an auction, on...