Well, there are a whole load of antiques which you can collect. The examples are endless, and it would be pointless trying to give you a guide on how to collect an antique and what you should look for in it as these issues differ from one item to another. Therefore, here are some general tips regarding antiques :

1. You should never ever 'polish' or try to clean an antique with one of those cleaning products that you get off the shelf at the supermarket. Instead, make use of a new cloth, which is soft, and spray it with a glass cleaner and rub it.

2. To get stains off antiques which are made of ceramic, put them in a gallon of hot water for a day. This will ensure that 2 denture cleaner tablets will get dissolved!

3. You should make sure not to use furniture oil on antique furniture. If you want to clean them, use a damp cloth or make use of clear paste wax in order to maintain the condition of the wood.

4. In order to avoid mildew damage to photographs and paintings which are hung on walls, stick a plastic sheet onto the back of the item so that you can avoid the vapor from affecting your antique.

5. If you want to repair broken porcelain or pottery, make sure that you use white glue to stick the pieces back. After you do this, put the pieces together and press them a bit hard so that they will fit. Wipe off any extra glue that comes from between the pieces using a damp cloth and allow the antique to dry. You could even use masking tape to keep the pieces together when it is drying if you feel it's necessary.

6. In order to get rid of small watermarks on furniture, mix some Vaseline and ashes. Put two tablespoons of ashes along with a bit of Vaseline in order to get a paste. Keep rubbing in a circular motion on the spot with the watermark using a soft cloth till the white ring is not there.

7. Don't use rust remover on china antiques as it could serve to get the glaze off the china. Also note that any rust removing products which use calcium or lime shouldn't be used on gold or platinum banded crystal antiques due to the fact that these stuff could possibly stain or change the color of the metal.