Condition & Descriptions

Buying with confidence

Condition & Descriptions

When you are buying something you cannot pick up and turn over in your hands, the description has to do that job for you. Here is what you can expect from every listing.

Condition is always described

Every piece is genuinely old and has had a life before reaching us. Jenny examines each one and describes its condition in the listing itself, in plain words. Chips, cracks, crazing, scratches, fading, wear to gilding, old repairs and anything else you would want to know about is mentioned and, wherever it shows, photographed.

What the photos show

  • The actual item you will receive, never a stock image.
  • Several angles, including the base and any maker’s marks.
  • Close-ups of any flaws, so there are no surprises.

Makers, dates and measurements

Where a piece is marked or can be confidently identified, the maker and approximate date are given. Where it cannot, the listing says so, for example “maker unknown” or “possibly Murano”, so you always know how certain an attribution is. Sizes are included so you can picture the piece in your home.

Fair, honest prices

Each item is priced on its own merits: its maker, age, rarity and condition. Every piece is a one-off, so the price you see is for exactly the item in the photos.

Want to know more?

If you would like extra photos, a particular measurement or a closer look at a mark, just ask Jenny. And if an item is not as described when it arrives, our Returns and Refunds policy has you covered.