October 2019 - The Urban Market of Houston Blog

Shopping at antique stores can be fun and exciting. Antiques are also a superb way to decorate and furnish your house in traditional and vintage style. However, if you’re a first-time shopper, it can be very confusing to know what to buy from these stores.

Antiquing Tips

1. Understand the Jargon

Knowing the terms used by antique dealers is important when purchasing antiques. Vintage and antique items are hard to come by. Some other terms which don’t have a legal definition include retro, old-fashioned collectible , or reproduction. So ensure you ask the dealer what these terms mean as the items may not be that valuable or old. Here at our Urban Market location, our dealers use plenty of jargon that relate to specific pieces.

2. Stick with a Style

Before you decide to purchase antiques, identify your own desires and needs to avoid buying a useless item. If you are looking to furnish or decorate an older home, determine what style would best suit it. If you are looking to have a collection of antiques that will not take up large space, begin researching collectibles or vintage toys small enough to fit in a single room or cabinet.

3. Use a Price Guide

Before heading to an antique shop, first learn how to use a price guide. This guide will help you determine the price range in which some antiques are usually sold to avoid been conned. For example, if you are interested in buying a particular item, such as 18th-century furniture or art deco glass piece, use a price guide that particularly focuses on that item or your category of interest. On the other hand, if you’re interested to collect a variety of antiques for your home, find a comprehensive price guide covering a wide range of antique categories.

4. Ask Questions

Before you start exploring the antique store, ask the manager or shop owner what types of antiques or particular styles they specialize in to avoid wasting your time looking for something that you can’t find there. Also, ask the antique dealer if he or she is a certified appraiser and if he or she belongs to any dealer associations. The more education and knowledge the dealer has, the more likely he or she has priced the antique pieces appropriately.

5. Examine the Piece.

Before you buy any piece, check its condition first as some pieces may be broken. Remember price guides only tell you the ideal price of an antique that is in perfect shape. Any wear and tear on the piece can greatly bring its price down.

Conclusion

So, look for signs of normal wear to everyday use. Look also for signs of more severe damage like cracks or chips that have accidentally occurred. Hopefully, the above tips will help you find an antique that suits your needs and desires. For more information, Urban Market can answer more of your antiquing questions.

What are the benefits of going to a science museum? It provides hands-on exhibitions, adds fun to subtle learning, breeds creativity, ensures supporting material for the curriculum, and encourages professional growth. That said, here’s a look at these and other advantages of visiting science museums.

Benefits of Going to a Science Museum

Some of the benefits of going to a science museum include getting first-hand experiences, going on a fun field trip now and then, aid in curriculum development and more.

1) Science Museums Provide First-Hand Experiences

Planetarium shows and IMAX go a long way in bringing tales to reality, but a science museum does a better job. It gives visitors the chance to see and maybe even touch objects that they see only in books and on screens. For example, they can witness the anatomy of dinosaurs millions of years old to substantiate what they’ve learned in terms of size and appearance.

2) Field Trips Circumvent Classroom Boredom

A visit to the museum entails field trips, and these offer a new dimension of teaching and learning that breaks away from the monotony of the classroom. Education becomes not only exciting but also more memorable in comparison. Students get to back up print knowledge with pictorial information, which is the most effective kind of tutoring. Moreover, museums prepare in-house classes at the request of the visiting group, ensuring students get to listen to a different voice and experience a new way of taking in information.

Some of the programs offered include an adventure tour, which is a guided walkthrough of the grounds and exhibits, and self-guided field trips where chaperones or teachers take on the role of guidance. Also, there is another kind of self-learning expedition where pre-planned materials oversee the experience. Lastly, there is a festival-like setting where the museum sets up several stations for hands-on exploration of a niche. While you’re visiting this festival, you can also look into what else is happening in your area such as an antique show or another show on the map or through a forum. You can also run through photos online prior to going to these places.

3) They Aid in Curriculum Development

The curriculum often consults with science museums to ensure uniformity in the subjects and materials. Such content is available upon visits in a bid to promote scientific know-how in both real-life and from a theoretical point of view. Through traveling trunks and discovery classes, the learning can go on beyond the museum with authentic materials making their way to the classroom.

4) They Fester Professional Growth

With a wide range of workshops and development courses on offer, teachers also stand to benefit in terms of career progression. They can gain more skills on how to further the practicality of science and strengthen what they already know. Additionally, science museums also offer laboratory skills and other formal studies for anyone interested regardless of age or backdrop.

5) They Offer Summer Camps

Some science museums also provide summer camps which hold many benefits, especially for children. It gives them a safe space to disconnect from the overwhelming reach of modernity, and spend some time appreciating the outdoors and learning how to be more physically astute. What’s more, they get to meet new people, learn how to interact with others, and get a grip on essential life skills.

Bottom Line

So what are some of the benefits of going to a science museum? First, it gets around classroom boredom and provides a hands-on experiential tour. Secondly, it offers the opportunity to learn from a source actively involved in coming up with school curriculums. Last but not least, it facilitates professional development and, through summer camps, impacts necessary skills into young minds.