When is a print or map a genuine antique item?
The most commonly held view is that to be described as antique, an item needs to be at least a hundred years old. We go one stage further and as far as we are concerned if it was printed after 1900 it is not antique and will not appear on our websites. What about condition? You of course have the right to expect your print to be in the condition it was described to be in. Tears, repairs, renovation, browning etc will all be mentioned in the description if they are significant, but we do expect buyers to be reasonable in their expectations and understand that minor blemishes and signs of age are not major faults. If you want something that looks as if it were printed yesterday you are probably better off loooking for a modern reproduction. Why buy antique maps in the first place? Antiques of any kind are rightly regarded as sound investments and in times of low interest and generally poor returns from financial investments a good antique map or print can look after your money very well
