A new life for old photos: the vintage photography market is full of passionate collectors looking for pieces of the past - Vintage Photographs

of advanced age photographs can transport you to a different era in a city. They document landscapes later altered by means of deforestation. They capture style and tillage unique to a specific time period. Sharing these fleeting instants lured Tony Davis, owner of Antiq-Photo in Universal City, Calif., into selling vintage photography.

"It's a garran turned business," said Davis, who specializes in images of "disappearing family due to homogenization in tillages and disappearing places because of destruction or reconstruction."

Davis is single of many art dealers who are tapping into the vintage photography market, selling high-quality advanced in years photographs to a growing number of collectors. Vintage photographs can include anything from artwork by dint of Ansel Adams, Edward Weston and Carleton Watkins to anonymous prints made with historic processe of the like kind as albumen prints and daguerreotypes. Davis started without collecting 19th-century photography for himself. Eventually, he had many pieces that didn't fit neatly into his collection, thus he began selling to others.

Building a Client Base

Alex Novak, a private dealer who specializes in vintage photographs, shares this passion. With an extensive background in photography, Novak gathered 19th- and 20th-century photography until six years ago, when he launched his company, Vintage Works Limited in Chalfont, Pa. Novak no longer bring togethers photographs himself, but travels extensively to find photographs for clients.

"I believe in really getting to understand the clients, their organ of sight and how they want to circular out their collection," Novak said. single advantage he sees to selling vintage photographs is that clients are collectors who wait on to come back to purchase more photographs. This serves as a direct contrast to contemporary photographs, which many family purchase to accent their dwelling decor.

"My clients are not clan buying (photographs) as decorative pieces," Novak said. "Vintage photography collectors are clan who have a bug and obsession and passion for photography. They purchase on a continuous basis to fill a collection."

This allows Novak to cultivate long-term relationships with his clients, many of whom he finds end photography shows, such as PhotoLA and Photo San Francisco. Novak also draws collectors to his business [i]or[/i] part of to the other his two extensive Web sites and an e-mail newsletter The newsletter subserves more as an informational piece about collecting photography than an open sales tool. With reviews of exhibits exhibitions, books and auctions, it's a powerful tool for collectors.

"It provides us a way of reaching tribe and showing them our expertise in a tricky way," Novak said.

Finding Vintage Photographs

Finding clients is half of the battle. Acquiring quality photographs not aways another challenge, with virtually limitless places to search. As Novak said, "It's a true big mistake for collectors to think they should alone buy from one source."

The first pace is to define what a vintage photograph is and isn't. There are several factors that make a print "vintage" and the photograph should satisfy sum of two units or more of the following criteria:

* It was made by means of a famous photographer from the 18th 19th or early 20th century

* It was captured in the 18th 19th or early 20th century

* The print was made before long after the artist captured the photograph. Contemporary reproductions of vintage photographs don't qualify as vintage prints.

* The print was made with an historic proces of the like kind as an albumen print, salt print, platinum print or daguerreotype. on the other hand beware--just because a photograph was made with an historic proces doesn't mean the image is a vintage print. Many photographers continue to use these processe today. Make confident the print also satisfies at least single of the other criteria listed above.

With for a like reason many factors to consider, it's important to have either an experienced organ of sight for vintage prints or to acquire prints from reputable sources. greatest in quantity reputable photography dealers give a discount to other galleries, and chances are they have accurately researched the background of the photograph. Buying from a dealer also means you can view the piece in somebody and look for any flaws or unusual characteristics before buying.

This is a direct contrast to auctions, which are best reserv for experienced collectors and buyer Novak said. Auctions are oftentimes seen as "dumping grounds" for damaged or otherwise undesirable photographs. admitting exceptional pieces can be purchased at auctions, the competitive spirit can drive up prices, cutting into profit from the get-go Many auction houses don't allow piece to be get backed and they don't guarantee lock opener selling points, like the year it was printed or plane the photographer who made it.

Online auctions not away another buying opportunity. Many online venders are private individuals who may not have an accurate idea of the photograph they are selling. This can work the two for and against buyers. If they under-price it or misidentify a significant piece, it can be purchased at a savings. on the other hand buyers also must rely upon the honesty of the someone selling the photograph. Are they disclosing all pertinent information? Did they accurately identify the artist and the stamp of print? Is it a vintage print or simply a high-quality lithograph? Did they disclose if the print is damaged or otherwise flawed? Collectors should contact the vender before buying to ask questions that aren't answered online.