Cooper asks, "Are you looking for something
special in the antique and gift lines? Most likely, we've got it! How about theater or movie scene props?
We've got stuff!

# 3 Blackstock Road – Inman, SC
(One block West of Main Street)
(864) 472-5732
Hours: Monday - Saturday - 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday - 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Some helpful tips and answers solicited from our Vendors ―

Questions:

— Again... where are you located?
— Do you have delivery for large items purchased?
— I have a large, old chest that I'm thinking of refinishing. Would you advise this?
— The leg on my old chair has a split in it. I'm a pretty good carpenter, should I attempt
    to fix it myself?
— What do you think about reupholstering old furniture?
— My deceased cousin left a number of antique firearms. What am I supposed to do with them?
— What is 'provenance' and is it important?
— There's a collection of Civil War artifacts I'm thinking of buying. What do I need to first know?
— We're doing a period movie here in the Carolinas. Does the Inman Antique Mall have anything
    we could use as props?
— Do you handle Ebay® auctions and sales?

Again... where are you located?

Location: We're located one block West off of Inman's Main Street at #3 Blackstock Road. Here's some maps that will guide you to the Inman Antique Mall.

Do you have delivery for large items purchased?

Delivery: Yes! We have delivery capability for our customers. No matter the size of the item, we can arrange for delivery to the customer's address. Or, in the case of items being acquired by Inman Antique Mall, we can arrange for pick-up at the customer's location.

Refinishing: No! Do not refinish any old furniture before you've had it examined by an antique furniture authority. You very likely would 'refinish' value from your antique. For example, take that old chest of yours. Let's suppose it was originally painted with graphic designs (such as the Pennsylvania Amish use of distelfinks) and over the years the paint cracked and faded, you would destroy the value of the chest by refinishing it. Most antique buyers want to buy 'antiques', not refurbished goods.

Do it yourself repairs: We do not encourage 'do it yourself' repairs with most antique owners. If your antique is appraised valuable and collectible, Inman Antique Mall advises to let a qualified restorer do the repairs. Professional restorers are legitimately recognized by the antique community and will provide written documentation as to the nature of the work done and the method of repair. Usually, a professional restorer's work will be invisible to the eye. Protect your investment - let a professional restorer do the work. There are restorers for all the areas of antiques: furniture, rugs, paintings, toys, cameras, artifacts, along with the broad spectrum of collecting. A Google search in your area will provide the names of restoration services.

Reupholstering: This is definitely an area for the services of both an appraiser and, possibly, a restorer. The appraiser will advise the owner as to the value of the furniture, and if it's deemed valuable, would most likely recommend a restorer who would do the job correctly so as to maintain, or increase, the furniture's value. On the other hand, the appraiser may advise the furniture owner not to reupholster because of the inherent value of the original cloth, straw, or leather, and encourage the owner to have a restorer repair the original material.

We've watched as people appearing with their newly-upholstered antique chairs on the 'Antiques Roadshow' be stunned when told that they reduced their item's value by thousands of dollars because of reupholstering.

My deceased cousin left a number of antique firearms. What am I supposed to do with them?

Antique firearms: First has to be determined whether the individual pieces are actually antiques. Guns made prior to 1889, and use hand-loaded black powder, a separate ball or bullet, and fired by using either a flint or a percussion cap are classified as 'antiques' and require no further legal procedures before being sold.

If a firearm is a modern day replica of either a flintlock or percussion cap piece, it also is not restricted under the laws of modern-day firearms.

A gun made after before or after 1889, and fires a self-contained bullet-powder-primer cartridge combination - i.e. a modern bullet is considered to be a modern weapon and falls under various Federal and State firearms laws. The transference of ownership of a handgun requires the services of a local, licensed Federal Firearms Dealer who is familiar with South Carolina firearm laws. Most of these firearm dealers can give an accurate appraisal.

Provenance: is the origin or source from which something comes, and the history of subsequent owners. Is provenance important to your antique or collectible? Without a doubt, provenance adds value to your item. For example, a baseball carrying the signature of Babe Ruth may be worth a certain value depending on the strength and quality of the writing. The same baseball shown in a photograph of the Babe holding it will increase in value greatly - especially if the signature can be read in the photo.

Another example of how provenance works: Suppose your grandmother traveled throughout the American Southwest collecting Native American baskets and artifacts. Grandma told you that she was given a beaded tobacco pouch by the daughter of the great warrior, Young Man Afraid of His Horses. At this point, the tobacco pouch would be worth one amount based on its perceived antiquity and exquisite beadwork. Then, Grandma goes to her keepsake chest and withdraws a photograph and a hand-written letter. The photo is of Grandma and the chief's daughter shown both holding onto the tobacco pouch, and the letter is from the daughter testifying to the exchange and to the legitimacy of the pouch. With this provenance factored in, the beaded tobacco pouch is worth immensely more.

Civil War: Genuine artifacts from the American Civil War are highly prized in the collectible marketplace. Therein resides a problem, and it centers on the word 'genuine'. Unfortunately, authentic Civil War collectibles are prime targets for forgers and counterfeiters. The practice started with gusto after the War, was carried out by master forgers of the highest quality level, and continues right to this day. And that is the rub: being able to spot a fraud from a genuine article. Inman Antique Mall has contacts with authorities in this field who can authenticate a real war artifact. Again, here is a situation where provenance is so important. If you've discovered (or were entrusted with) a uniform, percussion firearm, sword, or D-guard Bowie knife that's been passed down through your family - and have proof that great, great grandfather wore these items - then you have genuine, highly sought after, collectibles.

If you have no proof, however, then the items have to be examined by an authority and a finding of value arrived at. Provenance is so very important.
 

Stage Props: Yes, we have plenty of items that can be used to dress a set. If you are searching for anything specific, Contact Us and we'll take digital photos of what we have on hand and then e-mail them to you. Likewise, if you have the opportunity to send us photos of an 'approximate prop', we'll look for an exact match within our inventory or off-campus dealer items.

We have an associate who has been involved with movie, television and theater production. So, we know what you'd be looking for.

Ebay: We do not do direct Ebay selling here at Inman Antique Mall. We do, however have dealers who continually sell on Ebay and they can either advise on how to go about it, or refer you to someone who does the listing.