Did you know that the WorthPoint app has a visual recognition feature, allowing you to quickly identify antiques and collectibles from the comfort of your phone? Read on to learn how to maximize this fabulous reseller tool.
Attack of the Knick-Knacks
Last week, I met with a new client who had never heard of using a visual recognition app to identify items in his collection, so he had a big “Aha!” moment when I whipped out my phone to show him how easy it is to use. This particular client (let’s call him Oscar) was cleaning out an elderly aunt’s condo, which, of course, had its fair share of china, crystal, and decorative knick-knacks. As the proud owner of a booming waste management company, Oscar had no idea where to start valuing his auntie’s collections. While I was happy to help with my encyclopedic knowledge of every nook and cranny in the knick-knack world, I was also there to give him some tips of the trade as he sorted trash from treasure.
I shared that one of the easiest tools you have is that tiny, powerful computer everyone carries around these days: your smartphone. I quickly opened the WorthPoint app on my phone, clicked on the camera icon by the search bar, and snapped a pic of one of the hundreds of Hummels dear auntie had trotting around her living room mantels and shelves. The WorthPoint app rapidly brought up multiple examples of the same tired old Hummel, selling for a sad couple of bucks at best. But once Oscar was set up with the app, he could take his sweet time going through every statuette to see if he had one of those rare high-priced Hummels.
Tips for Using WorthPoint Visual Recognition
WorthPoint’s visual recognition tool works well on its own, but even better if you follow a couple of guidelines. First and foremost, the tool works best when you shoot your subject with a clean background. If you photograph a white object like an antique hobnail milk glass vase, set it up in front of a contrasting color background to give the tool as much help as possible in searching for just the object without any background visual noise.
Once you take a photo of the object you want to search for on WorthPoint, the app allows you to crop the image however you like. You can crop it down to the object itself or focus on a particular design or mark. This capability is helpful if you’re searching for a specific pattern or theme on your object. For instance, I often come across small mountains of Wedgwood Jasperware pin dishes and dresser boxes that I need to decide whether to sell online or put price stickers on for my brick-and-mortar locations. It is easy to sort through the rare pink and not-so-rare blue Jasperware colors, but deciphering the Greek gods and goddesses on each bowl and plate is another issue altogether. Is that Aphrodite or Hera, Persephone or Demeter? WorthPoint visual recognition swiftly provides the answer.
WorthPoint Visual Recognition & the Marks Database
Cropping your image is also an excellent way to search for signatures and marks. It is common to have an old pottery or glass item with a mysterious mark on the bottom. Take a photo of the area where the mark is located, then do some cropping and see what comes up on WorthPoint. You will likely have an easy answer at your fingertips. You may find WorthPoint entries in the Price Guide with the same mark photographed, or you can switch to the WorthPoint Marks database to come up with matches. With over 283,000 unique identifying marks, chances are good that you’ll come up with a match or two.
Today’s resellers are sourcing not just the traditional pottery and glass, though, as a bumper crop of vintage clothing dealers abounds in every corner of the country, eager to find tools like WorthPoint visual recognition to help them identify manufacturers and designers. Is that Gucci bag you found at an estate sale real or fake? WorthPoint visual recognition can help you sort the authentic pieces from the knockoffs, with the ability to scan both patterns and name labels as you do your research.
For any reseller, WorthPoint visual recognition is an indispensable tool for identifying vintage and antique wares at home or on the go. Resellers, use it to help you find your next blockbuster sale!
Amy Moyer is the proprietor of Antmuffin: Art, Antiques & Collectibles. She holds a B.A. in Visual Art from Brown University and lives in Boston.
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