Antiques have been targeted in burglaries lately with a theft from a home last week resulting in 500 different antiques being stolen. The owner of the home returned home to find that the door of his house had been broken down and his collection of antique watches had been taken by thieves. Some of the watches stolen were worth as much as £8,000 each.

Another burglary earlier this year saw a valuable collection of antique coins, books and clocks stolen when a property that was unoccupied was broken into by thieves. The property was being handled by an estate agent when it was left empty, with the priceless antiques inside, making it an easy target for criminals.

With the theft of antiques being so prevalent in today’s society, what measures have you taken to ensure that your valuable antiques are protected in your home? Plus, should the worst happen, you should make sure that your collections are adequately listed and insured for their correct valuations.

Antique collectors aren’t the only ones looking for antiques. Your antiques have sentimental as well as financial value and deserve protecting. You should check the security of your home and consider installing or upgrading any existing home security system. For home security information and a discount store, visit Home Security Bargains.

You’ve taken the time and expense to create your collection. To ensure that it holds its value, it’s important to care and protect it. By practicing certain basic conservation practices, you can make sure your house is a safe environment for your collection.
Maintaining a consistent temperature of around 70 degrees during both the winter and summer months is most important, especially with furniture and items made of wood. Veneered furniture is particularly vulnerable to dampness.

Try not to place objects near vents where they may be in the direct path of hot or cold air. Also, keep items out of the path of direct sunlight, particularly paintings, works on paper, textiles, and furniture. Lastly, reduce the amount of exposure to natural light by partly lowering shades, drawing curtains, or closing blinds.

Storing Your Collection
Sometimes a collection becomes so large that items need to be stored. Always select a dry, clean space in which the temperature remains fairly consistent. If possible, avoid storing objects in attics, basements, and garages. Plastic storage bins are excellent for smaller objects like cameras and provide a watertight and airtight seal.

When storing objects that must be wrapped or placed in boxes, be sure to use acid-free materials. Paper and cardboard products are made with acids that hasten the deterioration of objects that come into contact with them. For this reason, it’s best to avoid either wrapping objects in newspaper and normal tissue paper or placing them in old cartons. A number of companies make acid-free tissue paper and boxes for the safe storage of artwork and smaller antiques that can be easily wrapped and boxed.

Fragile objects made of glass, pottery or porcelain should never be stacked on top of each other inside a box. Attempt to arrange everything in the box in one layer. Under-the-bed plastic storage bins are best.

If at all possible, store objects on open shelves instead of crowding them into a box. When objects are evenly spaced on shelves, the potential for damage is greatly reduced.

Tablewares such as plates, bowls, and cups & saucers are frequently stacked in boxes or on shelves. When the pieces rub against each other, surface decoration can easily be removed in the process. To avoid this problem, place acid-free tissue paper under each piece in the stack. The tissue paper provides a buffer between objects that come into contact with each other. Also, make certain that the stacks don’t reach teetering heights! Otherwise, everything can come tumbling down.

You should never stack or jam furniture into a tight space in which the pieces bang against each other. Otherwise, you risk scratching, gauging, or splitin g it. Arrange all furniture directly on the floor with space between each piece.

Cleaning Your Collection
Use a dry paintbrush with soft bristles to dust porcelain, pottery, and glass objects. A cloth may snag on small details and cause breakage. For tight areas or small details use pressurized air.

When cleaning silver and silverplate, try to avoid using creams and polishes that must be rubbed onto the object to avoid scratching. Instead, use a solution into which the object can be dipped to remove tarnish and dirt. This approach is particularly advisable for silver with gilding or silverplate. Constant rubbing with a cream or polish will eventually cause the gilding or silver plating to wear away.
Never clean antique furniture with a damp cloth. This can result in the removal of the surface finish and cause the wood to expand and then contract. Always use a soft, dry cloth or a paintbrush with soft bristles.

Gilding on furniture should never be polished, as this will result in the removal of the gilding. Simply leave the gilding in the condition in which it was found.

Making Repairs & Restorations
You should always consult with a professional on the repair or conservation of an antique that’s severely damaged or in poor condition. The professional will know exactly what measures to take. A home repair could result in even greater damage and will lower the value of a fine antique.

• Antique furniture should never be "polished" or cleaned with commercial cleaning products or polishes. Instead, use a soft cloth sprayed with some glass cleaner.

• To remove stains from stoneware dishes, soak them for 24 hours or more in one gallon of hot water in which two denture cleaner tablets have been dissolved.

• Never use furniture oil such as lemon oil on antique furniture. Just wipe it with a damp cloth or use only clear paste wax (Minwax or beeswax) to keep the wood in good condition.

• To prevent mildew damage to old photographs and art work hung on damp or outside walls, tape or glue a sheet of plastic to the back to create a vapor barrier.

• Use only white glue to adhere broken pieces of porcelain, stoneware, or pottery together. After applying glue, press pieces together and shift slightly for a tight fit. Wipe off excess glue from both sides with a damp cloth and let dry. Use masking tape to hold pieces snuggly while drying if necessary.

• To remove minor water marks on furniture, use a mixture of Vaseline and ashes. Sift 2 tablespoons of fine wood ashes with a dab of Vaseline or cooking oil to form a paste. Using a circular motion, work the paste into the surface with a soft cloth until the white ring vanishes.

• Never use rust-remover on china as it can remove the glaze or protective coating of the china. Also, calcium, lime or rust-remover products should not be used on gold or platinum-banded crystal because these items can stain or permanently change the color of the metal-banding.

• Wear cotton gloves as much as possible when handling your silver. This will prevent the oils and acids from your hands from ending up on the object. Cotton gloves are very inexpensive, and can be purchased at photography supply stores and some drug stores.

• Burn marks can be taken out of furniture with fine steel wool, a razor blade, a scalpel or craft knife. The shallow hole that results may be filled by artists' oil colors, mixed with linseed oil, or if a glossy finish is desired, with varnish, or mixed with turpentine, it will be matt. A filler can also be made from colored beeswax, from powder stain mixed with a medium such as epoxy resin, or shellac mixed with powder pigment.

• Jade, ivory, horn, and marble should be lightly dusted with a soft brush or dry, soft cloth. Keep these objects out of direct sunlight, since they may dry out and become brittle. Always handle these objects with care when moving them.