Locating Antique Garden Tools

Gardening tools are a branch of antique collecting that has a small but loyal following. Due to it's relative obscurity compared to collecting other types of antiques as a hobby, finding good pieces to add to your collection can be a bit trickier. Here are some of the common places you can browse to find good antique garden tools.

Specialty Auctions - people who head for regular antique auctions will often find "common" collectible antiques, and only rarely will they find something like an antique garden tool. Don't write off antique auction houses as an option, however. Some auction groups host regular specialty options, offering items from an off the wall category. An Antique Tools auction, for example, would be a good place to scout for old gardening tools.

"Finder" Antique Shops - antique shops in general are a good place to browse and find antique gardening tools. Just like a regualr auction, however, your choices will be limited to whatever stock they have on hand. Smaller scale antique shop owners, however, usually offer their personal services to track down a certain antique for their customers. Larger and more commercialized antique shops rarely offer this service any more, so your best bet is to dig around for one of those privately run shops where the owners themselves are also collectors.

Online Antique Providers - this option is a bit of a gamble, but can pay off well if you find a reliable source. Online marketing is all the rage these days, and the advantage of the internet is that you can narrow your search engine's parameters to locate specific items you want. The biggest problem with this is that you can't physically inspect the goods you see, and thus run the risk of getting scammed. Which brings us to the fourth option...

Antique Collector Forums - alongside online shopping, you should browse forums of other antique gardenin tool collectors. From this option you can contact fellow enthusiasts who may be able to give you some solid leads for finding authentic antiques. Additionally, they can also help you verify the reliability of online shops offering antiques for sale, particularly if they've got any good deals - or rip offs - from a certain online shop.

Foreign Bazaars - this is the best option if you happen to be a shopaholic and like to travel. Being able to merge your hobbies together is always satisfying, and taking a trip to a foreign country to visit their bazaars and find antiques can be a very rewarding experience on many levels.