The objets of the Deco age — figural lamps and lighting, chrome and Bakelite, cocktail and barware, cigarette cases, clocks and mirrors. Each piece assessed for its design, its maker and whether it is genuinely of the period.
"Deco style" and a real 1930s piece are not the same thing. Free insured postage. Written valuation per piece. Paid in 72 hours.
Art Deco is not a category so much as a look — a design language of bold geometry, stylised form and modern materials that ran through everything from lighting to cocktail shakers in the 1920s and 30s. That breadth is what makes it fascinating, and also what makes it tricky to value: the same style has been revived and reproduced for decades. The single most useful thing to understand before you sell is the difference between a genuine period piece and a later one in the Deco taste.
This page covers Deco decorative objects and collectables. Jewellery, precious-metal silver, art glass, ceramics and bronzes each have their own specialist assessment, and we cross-refer them within the same offer — links are below. Here is the heart of what we buy on this page:
Table and figural lamps, slip-shade and stepped fittings, and geometric shades in glass and chrome. Genuine period wiring and fittings, the design and the maker all count; a lamp should never be posted with a suspect flex connected.
Cocktail shakers, tea and coffee sets, trays, smoker's stands and desk pieces in chrome and plated metal. Strong geometric designs by recognised firms are the most sought after; light plating wear is normal and expected.
Bakelite and Catalin boxes, radios, desk items and novelties. Good colours, catalin and well-designed objects are collectable; condition is critical, as cracks and warping reduce value. Assessed by eye and handling, never by risky home tests.
Cocktail cabinets' fittings, shakers, ice buckets, decanters and glass sets in the Deco manner. Completeness of a set and a striking design drive value; glass elements are assessed for damage as carefully as the metal.
Cases, boxes, ashtray stands and table pieces, in chrome, enamel and precious metals. Precious-metal cases are cross-assessed for hallmark and metal value; lighters have their own dedicated assessment (linked below).
Mantel and desk clocks, sunburst and geometric mirrors, and decorative wall pieces. Movement condition on clocks and originality of a mirror's plate and frame are examined alongside the design.
No single test settles it; a period piece reveals itself through several details together. These are the sorts of things a specialist weighs — indicative, not conclusive:
You do not need to reach a verdict yourself. Photograph the piece, its base, any marks and the fittings, and we will give you an honest view — including when a piece is a good period example and when it is a later one in the Deco taste.
Across all these categories, a few factors decide where a piece sits in the market:
Marks help place a piece and can transform its value, but they are read with care:
Because marks are reproduced, a name is a claim to be examined alongside the design and construction, not proof on its own. We describe attribution honestly and use careful language wherever a name cannot be certain.
We buy individual Deco objets and complete collections alike, including the mixed contents of a period home. You do not need to sort, identify or value anything yourself. Send an overview photograph of the group with close-ups of anything marked or unusual, and we will advise which pieces merit individual assessment and which are best valued together — routing any jewellery, silver, glass, ceramics or bronzes to the right specialist within the same offer. Anything you decide not to sell is returned to you free.
All round, the base, any marks and the fittings. For a collection, an overview plus close-ups of anything marked is enough to begin.
Request a free prepaid, tracked and insured label with protective materials. Cover to £5,000 begins the moment the courier scans the parcel.
Your parcel is opened publicly on YouTube. Each piece and any marks are documented on camera before a specialist assesses it.
Period and design assessed, maker identified where possible, condition graded. Written offer per piece. Accept what you wish; we return the rest free. Paid in 72 hours or +3%.
Call us on 01234 815116 or email support@fairvintage.co.uk.
Get your free pack →Art Deco is the design style of roughly the early 1920s to late 1930s — bold geometry, stylised forms, sunburst and stepped motifs, and materials like chrome, Bakelite, glass and exotic veneers. It is a look rather than a single category, running across lighting, tableware, clocks and more. Because it has been revived many times, "Deco style" and a genuine period piece are not the same, and that difference matters to value.
It takes several clues together. Period pieces show era-appropriate materials and construction — Bakelite and Catalin rather than modern acrylic, period wiring and fittings, appropriate chrome and honest wear, and marks used at the time. Revivals often use modern materials and reproduction marks. No single indicator is conclusive, so we look at the whole object — photograph the piece, base, marks and fittings and we'll advise.
Some is collectable — good colours, Catalin, and well-designed radios, boxes and desk pieces — while plainer items are modest. Bakelite is an early phenolic plastic, usually heavier and warmer-feeling than modern plastic, in browns, blacks, ambers and mottled colours. It's best judged by eye and handling rather than risky home tests. Cracks, chips and warping reduce value. Photograph it and any markings.
Yes, often a large one. An attributable piece by a recognised Deco designer, factory or metalworking firm can be worth many times an anonymous one. Marks, registration numbers, model numbers and retailer stamps help — but they're also reproduced, so a mark supports rather than proves a name. We assess marks alongside design and construction and describe attribution carefully.
We buy Deco jewellery, but it's assessed separately because gemstones and precious metals need their own valuation. This page is for objets — lighting, chrome, Bakelite, barware, cigarette cases, clocks and mirrors. For jewellery, our dedicated Art Deco jewellery page is the place to start; you're welcome to send everything together and we route each item to the right specialist.
It can be. Chrome and plated Deco pieces often show some wear or pitting, and light wear on a good design is normal. Heavy pitting and flaking reduce value, but a strong period design can still be desirable. Don't re-plate or aggressively polish, as this removes originality and value. Note the condition honestly and we'll weigh the design against the wear.
Yes — single objects and whole collections alike, including mixed contents from a period home. You need not sort or value anything first. Send an overview photograph with close-ups of anything marked, and we'll advise which pieces merit individual assessment and route any jewellery, glass, ceramics or bronzes to the right specialist within the same offer.
Pack according to the material. Wrap chrome and polished surfaces in soft, non-abrasive material to avoid scratches, protect glass shades and mirror separately, immobilise moving parts on clocks and lamps, and never post a mains lamp with a suspect flex connected. Use a strong double-walled box with dense padding so nothing shifts. If a piece is fragile, electrical, valuable or awkward, email us a photograph first and we will advise on packing before it travels.
Within 72 hours of your parcel going live on YouTube — guaranteed. If we miss that window, we add 3% to your total.
Period authenticity judged, maker identified where possible, condition graded. Written offer per piece. Opened live on YouTube. Paid within 72 hours.