Finding Antique Corbels

Some of the aspects of finding and buying antique corbels are similar to finding any other antiques.  But some aspects of it are very different since you are not looking for something like a painting or an antique boot remover.  You will be looking for a piece of architecture, and that means that you will need to adjust your strategy a little. 

Sometimes you can find occasional antique corbels in an antique shop or an estate auction and things where you would normally look for antiques.  The same goes for online auction venders like Ebay.  You can find corbels on there from people who are moving or remodeling that want to rid themselves of their current corbels.  However keep in mind that your choices will be limited.  When people are thinking of selling antiques, they’re soon to be remodeled corbels are not usually the first thing that come to mind.

One of the easiest ways to find antique decorative corbels is to do a little dumpster diving.  It sounds unpleasant but it really is not that bad.  If you know of a building that is scheduled to be demolished they often bring in huge dumpsters for anything they deem to be valueless.  Often, corbels will be on this list.  Taking a look in these dumpsters can provide you with everything that you might need.  If not, the demolition companies often take things back to their warehouse that they get on these jobs.  That is probably where you are most likely to find your decorative corbels.  If they have an overstock of them then you may even be able to haggle for a lower price.

Also, a lot of historical and charitable societies run salvage centers specifically for architectural salvage.  This is another of the best ways for you to find decorative corbels for a very reasonable price.  You can search for these salvage centers online or call around to a few demolition companies since it is likely they may donate some of their debris to these organizations. 

Of course the antique corbels that you find in salvage centers and demolition warehouse may not be in the best shape.  Often they have been damaged in the demolition process, but they are your best resource for antique corbels.  Just keep in mind that you will probably have to do some type of reconstruction or repair on them.