The question of what constitutes a fair price has been at the center of market interactions since the time of Aristotle. Should a seller sell to the highest bidder, or is there some other standard, such as a morally defined price, to be applied? Charles R. Geisst traces the ways that philosophers, religious leaders, and economists have sought to answer that question, from antiquity through the modern era. Aristotle's thinking on usury influenced the...

Comprehensive sections cover ceramics, furniture, glass, silver and metalwares, jewelry and obects de vertu, clocks and watches, books, Oriental antiques, textiles, toys, decorative arts and Modern classics. Special features explain why one piece is worth more than another and show how to value and item and teach you to be your own appraiser. Biographies of designers and factories give the background information you need to help date and value objects....