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Step 1
Look at authentic antique quilts at living history museums, local quilt guilds or antique shops to train your eye. For example, old fabrics tend to have a tighter weave (more threads per inch) than new ones.
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Step 2
Ask to touch the quilts so you can learn how vintage material feels. Watch for old quilt tops that have been given new cotton-polyester backs. To spot new batting (material sandwiched between the quilt top and back), gently rub the batting between your fingers. Polyester batting feels slippery.
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Step 3
Turn the quilt over and look for a label attached by the quilter. These list occasions, such as birthdays, weddings or national events, or names and dates.
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Step 4
Inspect the entire quilt. If the composition looks wrong, it may have been altered. Look for signs of wear in the binding (the edging on the quilt). Sometimes consistency of stitching is easier to see on the back than on the front.
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Step 5
Revel in the beautiful colors and craftsmanship of Amish quilts, one of the most prized categories. Look for plain, solid-color fabrics in bold, geometric designs. Amish beliefs reject adornments, including floral and stripe patterns. Quilts made from the late 19th century to the first half of the 20th century, with brilliant contrasting colors on black backgrounds can command $2,500 to $10,000.
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Step 6
Find a quilt that tells a tale. One of the most stirring examples of quilt as folk art, and quilter as historian, are story quilts. Introduced by African Americans about the time of the Civil War, these quilts feature applique'd figures (cloth cut in the shapes of animals, people and landmarks) sewn onto a background, often with biblical quotes. Story quilts pictured an historic event (like an inauguration) or special occasions of everyday life (such as a circus), which can provide clues to date the quilt.
