Georgia’s 13 Most Wanted Antiques For 2025: A Southern Style Guide

The charm of Georgia’s antique scene is heating up for 2025, with collectors and decorators scrambling to find specific treasures. Southern homes are embracing heritage pieces that tell stories of the region’s rich history.

Whether you’re a seasoned collector or just starting out, these sought-after items will add authentic Southern elegance to any space.

1. Plantation Desks With Secret Compartments

Hidden treasures within treasures! These magnificent writing desks feature cleverly disguised drawers and nooks that once hid valuables during uncertain times.

Plantation desks combine beautiful craftsmanship with intriguing history. Typically crafted from native woods like cherry or walnut, they showcase the meticulous attention to detail that characterized 19th-century Southern furniture making.

2. Handwoven Gullah Sweetgrass Baskets

Passed down through generations, these intricate baskets represent one of America’s oldest African art forms. Each coil tells a story of cultural resilience and artistic excellence.

Gullah sweetgrass baskets originated with enslaved West Africans brought to coastal Georgia and South Carolina. Today’s collectors prize vintage examples for their tight weaving, complex patterns, and the distinctive sweetgrass aroma that lingers for decades.

3. Savannah-Made Silver Julep Cups

Mint condition finds from Georgia’s coastal jewel! The distinctive hallmarks of Savannah silversmiths make these vessels particularly coveted among collectors who appreciate Southern drinking traditions.

Savannah-made julep cups feature elegant proportions and often bear family crests or monograms. Their history intertwines with Georgia’s social customs, where the proper serving of mint juleps signified gracious hospitality.

4. Civil War Era Cotton Scales

Weathered by time yet still commanding attention! The mechanical ingenuity of these brass and iron instruments speaks to Georgia’s agricultural heritage and economic history.

Cotton scales were essential tools during the plantation era. The most valuable examples retain their original weights and feature maker’s marks from foundries in Macon, Augusta, or Atlanta, connecting directly to Georgia’s complex past.

5. Primitive Georgia Pine Pie Safes

Rustic charm meets practical design in these kitchen treasures! The hand-punched tin panels not only create beautiful patterns but also allowed air circulation to keep pies fresh.

Georgia pine pie safes represent the ingenious practicality of Southern homemaking before refrigeration. The most desirable examples feature original paint, locally distinctive punched tin designs, and provenance connecting them to specific Georgia counties.

6. Pre-Civil War Cotton Cards

Small yet significant pieces of Southern textile history! These hand tools, used to prepare cotton fibers for spinning, connect us directly to the daily lives of 19th-century Georgians.

Cotton cards with Georgia provenance are increasingly rare. The wooden handles, often made from local hardwoods, show the wear patterns of countless hours of use, while the wire bristles tell stories of domestic production before industrialization changed everything.

7. Antebellum Peachtree Street Maps

Cartographic windows into Atlanta’s past! Long before skyscrapers defined the skyline, these delicate paper treasures documented the early development of Georgia’s capital city.

Antebellum maps of Peachtree Street show the dramatic evolution of Atlanta’s most famous thoroughfare. Collectors value examples that survived Sherman’s March, especially those with hand-coloring or notations that provide insights into pre-war urban planning.

8. Cherokee Nation Pottery

Earthy elegance from Georgia’s first artisans! The distinctive patterns and techniques of Cherokee pottery represent thousands of years of artistic tradition native to Georgia’s mountains.

Cherokee pottery pieces created before the Trail of Tears are exceptionally valuable. Look for characteristic stamped designs, burnished surfaces, and the distinctive firing techniques that give these vessels their unique coloration and cultural significance.

9. Coca-Cola Advertising From The 1890s

Fizzing with investment potential! The earliest promotional items from Atlanta’s global beverage giant capture the birth of modern advertising and brand identity.

Coca-Cola’s Georgia origins make these artifacts particularly significant to local collectors. The most valuable pieces include pharmacy items, serving trays, and signage featuring the distinctive Spencerian script and early slogans before the iconic bottle shape was introduced.

10. Antique Georgia Peach Crates

Fruity nostalgia in wooden form! Once utilitarian shipping containers, these colorful crates now serve as charming decorative elements in Southern homes.

Georgia peach crates feature vibrant label art that captures the agricultural marketing of the early 20th century. The most desirable examples come from famous orchards in Fort Valley or Byron and retain their original stenciling or paper labels.

11. Sea Island Cotton Quilts

Textile treasures from Georgia’s coastal islands! The superior quality of Sea Island cotton makes these handcrafted quilts exceptionally soft and durable, even after a century of use.

Sea Island cotton quilts showcase distinctive coastal Georgia patterns. The most valuable examples feature documented provenance connecting them to specific island communities and display the exceptional long-staple cotton that made Georgia famous in textile markets worldwide.

12. Antique Georgia Cracker Jars

Stoneware stars of the Southern kitchen! These sturdy vessels once kept crackers crisp in humid Georgia summers and now command impressive prices from collectors.

Georgia cracker jars typically feature distinctive alkaline glazes in earthy greens and browns. The most sought-after examples bear the marks of notable Georgia potters from the Meaders family or the Edgefield District, connecting them to the state’s rich ceramic traditions.

13. Presidential China From Georgia’s Own

Presidential prestige on your dining table! China sets from Georgia-born presidents Jimmy Carter and Roosevelt’s Little White House in Warm Springs bring historical gravitas to collections.

Presidential china connects Georgia directly to the White House. Pieces from Carter’s administration feature simple elegance reflecting his Plains, Georgia roots, while Roosevelt items from his Warm Springs retreat show the more casual style he preferred while seeking therapeutic waters.