Antique ceiling fans really is an odd topic. You see there really are very few antique ceiling fans. Just reproductions of what people might assume what old world fans might have looked like. Fans that appear to be old fashioned.
The quandary you see, is that ceiling fans really haven't been around that long when compared to other more familiar types of antiques, such as perhaps furniture. Ceiling fans were first invented in the late 1800s and the first ones were powered by water.
Now for the next sticking point. That is that it was decades before any real progress was made with regards to ceiling fan designs. That's right! Most fans back then were stark and utilitarian in design and looked much like what a plain budget fan looks like today.
Of course there were exceptions but the good news is that designers have had plenty of time to play catch up, to the point that as it stands today, there is an almost endless choice in what can best be described as antique ceiling fans.
The common thread that runs through them all is dark rich tones, amber light fixtures and wooden fan blades. Of course there are exceptions and some fan designers have truly taken it to extremes with heavy chains, wrought iron etc.
Just about every ceiling fan maker has a selection of antique designs but a few like Minka have focused far more intently on this design motif. Minka fans are expensive but they are a well designed stylized, high quality fan.
Now if what you have in mind is a “truly antique” ceiling fan that's been fully restored back to its original specifications, you are in luck. This is because there are several online sources for just this type of fan.
You really do have to be a bit of a ceiling fanatic to go this route though because no matter what it is, you can find an authentic reproduction for a fraction of the price. You see restored fans can be and most often are quite expensive.