INARCO Head Vases

The International Art Ware Corporation was too long a name and therefore most people know it by its shorter version, INARCO.  This company, which is known for its lady head vases, was established in Cleveland, Ohio in the early 60s but was later sold to NAPCO and moved to Jacksonville, Florida.  The company’s founder was Irwin Garber and it is believed that his wife served as a model for many of the head vases that the company created.

I have written about head vases before and NAPCO of course was one of the biggest producers of these; however I believe that some of the most beautiful collectible head vases were made by INARCO.  Most you will see have long eye lashes and are adorned with pearls or other accessories.  They come in the form of many different celebrities including Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe.  INARCO head vases can range in price and the example pictured recently sold on eBay for $689.

Recent Coin Auction Price

What is a dime worth to you?  In most cases a dime as we know is worth ten cents.  It is one tenth of an American dollar or ten American pennies.  In rare cases, a dime may be worth a little more if it is unique or in some cases a dime can be worth a lot more depending on condition and rarity.  Such was the case this past week when a single dime sold at auction for more than $1.84 million.

This rare dime was made in Carson City, Nevada in 1873 and was a “No Arrows” Liberty Seated coin.  Made as part of the Battle Born Collection, this dime was made before the mint closed down in Carson City.  It was auctioned sold by Stack’s Bowers Galleries during the American Numismatic Association Convention.  Let’s see . . . $1.84 million equals how many regular dimes?  I believe that’s about 18,004,000,000 regular dimes.

Antique Shows and Events for Mid-August 2012

I think anyone who has been following NOVA-Antiques via our Newsletter and or Blog knows by now that one of our favorite events of the year is the Lucketts Fair.  The antiques and collectibles are just a portion of this event because this it has a little bit of something for everyone.  Live Music, great food, especially the ice cream, arts, crafts and of course lots and lots of antique and Shabby Chic furniture and accessories.  This event will be held on August 18-19, 2012 at the community center grounds which of course is right across the street from our friends at Old Lucketts Store Antiques.

Another great antiques and collectibles show this weekend is in New York; The Madison Bouckville Antique Festival.  This show features hundreds of quality dealers and thousands of people from around the country in search of antique furniture, vintage pottery, china and glass as well as linens, rugs, antique lighting, vintage jewelry and memorabilia.  The Madison Bouckville Antique Festival is one of the largest and well known antiques shows in the nation and it will take place on August 17-19, 2012.

Next week, August 23-26, we look forward to the Baltimore SummerAntiques Show.  If you have never been to the Baltimore Inner Harbor, this is just another excuse to visit.  This antiques and collectibles show attracts over 500 dealers and thousands of people from around the world including Canada, England, Germany, France and Italy.  As such, the quantity and quality of the antique furniture, vintage collectibles, memorabilia, ephemera and jewelry is exquisite to say the least.

Upcoming Antiques Shows & Events

Here is another great opportunity to combine both of my passions; beach and antiques.  The Virginia Beach Antiques Show will be held this weekend August 10-12 the Convention Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  This annual show has been around for a long time and attracts many quality dealers and thousands of people.  It features Americana, vintage collectibles, prints and art as well as books, rugs and antique lighting.

Another great annual antiques show is the Somerset Antiques Show on the streets of Somerset, Pennsylvania.  This show attracts hundreds of dealer and thousands of people from all over the country.  The Somerset Antiques Show features antique furniture, vintage porcelain, pottery, and glass as well as memorabilia and ephemera.  This show will be held on Saturday, August 11, 2012.

A great place to find vintage collectibles and antiques is the Columbus Flea Market in Columbus, New Jersey.  I used to set up at this market many years ago and it is one of those great places where you never know what you are going to find.  Along with produce, baked goods and flowers, this market also has an eclectic mix of antiques, vintage collectibles, old jewelry and vintage clothing.  The Columbus Flea Market is open on Thursday through Sundays but some of my best finds were found on Sunday.

Record Auction Price for Avengers Comic Book

What can you buy for $492,937?  Well many of us could buy a house and a car.  For others it can buy a college education at one of America’s fine colleges or universities.  Yet still for others, the people that have boatloads of money and are aficionados of the X-men, they could buy a comic book.

Granted, this was not just any comic book; this was a prime time quality Silver Age Marvel comic book from 1963.  It was rated a CGC grade of 9.8, in which a score of 10 is perfect, and is only one of two of the finest copies that have survived.  The X-men comic book record price at auction was realized at a recent auction at Heritage Auctions in California.

Antique Shows and Events for August 3-5, 2012

The weekend weather in the Mid Atlantic states is supposed to be beautiful this weekend, which means everyone will want to get out of their homes and outdoors.  This is a good thing since there are many good antique shows and events happening this weekend.  The first you could actually combine with a trip to the beach, Rehoboth Beach in Delaware.

The All Saints Antiques Show is being held on August 2-5 at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center.  This is an annual antiques and vintage collectibles show that attracts many quality dealers and hundreds of visitors from New York, Pennsylvania, Washington DC and New Jersey.  The show features antique furniture, vintage porcelain and glass as well as antique lighting, rugs and ephemera.  If you have never been to the Delaware shore, this is the best way to combine two events into one; relax at the beach after hitting the show.

If you are in the Northern Virginia, Southern Maryland, Washington DC metro area, you may want to hit the Civitan Flea Market in Arlington, Virginia.  We used to set up at this flea market many years ago and it really used to be a seller’s market.  We sold a lot of antique and vintage glass and collectibles.  Nowadays it is more a buyer’s market, and you can find some really good bargains here.  At this flea market you will find vintage collectibles and some antiques along with household items and products.

If you are in the Central New York or Northern Pennsylvania area, you may want to stop at the Park Avenue SummerArt Fest.  If you were to judge by the name, this art festival would be located in New York City, but it is actually in Rochester, New York.  The Park Avenue Summer Art Fest attracts over 300 artists and thousands of visitors and features paintings, jewelry, and furniture.

The Ever Popular Pfaltzgraf Pottery

As a collector and reseller of vintage collectibles, like many others, every few weeks go to the “lists.”  The lists are what tell us what people are searching for and we hope, if they are searching for, they are buying.  As webmaster, I also check my own list, to see what searches have landed people on my website, but there are also lists on Tias and eBay that are published periodically for all to see.  One name that has seems to be on these lists for a little while now is Pfaltzgraff.

The name comes up so often probably because they have been around for more than two hundred years and have made massive amounts of product in that time.  Based in Pennsylvania this company has thousands of people who collect their pottery.  Some of their most popular patterns include the Yorktowne, Naturewood, Pistoulet and the ever popular Winterberry.  Mind you, their pottery is normally not worth thousands of dollars, but the right pieces will sell and sell briskly.

Some of the best prices realized by antiques and collectibles dealers are for the antique crocks that are highly decorated.  Prices for some of the more sought after crocks can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousands of dollars or more.   Pieces from their Winterberry collection on the other hand don’t bring in a lot of money, but they do sell.  We recently saw a serving platter go for about $50 and a set of appetizer plates for about $40.