Northern Virginia Antiques & Collectibles

This Weekends Antique & Collectibles Shows December 16, 2010

2010-12-16T05:27:00.007-05:00

As the year dies down and we get closer to the Holidays, we have less antique and collectibles shows or flea markets to attend. Which is a shame because more people should be shopping at these markets for unique, inexpensive and long lasting gifts that cannot be found at Macy’s, Toys R Us, Walmart or any of the other retail stores. Antiques and collectibles in most cases also appreciate in value and help with our green effort by keeping things out of landfills.

So where do you go this weekend to get that gift for a special someone? There are a couple of places in the Mid Atlantic region. If you are in the Washington DC metro area, you might consider the Georgetown Flea Market or Eastern Market. Both have many dealers selling antique furniture, vintage pottery and art glass as well as linens, porcelain and china. The Georgetown Flea Market is open on Sundays in the parking lot of Hardy Middle School. Also on Sundays, the Eastern Market is held on 7th and C Streets in DC.

Other shows in the Mid Atlantic region include Renningers Antique Market in Adamstown Pennsylvania. This market is open on Sundays and averages about four hundred dealers. In Fletcher North Carolina, there is Smiley’s Flea Market which is open on Friday thru Saturday. This market and antique mall is a huge 100,000 square foot facility filled to capacity every weekend. For other antique flea markets and shows, please visit my monthly calendar.

Rare Star Wars Collectible Up for Grabs

2010-12-15T05:27:00.008-05:00

eFX Inc and 501st TK Project are teaming up to auction off one of the most unique Star Wars collectible today. An eFX Stormtrooper Helmet featuring the autographs of, among others, Star Wars creator George Lucas and actors Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. The auction is being held on EBay and the best part of this is that it benefits the Make a Wish Foundation.

501st Legion is an organization that was created by Star Wars fans to help raise funds for needy causes and the Make a Wish Foundation attempts to grant the wishes of children with life threatening medical conditions.

Michael Jackson Photos Sold at Paris Auction

2010-12-14T05:36:00.002-05:00

The King of Pop still rakes in the cash as one of the all-time greats in collectibles and memorabilia. About 700 prints of the King of Pop sold at Paris auction house Pierre Berge & Associes. The prints, some of which were classified as portraits of Jackson were taken by French photographer Arno Bani and some were originally intended to be used on the Invincible album cover.

The photographs brought in more than $265, 000, which is consistent with past sales of Jackson memorabilia. Since his death in July 2009, collectors and fans have fueled a buying frenzy for anything related to his life and lifestyle. One of the gloves sold last year for over $350,000 and a crystal studded shirt sold for $52,500. However, fans and collectors have to beware of fakes. Additionally, some collectors fear that there will be a glut in the amount of collectibles available and prices eventually will plummet.

Beatles Memorabilia Eleanor Rigby Register Sells at Auction

2008-11-28T17:39:00.010-05:00

Ah look at all the lonely people . . . where do they all come from? If you are a Beatles fan, and many people are, you will recognize the lyrics from their song Eleanor Rigby, which Sir Paul McCartney penned and released on the Revolver album in 1966. Since the album first came out and the song became one of the most popular Beatle songs, many people have wondered, who was Eleanor Rigby? As it turns out, Ms. Rigby was a nurse at Liverpool City Hospital around 1911, according to a recent document sold at auction for $177,000.

The document is a salary register that bears the signature E. Rigby, which had to be signed to get her wages at that time. After many years of speculation, the register surfaced in 1990 when McCartney reportedly sent it to Annie Mawson, who had appealed to him for a donation. Mawson, who is head of a charity called Sunbeams Music and uses music to help people with special needs, must have thought him a little crazy when she received an envelope with the register. The register was sold by The Fame Bureau an auction company in London.

On another note reports have Paul McCartney saying that Ringo Starrs’ outburst about not signing autographs for fans. He said that Ringo was not arrogant, but was “honest.”

Springsteen Donates Memorabilia Off His Back for Charity Auction

2008-11-07T17:43:00.006-05:00

It has been reported that Bruce Springsteen took the leather jacket off his back at a charity auction and donated it to help raise money for wounded war veterans. The arrogant Ringo Starr should take a page out of a real artist’s book. Springsteen, apparently was taking part in the New York Comedy Festival for the Bob Woodruff Foundation and had already donated his 1994 Harley. When the bidding stalled at $40,000 for the bike, Springsteen threw in the jacket and together they brought in $70,000. He had also donated an autographed guitar which was purchased for another $50,000. No wonder he is one of President (Elect) Barack Obama’s, whose own memorabilia is flying off of shelves, favorite artists.

The Boss, as he is affectionately known to his fans, reportedly is also working on a Barack Obama inspired album which is due out sometime in January. Springsteen campaigned for Obama as well as performed shows to benefit the Obama campaign. The album is sure to include “Workin’ on a Dream” which The Boss performed with his wife Patti at an Ohio campaign event. Brendan O’Brien is the producer of the album and according to the published reports, the album may be close to finished already. I wouldn’t be surprised to run into Springsteen in Washington on January 20th.

Dietology – The Art of Postcard Collecting

2008-11-06T07:05:00.005-05:00

Deltiolgy is the formal name for postcard collecting. It is one of the fastest growing and is rumored to be one of the largest collectible hobbies in the world and it is no wonder considering that postcard collecting can take many different angles. For example, postcard collectors can collect just black and white postcards or colored postcards. They can collect postcards of U.S. cities or towns, or European cities or towns. They can collect funny postcards or vintage holiday postcards. In any case, there are many subjects and collectors tend to migrate to different collections.

There are two online auction sites that cater to dealers and collectors of postcards, delcampe.com and playle.com. Both of these online auction sites boast large inventory listings with Delcampe having over five million listings. Delcampe has also averaged over sales of over 100,000 postcards in recent months. The difference between these online auction sites and eBay is that these sites do not charge dealers for hosting their listings and the final value fees are in most cases lower. If you are a deltiolgist, you may find that card you have been looking for on these sites.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archive – August 24, 2007 . . .

Presidential Cabbage Patch Kids Raise Money for Toys for Tots

2008-11-04T12:34:00.008-05:00

I remember standing outside a Montgomery Wards Store in New Jersey, can’t remember if it was in ’82 or ’83, but it was cold outside and we were about the tenth in line at the ungodly hour of 4 am. Our friends had accompanied my wife and I and we were drinking steaming hot cups of coffee from thermoses, chatting and eagerly waiting for the doors to open at 6 am. No, we weren’t waiting to buy an X-Box or a new computer, they hadn’t even been invented yet. What we were waiting for on that cold and dank morning was the right to purchase the ugly but short supplied Cabbage Patch Kid doll.

When the store employees finally came out of the store, everyone in line crowded forward and I thought we were going to die as the people crushed us to get their hands on a slip of paper that was the “license” to buy the dolls. We did manage to come out of that mess alive, each with armed with two licenses. When the manager flung open the doors at 6 am, thermoses and coffee long forgotten, we raced back to the toy section so we could have the best selection. The only time I have seen people run faster is at the running of the bulls in Spain, except that we were the ones that looked like the bulls.

In any case, we did manage to get four of the ugly cabbage patch dolls, which we quickly turned around for a nice profit. At the time I believe we paid about $25 for the Cabbage Patch Kids at Montgomery Ward and we sold them each for an average of $125 at a flea market in New Jersey. Essentially, we made $400 by standing in the cold and risking life and limb from crazed “bulls” that wanted to stampede past us so they could get the prettiest of the ugly dolls.

Today however, there are no shortages of Cabbage Patch Kids and prices for a new doll hover around $50 for a brand new one and vintage ones from the late 70’s and early 80’s bringing in hundreds of dollars at auctions. One particular auction on eBay, today featured one of a kind 25th Anniversary Cabbage Patch Kids that were made to look like our presidential candidates McCain, Palin, Obama and Biden. I have to say that they probably didn’t have to do too much creative design to Palin’s doll since she kind of looks like a Cabbage Patch Kid anyway.

The auctions, that ended today, the same day in which we will vote for our next president, were spirited as presidential memorabilia buffs tangled with Cabbage Patch Kids collectors, vintage toy doll collectors, vintage toy collectors and plain ordinary folks who want a piece of history. This time the profits however will not go into someone’s pocket, like ours did oh so many years ago. This auction that raised a total of $36,000 benefits the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation, which raises money every year to help provide gifts for needy children.

Collectible Lenci Dolls were Madame Alexander’s Inspiration

2008-11-03T17:06:00.005-05:00

Many of us have heard of Madame Alexander dolls, which are very collectible, but few of us realize that a lot of the inspiration for these dolls came from Elana Scavini and her creation, the Lenci doll. Scavini and her husband started their doll company as early as 1918 in Turin, Italy and became a huge success throughout the world. Although all Lenci dolls are valuable as a collectible, the ones made in the early 20’s and 30’s are the most sought after.

Lenci dolls were very well designed and constructed. Lenci dolls were made of felt and had faces that were painted with oil based paints. Usually the ears were sewn on individually and were made of double felt. What is interesting about these dolls is that they were jointed in such a way that the heads, shoulders and hips swiveled and then they were dressed very finely and elaborately dressed. The dolls also usually feature eyes that look off to the side.

Because the Lenci dolls are made of felt, condition problems may occur which will affect the bottom line of the doll as a collectible. Many of their earlier dolls whose clothing were also made of felt and sewn directly onto the doll are in the worst condition because the clothing is not removable. The Lenci-Dolls.net offers 12 Tips for Cleaning and Care of Lenci Dolls.

A Brief History of Seth Thomas Clocks

2008-11-02T06:27:00.005-05:00

Did you remember to set your clocks back this last evening before going to bed? Of course I didn’t as you can tell from the ungodly hour that I am posting this. Anyway, after I woke up I picked up the Big Ben, which sits atop my dresser, and looked to see what time it was. Thinking it was later, I came downstairs, put the coffee on and proceeded to boot up the old computer. While the computer was booting up, I glanced out of the corner of my eye at the time on the bottom right hand corner, which is automatically update by Windows, and realized that of course I had forgotten to turn the clocks back one hour. When I went back into the kitchen for a coffee refill, I looked up and saw that the vintage Seth Thomas clock needed to be set as well.

Now some of you may have a Seth Thomas clock of your own, as a matter of fact, your grandparents, parents or aunts and uncles probably at one point or another probably had their very own. Seth Thomas clocks have been around since about 1810, when Mr. Thomas purchased Eli Terry’s Clock Company in Wolcott, Connecticut. Starting with tall clocks made of wood and in 1817 joining the movement by making shelf clocks of wood and still later in the 1830’s the bronze and glass clocks of the era. After his death in 1859, Seth Thomas’s sons took over and grew the clock business even further by diversifying their products.

In 1931, The Seth Thomas Clock Company became a subsidiary of General Time Instruments Corporation and was later moved to Georgia. After some financial and production troubles, the company almost died but was resurrected by the Colibri Corporation and the Seth Thomas Clock, at least in name is still available for purchase today from many stores and boutiques. They still make a line of wooden shelf clocks as well as many of other types of clocks for home and office. However, whether you buy an antique, vintage collectible or modern Seth Thomas clock, you will still have to remember to fall back in the Fall or spring forward in the Spring.

Sebastiano Ricci Long Lost Painting to be Auctioned

2008-11-01T22:09:00.007-04:00

Sebastiano Ricci an Italian Baroque style painter was born in August 1659 in Belluno, Italy. His early career as an artist took a bad turn when at the age of 19 he was accused of trying to poison the mother of his unborn child. However, one of his benefactors intervened on his behalf and he was released, at which time he moved to Bologna and where he got his first commission to paint the Decapitation of John the Baptist by the Fraternity of Saint John of Florence. His career took off after that as he was commissioned by more and more churches, statesmen and others for works of art.

His painting, The Vision of Saint Bruno, which had been thought lost, will be sold at auction on November 20, 2008. The painting, which measures about 36 inches by 48 inches, is believed to have been painted around 1705 and once belonged to a European nobleman and most recently to an American family in Texas. Heritage Auctions, which will handle the sale of the painting, expects the painting of a robed Saint Bruno looking at angels in the sky to bring in over $600,000. Ricci, the artist who almost blew it by going to jail, passed away in 1734 leaving the world with some of the most beautiful paintings or his time, over forty of which reside in world class museums today.

Bertoia’s Toy Auction in Vineland, New Jersey

2008-10-31T18:09:00.005-04:00

When I was a kid, after living in New York City, my parents moved to Vineland, New Jersey for a few years so that my father could be closer to his family and because my uncle had secured him a job with the public school system there. We lived on Elmer Street, a quiet little street, with a branch of the local library at the corner and Newberry’s five and dime down the street. I attended, Maurice Fels Elementary School, a small four classroom school that housed kindergarten thru third grade.

I still get to Vineland once in awhile to visit my aunts who still live there and I am always amazed at the change of the little town into a bigger city with bustling stores, shops and neighborhoods. When I visit, one of my aunts insists that I take her to our old haunts, the Berlin Flea Market and the Cowtown Flea Market. Even back then as youngster, I couldn’t get enough of the old things.

Vineland will swell with even more people next weekend. Bertoia Auctions, which is based in Vineland, is having a three day Toys for All Seasons auction on Friday thru Sunday, November 7 – 9, 2008. This auction promises to have everything from cast iron toys to board games and Halloween figures. The star of this auction will be a 27” tall Santa mechanical toy store display, which is expected to bring in more than $10,000. Bertoia, which specializes in antique and collectible toys holds auctions in New Jersey a few times a year.

Brief History of the Tea Caddy

2008-10-30T22:38:00.005-04:00

Ahhh . . . a refreshing cup of tea. The same tea that the patriots dumped into the Boston Harbor was introduced to the English from China in the mid 1600’s. Believed to be a healing drink by its early connoisseurs, tea was originally for the well to do because of its extremely high price. Tea was packaged and imported in large quantities and the tax man then levied heavy taxes on the shipments. Tea remained very expensive for about 100 years, until many people started buying the tea illegally from the black market. Because tea was associated with the mighty and powerful, it had to be stored in only the best boxes or what was known as the tea caddy.

The word caddy is from Malaysia and was a unit of measure equal to about 3/5 of a kilo. In the early 1700’s a lot of tea caddies were made of wood in very intricate design, many featuring tortoiseshell and ivory. These boxes were shaped like small chests and some were even carved in the Chippendale style. These antique early boxes are very rare and collectible today. In the 1800’s the tea caddies began to take different shapes, with influences coming from both China and Egypt. Many of the tea caddies from this era featured pagoda tops and tapered sides as well a concave and other linear combinations.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archives - August 3, 2007 . . . .

Ruffino Tamayo Mural at Sotheby’s

2008-10-30T03:04:00.005-04:00

Ruffino Tamayo was born in 1899 in Oaxaca, Mexico and was a Zapotecan Indian. After the death of his parents in 1911, he moved to Mexico City. He studied at the Escuela de Artes Plasticas. He went on to work at the National Archeological Museum where he was first exposed to folk art. After a one man show in Mexico City in 1926, he moved to New York where he thought his art would be better received. Tamayo became a widely recognized painter and artist during his time in New York and exhibited his works at many galleries and museums. In 1955 he returned to Mexico City where he painted a huge mural titled America.

America, which measures a whopping 13 feet by 14 feet, will be sold at the Fall Latin American Artists Sale Sotheby’s Auctions. The painted mural is expected to bring in between $7 and $9 million. Originally painted by Tamayo for the Bank of Southwest Houston, this work of art has been on loan to the Dallas Museum of Art for the past fifteen years. The Sotheby’s Latin American Artist sale will take place on November 18 and 19, 2008. Besides America, other Tamayo works will be offered for sale as well as works by Carlos Cruz-Diez, Antonio Asis, Sandra Cinto and Marta Boto.

Tiffin Collectors Club Sponsors Antique Show & Sale

2008-10-27T16:29:00.010-04:00

One of the longest operating elegant glass companies in America, Tiffin Glass Company, went through major changes in management throughout their history. Originally, A.J. Beatty & Sons Glass Factory in Steubenville, Ohio, the company changed its name to Tiffin when it moved to Tiffin, Ohio in 1888. Most glass producing plants were susceptible to fire because of the furnaces needed to produce the glass and Tiffin was no exception. In 1893, the plant burned down to the ground and had to be rebuilt. The plant did survive the great depression but trouble arose later in the late 50’s and early 60’s and in just the span of a few years the Tiffin changed hands several times.

In the late 1950’s, Tiffin began having financial difficulties and was sold to an investment firm in New York and then later in 1962 to Brihart Plastics of Mineola, New York. In 1963, Tiffin again was sold and purchased by a group of former employees. They re-named the company Tiffin Art Glass Company and the company took off with millions in sales. In 1966 the company was sold yet again to the Continental Glass Company and was re-named Tiffin Glass Company and in 1968 it was sold to Interpace the parent company of many pottery and china companies including Shenango and Mayer China. The company was sold for the last time in 1979 to Towle Silversmiths and the name changed to Tiffin Crystal. One thing is for certain about this company, no matter the changes in management or the subtle changes in name, they always managed to produce quality elegant glass.

The Tiffin Glass Collectors Club will be sponsoring the 14th Annual Fall Glass and Antiques Show & Sale in where else but Tiffin, Ohio. The show which will be held this coming Saturday Sunday, November 1 & 2, 2008, will not only feature the most beautiful of Tiffin glass products, but will also have antique furniture, china and vintage collectibles. The Tiffin Glass Club Collectors Club will also be offering a new ornament with the Tiffin logo made by Mosser Glass in Cambridge, Ohio for $25 each. Held at the Seneca School of Opportunity, this indoor show has plenty of free parking and food is available.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Edition Updates on Upcoming Events

2008-10-24T06:57:00.003-04:00

The October 24, 2008 edition of the NOVA-Antiques Newsletter has been published and contains information about How to tell a First Edition Book; the Fabulous Finds Annual Barn Sale; a Bob Hope Memorabilia Auction and information about upcoming antiques and collectibles auctions, estate sales, flea markets and antique shows.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter is published twice per month by NOVA-Antiques and currently has a subscriber base of about 2500 subscribers. NOVA-Antiques is the Mid-Atlantic website for all things antique and collectible.

Antique & Vintage Bicycles Bring Flood of Memories

2008-10-23T07:47:00.006-04:00

Like many people, I remember my very first bike. We were living in Vineland, New Jersey and I was in first grade at the time. My brother in law, who was a wiz at all things mechanical, purchased a used Schwinn bike for me. He made it look very nice by spray painting it black and white and the wheels were those thick knobby type with the white walls. Thinking about it brought back some awesome memories of my younger days flying down the street in front of little house on Elmer Street, with my brother in law and sister looking on. But what actually spurned these memories was an article that I read online the other day about a vintage bike shop.

Landmark Vintage Bicycles in New York City has a wide array of restored vintage bicycles made by the legendary Schwinn and Raleigh companies. According to a company profile, Landmark is owned by Chung Pai who is a bicycle enthusiast himself. Most of his clientele are not professional cyclists, but people like me, with nostalgia on their mind; People drawn to all things old and antique and to bicycles that remind us of our youth, with curvy lines, big whitewall tires and the little bell on the handlebars. I don’t remember whatever happened to the old bike, but I sure wish I would have kept it.

Prices for an antique or vintage bike can range from a few dollars for one that is not restored, to thousands of dollars for bikes that have been fully restored to their original condition. At Landmark Vintage Bicycles, old bikes are going for anywhere from $175 to over $1000 for an antique, 1930, Bridgestone bicycle. Each of the bikes in the shop is restored to their original condition and they also sell a wide array of accessories consistent with the time periods. The Schwinn Stingray bike pictured on the right recently sold on eBay for more than $700.

Vintage Sex Goes Up in Smoke

2008-10-21T06:24:00.006-04:00

This past Sunday in Jacksonville, Florida a church congregation gathered to set fire to a cache of vintage sex films from the 1970’s -1980’s. It turns out, that the collection of more than 100 reels of the vintage sex were found in an old drive in movie theater building that the church had recently purchased. The church paid close to $1.4 million for the drive in and found the cache of X-rated movies when they were cleaning up . . . imagine their surprise. The most amusing part to me however is not that they found a cache of porn, but that they thought it best to bless the water in the fire trucks that were used to keep the fire under control.

Isn’t there something in our constitution about separation of church and state? We can’t have our children pray in schools, but we can let our fire trucks spew out holy water? There is something wrong with this picture. Got to give the padre of the church credit though, some Catholic priests or other ministers would have hid the cache for themselves. Others would have found a way to sell it; in case you all in Jacksonville hadn’t heard, sex sells and aren’t the churches always looking for donations? I guess they don’t really need to ask for any more donations though if they can afford to buy a drive in for $1.4 million and set fire to vintage collectibles that would have brought in thousands of dollars for the church.

Lucien Freud Not Recession Proof Either

2008-10-19T19:27:00.006-04:00

Yesterday it was Andy Warhol’s painting that did not reach its pre-sale estimate at an auction at Sotheby’s. Today, a rare Lucien Freud painting of Francis Bacon failed to reach its pre-sale estimate of about $14 million. The painting, which has been described as an unfinished portrait of his friend and painted around 1956, sold for about $9 million at a Christie’s Auction. Based on previous sales, the price was a bargain for a Freud painting.

In an article I wrote in my June 23, 2007 Newsletter, I described a portrait painting sold at Christie’s auction of another of Freud's friends, Bruce Bernard. It set a record auction price for a living artist. And yet another painting titled Benefits Supervisor Sleeping sold in May of this year for $33.6 million, which was at the higher end of the pre-sale estimate. Both Warhol and Freud failing to reach pre-sale estimates has many questioning whether the slump will continue as stocks take a roller coaster ride and credit is at a low even for the wealthy.

Andy Warhol Paintings Not Recession Proof

2008-10-18T19:26:00.011-04:00

Many years ago, when I was a lot younger, I owned an Andy Warhol Coca Cola T-Shirt and boy do I wish I would have kept it around. Although probably not worth as much as one of his paintings, it is always nice to have pieces of memorabilia from your past. It wasn’t too long ago that all Warhol collectibles were going for a premium price, however in these days of economic recession prices seem to be down. This is even more evident in the art world. At a Sotheby’s Auction yesterday, many pieces of art went either unsold or brought it less money than they were expected to bring including the paintings by Andy Warhol.

A compilation of 10 silkscreen paintings of skulls, which was expected to bring in more than 12 million at auction, brought in a mere $7.5 million. This compilation of paintings was first put together by a Zurich art dealer, Thomas Ammann, in 1976 and is said to represent the “the literal multiplication of death.” Each of the 10 canvases in this compilation was painted in different and contrasting colors and were signed by Warhol, who was one of the central figures in the Pop Art movement. Last year, Christie’s, sold Green Burning Car I, by Andy Warhol for a record breaking price of $71 million.

Andy Warhol was born Andrew Warhola on August 6, 1928. Better known for his paintings and artwork, he was also a filmmaker, author and illustrator. In addition, he is also well known for the phrase that he coined regarding everyone’s “fifteen minutes of fame.” As with most artists, his work evolved as time went by. His works, which are as highly sought after today as they originally were, were the subjects of many scandals in the 1960’s. In the 1970’s, he toned down his celebrity and started getting more portrait commissions from the rich and famous including the Beatles’ John Lennon and Diana Ross of the Supremes.

Warhol was to evolve again in the 1980’s after some criticized his works of the 1970’s as too commercial and without substance. He started hanging around with other artists that were up and coming at the time including Jean-Michael Basquiat and David Salle. He had very successful exhibitions of his art and a resurgence in the interest of Warhol paintings again gripped art collectors. Unfortunately, his life was cut short and in 1987 after routine gall bladder surgery, Warhol had a heart attack and died. However, many would agree that Andy Warhol has overly exceeded his fifteen minutes of fame.

Save Some Green by Going Green… Buy Vintage!

2008-10-17T07:24:00.010-04:00

The combination of a weak economy and more people “going green” by recycling has proven to be a catalyst for many interior designers and homeowners to seek less expensive and “greener” alternatives for decorating and enhancing homes. Additionally, average stock market investors are seeking alternative venues for investing.

Some may argue that investing hard-earned money in something other than the highly volatile stock market is a safer way to invest these days.

With the increased emphasis on going green, the resale market for antiques and vintage goods, such as art, books, jewelry and even photography, is becoming as liquid as investing in stocks. The difference is that most antiques are a “sure thing”. The older they get, the more valuable they become (barring damage). Thus, one stands a good chance of “buying low” at a Flea Market or Antiques Shop today, and “selling high” for two reasons: one, simply because one would sell in the future, aging all the more in the process, and 2) the investor has garnered use from the item during its ownership, unlike a virtual stock certificate which offers little use, if any.

Certainly, there is no sure-fire way to ensure that one’s choices in antiques investments will appreciate and pay off in the future, but right now, it’s easy to make the argument it probably can’t be worse than investing in the stock market. The choice to purchase items that have been salvaged or repurposed as something else offers the additional benefit of helping the environment by recycling and keeping things out of landfills.

There are many area flea markets and mom-and-pop antiques shops in the Northern Virginia area, as well as periodic antiques festivals where one can shop and not spend a lot of money. The upcoming Aldie Antiques Market, in Aldie, Virginia is one such place. This once-monthly flea market, which is sponsored in part by Bella Villa features many dealers and reasonable prices, but the best part is that it is a place where one can find some quality merchandise, often American or European in origin.

Normally held on the second Saturday of each month from 9 am to 5 pm, the Aldie Antiques Market this month is being held on Saturday October 18, 2008 in conjunction with the Aldie Harvest Festival. Aldie Day is a fifty-year-old celebration that attracts more than 3000 people annually and consists of many attractions for the entire family, including children’s games, live music and food.

Admission is free and $5 donation for parking will go to charity. In addition to antiques and collectibles, the festival will also feature 100 artisans selling pottery, jewelry, handcrafted items and art, so it is a great place to do some shopping for investment purposes, while saving money and “going green” by recycling.

This article was a collaborative effort by Rosanna Smith and Marc Cortes. Rosanna Smith is the co-owner of the very popular and highly successful Bella Villa, located in Aldie, Virginia. She also sponsors the Aldie Antiques Market, a monthly antiques and vintage collectibles Market. Marc Cortes is the publisher and webmaster of the NOVA-Antiques Newsletter and NOVA-Antiques Blog. Both of which are dedicated to help bring news articles, stories and information regarding antiques and collectibles to the Mid-Atlantic U.S.

Hurricane Lamps Both Stylish and Practical

2008-10-16T23:00:00.005-04:00

With all the flood, wind and weather disasters of recent years, one cannot overlook the importance of having a few hurricane lamps around the house. When power fails, traditional candles can be dangerous. We have read or heard of many disasters when a candle has tipped over catching curtains and furniture on fire. The hurricane lamp, with its glass chimney is a little bit safer. Many people have taken old hurricane lamps and converted them to electricity, but that defeats the purpose during power outages.

Hurricane lamps are not only desirable for their practical use, but the right lamp can add certain stylishness to a room. You can buy new hurricane lamps in any large department or specialty store, however the most beautiful lamps are the vintage lamps found in antique shops or flea markets. One of the most popular and stylish type of lamp is called the Gone With The Wind (GWTW) Lamp, named after the Academy Award winning movie of the same name. These beautiful lamps feature hand painted designs on both the lamp and a chimney enclosure. Prices for beautiful hurricane lamps can range from a mere $35 to thousands of dollars.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archive – March 20, 2007 . . .

A Brief History of George Nakashima

2008-10-15T23:29:00.006-04:00

George Nakashima was born in 1905 in Spokane, Washington and is widely considered one of the top furniture designers and maker of the 20th Century. After attending the University of Washington and later receiving a Masters degree from M.I.T., Nakashima traveled to France and later to Japan. It was there that he met Antonin Raymond, who is well known for his collaborations with Frank Lloyd Wright and under his tutelage became engaged in the study of Japanese design. After returning to the U.S. in 1940 however, Nakashima’s life took a detour when during World War II, he was put in a Japanese internment camp.

Some would argue that the detour in the camp was not all bad, as this is where Nakashima was first introduced to making furniture and where his passion grew full fledged. While in the camp he studied the art of making furniture with traditional Japanese tools and the techniques used by the grand masters. In 1943, Antonin Raymond came into his life again, he was released from the camp and moved to New Hope, Pennsylvania where he opened his first studio. Nakashima was one of the finest craftsmen of his time and today his works go at auction for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Although he passed away, his work continues through his daughter, Mira Nakashima-Yarnall, who now runs the studio, still situated in New Hope.

David Beckham’s Booty Found on eBay

2008-10-14T19:23:00.005-04:00

Published reports say that two people working as housekeepers in the David and Victoria Beckham household, as well as the housekeeper’s son were arrested earlier today after memorabilia and other booty was found on eBay. Other staff members at the Beckham’s residence were suspicious of the help’s son because he hung around the residence and was not actually employed there. They told Victoria’s parents, who in turn found the memorabilia on the online auction site. Apparently, the help spent a lot of time not only at the Beckham’s official residence, but they also spent time in the couple’s holiday home in France. Missing from the home and found on the eBay online auction site according to reports were dresses belonging to Victoria and a lot of soccer memorabilia from soccer icon, David Beckham.

The investigation is continuing to determine if any other items were stolen from either the main residence or the holiday residence and eBay has pledged to help with the investigation and to help prosecute the offenders. What gets me is that these alleged thieves were pretty dumb to have thought that no one would look on eBay for the booty. One of the first places investigators now look for stolen antiques and memorabilia is on online auction sites. Investigators know that in most of these cases, the crooks are in it for a quick buck and will want to turn the items over quickly. Before the rise of the Internet and auction sites like eBay, the first place investigators would look was in local pawn shops and antiques stores. Now, a thief can steal something and sell it half way across the world.

Ringo Starr Busy or Arrogant?

2008-10-13T08:02:00.005-04:00

I grew up on the Beatles, as a matter of fact one of the first things I ever remember watching on an old black and white TV when we lived in the Big Apple was the Ed Sullivan Show where the Beatles made their U.S. debut. I was devastated when John Lennon lost his life in New York and there was a glimmer of hope that someday the band that I remember as a kid would return for at least one more performance. Today, Lennon is probably rolling in his grave at the arrogance of the one time drummer for the Beatles, Ringo Starr.

On his official website, Starr claims that he is too busy to read fan mail and sign memorabilia. A forty second outburst on video posted on his site, Starr says, “Nothing will be signed after the 20th of October. If that is the date on the envelope, it’s gonna be tossed.” He continues to say, “No more fan mail and no more objects to be signed. Nothing.” He claims he is too busy, we say he is pretty arrogant. A sculptured bush of Starr’s likeness was recently beheaded in Liverpool after disparaging remarks about the city. Turning away the people that made you who you are and what you are cannot be good for the image.

In June 2008 he also cancelled a show at the last minute in Bethel, New York and disappointed a lot of fans. Quite honestly, I think he is just getting too old and cantankerous. Maybe, he should just retire.

Vintage & Antique Game Tables Back in Style

2008-10-12T17:59:00.005-04:00

In the good old 1950’s, no home was complete without a table with four matching chairs in the family room or den, where we could all sit around and play games. Whether it was board games like Monopoly or card games, family and friends gathered around and had a good time. Of course, this was all before the advent and meteoric sales of radios and televisions. Although the 1950’s was a good time for the game table, their beginnings go a lot further than that.

In the 18th century, most homes had a game table made for the family room or living room. The most basic of models featured a top that opened and spun to form a square table, however many more game tables were elaborately made using the best and most exotic woods and many were ornately designed. Later models even featured many trimmings including wells for gaming chips and or holders for drinks. However, in the 1900’s game tables lost their popularity.

Fast forward to 2007 and there is now resurgence in the popularity of the game table. Probably because Americans are spending more on finishing their basements and creating elaborate game rooms in their homes. Game tables are now available not only at the local antique shop or flea market, but reproductions are popping up everywhere. Checking the Internet we saw small game tables for just over $300 to more elaborate game tables going for thousands of dollars.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archives – February 16, 2007 . . .

Pilgrim Glass Specialized in Crackle Glass and Cranberry Glass

2008-10-12T07:59:00.007-04:00

If you are looking for an article about the Pilgrims that came to America and introduced us to the Thanksgiving holiday, you are at the wrong place. This article is about Pilgrim Glassworks of West Virginia. Although this company was situated in the state that brought us the likes of West Virginia Glass, Fenton, and Blenko art glass manufacturers, Pilgrim is not as old. Yet although it does not have the long history of its cousins, Pilgrim made some glass that is renowned around the country and around the world. Pilgrim made their mark by specializing in crackle glass and cranberry glass.

Alfred Knobler founded Pilgrim Glassworks in 1956 in Ceredo, West Virginia. Its first production pieces were mainly crackle glass pitchers, vases, decanters and bowls. Like their older glass producing cousin, Blenko, these art glass pieces came in an assortment of colors, including ruby and amberina glass. As a matter of fact, Pilgrim glass is so similar to Blenko glass, that many people confuse the two. Even the shapes of their products were remarkably similar to Blenko and some even to Fenton. However, one thing that they excelled at and that other companies could not compete with was with Pilgrim's cranberry glass.

First made around 1968, Pilgrim cranberry glass is probably some of the most beautiful colored glass in the world. In my home we have a small collection of the glass and it adorns our fireplace and dining room areas. We have some pieces of cranberry glass that were not made by Pilgrim, but none can compare with the subtle shades of cranberry associated with Pilgrim. Cranberry glass is made by introducing gold chloride to molten glass; very few companies attempted this process and even still, very few succeeded in achieving the success that Pilgrim did with this color.

So much so that if the Pilgrims of North America had had this glass available to them at the time, they would have decorated their Thanksgiving tables with it, as opposed to the blah orange and brown that became traditional for this holiday. Unfortunately Pilgrim Glass wasn’t founded until much later and to our sadness and displeasure didn’t last as long as their glass producing cousins either. The company seized to exist in March of 2002.

People Do Anything for James Bond Memorabilia

2008-10-11T07:09:00.008-04:00

James Bond has been in the news lately and not because of some new movie coming out. Seem James Bond memorabilia is attracting people from all walks of life and people will do just about anything to acquire something James Bond. For those who have been living under a rock for many years, James Bond is the fictional spy in the popular Ian Fleming novels. Also known as Agent 007, James Bond movies have been the longest running film franchise in history with twenty two movies. The character itself has been played by many stars, the most notable being Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan. It was a gun used by Roger Moore in a movie that first made the news this week.

According to the authorities in Hertfordshire, England, the gun used by Moore in the movie The Man With The Golden Gun, has been stolen from the Elstree Studios. The gun, which is valued at more than $160,000 was made specifically for the movie and was in the care of the studio’s prop division. However, not all Bond memorabilia collectors are thieves, some buy the collectibles outright, even if they are not perfect.

The second piece of news this week involving Agent 007 was that a fan paid more than $400,000 for the Aston Martin DBS automobile that was being used to film the newest Bond movie, Quantum Solace. Normally that wouldn’t have been newsworthy, except that the car, which was being driven to the set of the new movie was involved in an accident and totaled before the collector paid the steep price for a piece of memorabilia. The price of this piece of James Bond memorabilia surpassed the price of what the car is worth new, $270,000 and it topped the price of a recent auction for a rare set of novels I wrote about recently.

Basquiat Painting to be Sold by Christie’s International in NY

2008-10-10T18:47:00.006-04:00

On November 12, 2008, Christie's International in New York is going to auction off an eight foot wide painting by Jean-Michael Basquiat “Untitled (Boxer)” portrait. The painting, which the artist painted in 1982 belongs to the drummer for the heavy metal band Metallica, Lars Ulrich. Basquiat first came to the attention of art connoisseurs in the 1980’s after as successful showing at a local show in New York City.

Jean-Michael Basquiat, whose mother was Puerto Rican and father was Haitian, dropped out of high school in the mid-1970’s and later became renowned in Manhattan for his graffiti art, which he sprayed on buildings. In the mid-1980’s, after the triumphant show in Manhattan, an article in Artforum by Rene Picard brought international recognition and he was able to exhibit his art at many solo exhibitions both nationally and internationally. As a member of the Neo-Expressionist movement, Basquiat collaborated with many artist of that genre including the great Andy Warhol.

Basquiat reportedly died of a drug overdose in 1988 at the young age of 28, full of talent and promise. His paintings have been known to bring in millions at auction. At a Sotheby’s auction last year, a full length self portrait brought in more than $14.6 million. Experts estimate that this boxer painting will bring in $15 to $20 million.

German Beer Steins and the Memories of Octoberfest

2008-10-09T18:47:00.013-04:00

Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit, der Gemutlichkeit . . . Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit, der Gemutlichkeit . . . Eins, zwei, drei g'suffa! For those of us who have been to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, those words echo in our hearts and soul towards the end of every September. Its an experience that you never forget; the smells, the sights and camaraderie of people from all over the world coming together for the purpose of partying and drinking beer is just a sight to behold. The 175th Oktoberfest has already ended in Munich and their website is already counting down the time to the next one in September 2009. Their website also states that about 6 million people attended, drank 6.6 million steins of beer and “souvenir hunters tried to steal about 200,000 beer steins. Ahhh . . . the memories.

While stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army, I was able to attend the Oktoberfest celebration every year for about 9 years. In addition to the official celebration, each city and town holds its own Oktoberfest celebration and I attended quite a bit of those too. As a result, I ended up with a pretty extensive collection of German beer steins and mugs of all shapes, sizes, designs and decoration. At one point I even had an antique cobalt blue lead crystal decanter with a pewter lid. It was probably the most beautiful of the steins that I owned. On a few occasions, I was able to purchase the beer steins that I had drank from, from the people running the beer tent. So not only did I have the most beautiful beer stein imaginable, but I also had the most plain, clear glass, run of the mill beer mug. One from Munich still sits on my desk to this day.

The word stein comes from the German steinzeukrug, which literally means a stoneware jug or tankard. The difference between a beer mug and a beer stein is that the stein has hinged lid. The lid was originally a sanitary measure taken after the times of the Bubonic Plague. The avid beer stein collector can tell you where a beer stein is made, where it came from, who made it and many other details just by glancing at the shape, design and decorations of the stein itself. Even something as innocuous as the design of the lid can give many clues about the origin of the stein. Beer steins can commemorate different cities and towns in Germany, wars, breweries, and history and they also can range in price from the a few dollars to thousands of dollars.

My collection of German beer steins has dwindled considerably in past years; I have given some away as gifts to family and friends, sold a few on eBay and antique shows, and have even broken a few on my many moves, but there are a few that are near and dear that I will never give up and will pass on to my sons. One in particular is stoneware beer stein with a hinged pewter lid with the name of the town of Grafenwöhr emblazoned on the front. This beer stein was given to me by my fellow soldiers and friends when I left Germany for the second time in 1991. Another is a short un-lidded stoneware beer mug that I purchased at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, Germany in 1981. Ahhhh the memories . . . Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit, der Gemutlichkeit . . . Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit, der Gemutlichkeit . . . Eins, zwei, drei g'suffa!

Goebel to Stop Hummel Production in October

2008-10-08T18:17:00.006-04:00

News from Germany is that Goebel will stop producing the once popular M.I. Hummel figurines as of October 31, 2008. Goebel, who brought the figurines to life starting in 1935, is looking for other alternatives to keep the production of the figurine alive. The figurines, which are based on the drawings of Sister Maria Innocentia (1909-1946), have lost their appeal with the public in the recent past and prices have been slumping. Sister Innocentia, born Berta Hummel in Bavaria, was a brilliant artist whose depictions of children first brought her to the attention of Goebel.

In addition to stopping production of Hummels, Goebel has also announced that the Goebel Information Center and the M.I. Hummel Club Center, both in Rodental, Germany will close within the next couple of months. The International Club Convention in Germany which supposed to have been held on October 17-18, 2008 has also been cancelled. However, as of this writing, the 2009 International Club Convention that is scheduled to take place in September 2009 in Western New York (Buffalo and Niagrara Falls, New York) area is still a go.

Misidentified Islamic Decanter Sells at Auction a Second Time

2008-10-07T23:26:00.002-04:00

In our September 26, 2008 NOVA-Antiques Newsletter we talked about a 1000 year crystal decanter that was misidentified by an auction house this past January. The original sale, which brought in almost $400,000, was cancelled when the owner realized that the decanter had probably been undervalued. The rare decanter, originally from Egypt and now thought to have been from between the 10th and 11th Centuries, was sold tonight by Christie’s of London for more that $6 million. One of only six similar decanters are known to exist in the world today, it has been reported that this vase was made for the Fatimid Dynasty which ruled between 908 and 1187 AD in the Middle East and North Africa. Imagine the owner’s surprise at the difference in money that the decanter brought in.

A Brief History of Polish Pottery

2008-10-06T17:31:00.004-04:00

Our friend Agnus does a very brisk business selling Polish Pottery at the local area antique and collectibles markets. We can’t help but marvel at her salesmanship as she explains to the throngs of collectors and potential customers who hang around her booth, what Polish Pottery is, where it comes from and best of all the different vibrant patterns it comes in.

Polish Pottery is high-fired in over 1250 degrees C, and is extremely durable and lasts for many many years. The first known pieces of this pottery date back to the 1500’s and were hand made and hand decorated. In the early days, the pottery was decorated using potatoes to create the designs, today the designs are created with sponges. The main colors used even to this day are cobalt blue, peacock blue as well as earth tones. Each piece was an individual piece of artwork. Most of the pottery comes from the City of Boleslawiec, called by some the “Home of Polish Pottery.”

While molds are used for some pieces, most of the pieces are still made on a pottery wheel. The decoration is applied after the pieces are fired in coal and gas ovens, then a glaze is applied to the piece. Today the pottery comes in hundreds of patterns. Because of the high temperatures, the Polish Pottery pieces are extremely resilient and can withstand use of the microwave oven, the fridge and or regular ovens. Polish Pottery is also very collectible; especially those pieces marked “Unikat” which stands for unique. These unique pieces are created by accomplished artisans who create their own work from start to finish.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archives – June 9, 2005 . . . .

T206 Honus Wagner Card to be Auctioned Off in November

2008-10-05T05:36:00.005-04:00

This past August I wrote an article about a 1909 Honus Wagner card that sold at auction for more than $1.62 million. The card, which is known at T206 and at the time was sold by Mastro Auctions in Chicago, apparently has a twin. Philip Weiss Auctions of Oceanside, New York will sell another T206 Honus Wagner Baseball card as part of a huge auction slated for November 22 & 23, 2008. This card, which the auction house says is being sold by its original owner however is graded a 3 by SGC standards and therefore may not bring in the millions that its twin did in August. Philip Weiss is has been quoted in news reports as saying that the card is expected to bring in between $500,000 and $800,000.

This auction, which will feature more than 1000 lots in the two day period, will also include other sports memorabilia including other T205 and T206 baseball trading cards. Between 1909 and 1911, the American Tobacco Company inserted baseball cards into cigarette packs as a promotion. However, only about 200 of the Honus Wagner cards made it into general circulation because the athlete was a non-smoker and refused to be associated with the cigarette promotion. Born Johannes Peter Wagner in 1874, Honus was one of nine children. He played shortstop from 1897 to 1917 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.

Nostalgic Petroliana Collectors

2008-10-04T17:34:00.015-04:00

With gas prices jumping through the roof and drivers in some areas driving around for hours trying to find a gas station that even has gas, it’s difficult to imagine that anyone would be nostalgic about the good ole gas station. Petroliana are those collectible items associated with gas stations including advertisements, maps, old gas pumps and globes as well as oil cans and bottles. In recent years, Petroliana has been one of the fastest growing segments of collecting in the United States, as baby boomers nostalgically remember those times that were far less complicated and a gallon of gas cost less than a dollar. Now, there are tens of thousands of collectors and they are not just the boomers but their X and echo boomer generation offspring as well.

The nice thing about Petroliana, like a lot of other segments of collectibles, is that it goes across other segments of collecting. For example, a person collecting ephemera may collect Petroliana in the form of old street and city maps or a person who collects advertising memorabilia might collect Petroliana in the forms of old Esso or Texaco signs. And because there were so many different gas stations around the country, there is an abundance of collectibles to be had for the avid collector. You can find many collectibles at auctions, flea markets and antique shows as well as at yard and garage sales. If you are decorating in Petroliana and you can’t find an original of something you want, there are many reproduction pieces out there as well.

There are many websites dedicated to Petroliana and can help you to determine pricing and identify collectibles. One that I particularly like because it helps with picture identification is Gas Pump Index.

Antique Redware Pottery – A Brief History

2008-10-03T21:26:00.010-04:00

Redware pottery, which is just what the name implies, a reddish brown colored pottery, was first made by English settlers in the 1600’s. Redware pottery was made in many different states including, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Tennessee. The reason it is that color is because of the iron content of the clay that was used to produce the pottery. The shades of red or brown can vary greatly depending on where the clay came from and how much iron is in the clay. Antique redware pottery from colonial times can be found to be in most cases rough and usually of poor quality. The reason for this is because of the restriction imposed on the English Settlers by the British crown in the 17th Century.

Until the revolutionary war, the settlers were required to send all raw materials to England where the clay would be turned into well designed and fancy pottery. The pottery would then be sent all over the world, including the colonies here in America. It was unlawful for potters to produce their own products lest the crown not make a huge and handsome profit on the shipment, production and re-shipment of product. Although it was unlawful, some colonists continued to make their own pottery and it was tolerated because the merchandise was of inferior quality to the pottery made in England. After the War of Independence, many potters came to the United States from England and later other countries such as Germany and produce better quality products that were able to compete with the English pottery.

Recently, an Associated Press article said that a piece of Redware Pottery made by John Alexander Lowe was auctioned for about $63,000 in Knoxville, Tennessee. According to the article this was the only known surviving piece of pottery associated with Lowe because all other findings in the past consisted mainly of shards. Case Antique Auction Gallery auctioned off redware jar which is believed to be from the mid-19th Century.

Cranberry Glass Bowl Featured at Outasite!! Collectibles

2008-10-03T13:17:00.004-04:00

This week, Outasite!! Collectibles is featuring this stunning Victorian era cranberry glass bowl. It is a Victorian flashed cranberry glass bowl with an applied collar of hand pulled circles that look like flowers. This bowl is probably from the late 19th Century or early 20th century and the cranberry glass has many bubbles consistent with it’s age. This cranberry may have had a lid at one time. It measures about 5.25 inches in diameter and almost 2 inches tall.

Cranberry Glass is a reddish glass that is made by adding gold chloride to molten glass. Most accounts attribute the first pieces of cranberry glass to the Florentine glass maker Antonio Neri in the 1600’s; Others feel that it has been around even longer than that. Whatever the case, cranberry art glass is very collectible and sought after by many people. Cranberry glass may also be referred to as gold ruby by people in Europe. Visit Outasite!! Collectibles for more antique and vintage cranberry glass merchandise.

A Short History of the Lane Cedar Chest

2008-09-30T07:38:00.003-04:00

Remember seeing that old cedar chest in Grandma’s house when you were growing up. Well aside from being a functional piece of antique furniture, chests have a rich history from earliest times as storage containers. Some of the earliest chests have their history with the amazing pharaoh’s of Ancient Egypt, where they were used to store golden treasures as well as the documents of the time. In modern times however, one of the largest and best known manufacturer of cedar chests was the Lane Furniture Company.

Edward Hudson Lane first founded the company in Altavista, Virginia in 1912. However, the Lanes were unsure of what success they would have selling chests, so they originally named their company The Standard Red Cedar Chest Company. Situated on a junction served by the Virginian and Southern Railways made it easy for the cedar chests, and later other furniture, produced by lane to be sold in many more cities and places outside of Virginia. It is interesting to note that although they had contracted with the federal government to produce pine ammunition boxes in their infancy, the height of their cedar chest days came during World War II.

In the 1920’s, Lane, whose tag line had been, “The gift that starts the home,” began advertising their cedar chests as “Hope Chests,” where young ladies could stockpile clothing and small furnishings in anticipation of a future marriage. Many of the advertisements at the time featured soldiers with their betrothed and other patriotic gestures. Later, Lane became known for and is still known for their quality furnishings and accent pieces. Mr. Lane passed away in 1973 and the last cedar chest to roll off their production line was manufactured in 2001.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archive – October 12, 2006 . . . .

Scrimshaw Sells at Sotheby’s Auction

2008-09-28T07:14:00.004-04:00

Scrimshaw is the name of the art that includes the carving of intricate and elaborate pictures on bones, whale teeth and sometimes the tusks of walruses. Mostly done by whalers, the carvings are normally then highlighted by adding pigments. It is believed that this art form had it’s heyday in the early 1800’s and survives today at the hands of a few hobbyists. The carvings are very sought after by collectors and can bring in tens of thousands of dollars. In September of 2005 we carried an article in our NOVA-Antiques Newsletter about carved whale tooth that brought in more than $270,000. This week, Sotheby’s announced the sale of another whales tooth.

This carving was done by William A. Gilpin and was actually signed. According to Sotheby’s this was important because other works belonging to this sailor could now be authenticated. Other examples of his existing works only contained the name of his ship, Ceres and the letter A. On this particular carving, one side of the whale tooth depicts the artist’s ship at sea on rolling waves of water. The other side of the tooth depicts a man in a tie holding his hat aloft and his hair blowing in the wind. The banner reads, “Free Trade and Sailor’s Rights.” Estimated to sell for $40,000 to $60,000, this whales tooth brought in $98,500.

Marilyn Monroe Film Sells at Auction, Elton John Brooch Does Not

2008-09-26T07:30:00.005-04:00

In Australia this week, an amateur film of Marilyn Monroe fetched a cool $16,000 at Leski’s Auction. The short two and a half minute film showed Monroe while on the set of the movie Some Like it Hot. The film was shot by a friend of the actress and also showed Tony Curtis and Billy Wilder who co-starred in that 1959 picture. Marilyn Monroe memorabilia is a hot commodity and very sought after. This is the second homemade film of the actress that has surfaced this year. The other film showing Monroe engaged in a sex act with an unknown man sold at auction for more than $1.5 million.

Meanwhile, a sapphire and diamond brooch belonging to singer Elton John failed to sell at an auction in England. Valued at close to $25,000, the art deco brooch which is shaped like a “J” was worn by the Sir Elton in his music video titled, I Don’t Wanna Go Out With You Like That, in 1988. In published reports before the auction, Bonham’s reportedly said that they were not worried about economic conditions for this sale because, “Diamonds have an enduring appeal.” After the brooch failed to sell, other reports on the Internet said that auction bosses blamed the current turbulent economic climate.

The Aud Farewell Set by City of Buffalo

2008-09-25T07:38:00.004-04:00

Recently I have written articles about memorabilia being sold at auction from major league sports venues including Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium and the RCA Dome. One piece in particular mentioned the upcoming sale of memorabilia from Buffalo Memorial Auditorium affectionately known to Western New Yorkers as The Aud. Although the venue may not be as famous to outsiders as Yankee Stadium and the RCA Dome, The Aud has many wonderful memories for people from the area.

Aside from being the former home of the NHL Buffalo Sabres, The Aud was used to showcase many concerts, political rallies and many other sporting events. After the Buffalo Sabres built the HSBC Arena, The Aud became expendable and will be demolished soon. The City of Buffalo finally announced this week that memorabilia from The Aud will go on sale at a two day festival set for November 15 and 16, 2008 at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center in Buffalo, New York. Among the many items that will be auctioned off will be sets of the blue seats. Those who have moved out of the area and cannot attend in November, need not despair. More memorabilia will be available in an online auction a week after the event.

The event itself is being organized by Showcase Sports Marketing and will be called “Farewell Old Friend.” More information will be forthcoming on as site they have set up at audfarewell.com

Michael Vick Memorabilia Storage Unit Auction

2008-09-24T07:43:00.007-04:00

Many years ago, when I owned a shop in Buffalo, New York, a friend whom I had met at an auction came by and asked me if I would deliver some things he had bought at auction. He told me that he had bought the contents of an unpaid storage unit and needed to get some big items home. In return for my help in delivering his goods, I could have whatever was left in the storage unit. I agreed after he told me that the unit contained clean used furniture. He had bought the contents of the unit at auction only because he wanted some chairs that were in there. It was a win win situation, because the cache I got out of the storage unit amounted to thousands of dollars in free furniture, which I quickly sold. When you buy the contents of a storage unit at auction, you just never know what you are going to end up with.

This week, Edward Howard purchased the contents of a storage unit at auction and ended up with a cache of former NFL football star Michael Vick memorabilia. According to wordpress.com, the storage unit in Williamsburg, Virginia went unpaid and Ironbound Road Mini Storage decided to sell off its contents. Edward Howard, although skeptical at first about it actually being Vick’s storage unit, purchased the contents and to his surprise found that it did indeed contain Vick’s property. Mostly, it was property that was given as presents to Michaels son, Mitez. Inside the storage unit were a signed football, signed pictures and books and Michael Vick flags. Unlike me however, Howard has said that he will give the contents back to Vick after he is released from prison.

When Wardrobe Resurfaces as Art

2008-09-22T07:18:00.004-04:00

Aprons have been cooks’ companions for hundreds of years. Indeed, aprons were used by men and women for a variety of tasks long before they were seen on 1950s television. During this era, women were portrayed as homemakers and good mothers and you rarely saw them without their aprons. Some researchers point to Biblical references about aprons. They cite a passage in which Adam and Eve sewed together fig leaves to make aprons to cover themselves. We traditionally think of aprons being used for cooking, and while that is true, they have served as a cover-up for other tasks that tend to be messy. Occupations such as butchers, welders and bakers have always used aprons to protect both their clothing and bodies from their work.

For centuries, homemakers have used aprons. Even since the early 19th century, women have used aprons to keep their clothing clean. They have also used aprons to carry essential utensils such as rolling pins, for gathering and carrying eggs and for transporting kindling wood. Aprons have been an effective tool for many, many years. It was not until the 1940s and 1950s that society started to see the stereotypes of the ""perfect mother"" who always wore an apron, no matter what. Until that time, aprons were thought of as a functional piece of the wardrobe.

Today’s aprons are more stylish. Perhaps surprisingly, aprons have made a fashionable comeback, even making occasional runway appearances in the form of the apron dress. You can find aprons at Aprons Info.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archive – September 28, 2006 . . .

Antique Barometers - A Brief History

2008-09-21T20:14:00.003-04:00

It wasn’t until 1844 that the first mass marketable barometer was made in France, but the barometer has a much longer history than that. The first mercury barometer was invented by a student of Galileo named Torricelli in 1643. After much research and development by scientists and weathermen, the antique mercury barometer was used to predict changing weather patterns. During the 1700’s many stick barometers were made. These were nothing more than a glass tube with mercury inside and a scale either engraved on a piece of wood or paper scale attached to the wood. Due to the mercury that these antique barometers contain, collectors must use caution when handling them. As a matter of fact, the CDC issued a warning in June of 2007 about these types of antiques.

During the Victorian period, many cabinet makers and clock designers started making elaborate wooden cases for barometers. The wooden cases are often works of art themselves and can bring in thousands of dollars at auction. Many of the antique barometers that we see from this period are in the familiar banjo shape and made of different woods including rosewood and mahogany. After 1844, aneroid (without liquid) barometers were made by many manufacturers and sold on the open market. These barometers are considered safer because they contained no mercury and better because they were smaller, accurate and were more portable. By the late 1800’s mercury barometers were a thing of the past.

Charles Rohlfs – Arts & Crafts Movement

2008-09-21T07:32:00.008-04:00

I was reading an old article the other day about a chair that was sold by Cottone Auctions, near Rochester, New York. According to the article the chair which was expected to bring in about $30,000 at auction was actually sold for close to $200,000. Normally, this would not have been unusual if it had been a chair made by Stickley, Wright or Morris, but the maker of the chair was Charles Rohlfs. What intrigued me more was that the article said that Rohlfs was originally from the west side of Buffalo, in the same area where I grew up. I had never heard of him, so I started doing a little research and found an interesting story.

Charles Rohlfs (1853-1936) was born in Brooklyn and studied at Cooper Union and after graduation did some acting. According to some published reports, his acting was awful and he received horrifying reviews from the press. However as a result he met Anna Katherine Green, at the time a best selling crime novelist who was seven years his senior. Before his father in law agreed to their marriage, Rohlfs first had to give up acting. We don’t know how true that may be, but they married in 1884, moved to Buffalo, New York and soon thereafter Rohlfs began designing furniture.

Being one of the most creative craftsmen of the Art & Crafts movement, Rohlfs designs were a bit off when compared to the works of other famous makers of that movement. While others were using simple lines, Rohlfs was using simple lines ornamented with carvings and a mix of styles that set him apart from the rest. Working in the attic of his home at 26 Highland Avenue, Rohlfs created some of the most sophisticated yet creative furniture of the time. Rohlfs then built a mission style home at 156 Park Street in Buffalo, opened a furniture design studio and became world renowned for his abilities. In the early 1900’s, Rohlfs was made a member of the Royal Society of the Arts in London, and later commissioned to provide chairs for Buckingham Palace.

Charles Rohlfs artistic flair and individualistic design can be seen at his mission style home in Buffalo as well as an upcoming 2009 exhibition that will be traveling around the country.

Nippon China and Porcelain

2008-09-16T23:16:00.010-04:00

The McKinley Tariff Act of 1891 required that all merchandise manufactured outside of the United States be marked or labeled with the country of manufacture. From 1891 to 1921 many items that were manufactured in Japan were branded with the word Nippon. However, in 1921 the United States government decided that merchandise coming from Japan had to be marked as such, even though Nippon means the source of the rising and son and it is what the Japanese call their country. Merchandise labeled or branded Nippon from that era however has become increasingly collectible and valuable depending on it design.

Although Japan had a long history of producing porcelain, the porcelain marked Nippon was strictly produced for import into the United States and the west. Because Japan did not have counterfeit or copyright laws and they were trained by westerners from other countries, they were able to produce items that were very close in quality and likeness to many other manufacturers of the time, including Beleek and Limoges. Antique Nippon china and porcelain is usually hand painted and very ornately decorated and designed. While elaborate pieces of Nippon are bringing in top dollar, pieces with less design and a lot of white space are bringing in less money.

People also are being cautious because of the amount of fake and reproduction Nippon china available on the open market. According to reports, the fakes first started appearing in the 1980’s with fake stamps bearing a familiar wreath known to Nippon collectors. The more savvy collectors can tell the difference between the fake and the real stamp, but many people cannot and they purchased the fakes. Other companies started reproducing merchandise using actual molds. Most collectors however can tell the difference by the way the porcelain looks and feels and most of these newer reproductions do not bear the proper stamp or label.

Goofus Glass – Not My Favorite

2008-09-15T07:43:00.006-04:00

In case you haven’t noticed, I love glass, especially art glass. My favorite is probably Murano Art Glass because it is not only colorful but it comes in so many shapes and sizes and the lines on this art glass are just beautiful. I have never found a piece of Murano Art Glass that I didn’t like. On the other hand, my least favorite is Goofus glass, even the name sounds, well goofy.

Goofus glass is pressed glass that was painted while the glass was cold. When you find this type of glass, in a lot of cases, you will find that the paint flakes or chips off and makes it look cheap. The old saying, “If you buy quality now, it will still be quality in the future,” is definitely true in this case. In the early 20th Century, when Goofus glass was produced, it was made very cheaply and it was used as premiums or give-away with soap or at carnivals, it is sort of the predecessor for Carnival glass. Companies that produced this type of glass included Indiana Glass, Dugan Diamond and Northwood. Although it is not my favorite glass, Goofus glass is still highly sought after by some collectors, especially those items made by Northwood.

Butter Molds – Collectible Kitchen Utensils

2008-09-14T05:01:00.006-04:00

In the August 24, 2006 NOVA-Antiques Newsletter, we talked about utensils (egg cups) that have become very collectible. Butter molds are from the same family (utensils), in that they were originally intended for home use, and not intended as the pricey collectible items that they have become. Originally used by women to adorn their dinner tables, the butter molds later were used by farmers to differentiate their product from others, thus becoming a marketing tool.

There are many types of butter molds, with many different origins and designs. First there is the hand carved wooden molds used by the farmers in the late 1700-1800’s. Later butter molds were made by machine. Although both are very collectible, obviously the older wooden ones are the most sought after and the most expensive for collectors. Many of the wooden butter molds are intricately carved, which drives the price even higher.

Believed to be from the late 1800's, this unusual bird shaped butter mold pictured recently sold on Ebay for over $344.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archive – September 14, 2006 . . . .

Murano Art Glass Parrot Figurine featured at Outasite!! Collectibles

2008-09-13T20:52:00.003-04:00

This week Outasite!! Collectibles is featuring a beautiful vintage Murano Art Glass parrot figurine. The art glass parrot is probably a mid-century piece with beautiful lines. This Murano Art Glass figurine has beautiful blue glass hues with white glass swirls and aventurine flecks in the clear glass comb of the parrot. It measures about 11 inches tall.

Murano Art Glass has been produced on the Venetian island of Murano since about the 13th Century. Afraid that glass foundries would one day burn their city down, Venetian officials banned the glass makers and many moved to the island of Murano. Since then, many art glass manufacturers including Seguso, Barbini, Somerso, Barovier & Toso and Venini have been making some of the most beautiful art glass in the world. To this day, the glass artisans on the island are using the ancient techniques and craftsmanship to follow the traditions of the old masters.

Sarah Palin Action Figure Doll

2008-09-13T06:54:00.007-04:00

No matter you’re partly politics or whom you decide to vote for in the November election for President of the United States, history will be made, thus started my NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Article on September 5, 2008. The article talked about political memorabilia and its worth in years to come because of the historical significance of this upcoming election. What I didn’t know at the time was that a new Sarah Palin action doll manufactured by Herobuilders.com was going to come along and take the political memorabilia market by storm. Reports on the Internet have stated that thousands of the dolls have been sold.

The dolls, which can cost up to 29.95, come in three different poses in different outfits, including Super Action Hero Palin, School Girl Palin and the plain Sarah Palin action figure. However, all the dolls have the same Palin hairdo and glasses. I have to say that I find that the Vice Presidential nominee’s doll does not do her any justice, whether that was intentional or not I guess we will never know. What is known is that if the company has received thousands of orders for the doll and they don’t cap their sales at some point or come up with a special edition with limited numbers the dolls will probably not have a lot of value in the future. Although a great novelty item and conversation starter, you'll be able to stick the Palin doll in the worthless collectible drawer.

Shea Stadium & RCA Dome Memorabilia to be Auctioned & Sold

2008-09-12T18:45:00.005-04:00

Recently I wrote an article about the City of Buffalo announcing that they are seeking an auction company to sell off Buffalo Memorial Auditorium memorabilia. I said it would be sad to see the old place go. Many other fans will feel the same way this week with the announcement of the Shea Stadium memorabilia auction and the upcoming RCA Dome memorabilia auction. Shea Stadium in New York is where the Major League Baseball New York Mets play. The RCA Dome is where the Payton Manning threw many of his touchdown passes in the National Football League. In an era of better stadiums to make players and owners richer, both of those venues are being torn down.

The sale of Shea Stadium memorabilia began today and continues throughout the weekend. Everything at the stadium is being offered for sale including seats, banners, signs, dugout and even the escalators. The kicker here is that in order to bid or buy any of these items you must first join the club. MeiGray Group who is running the sale of memorabilia is first selling, for $2,500 - $10,000 Premiere Club memberships that will allow you a chance at first dibs on the merchandise. They have three levels Platinum, Gold and Silver. The money you pay is being called a minimum purchase deposit and although non-refundable, will be used towards any purchases you make.

On September 24, 2008, the roof of the RCA Dome, which was built in 1984, in Indianapolis, Indiana, will be deflated. After it is completely deflated, the roof will be cut into small pieces and sold as memorabilia along with other memorabilia that is being salvaged within the stadium walls. For about $60 you can obtain a piece of the RCA Dome roof on a plaque from the Colts Pro Shop. Apparently they are also auctioning off items although when I checked out the site recently, there was nothing listed on their auction page. After the roof is gone and everything else is stripped and dismantled, the upper level is going to be imploded. And another great venue in the history of sports and will be gone forever.

Aldie Antiques Market & Shaker Forest Festival - Weekend Happenings

2008-09-12T07:11:00.005-04:00

Looking for Shabby Chic furniture and decorative arts? Look no further than the Aldie Antiques Market on Saturday, September 13, 2008. This market that is sponsored in part by Bella Villa Furnishings is located at 39317 Mosby Highway (Route 50) in Aldie, Virginia, right outside Washington, DC. The market is usually held on the second Saturday of each month and not only features shabby chic furnishings but many antiques, vintage collectibles and decorative arts.

Held in the beautiful Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg, Maryland, the Shaker Forest Festival features many gifted artisans and a fun atmosphere for the entire family. There are many demonstrations from woodworkers, soap makers, potters and metal workers using many of the tools and technology that the Shakers invented. The festival is held 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday, September 13 & 14, 2008 as well as on September 20 & 21, 2008. There is plenty of free parking and shuttle service, prize giveaways and unique food and beverages. There are also new artists on both weekends of the festival.

Reward Offered for Stolen Art Cache

2008-09-09T21:03:00.005-04:00

I have written about how only dumb thieves steal art in the past but it their just doesn’t seem to be a shortage of dumb crooks in this world. The fact that artwork is recognizable, identifiable or harder to sell than other things does not stop those with a low IQ and the irrational thought that they could make quick money. Now police in Los Angeles are offering a reward and looking for the person or people that were dumb enough to steal a cache of specialized artwork that included paintings by Gorky, Soutine, Chagall and Diego Rivera. Experts have said that some of the paintings are worth more than $4 million.

The owners of the stolen art cache were in another part of the house when this theft occurred and police speculate that the thieves must have worked very quickly to remove the paintings by a side door. They also believe that the thieves may have been familiar with the couple’s routine. The sophistication and the smartness of the art thieves themselves will be evident when, not if, the artwork is recovered. The artwork will be recovered either at a flea market or when someone tries to sell it in Europe ten years from now. The authorities have contacted all of the major auction houses, show promoters, art dealers and others to be on the lookout for the paintings. A $200,000 reward has been offered.

Lucien Freud Painting of Francis Bacon to Bring in Millions

2008-09-08T08:25:00.006-04:00

Lucien Freud paintings have been bringing in record auction prices for the past couple of years. Christie’s in London is reporting that this trend will probably continue on October 19, 2008 when Freud’s portrait of Sir Francis Bacon goes on the auction block. The unfinished painting, which he painted in 1956, is expected to bring in more than $12 million. This is one of two paintings that Lucien painted of his friend Bacon, the first painting has been missing with its whereabouts unknown. Pilar Ordovas, head of contemporary art at Christie’s was recently quoted by Reuters Life! Saying, “Lucien Freud and Francis Bacon are widely considered to be the most important British artists of the 20th Century.”

Lucien Freud was born in Berlin, Germany in 1922 to Ernst and Lucie. Lucien is the grandson of renowned psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, who founded the Psychoanalytic School of Psychology. In 1933, Lucien’s family moved to England. He studied at the Central School of Art in London, East Anglican School of Painting and Drawing and Goldsmiths College at the University of London. Early in his carrier, Freud was associated with the surrealist movement but in the 1950’s turned to portraits, many of them nudes as he tried to capture a subjects history and sensuality in his brushstrokes. In May of 2008 his nude portrait of friend and model Sue Tilley titled Benefits Supervisor Sleeping sold at Christie’s for $33.6 million and set the record for a living artist.

Pocillovy – Collecting Antique & Vintage Collectible Egg Cups

2008-09-07T07:42:00.005-04:00

Pocillovy is the act of collecting egg cups. An egg cup is a container used for serving boiled eggs. Although not much used in the United State, egg cups still remain popular at the breakfast tables in Europe. There are many types of egg cups, some are footies, which means they have a wide base, others are know as buckets, which do not have a pedestal. They can be made of many materials including wood, glass, plastic, porcelain or metals.

The earliest images of egg cups appear in a Turkish mosaic dating to about 3AD and examples were found among the Pompeii ruins of 79AD. It wasn’t until the late 1800’s that egg cups were produced as individual pieces of dinnerware and in most cases, silver egg cups were gilded on the inside. These early examples of egg cups are very hard to come by because they were used as everyday dinnerware and often got chipped or broken. The Wabash egg cup pictured above sold on eBay for over $760.00.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archive – August 24, 2006 . . . . .

Pairpoint Glass and the American Brilliant Cut Glass Period

2008-09-06T16:54:00.009-04:00

Pairpoint, the company that has been crafting beautiful art glass for over one hundred years was a merger between two companies, Mount Washington Glass Company and Pairpoint Silver Company. They merged in 1894 to become Pairpoint and a derivative of the company still does business today in Pairpoint Glass Works in Sagamore, Massachusetts. The original company produced hand blown art glass lamp shades as well as cut glass lamps. However, the glass that most people associate with Pairpoint as well as other companies of the time comes from the American Brilliant period, the mid 19th Century to the early 20th Century.

Many companies including Pairpoint produced what is sometimes known as ABCG glass (American Brilliant Cut Glass). This type of glass was usually thick and cut in many patterns, with the hobstar being one of the top designs and motifs generated by all the glass houses of the time. A lot of ABCG collectors favor the signed pieces, especially those by Libbey and Hawkes as well as pieces that were named for American statesmen. ABCG can ranges in price from relatively inexpensive to very expensive. A ruby cut glass wine goblet in the Lincoln Pattern once sold at a Christie’s auction for close to $23,000.

Little Red Riding Hood Cookie Jars Made by Hull Pottery

2008-09-05T21:53:00.008-04:00

Looking on eBay recently I spotted a cookie jar up for auction that was billed as a McCoy Pottery Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar. Is this a real McCoy Pottery cookie jar or a fake? McCoy Pottery was started in 1910 by the father and son team of Nelson and J.W. McCoy in Roseville, Ohio. In the mid-1920’s, they started producing and selling art pottery. However, most experts agree that McCoy Pottery never produced a Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar. So the cookie jar on eBay was a fake and even included a fake McCoy mark on the bottom of the jar. In this case, there is no real McCoy. The original Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar which is also the most sought after and most valuable was produced by Hull Pottery and Regal China.

The Hull Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar was patented by Louise Bauer of Zanesville, Ohio in 1943. The cookie jar blanks were produced by Hull Pottery but then shipped to Regal China for painting, glazing and decorating. Later, Regal China began producing their own Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar. This causes quite a bit of confusion as to who made which cookie jar, especially since the red glaze used in both the Hull Pottery cookie jar and the Regal China cookie jar are the same. Sometimes the best way to tell if you have an authentic cookie jar is by looking at the measurements. The Hull Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar measured 13 inches tall and weighed 5.6 ounces. According to published reports, a Hull Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar is worth from $250 to $375 depending on condition.

Addis E. Hull founded the Hull Pottery, which specialized in stoneware, in Zanesville, Ohio in 1905. In 1907, they acquired Acme Pottery, which specialized in semi-porcelain dinnerware. With this acquisition, Hull was able to diversify into other products which included planters, art pottery and tiles in addition to using state of the art airbrush techniques and glazes to set themselves apart. After a flood that destroyed the plant in 1950, they rebuilt and again re-equipped with the latest technology. They were successful through the mid-1970’s with their dinnerware and floristware products but had to close their doors in 1985. Hull products however have become very collectible and enjoy a wide audience with Little Red Riding Hood leading the way.

Elvis Presley Fingerprints Outbid by Jimi Hendrix Guitar

2008-09-05T06:41:00.004-04:00

Almost half a million dollars was brought in by the guitar that was infamously set on fire onstage by Jimi Hendrix. The guitar, a Fender Stratocaster, was set aflame at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and was expected to bring in closer to $900,000. The guitar was the highlight of the auction by The Fame Bureau an auction house in London, England. In addition to the Hendrix guitar, Elvis Presley’s fingerprints on a concealed gun application went for close to $82,000 and a copy of the Beatles first contract with Brian Epstein sold for over $400,000.

Record Auction for Rare Set of James Bond Novels

2008-09-03T20:37:00.004-04:00

A rare set of James Bond, 007 novels and other memorabilia sold today for a reported $55,800 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The books and memorabilia, which were originally owned by the late Sir Fitzroy Maclean, were purchased by John Gilbert who is writing a book about author Ian Fleming. It is widely believed that the fictional James Bond character is closely modeled by Sir Fitzroy Maclean, who was a soldier and diplomat, and was stationed in Moscow in the late 30’s.

Ian Lancaster Fleming was an author and journalist who served time in the British Navy during World War II. He wrote and is best remembered for writing twelve James Bond novels and nine short stories. Born in Mayfair, London, Fleming was educated at Eton and then went on to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, Munich University and the University of Geneva in Switzerland. While serving in the war he was promoted to Commander. In 1953 he wrote his first James Bond novel, Casino Royale, in which a lot of the background came from his work in the intelligence field.

Sir Fitzroy Maclean was born on March 11, 1911 and served as a soldier and politician. After Eton, he studied at King’s College and Cambridge University. In 1933 he joined the England’s diplomatic service and in 1939 was stationed in Moscow. He used his exploits in Moscow to write an autobiography titled Eastern Approaches. In 1941 he left the Diplomatic Corp and entered the Army as an enlisted man, but later became a commissioned officer. He saw acion in Northern Africa and Yugoslavia. Sir Fitzroy Mclean passed away in June 1996.

Back to School – Vintage Collectible Lunch Boxes

2008-09-02T07:10:00.007-04:00

It’s that time of the year again when parents are looking forward to their kids returning to school and kids dreading the idea of having to return after having fun all summer. Although a lot of children brave the lunches by buying them in the cafeteria, a lot of others bring the good old standby, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, from home. How they carry those lunches to school is one of those things that epitomizes “the more things change, the more things stay the same” saying.

In the early 1900’s lunch boxes were metal pails or re-used (read recycled) tin cans that formerly held biscuits, tobacco or sweets. As time progressed, the tin containers evolved into what most of us remember as being the box with our favorite cartoon, TV and movie characters and a matching thermos to hold our milk. One of my most memorable boxes had none other than the robot and Will Robinson from the Lost in Space television series. Some of these boxes have become very collectible today and are worth hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

Nowadays kids carry their lunches to school in insulated lunch totes of many different shapes, sizes and colors. Some are made of plastic or metal and some are even vinyl. However, the one thing that remains the same is that these are designed with today’s cartoon, TV and movie characters including Hello Kitty, Harry Potter and Shrek. The good news for collectors is that some of these new lunch totes are being made in limited quantities or limited editions and which will make them collectible in the future.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archive - August 24, 2007 . . . .

Vintage Porcelain & Glass Bells

2008-09-01T09:26:00.005-04:00

Many people collect many things. Collecting is when you seek, get, organize and display whatever it is you like to collect. Some collectors collect stamps, coins, political memorabilia others collect beanie babies, porcelain or glass bells or vintage art glass. A collection may include antiques, vintage collectibles, modern collectibles or a combination of all, depending on taste and interests. Some collections, such as fine art collections, may worth millions of dollars while other collections may have more sentimental value than monetary value.

This week, Outasite!! Collectibles is featuring vintage porcelain and glass bells. Vintage bell collectors usually collect bells depending on what their interests are. For example, some bell collectors may collect memorabilia from certain cities, towns or places they have visited, such as Las Vegas. Others may collect anything with Currier & Ives scenery, Japanese Satsuma Pottery or Fenton art glass. Some bell collectors are just bell collectors and collect all types of bells. Collectible bells also vary in price, from a few dollars to several thousands of dollars. We saw one example of an antique silver bell recently sell on eBay for more than $11,000.

Jackson Pollock Most Expensive Painting in the World

2008-08-31T06:35:00.006-04:00

It’s not a Goya, a Rembrandt, a Da Vinci or even Monet or Van Gogh. The correct answer is No. 5, 1948 and if you were playing the game show Jeopardy on television, which is one of my favorite shows, the question would be, “What is the world’s most expensive painting?” The painting, which looks like a bunch of drips on a canvas, was reportedly sold for $140 in a private deal brokered by Sotheby’s. According to published reports previous owner and entertainment mogul David Geffen sold the painting to Mexican financier David Martinez in November of 2006. So who exactly is Jackson Pollock?

Jackson Pollock who was born in Cody, Wyoming in 1912 was an abstract impressionist painter that some experts consider one of the most influential painters of the 20th Century. Pollock was married to Lee Krasner, herself a painter, and they moved New York in 1945. Their house in Long Island had a large barn on the premises that they turned into a studio. Soon after, Pollock started laying his canvases on the barn floor and began perfecting his “drip” technique. He experimented and tried many ways of dripping paint onto the canvas including using syringes, wooden sticks and just plain old pouring out of the can.

He numbered his paintings as opposed to naming them because he wanted people to use their imaginations as to what they saw and not be influenced by the artist interpretations. Some people have read too much into his art and have come to a decision that on some plain, Pollock used “mathematical” skills to build his paintings with “fractals,” whatever that means. It has been reported that Pollock was an alcoholic and looking at his paintings, I believe that the artist was just a little drunk, inspired and had fun. It is said the Pollock was influenced by sand paintings done by Native American people as well as David Alfaro Siqueiros, a Mexican muralist. Sadly, Pollock was killed in a single car crash in New York in 1956.

Collectible Glass Insulators Reference Site

2008-08-30T17:49:00.009-04:00

In the late 1960's and early 1970's glass insulators were being removed from telephone poles as advances in technology made them obsolete. As linemen were taking down the old lines, they started to notice the multitude of bright colors, company names, variety of shapes, and important historical position held by insulators in the expansion of communication technology.

Presently the insulator collecting hobby has thousands of people around the world. Many collectors live in the U.S. and Canada. A number of websites exist which hold these items as the primary focus, and eBay even has a separate category for insulators. Quite probably, the largest and most informative public website in the hobby is the National Insulator Association.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archive – July 27, 2006 . . . .

Chinese Snuff Bottles – A Brief History & Value

2008-08-30T10:34:00.005-04:00

Towards the mid-27th Century, when snuff was first introduced in China, it was believed that it had medicinal qualities and was used to treat the common cold, relieve sore throats, alleviate tooth aches and used as a cure for migraine headaches. Snuff however was not intended nor was it used for all the people of China, but was limited in use and availability to the upper echelons of society. It was mainly used by the elite peoples associated with the Qing Dynasty and the royal court of Beijing. As such, vessels to carry the snuff otherwise known as snuff bottles and or snuff boxes had to be attractive, ornately designed and beautiful to go with one’s social standing.

Snuff bottles are made of a many different materials, shapes, sizes and design. Some of the early snuff bottles are made of ivory, jadeite and even gold. Some were made of coral and other unusual material. However, a lot of snuff bottles were made of glass and because of the medicinal properties of the snuff probably had their beginnings in the apothecary bottles of the time. Many of the snuff bottles were made to fit in the palm one’s hand and had a stopper with a small spoon attached for easy access to the snuff. Many were marked with either maker’s name or a date.

The pictured example of a marked Chinese Imperial snuff bottle was recently sold at Quinn’s Auction Galleries in Falls Church, Virginia for $146,250. However, caution has to be taken when purchasing these types of antiquities because of the many reproductions and unscrupulous dealers around the world. A recent search of eBay for Chinese snuff bottles found close to 800 listings, many of them selling for ninety nine cents. The 19th Century white carved jade snuff bottle in the form of two figures sold on eBay for over $1,900.

Elegant Heisey Glass Popular Among Collectors

2008-08-29T20:37:00.005-04:00

Although the Heisey Glass Company was founded by Augustus H. Heisey, in 1896 in Newark, Ohio, Mr. Heisey had already had much experience in the business. Aside from marrying one Susan Duncan, daughter of George Duncan of Duncan Glass fame, he had worked at King Glass Company of Pittsburgh and the Ripley Glass Company. In 1893 after spending some time out west, Heisey decided to open his own glass company. The first Heisey Glass Company products were pressed glass pieces, but they were made in such a manner that they appeared more expensive than they actually were. Flawless glass combined with a high finish and firepolishing, the glass appears as brilliant as crystal and is known as elegant glass to collectors. However, most Heisey glass is easily identifiable by its marking.

Heisey is also known for having been one of the first companies to adopt a nationally and internationally recognized trademark symbol. Introduced in the early 1900’s the Heisey trademark has always been an H within a diamond. Although some early creations had a paper label, most Heisey glass are impressed with the logo. The logo is usually about .25 inches long and is normally at the base or stem of the piece. However, the logo is not the only thing that makes Heisey Glass so attractive to collectors. Heisey Glass also produced some of the finest etched glass of the early to mid 20th Century. Their Orchid Pattern is probably one of the most recognizable and popular patterns among collectors.

Important Antiques & Collectibles Shows August 28 - August 31, 2008

2008-08-28T08:38:00.003-04:00

Two important antiques and collectibles shows this weekend right in the heart of the Mid-Atlantic States this weekend make it the place to be. First, The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show, Maryland’s largest antiques event will take place at the Baltimore Convention Center. This show is in it’s 28th year and is attended by over one hundred dealers featuring antiques and collectibles of every kind imaginable as well as decorators, designer and tens of thousands of buyers. The show begins today, August 28, 2008 at 12 pm and goes through Sunday at 6 PM. Admission is $12 but is good for all days and there is plenty of parking and hotel rooms close by the convention center for out of town folks.

The 151st semi-annual York Antiques Show and Sale will take place at the York Fairgrounds and Convention Center in York, Pennsylvania. This show features ninety six dealers from around the country selling antiques and collectibles including 18th and 19th Century furniture, Silver, antique toys and 18th Century English Porcelain. The York Antiques Show and Sale will begin tomorrow at 10 am and will run until 5 pm on Sunday. General admission to the show is $10 but there is plenty of free parking, great food and it is held in an air conditioned building. This show also attracts hundreds of designers and decorators as well as thousands of visitors from the Mid-Atlantic States.

See the NOVA-Antiques Calendar for other shows coming up this weekend . . . .

Cast Iron Doorstops Price on the Rise

2008-08-27T22:13:00.004-04:00

Hubley Manufacturing Company was incorporated by John Hubley in 1894 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The company is known for producing a large array of toys but their claim to fame were the wonderful cast iron toys that they made before World War II. After the war, the company changed to a cast iron alloy. Hubley made objects of many shapes and designs including beautiful horse drawn carriages, vehicles, toys, dogs and doorstops. The doorstops have recently been selling for record prices. A doorstop is an object that is used to hold a door open or closed. Sought after by folk art collectors, cast iron collectors, door stop collectors as well as other collectors and designers have made prices go through the roof.

Although they became predominant in Victorian European home in the early 19th Century, it is widely believed that doorstops were first made in the 18th Century. In the beginning, doorstops were nothing more than any object you could find to keep a door open or closed including rocks, wood or any other thing that was heavy enough. It wasn’t until the Victorian Era brought a wave of decorated doorstops made to look more attractive than a rock. European foundries of the time made doorstops look like dogs and flowers. Doorstops did not become popular in the U.S. until the early 1920’s. Women of that era bought the doorstops to coordinate with other thing in their homes including bookends and shade pulls.

Traube Cut to Clear Wine Goblets at Outasite!! Collectibles

2008-08-26T10:56:00.004-04:00

This week Outasite!! Collectibles is featuring vintage Traube pattern cut to clear wine goblets from Joska Krisal in Bavaria, Germany. These cut to clear wine goblets come in four different colors including ruby to clear, amethyst to clear, cobalt blue to clear and topaz to clear glass crystal. They are 24% lead crystal. In addition, Outasite!! Collectibles is featuring a vintage Murano Glass Parrot figurine that is one beautiful piece of art glass.

Outasite!! Collectibles features antique and vintage collectible art glass from such companies as Westmoreland, Tiara, Pilgrim, Blenko, Waterford & Sowerby. Vintage Art Glass – Outasite!! Collectibles highlights art glass in cranberry, amberina, opalescent, black amethyst, and Royal Ruby colors as well as Diamond Point Patterns, Crackle Glass, Cut Glass Crystal and fine elegant glass.

Colonial Furniture Maker Eliphalet Chapin

2008-08-25T06:24:00.005-04:00

Eliphalet Chapin was born in 1741 in Massachusetts but studied the craft of furniture making in Philadelphia. Chapin later moved to East Hartford, Connecticut to set up shop, and become the most renowned furniture maker in that state.

Although he was inspired by the Rococo designed furniture of Philadelphia, Chapin’s creations were lighter and cleaner in detail. While other Connecticut furniture makers of the time were making slim and tall furniture, Chapin was creating more compact and stocky furniture. His style is regarded as one of the most elegant of the period with ball and claw feet as well as scrolled pediments and spiral rosettes.

On a past episode of Antiques Roadshow a woman from Oak Hill, Virginia brought in a cherry tea table that she had purchased at an Estate Sale for a mere $200. Appraiser John Hays removed the top and found although the top and base were originals, made by Chapin the surface had been replaced. Even still the tea table was valued at $15,000 - $20,000. Had the surface been original, the tea table would have brought in closer to $50,000.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletters Archive – July 13, 2006 . . . .

Buffalo Memorial Auditorium (The Aud) Memorabilia Auction

2008-08-24T07:18:00.005-04:00

The City of Buffalo yesterday and it’s mayor, Byron Brown, announced that they are searching for an auction company to sell memorabilia from the old Buffalo War Memorial Auditorium. The Aud, as it is affectionately known in Western New York is an indoor arena that served the community well from 1940 until 1996. In its heyday, the Aud provided a fantastic venue for everything from NBA basketball (Buffalo Braves) to NHL Hockey (Buffalo Sabres) as well as circuses, wrestling events, ice shows lacrosse and indoor soccer. The Aud was also a favorite destination for concert goers with acts such as the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Paula Adbul, Garth Brooks and many many others.

In 1970, when the Sabres finally arrived in Buffalo, my brother and I became fans of the team as well as the Buffalo Braves of the NBA. However, the Aud has a deeper meaning for me because I remember going there as a kid. My father was a huge professional wrestling fan and as a kid we watched on TV on Saturday evenings. When the behemoths of the ring came to the Aud in most cases my father, my brothers and I would go to see the action. It was events like these where my father, who has since passed away, bonded. The very last event at the Aud was indeed a wrestling show with proceeds benefitting the Ilio D’Palo Foundation in 1996, my father, my youngest son and I were there. It will be sad to see the Aud finally go.

Inaugural Blenko Glass Festival – August 22 & 23, 2008

2008-08-21T15:40:00.005-04:00

Get ready to go to West Virginia for the first ever Blenko Glass Festival. The festival runs this Friday and Saturday, August 22 and 23, 2008 in Milton, West Virginia. Blenko Glass is one of the few surviving glass companies in West Virginia and is still a family run and family owned business. The festival is being held in conjunction with the Blenko Collectors Society convention and will feature glass blowing demos, workshops and sales of limited edition, one of a kind and vintage pieces of Blenko Glass. This is celebration you surely won’t want to miss.

Blenko Glass has been around since 1893, when William J. Blenko first started producing in Kokomo, Indiana. Ten years later, in 1893, Blenko was forced to close down due to economic conditions of the time. After several attempts at a comeback, William J. Blenko was finally successful in opening up a new plant in Milton, West Virginia. William J. Blenko produced and sold his own glass. Blenko Art Glass is still a very popular collectible today and comes in many different patterns and styles but Blenko is most famous for their Amberina and Crackle Glass.

Redoute Rose Lithographs at Outasite!! Collectibles

2008-08-20T08:20:00.004-04:00

Pierre-Joseph Redouté was a Belgian painter and botanist born in 1759. He is world renowned for his painting of flowers, but most especially his paintings of roses. Redouté painted the gardens at Petite Trianon of Marie Antoinette because he was her official court artist and was part of a large cultural and scientific movement in Paris in the late 18th century through the early 19th century. During this time, many folio books were published with colored plates using offset lithography. These lithographs are well sought after by collectors and designers and can make a great addition to any shabby chic room.

Michael Phelps Trading Card Value Soars II

2008-08-19T17:14:00.004-04:00

Yesterday morning I wrote about the value of Michael Phelps Trading Cards. Yesterday evening prices realized on eBay for a Michael Phelps trading card surpassed every speculators estimate with one card selling for over $2550. The card was an Upper Deck signed and numbered trading card from 2004. In addition, other Michael Phelps memorabilia have also been commodities on the online auction site including an autographed Olympic ticket that sold for $1575 and autographed swimming caps as well as another set of signed cards that sold for $1500.

What a difference eBay has made in our lives. We no longer have to wait to see what an item will be worth, instant gratification. Can you imagine if computers, the Internet and eBay had been around when Wilt Chamberlain hit his 100th point in one game for the Philadelphia Warriors in 1962? How about when Babe Ruth hit his 60th home run in 1927 or when Rocky Marciano retired from the boxing ring as the heavyweight champion in 1955 without a defeat? Although value would have been relative in those days, what would their trading cards have been worth on eBay?

History of the Sewing Machine – Antique Sewing Machines

2008-08-19T07:52:00.005-04:00

Isaac Merritt Singer designed and perfected the first practical sewing machines in a small Boston, Massachusetts machine shop. It took only 11 days and $40 in borrowed capital for him to create the sturdy lock stitch sewing machine that would revolutionize sewing across the globe. The following are some highlights in the history of the Singer Sewing Company and Singer sewing machines and indications for why antique sewing machines are in such great demand.

From 1850 to 1851, Orson C. Phelps of Boston was manufacturing sewing machines under license from John A. Lerow. The Lerow and Blodgett machine was not very practical. The circular movement of the shuttle took a twist out of the thread at every revolution. Isaac Merritt Singer, after examining the sewing machine, noted "instead of the shuttle going around in a circle, I would have it move to and fro in a straight line. In place of the needle bar pushing a curved needle horizontally, I would have a straight needle and make it work up and down."

After 11 days of work and forty dollars in cost, Singer completed his invention: the world's first practical sewing machine. This sewing machine had a straight eye-pointed needle and transverse shuttle, an overhanging arm, a table to support the cloth, a presser foot to hold the material against the upward stroke of the needle, and a roughened feed wheel extending through a slot in the table. Motion was communicated to the needle arm and shuttle by means of gears. In 1851 Singer patented his lock-stitch sewing machines and began production in Boston. He joined forces with New York lawyer Edward C. Clark to form I. M. Singer & Company.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archive - June 29, 2006 . . . .

Michael Phelps Trading Card Value Soars

2008-08-18T08:23:00.005-04:00

Unless you have been living under a rock the past few weeks you have all heard the name Michael Phelps a few times either on the news, or you have read it in the papers or your friends and neighbors have been abuzz with his name. If you have been under a rock, then let us fill you in, Michael Phelps is being billed as “the greatest Olympian” by many people because he just accomplished winning eight gold medals in swimming at the Beijing Olympics this week. We agree that it was no small feat, especially when you have to depend on others, during relay competitions, in order to achieve your goal. Congratulations to Michael Phelps on his achievement and thank you for representing us well at the Olympics.

What does Michael Phelps have to do with antiques and collectibles you ask? Let us not forget about trading cards. Although swimmers cards are not as popular or collectible as baseball cards, you can rest assured that the value of the Michael Phelps swimming card has gone up. Other sources on the Internet are reporting that the card that was worth a mere $25 a few months ago was trading at over $500 right before the Olympics began last week. Many speculators say that the market value could go up to the thousands of dollars within the next couple of weeks. If you have one, hang on to it because I think that card is going to appreciate even more in years to come.

Moser Lavish and Extravagant Bohemian Art Glass

2008-08-18T07:46:00.005-04:00

Moser Glass was founded by Ludwig Moser in Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary), Czech Republic in 1857. This area is well known for its Bohemian Glass and I had the opportunity to tour there twice in the 1990’s after the crumbling of the “wall,” the cold war and when the dollar was extremely high. The Moser Glass Company was going through a transformation at that time, but I did manage to pick up a few pieces of the luxurious and opulent art glass which I later sold at auction for a nice profit.

Moser Glass was originally an engraving studio where artists etched stags and wooded landscapes on glass blanks obtained from other manufacturers. However, in 1893 after opening their own glass manufacturing plant, their designs became more lavish and extravagant. Moser Glass can easily be identified by most collectors because of their design techniques which included applied glass acorns and “grapes” as well as applied enameled birds, oak leaves and bugs. Antique Moser Glass pieces can go at auction for hundreds of dollars with the rarer pieces going in the thousands of dollars.

Dumb Mikey and the Snow Plow Joke

2008-08-17T23:29:00.004-04:00

Last winter it was snowing heavily and blowing to the point that visibility was almost zero when Mikey left his office and was going home. He made his way to his car and wondered how he was going to make it home. He sat in his car while it warmed up and thought about his situation. Then finally remembered his mommy’s advice that if he got caught in a blizzard he should wait for a snow plow to come by and follow it. That way he would not get stuck in a snow drift. This made him feel much better and sure enough in a little while, a snowplow went by and he started to follow it.

As he followed the snowplow, he was feeling very smug as they continued and he was not having any problem with the blizzard conditions. After quite some time had passed, he was somewhat surprised when the snowplow stopped and the driver got out and came back to his car and signaled for him to roll down his window. The snowplow driver wanted to know if Mikey was all right as he had been following him for a long time. Mikey said that he was fine and told him of his mommy’s advice to follow a snowplow when caught in a blizzard. The driver replied that it was OK with him and he could continue if Mikey wanted but he was done with the Wal-Mart parking lot and was going over to K-Mart next.

Dumb Mikey is a semi-fictional character and these jokes have appeared on our NOVA-Antiques Newsletter since June 2004. NOVA-Antiques Newsletter has about 2500 subscribers and so many of them have told us how much they loved the Dumb Mikey jokes that we decided to make a page solely for them. The people that love the Dumb Mikey jokes are mostly the people who think they know who Dumb Mikey really is. Not to our surprise, nobody really knew who Dumb Mikey really was until this year . . .

Martin Johnson Heade – Luminism Style American Painter

2008-08-17T07:12:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago a Cape Cod, Massachusetts family found that a painting they had owned for generations was worth more than $1 million. The painting, titled “Haying on the Marsh” by Martin Johnson Heade was painted in the 1860’s. The family had no idea how much it was worth because the frame covered the artists name until they turned it over to Eldred’s Auction Gallery for appraisal. A pre-sale estimate by the gallery was determined to be about $500,000 and the family was pleasantly surprised when the painting brought in more than $1 million. Other Heade paintings have also sold for more than $1 million in previous auctions.

Martin Johnson Heade, a Luminism Style, American painter, was born in August of 1819 and is best known for seascape, still life and salt marsh landscape paintings. Although some art historians disagree, Heade is believed to have been part of the Hudson River School and many of his paintings were displayed at a major art exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1987. Heade didn’t begin exhibiting his works until 1841 after studying under Edward Hicks in Pennsylvania and traveling to Europe to practice his craft. It wasn’t until 1857 that he became interested in landscape painting and in 1859 moved to New York. Heade passed away in September of 1904.

Marche Aux Puces at Porte de Clignancourt

2008-08-16T07:35:00.007-04:00

Some people will agree that this is, literally, the mother of all flea markets. Billed by some as the original flea market, it certainly is the Europe’s largest flea market. Located just outside of Paris, France, the one hundred acre Marche Aux Puces, has well over twenty five hundred dealers and vendors and attracts thousands of visitors every week. This Grande Dame of flea markets has been known to attract many celebrities as well; in fact it has been said that French President Jacques Chirac has been seen at this market.

According to Frommer’s, “First-timers always want to know two things: "Will I get any real bargains?" and "Will I get fleeced?" It's all relative. Obviously, dealers (who often have a pre-arrangement to have items held for them) have already skimmed the best buys. And it's true that the same merchandise displayed here will sell for less in the provinces. But for the visitor who has only a few days to spend in Paris -- and only half a day for shopping -- the flea market is worth the experience.”

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archives - June 15, 2006 . . . .

Crackle Glass at Outasite!! Collectibles

2008-08-15T08:35:00.003-04:00

Crackle Glass was first made by the Venetians in the 1500’s and the process was a little different. They took the molten hot glass and immersed it in water causing it to crack. The molten glass was then reheated to seal the cracks and either molded into shapes or hand blown. Many American companies have used this technique in the past including, Blenko, Pilgrim, Fenton and the Kanawha glass companies. Crackle glass has become very collectible in the recent past, especially the miniature amberina colored crackle glass pitchers made by Blenko.

C & M Antiques Barred From Selling American Flags by eBay

2008-08-14T07:09:00.004-04:00

News organizations were reporting yesterday that a Waterbury, Connecticut antiques and collectibles dealer was barred from selling vintage American flags on the online auction giant eBay. Mark Albino who owns C & M Antiques and Collectibles in Waterbury had sold between 75 and 100 vintage flags on eBay over the past five years and the flags, depending on vintage, condition and desirability, can bring in anywhere from $50 to $500. What got him into trouble was that he decided to sell the flags internationally but yet exclude certain countries and or states. His listings included the following caveat, “Please note that this flag is not for sale to anyone residing in any country in the Middle East, France or the State of California . . . or to any person in any country not allied to the USA.” Although eBay and maybe others may not see it that way, I agree with and God Bless Mark Albino.

According to articles eBay basically said that a seller cannot choose to sell internationally and then randomly choose countries to be excluded. The representative was quoted as saying, “you either sell your items to international bidders or you don’t.” However, Mark has been selling merchandise and vintage flags on eBay for the past 5 years. Why all of a sudden is eBay now enforcing this rule? And why can’t he choose which countries he will sell his flags to . . . because eBay says so? What a bunch of baloney. eBay, a powerful, AMERICAN, company should make it easier for sellers to be able to choose which countries our flags go to. Mark is right, we as a country should not be selling flags to individuals in countries where they may use them for anything other than to honor America and our people. I would rather see eBay tackle the exorbitant shipping and handling fees that some dealers try to charge than to bother with such an honorable cause as this.

Collecting NASA and Space Memorabilia Collectibles

2008-08-13T17:24:00.008-04:00

"Ten, nine, ignition sequence start, six, five, four, three, two, one, zero. All engines running. Lift off; we have a lift off, 32 minutes past the hour. Lift off on Apollo 11."

That’s how it all started on July 16, 1969 as Apollo 11 took off from Kennedy Space Center headed for the moon. Four days later, it was an uneasy atmosphere in Mission Control as the spacecraft neared its destination. NASA scientists were confident they could get Apollo 11 to the moon, but landing it was a whole different story. If the spacecraft tipped over during landing, the crew would be stranded, unable to return home.

Their fears were silenced on July 20 as the spacecraft safely touched down. Commander Neil Armstrong climbed out and down the ladder. He was standing on the moon. “I thought that when I step off it's just going to be a little step, you'll step from there, down to there,” Armstrong said. “But then I thought about all those 400,000 people that had given me the opportunity to make that step and thought it's gonna be a big something for all those folks, and indeed for a lot of others that weren't even involved in the project.”

All over the world, a sense of triumph filled people. If landing on the moon was possible, anyone could reach the stars. Everything was possible. Collecting space memorabilia is as close as most people will ever get to the moon. It’s also their chance to own a piece of American space history. Baby-boomers who grew up with the moon landing are big collectors. The field includes everything from astronaut autographs to stamps, photos and pieces of real space hardware. Tens of thousands of NASA-licensed objects sell at space center and museum gift shops, like limited edition coins or photographs, many for under a hundred dollars.

On March 18, Swann Galleries, New York, held their fourth Space Exploration auction. They featured artifacts, emblems, medallions, books, charts and maps, postal covers, photographs, equipment, posters and more. Among the most desirable lots in the auction were flown items that were the property of astronauts. This included Apollo 11 artifacts from the Buzz Aldrin collection. An official 8 inch by 10 inch color photograph of the crew in space suits signed and inscribed by Armstrong sold for $5,750.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archive – April 20, 2006 . . . .

The Rose Bowl Flea Market

2008-08-13T07:44:00.009-04:00

Last November my son and his fiancé were visiting from Los Angeles and we were discussing their wedding plans for this month. We discussed how I had never been in Los Angeles or California for that matter and kiddingly I said to them that if they were planning a wedding in Los Angeles the only thing I would ask would be that they planned it on a weekend where the Rose Bowl Flea Market would be taking place. A few months later, while talking to them on the phone, they mentioned that the Sunday after the wedding, we could visit the Rose Bowl Flea Market. I had completely forgotten about my comment on their previous visit, but was ecstatic that I would be able to go to the Rose Bowl Flea Market.

The largest flea market on the west coast, the Rose Bowl Flea Market is usually open on the second Sunday of every month. It features more than 2,500 dealers and thousands of visitors including the famed Kovels, Ralph & Terry as well as major Hollywood Stars and entertainers. The Rose Bowl Flea Market also features a little bit of everything and is one of those mega markets where if you cannot find what you are looking for here, you are never going to find it. In addition to antiques, collectibles of every kind, vintage clothing and garage sale items, the Rose Bowl has now added an indoor section dedicated to art and artisans.

The Rose Bowl Stadium where the flea market is held is a National Historic Landmark that was built in 1922. Many people are familiar with the stadium even if they haven’t been to sunny southern California because it is where UCLA plays and it hosts the Tournament of Roses college football game. Additionally, five Super Bowl football games have been played at the stadium by National Football League teams and the Men’s Soccer World Cup games were played there in 1994. Situated in the Aroyo Seco section of Pasadena, the stadium backdrop includes majestic mountain scenery and natural beauty that takes your breath away.

After having a grand but exhausting time at the wedding this past Saturday, I finally realized one of my dreams, and we all went to the Rose Bowl Flea Market. It was a beautiful day in Pasadena, California, sunny skies with the temperature in the mid-80’s. As we stepped through the gate, I couldn’t help but think that this is also one of those flea markets that we’d never be able to take in all in one day but I found that the Rose Bowl Flea Market was all that I expected it to be. The vendors that we talked to were customer friendly and willing to make a deal and the merchandise was amazing. We saw more beautiful Murano Glass than we have seen at any other flea market we have visited but what we ended up buying a Blenko Art Glass Amberina pitcher and a Fenton Art Glass Amberina bowl and we got a great deal on both. More importantly, the best deal we found was on a cedar chest that the newlyweds had been looking for and not found at other flea markets, which confirmed our thought that if you can’t find it here, you’re not going to find it.

Elvis Presley Jumpsuit Sells for Record at Memorabilia Auction

2008-08-09T08:39:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago I wrote about the record auction for James Brown memorabilia including one of his infamous capes that went for more than $32,000. This time it’s Elvis and it is one of his flamboyant jumpsuits. The hand embroidered Peacock jumpsuit was designed by Bill Belew in 1974 for the King of Rock and Roll. It was reported that Elvis originally paid $10,000 for the jumpsuit that sold for a record $300,000. Pre-auction estimates for the jumpsuit by online auctioneers, Gotta Have It! Collectibles, ranged from $275 to $325,000. The previous record for an Elvis collectible was $295,000 for the King’s Lincoln.

Elvis Presley was born in January 1935 was originally a controversial figure in American music because he blended black and white sounds. It did not help that he gyrated and swayed his hips to the music he played while on stage, in a country that was still pre-cultural revolution of the 60’s. However, as time passed, Elvis became an icon of that same culture and one of the most popular and recognizable names in the music business ever, earning him the title of The King of Rock and Roll. In addition to his music, Elvis made 32 movies. Sadly, Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977.

Santos de Palo – Four Centuries of Folk Art in Puerto Rico

2008-08-07T13:40:00.007-04:00

Santos de palo, or saints carved from wood, originated in Spain in the 1500’s. This folk art tradition was then brought to the Spanish colonies by explorers and people who immigrated into these lands, including Puerto Rico, which later became a U.S. territory. Associated with Christianity and Catholicism, the Santos were normally placed on an altar inside the home, where the family usually gathered for prayer. It was believed that the saints resided in the wooden carvings and thus would hear the people’s prayer. The Santos would then act as the intermediaries and communicate with God on behalf of the people saying the prayers. I can attest to this as my dear mother would always pray to San Judas Tadeo, Saint Jude Thaddeaus, in times of distress or when she wanted to keep our family away from trouble.

Santos in Puerto Rico are a four century folk art tradition. They were carved by artists known as a Santero and usually varied in style and design as well as dimensions. The style and design of the Santos were different depending on when they were made and where they were made. Primitive Santos are not as polished and clean as the colonial types of Santos. Some Santeros preferred to leave their Santos in a natural state to show the wood, others preferred to paint their pieces. My grandfather, Marcelino, was a Santero and he is said to have specialized in Los Tres Reyes Mago a Caballo, The Three Wise Men on Horseback (Three Kings). It is said by many that the Santero was inspired by a higher power and that it was not just a hobby or profession, I can confirm this as well as my grandfather was a spiritual man who truly had a higher calling.

Santos de palo are very collectible in every form and recently there has been a surge in their popularity as more and more Puerto Ricans are getting touch with their roots and their culture. In addition, art collectors are realizing the importance of this folk art form and it significance to the overall American culture that Puerto Ricans are now a large part of. A lot of people are also researching their roots as I have been doing and have found Santeros as ancestors as I have done. Unfortunately, most of the original antique and collectible Santos were unsigned by the Santero and can be difficult to authenticate them as genuine. However, in the past couple of years, El Museo de Los Santos in San Juan has been doing research and cataloging many of the specimens that they have found.

Pictured on the right is a picture of San Judas Tadeo, carved by Rubén Acevedo Méndez of Aguada, Puerto Rico. Rubén is one of the few young artists that remain true to their culture and is continuing to preserve the tradition of the Santero. This particular piece was made for Pope John Paul II and now resides in the Vatican, Rome.

Lee Maxwell's Antique Washing Machine Museum

2008-08-07T06:49:00.005-04:00

Today as I was walking into my garage, I passed the laundry room where my wife was complaining about all the wash she had to do. This gave me pause and I thought, well what would happen if she lived in my mom’s time? My mom talked all the time about having to walk to the river in the old country not only carrying the baskets of clothes to wash, but my older brother and sisters as well. My mother continued by saying that the way they got the clothes clean was by pounding them against the rocks.

Washing machines weren’t invented until the mid 1800’s and no one knows more about antique washing machines than Lee Maxwell from Colorado. Mr. Maxwell has a collection of more than a thousand antique and vintage machines that he has accumulated from trips he has made scouring the countryside. The Guinness Book of World Records has authenticated his collection as the largest in the world.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archives – April 6, 2006 . . . .

Jim Beam Collectible Decanters & Bottles

2008-08-06T07:43:00.004-04:00

Jim Beam, the prominent liquor company from Clermont, Kentucky, first introduced their liquor decanters in 1955. Beam was the first to introduce the decanters but many companies followed their lead in the mid-1970’s as the decanters became more and more popular with collectors. Eventually, there were more than 20 companies, including Dewer, Canadian Mist and Beef Eaters, producing decanters, but Beam was one of the few companies that owned their own china factory and were deep into making their own decanters. However, decanters are not the only things people are collecting.

Early Jim Beam bottles are also collectible; just ask one of the more than 5000 members of the International Jim Beam Bottle & Specialty Club (IJBBSC), of which there are over 150. Whether its bottle or decanter collecting, one thing they both have in common is the variety of the collectibles. Jim Beam bottles were made in different styles and shapes depending on the year that they were produced. Accordingly, Jim Beam decanters also are very different with over 1000 different decanters being made in all shapes, sizes and decorated in many styles, including classic cars, political, a rare Norman Rockwell collector’s series and sports and wildlife decanters.

Although the price of Jim Beam liquor decanters has been slipping over the past few years, prices can vary greatly depending on the bottle and the year that the bottle was made. The decanters can range in price from a few dollars for the most common to hundreds of dollars for the rarer decanters. A Corvette Jim Beam Decanter like the one pictured on the right usually sells from $150 - $200. Although the decanters are not being produced in mass quantities anymore, each year limited edition decanters are issued and serious collectors look forward to picking those up quickly.

Elegant Glass – Brief History of Fostoria Glass Company

2008-08-05T07:32:00.005-04:00

In 1887, the Fostoria Glass Company was born in none other than Fostoria, Ohio. However after a brief stint, they moved their operations to Moundsville, West Virginia. From 1887 until 1983, Fostoria produced various products in different forms including blown glass, pressed glass, etched glass and crystal. Their most famous pattern is the American Fostoria pattern, which we have all seen at one time or another. Fostoria Glass was sold in 1983 to Lancaster Colony, which closed the company in 1986. Fostoria Glass is part of the elegant glass family; glass that was made prior to the Depression. Other elegant glass companies that are part of this family are Cambridge, Libbey and Heisey.

Rene Lalique - The Best Designer of the 20th Century

2008-08-04T07:16:00.007-04:00

Yesterday, in the UK Mirror, there was a story of older woman who was in need of an operation and was trying to find money to finance the procedure. According to the story, the woman went into her attic and started rummaging around for things to sell when she came upon a brooch. At first, she dismissed her find because she thought it had no value, but after more searching, gave up hope and decided to have it's worth determined.

To her surprise, the brooch, which was in the Art Nouveau style, turned out to have been made by Rene Lalique and was worth close to $14,000 in pre-auction estimates. At auction, Woolley & Wallis of Salisbury, Wilts, it sold for more than $100,000. What is interesting is that I have always associated the name Lalique with glass design and never thought about him as a jewelry designer.

As it turns out, the celebrated designer, Rene Lalique, did indeed produce and design some of the most spectacular glass creations of his time but he also designed jewelry, chandeliers, clocks and even hood ornaments. Born in France in 1860, Lalique was an apprentice to Louis Aucoc by the age of 16 and later worked for the prestigious jewelry house, Cartier. In 1886, he opened his own shop and is renowned as one the top Art Nouveau jewelry designers and later for the Art Deco style.

I have never seen a piece of Lalique jewelry and if I did I would probably not know it from any other jeweler or designer in the world. However, I am most familiar with his amazing glass creations and can say that Lalique designed some of the most creative and inspired pieces that I have ever seen. If Lalique put as much enthusiasm and imagination into his jewelry design as he did in his glass creations, I can understand why people are fanatic about the result. Rene Lalique, who was the best designer of the 20th Century, died in 1945.

Honus Wagner Near Record Baseball Card Auction

2008-08-03T12:38:00.005-04:00

A Honus Wagner baseball card from 1909 sold at auction in Chicago yesterday for a near record of $1.62 million. The card was one of the earliest collectible baseball cards known to exist and came with cigarettes made by the American Tobacco Company. Another Honus Wagner card holds the record for price; it was sold in 2007 for $2.8 million. The card, known as a T206, was purchased at a sports memorabilia auction by John Rogers of North Little Rock, Arkansas and was probably first issued between 1909 and 1913.

Born Johannes Peter Wagner in 1874, Honus was one of nine children. He played shortstop from 1897 to 1917 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. Many in the baseball world consider Honus Wagner one of the best all around baseball players that ever lived and certainly the best shortstop ever. When he retired in 1917, Wagner did so with more hits, runs, RBI’s, doubles, triples and steals than any other player. According to officials at Mastro Auctions, there are fewer than 100 Honus Wagner Cards known to exist and only 10 in mint condition.

Brewerania & Beer Can Collecting

2008-08-03T07:03:00.005-04:00

It seems like just a few years ago people were collecting cans of Billy Beer, the beer that was named after President Carter’s brother. However, beer can collecting began long before that. It is believed by some that collecting beer cans began with the advent of the can itself, produced first by the American Can Company. The Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company was the first to introduce us to beer in a can in 1933 when they distributed 2000 cans of 3.2% beer.

Beer can collectors have their own organization, called the Beer Can Collectors of America (BCCA). According to Mark Benbow, owner of rustycans.com, the association has been around since 1970 and by 1976; the association had more than 8000 members. In the late 1970’s and 80’s, with a glut of beer cans aimed specifically at collectors, interest actually waned and many people gave up their collections. The hobby of collecting beer cans is now making a comeback and the BCCA currently has about 3700 members.

Another thing we learned from Mr. Benbow is that Billy Beer cans are pretty much worthless since the market was flooded with about 2 billion cans from four different breweries in the late 1970’s. A can of Billy Beer, whether open, closed, with beer or without is probably not worth more than twenty five cents.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archives – March 2, 2006 . . . .

The History of Moorcroft Pottery

2008-08-02T20:32:00.004-04:00

William Moorcroft (1872 to 1945) was born in Burslem, Staffordshire and studied art in both London and Paris. He designed his first pieces of pottery while working at the James Macintyre Company in 1897 but was highly successful after opening his own studio in 1913 in Cobridge, England. Moorcroft created pottery with an Asian feel and developed high luster glazes to create dramatic, eye catching designs. Most of his products sold through Liberty of London and Tiffany in New York. After his passing in 1945, the company passed on to his son Walter.

Walter’s vision and designs helped the company continue its long standing tradition of using brilliant colors and translucent glazes to produce some of the best quality mid-century art pottery. However, later in the 60’s the company was purchased by the Roper Brothers and they unsuccessfully tried to mass produce merchandise and failed. In 1987, Walter resigned from Moorcroft and the design duties turned to Sally Dennis and now to Rachel Bishop. Under these new designers, Moorcroft saw a resurgence in both the quality of their product and interest by collectors.

Duncan Phyfe Antique Furniture and the Lyre Design

2008-08-02T05:30:00.006-04:00

Duncan Phyfe was born in 1768 in Scotland but immigrated to Albany, New York in 1784 to serve as an apprentice in a cabinetmakers shop at the tender age of 16. In 1792 he moved to New York City and opened his own business designing and producing furniture. He is now known as one of the most prolific furniture makers of his time. Borrowing ideas from Thomas Sheraton in England and using simple styles, Phyfe is well known for being one of the leading designers to use the lyre to enhance the beauty of a piece of an otherwise boring piece of furniture, such as a chair or table.

The lyre, sometimes known as a harp, design is nothing more than a representation of the ancient musical instruments that were played as early as the 13th century. Many furniture designers including Phyfe, Sheraton and Hepplewhite used the lyre design on chairs and tables and other furniture. The Lyre Back chair pictured is part of a collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The chair dates from about 1815-1820 and is thought to be only one of 24 produced by Duncan Phyfe. He is considered as good a designer as his predecessors in the field.

Western Artist Charles Russell - Art Auction Brings in Millions

2008-08-01T07:02:00.006-04:00

Charles Russell (1864-1926) was born in Missouri but found his way to Great Falls, Montana, which he adopted as his home and lived in for over 46 years. One of the greatest artists and sculptures of the American west, had humble beginnings working on a sheep ranch at the age of 16. His interest in the west, history and the outdoors along with his awareness of his environment gave him the ability to capture western landscapes, cowboys, and Indians in perfectly flowing colors, lines and exquisite detail.

Russell produced over 2000 works in his lifetime featuring his favorite subjects including paintings and sculptures. In 1926, Trails Plowed Under, a collection of his short stories were also published. Recently two of his artworks brought in more than $9 million at auction. The holdup, a painting by Charles Russell, showing a stagecoach being held up, sold for $5.2 million at the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction in Reno, Nevada. A bronze, Meat for Wild Men, depicting Native Americans on a buffalo hunt brought in more than $4.1 million.

The Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, 1,100,000 acres in north central Montana were named after this artist and includes native prairies, river bottoms and badlands. In addition, a lot of his artwork is on display at the C.M. Russell Museum, “A place where the old west is still alive.” The museum is located in Great Falls, Montana.