Outasite!! News

This past week we updated two of our sites, Outasite!! Antiques and Outasite!! Auctions.  Both were given fresh new looks and updated with information that we received from our clients and friends.  Although they are both still part of the NOVA-Antiques.com family, they are now hosted on their own.  This will allow search engines and people in general to find our pages quicker and easier.

Outasite!! Antiques focuses on antique shops and malls located in the Mid-Atlantic region.  The homepage carries news and information about antiques and collectibles.  The website also breaks down the antique malls, shops and stores by state in the Mid-Atlantic region.  Lastly, Outasite!! Antiques has a webpage dedicated to consignment shops.  This webpage currently has information about stores in the Washington DC, Northern Virginia metro area but we will expand it this year to include others.

The Outasite!! Auctions is a website dedicated to providing information about auctioneers and auction houses in the Mid-Atlantic region.  The homepage for this site contains information about recent record prices at the action houses.  It also contains webpages featuring antiques and collectible, estate and household auction companies by state.  In the near future, as we continue to expand our Internet presence, we will be adding a webpage on the Outasite!! Auctions website that focuses on online auctions.

Antique Shows & Event for June 8-10, 2012

In my last NOVA-Antiques Newsletter I wrote a little piece about desks as an antique and it really was more of as short history on desks and their design.  As I have come to find out in my everyday life, I can never have enough desk space. 

Seems everything I am working on lands on my desk, whether it is bills that I am paying, pictures I am scanning or my iPod when I downloading music.  The more I clean off my desk, the more junk lands on it.  If you are like me, and I suspect most people are, then you might need more desk space and what better value than to recycle a vintage or antique desk.

Some shows and events that you might find antique desks at this weekend include the June Festival of Antiques in Mullica Hill, New Jersey.  This show which will be held on Saturday June 9, 2012 attracts over fifty dealers and thousands of people.  The June Festival of Antiques features antique furniture, vintage glass, pottery, jewelry and artwork as well as antique lighting and vintage toys.

If you are in the Washington DC metro area, you might want to check out the Gaithersburg Antique &Collectibles Show at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds.  This antique show has been around for a long time and hundreds of dealers selling ephemera, memorabilia, vintage collectibles and glass as well as antique furniture and décor.  This show will be held on Saturday and Sunday, June 9-10, 2012 and attracts thousands of visitors and is a nice way to get nostalgic.

Collectibles As An Investment

Do you have a curio cabinet full of Hummel or precious moment figurines?  If you do, you are not alone.  Many people in the 70s, 80s and 90s started collecting them and were paying a lot of money for them.  Today, unfortunately, they are only worth a percentage of what people paid back then.  Hummel figurines that were going for $200-$300 back in their heyday are now bringing in $50-100 if you are lucky.  The same holds true for many other collectibles and the reason is simple, they were made to be collected.

Most collectibles that are made specifically for collecting purposes are a fad.  People become interested in collecting them, build a huge collection and then most people lose interest.  Such is the way with Beanie Babies, cabbage patch dolls and gum cards.  In the 1960s gum cards were imprinted with photos of the Beatles and an “autograph signature.”  Everything Beatles is collectible right?  You are lucky if you can get a buck or two for the cards in today’s market.

In today’s market, what is selling are collectibles that were not made specifically for collecting, but had a functional and specific purpose.  Some examples are coins or stamps, which had a specific use.  In our recent NOVA-Antiques Newsletter, we wrote about a Leica camera that sold at a record auction price; other things that can bring in top dollar include memorabilia, such as Elvis’ jumpsuit or Michael Jackson’s glove.  These things were not only functional but due to the fact that they were not mass produced, they are rare.

So if you have some extra money, not many of us do in this economy, and you want to invest in collectibles, what is the best bet?  The best bet is to stay away from the mass produced collectibles: Hummels; prints from Thomas Kincaid; and Pokeman cards are probably not good investments.  Memorabilia, especially autographed items; political or historical objects or even vintage automobile hood ornaments are probably good investments.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter & Calendar Updates

On Friday this past week we posted a new edition of the NOVA-Antiques Newsletter.  In this edition of the newsletter, you will find articles about Vintage Radios Appealing to the New Collectors; A Short History of Emerson Radio; The Desk as an Antique; and Zing Zing – Vintage straight razors.  Additionally, the newsletter contains information about a recent auction price for a Leica camera as well as upcoming auctions, antique shows, flea markets and much more.

Additionally, we updated the June AntiquesShow Calendar with dates and information for many shows in the Mid Atlantic region.  Coming up this month, the shows include the Richmond Antiques Spectacular; Sully’s Annual Father’s Day Antique Car Show; The Summer Antiques Extravaganza in Adamstown Pennsylvania; The Tiffin Collectors Annual Show; and the Fabulous Finds Barn Sale in Vienna Virginia as well as the International Petroliana Collectors Show.

Yesterday’s Writing Desk is Today’s Functional Table

Many people, including some dealers attach the name writing desk to various types of desks.  To be fair, in most cases they are correct; if it has a flat surface, which can be used to write, then why can’t it be a writing desk?  Writing desks were invented for just that purpose, to hand write letters and their style was transformed over the years.

Most people are familiar with the simple writing desk, which consists of four legs and a flat surface.  Earlier versions of this type of writing desk did not have a drawer at the top because we didn’t need to put our pens away.  Instead, people used ink wells and quills that were stored on a stand on top of the desk.  Later, when we needed to store our writing utensils and paper, we added a drawer at the top.  And just to make them more visually appealing, designers began adding spindle or carved legs, leather tops and then rails so that our pens wouldn’t roll off the flat desktop.

As time went on, the writing desk became more of a compact office system.  A pedestal or two with side drawers were added to keep files, folders and journals.  Tops were added to maintain some semblance of privacy and protect what was being produced.  Not to mention, it made things nicer if everything was put away nicely when company came calling.  The designs became even more intricate with carvings, different woods and brass or silver pulls.  As time went by, hinged flat tops gave way to roll tops and many writing desks had hidden “pigeon holes” for storing valuables or important papers.

Today, many of us don’t need a writing desk because most of us no longer put pen to paper.  We use computers and word processing software for letters and correspondence and we use e-mail or “chat” services for more informal communications.  A lot of people and designers are sanding the old varnish or veneer on the flat top antique writing desks and painting them.  These make great functional tables in foyers, bathrooms or bedrooms, where a pretty vase of flowers can be displayed.

Abingdon Pottery Cookie Jars

Both of the pictured cookie jars were made by Abington Potteries in the Mid-40s.  They were made very similar in size and pretty much look and feel.  What is the difference between the two cookies jars, besides the obvious?  One is white and one is black for sure and their hand-painted decorations are different as well.   However, the major difference between the two is their value; the Mammy (black) cookie jar is worth in the range of $800, the Little Ol’ Lady cookie jar more in the range of about $150-$200.

The price disparity has nothing to do with one being black and one being white.  In fact, the Little Ol’ Lady cookie jar was made both in black and white.  The price disparity has more to do with the quantity made; many of the Little Ol’ Lady cookie jars were made by the company while only a very limited number of Mammy cookie jars were made.  These were given as prizes to pottery distributors who achieved certain sales goals at the time.  Experts can only tell them apart by the slight shape difference and the type of glaze used.

To make matters even more confusing, Abingdon Potteries were not the only ones to make Mammy cookie jars.  About the same time period, McCoy Pottery, which is a well-known name amongst collectors, was also making them.  These are also very collectible and appeal to many different types of collectors.  And whether they were made by McCoy or Abingdon, because of their popularity and worth, many unscrupulous dealers have made reproductions and fakes.  Collectors beware.

Antiques & Collectibles Shows May 19-20, 2012

There are a couple of antiques and collectibles shows this weekend at great historical locations.  The first is the Gettysburg Antiques Show that will be held at Lincoln Square in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; the site of the historic Gettysburg Address.  The second show is the Armed Forces Day Toy Soldier Show, which is held in Newport News, Virginia.  Both shows are on Saturday, May 19, 2012 and both attract hundreds of vendors and visitors from around the country.  This is great entertainment for the whole family considering the history behind the locals and the significance of the shows.

Our personal favorite this weekend is the Lucketts Spring Antiques Show, which will be held on Saturday & Sunday, May 19-20, 2012 in the hamlet of Lucketts, Virginia, just north of Leesburg.  This antiques and collectibles show attracts visitors from around the country and features antique and shabby furniture and décor as well as vintage pottery, glass, lighting and functional antiques.  This is another show where the whole family is entertained as they provide live music, good eats and an overall party atmosphere.