Watch papers have long
been neglected by collectors, but now they’re becoming popular.
Originally used as a packing
between the inner and outer case of a watch to protect its works, they
became keepsakes in the mid-18th century.
Read More
Jade,
ivory, horn, and marble should be lightly dusted with a soft brush or
dry, soft cloth. Keep these objects out of direct sunlight, since they
may dry out and become brittle. Always handle these objects with care
when moving them. More Tips
Got a tip you'd like to share? E-mail
me
The
ABC’s of Collecting Online
by Ray Boileau
If
you’re like many collectors today, you’ve already discovered the
Internet, specifically eBay, for buying and perhaps selling antiques and
collectibles–for good or bad.
More Books
I
have a one-armed chair passed down to me and I'm interested in knowing
what it is and what it was used for, besides sitting. It is very
delicate and sits low to the ground, it also only has one arm.
Helen Read more
EARLY TECH AUCTION OFFERS
RARITIES
Cologne, Germany - We
live in an age of technology, so it’s fitting that pieces of early
technology should be high on collector’s lists of most wanted items.
On June 18, Auction Team Köln, the premier specialty auction of
technical items since 1987, headed by Auction Team Breker, held it’s
quarterly Science & Technology, Office Antiques, and Toys and Tin
Toys auctions in Cologne, Germany.
Read
More
An
acanthus is:
a plant or shrub
an ornamental motif
the Greek god of harvest
a finial To see the answer
Instructions
on sending photographs of your pieces.
Updated October 2, 2007
The Antiques Almanac, a reference site for beginning and intermediate collectors, is your first stop on the Web in your
search for information about antiques and collectibles.
An object having
special value because of its age, especially a domestic item, piece of
furniture or decorative arts object esteemed for its artistry, beauty,
or period of origin.
Whalemen
decorated busks for their sweetheart’s bodice, carved and decorated
pie crimpers, inspired by vision of homemade pies, and engraved sperm
whale teeth with whatever captured their imagination. Scrimshaw became
the pastime of lonely and often dispirited seamen far from home. Today,
it’s highly prized by collectors, who often must pay exorbitant
prices for period pieces.
Hess Toy Truck collectors go to any
length to find just the right truck. Not just any truck, but that
special truck–perfect paint, perfect tires, and, most importantly, a
perfect box. That’s right, a perfect box. To them, it’s a quest.
Behind the windows of an old storefront
along North George Street in York, Pennsylvania, lie treasures of the
past. No, it’s not just any ordinary antique shop. It’s a shop
jammed with pieces of old buildings, some small, some large, all
interesting. Sure, there are architectural antique shops, but this one
is different.
A
13 ½"-inch-high porcelain vase, featuring an elaborately painted
portrait of Catherine the Great of Russia and a mark on its base of a
dark red, inverted "N" surmounted by stars, recently went up
for auction on eBay for a staggering minimum bid of $30,000. However, at
the auction’s closing, only one bidder had placed a bid of $30,100 on
it, but the reserve on the item hadn’t been met.
Many collectors of
old prints believe when it comes to the care of them the first is to
never do anything. The second is that they should be carefully preserved
and restored. The latter is obviously sensible when the work only
involves removing surface dust and the incidental dirt that a print may
have acquired through the years, but beyond that, it’s necessary to
seek out the advice of a conservator.
While
all antique dealers sell items from the past, few take advantage of them
to teach their customers a little about the items’ history. The folks
at Ski Country Antiques in Evergreen, Colorado, have done just that by
creating a winter sports museum right in their store.
*****************
Take
a Look at
Bob's Newest Book
How to Recognize and
Refinish Antiques for Pleasure and Profit
Have
you ever bought an antique or collectible that was less than perfect and
needed some TLC? Bob's new book offers tips and step-by- step
instructions for simple maintenance and restoration of common antiques.
If
you’re like many collectors today, you’ve already discovered the
Internet, specifically eBay, for buying and perhaps selling antiques and
collectibles–for good or bad.
Whalemen
decorated busks for their sweetheart’s bodice, carved and decorated
pie crimpers, inspired by vision of homemade pies, and engraved sperm
whale teeth with whatever captured their imagination. Scrimshaw became
the pastime of lonely and often dispirited seamen far from home. Today,
it’s highly prized by collectors, who often must pay exorbitant
prices for period pieces.
Hess Toy Truck collectors go to any
length to find just the right truck. Not just any truck, but that
special truck–perfect paint, perfect tires, and, most importantly, a
perfect box. That’s right, a perfect box. To them, it’s a quest.
Behind the windows of an old storefront
along North George Street in York, Pennsylvania, lie treasures of the
past. No, it’s not just any ordinary antique shop. It’s a shop
jammed with pieces of old buildings, some small, some large, all
interesting. Sure, there are architectural antique shops, but this one
is different.
A
13 ½"-inch-high porcelain vase, featuring an elaborately painted
portrait of Catherine the Great of Russia and a mark on its base of a
dark red, inverted "N" surmounted by stars, recently went up
for auction on eBay for a staggering minimum bid of $30,000. However, at
the auction’s closing, only one bidder had placed a bid of $30,100 on
it, but the reserve on the item hadn’t been met.
Many collectors of
old prints believe when it comes to the care of them the first is to
never do anything. The second is that they should be carefully preserved
and restored. The latter is obviously sensible when the work only
involves removing surface dust and the incidental dirt that a print may
have acquired through the years, but beyond that, it’s necessary to
seek out the advice of a conservator.
While
all antique dealers sell items from the past, few take advantage of them
to teach their customers a little about the items’ history. The folks
at Ski Country Antiques in Evergreen, Colorado, have done just that by
creating a winter sports museum right in their store.
