Great Deals! There Open Monday! Can't keep this to myself!

     I'm crazy when it comes to vintage.  I'm even crazier when it comes to antiques.  And when I find a cheap price to satisfy my itch.  Well, I think you know, but I will say it anyway.  I go INSANE!!! Springfield, like everywhere else, have second hand stores popping up everywhere.  "Not-for-profits" like Salvation Army or DAV(aka Red Racks aka Disabled American Veterans) and Goodwill (not a charity) are even trying to get in the game.

     But those places are not where you find the good stuff.  Anymore that's not where you find the best prices either.  My favorite places are the flea markets.  There are quite a few of these too, but not as many as there used to be in Springfield.  Most of the ones downtown by the square turned into art museums.  Lol, you get me, right?

     Well there is still one close to downtown they haven't changed yet.  It's been in Springfield a long time.  Those who know about it are not sharing.  I can't hold it in any more.  Not only is there one downtown but they have got another location on East Trafficway.  You go under the Glenstone Avenue bridge staying on East Trafficway and before you get to Bolivar Insulation, it's on the right.  If you intersect with Chestnut Expressway you have gone too far, turn around.

     What's the name you say?  Leave it to Springfield to have a flea market with the name of a ...well uh, the name is S.T.D.  Yeah, yeah, yeah go ahead and laugh.  You won't be laughing once you go there and scoop up some cheap deals.  There are over 100 booths at this location and the one downtown too.  There are two other flea markets just down the street from S.T.D. but I forget their names.

Roger and Bobby

     You'll have to go there to find out exactly how they got their name, because I ain't tellin' ya!  I took some pictures while I was there last time just to show you a lil' bit of what they got.  The people that work there are pretty cool too..

Artwork, Furniture, Antiques, Vintage, Jewelry, Clothing, Cameo's, Home Decor, Rustic Wares, Collectibles, Knives, Coins, Smalls, Toys, Shoes, Jeans, Gemstones, Hats, Purses, Tattoo Sleeves,
Dishes, Board Games, Glassware, Tools, Tables, Shelves, Chairs, Desks, Display Cases, Flowers, Dolls, Supplies, Beads, Cards, Books, Posters, Name-Brands, McDonald's, Coach And More.........

More Tips For Finding Treasure

     The Antiques Roadshow was on tonight on PBS.  Love, love, love that show.  I like the new thing they added where they price things randomly as people are standing in line waiting for their appraisal or maybe they are waiting for the "feedback booth."  That feedback booth can be a real hoot.  Everybody says they had a great time and they really act like they had a blast.  Back to the recent change I've noticed.  The camera zooms in on a particular item and a price appears on the screen over it.  It's great because more values for items are given, so we don't just get the ones that made it for a TV appearance.

     I've got some more useful info about collectibles for you, if you're up to it.  Hope you are taking notes.  Good, glad to hear it.

     My go to for this subject is Kovel 's.  Traveling routinely through the states keeps them in the know.

• The original fringe on an oriental or Indian rug should never be altered in any way.  The difference in value is too big not to notice.  An untrimmed rug could be worth $1500.  And that same rug with the fringe altered or missing altogether, $100.  Huge difference!
• The paint on a vintage cookie jar is applied over the glaze and may come off if put through a dishwasher cycle.  Hand wash only and then be very careful.  I would  just leave it alone.  That seems to be the rule.
• Engravings removed from Silver is a big NO, NO.  This will actually decrease the value.
• Dolls with original hair and hair-do bring the most money.  Don't even wash it.
• Prices are up for exceptional pieces of cut glass.  And even 25% more than that if signed.
• Restoration lowers the resale price of old Christmas ornaments.  Leave it alone.  The wear adds to the charm.
  
• Stay away from vases with a hole in the bottom.  Those vases were headed to be lamps.  
• All Mission furniture is getting lower prices.  With original finish it is worth 10% to 25% more than if refinished. 

Treasure Hunting Tips

1. Modern colorful glass vases and sculptures are really popular right now.  I'm talking about large and over 15 inches high.
2. Star Trek and Star Wars memorabilia of all kinds is getting lots of attention but particularly robots and space guns.  We are suckers for a good movie, don't you agree?
3. Wristwatches with large round faces worn as bracelets are currently in style, working or not.
4. The Chinese market is decreasing and has been since January 2012.  The higher priced items (top 20%) are still selling well for now.
5. Traditional furniture made in the '50's through '80's are wanted by those in traditional houses.  Manufacturers Kittinger, Baker and Widdicomb to name a few.
6. Vintage guitars from the '60's through 2000 are selling for hundreds and even thousands of dollars.
7. Collectors who can identify the patterns, age, etc. of decorated dishes and bowls by Pyrex and Corning Ware are seriously buying them up.
8. Appealing to decorators as well as collectors are wooden sleds, old snowshoes, skis, gut-strung wooden tennis racquets or ice skates with iron blades form Europe.  The price is going up, up, up with their increasing rarity.
9. Posters, toys, patches, badges and even a real full size _______ are hot!  Can you guess what I am talking about?
10. Young buyers are attracted to sixties furniture and accessories with a modern look.
11. Soda bottles and milk bottles with enameled lettering are becoming more valuable, especially those with pictures or sayings.  Patriotic slogans are a plus.  Just beware of fakes because they are out there.

OK, already.  You won't let me have any fun.  The answer to 9 above is ...
Motorcycle.  Anything motorcycle is HOT right now!!!

Resource:  Kovel's Collector's Tip Sheet brochure
Contact them for a free copy of their newsletter, "Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles" 

14 Need-to-Knows

Mix these ingredients to make your own all purpose cleaner:

2 cups rubbing alcohol

1 tablespoon dish soap

1 tablespoon ammonia

2 quarts water

ATTENTION OLD BOTTLE COLLECTOR

     An American bottle label with the word "cure" or "remedy" embossed on the side was probably made before 1906.  That's when the Pure Food & Drug Act was passed.  This regulated so-called cures and claims made.

I've been known to dive into a paint job on the fly, forgetting clean up supplies have run dry.
                                                                 OOPS!!!  Now what?
Use vegetable oil to get that oil based paint off your hands and then wash with soap and dry.

 

What's for dinner?  Tacos! Turn a muffin tin upside down when heating taco shells.  Place them in the spaces between muffin cups.  They keep their shape and are easy to fill.  Love this!

I've got two words for you...seriously...only two words...meatloaf muffins make life so easy!

OK that was more like six words...but you understand....I think.    

Best Household Hints and Tips has a no-nonsense approach to their website.  Literally.  There are a few categories listed at the top.  Just click on a heading of your choice and a new page will open up to a list of more tips.  You won't be distracted by a lot of advertisements.  Straight and to the point.  I like that.

(health shortcuts you can live with)

"rule" lift weights twice a week.

"bent" weight bearing moves, such as push-ups or lunges.

"rule" five to nine servings of fresh fruits and veggies every day.

"bent" substitute canned, frozen or dried when that's not possible.

"rule" eat fish twice per week for the omega-3 fatty acids

"bent" sprinkle ground flaxseed on yogurt or cereal.

"rule" acquire seven hours of sleep per night.

"bent" catnap in the afternoon to make up for a short night.

"rule" 30 minutes exercise most days.

"bent" dog walking, chasing kids, and stair climbing count for breaking workout into short bursts.

"rule" wash hands with soap after contact with germs on surfaces.

"bent" hand sanitizer or a cleansing wipe will work too.

"rule" healthy breakfast every morning required.

"bent" a fiber and protein rich cereal bar to tide you over until lunch will have to do.

"rule" brush your teath after every meal and floss daily.

"bent" sugarless gum after a meal churns up bacteria fighting saliva and use toothpick as needed.

Just Collecting Or Collecting To Sell

 

I want to share some GREAT tips that I have learned for collecting or collecting to sell.  It just doesn't matter really, because I bet everybody that falls in to the "collecting to sell" category  has a collection of their very favorites on the side and vice versa.



Every collectible item is cyclical.  Just look at what is popular right now.  In 10 to 20 years, even Beanie Babies will be in demand again. Scratching your head yet?  Because the kids who couldn't afford them in the 1990's will be in their 30's and 40's with money to spend.  They will want to purchase their childhoods.  Don't throw those Beanies away just yet.  Hold on to them for a little while longer.

Pewter will be marked if it contains at least 90 percent tin.  It is a somewhat dull looking silver-colored alloy made of tin, lead and copper.  Pewter has been used over the years for anything from eating utensils to candlesticks.  Pewter as far as its value is concerned, is at the bottom of the list below copper and only above lead.  It was known as the "poor man's sliver."  Early American pewter with marks from the maker, and art pewter from Europe, can be valuable.

George Jenson Markings

Don't pass up those items that have been signed and dated.  Even if you haven't heard of the maker,  someone has.  Do some research.  Hang on to it for a while if you have to, no harm in that is there...$...*wink, wink*

Why not buy a book.  They aren't cheap to  buy brand new.  But every once in a while I see them at a flea market, thrift store or even a garage sale.  These books sometimes have articles packed full of useful information.  There are beautiful colored photos included also.  If you run into an out of date book, they are still useful as reference for identification purposes.  You can't rely on the prices even when first printed because prices constantly change in the world of antiques for obvious reasons.

Daguerreotype, Tintype or Ambrotype What's Your Type?

I'm just joking with you.  I'm actually talking about those really old photos you found in that old trunk grandma gave you.  It seems like everyone has a couple of older(antique) photographs of relatives they never knew.  Maybe someone in your family knows. Write them on the back lightly in pencil if you find out.  How much are they worth, you ask? The value of old photos depends on their age, condition, type and subject matter.

I'm really no expert when it comes to the pricing.  You'll have to do some research.  But I can give you some information that will help in your search.  The following is a list of all the different types of photographs from an earlier time.

Albumen print:  the first commercial photographic print on paper was invented in 1850..  It was used to make photos mounted in cabinet cards and Ca rte De Vi site.

Ambrotype:  a faint negative image on lass seen as positive when placed on a dark backing.  Dates from the 1850's.

Cabinet card:  6 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches.  Many were of famous people or pretty women.  This is a photo mounted in a slightly larger piece of cardboard, approx 1866.

Ca rte De Vi site ("visiting card"):  a small photo mounted on a slightly larger piece of cardboard, 4 1/4 x 2 1/2 inches.  A fad in the United States in the late 1850's.

Daguerreotype:  a positive image made directly on a silvered copper plate.  Named for inventor, Louis Daguerre of France, they were first introduced in the United States in 1839

Photogravure:  a reproduction of a photo in ink on paper; came into wide use in the late 1890's.

Tintype:  a positive image on tinned iron;  they were inexpensive and became popular after the Civil War.

10 Great Tips For Any Collector

• Never use really hot or really cold water to clean your glass figurines because this could cause damage that can't be fixed.  Use dish washing liquid and a soft toothbrush along with warm water.  Rinse and then dry with terrycloth.
• Never put your old dishes in the dishwasher especially if they have a gold or platinum trim. Hand wash only.
• Don't throw away those broken pieces of antique plates.  Hang them on the wall right with the perfect all-in-one-piece plates for an eclectic style all your own.  They also work great for creating a border for a flower garden.  Or how about trimming your side walk with them.
• Before 1930, you could find Santa Claus pictured wearing a blue or mauve suit.  Old items picturing Santa with a suit that's not red is worth more.
• Mix one tablespoon bleach into one quart of warm water and wipe on spots of mold when found on furniture.  This should kill the mold.
• Metallic glazes have been used on pottery since the 16th century.
• Silver dollars were replaced by casino chips in the 1950's and these chips are collectible.  Rare ones will sell for a high price.  You should only clean them if absolutely necessary like most collectibles.  Keep them in a binder away from sunlight.
• A dress without a zipper usually dates before the 1940's.  Side zippers were used in dresses in the 1940's and 50's.  Metal zippers dates a dress before 1970. Because after that, zippers are plastic.
• Remove old glue when repairing loose rungs or parts of chairs with vinegar by dripping it into any hole with a small oil can
• If you or someone you know is turning 80 or even older, you can request a greeting card from the White House.  Contact your US senator or representative or write directly to the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington DC 20502.  A 50th wedding anniversary warrants a greeting card request too.  These cards will be collectible in future years.
• Old rule for judging the age of an antique.  The owner's age plus 25 years for each generation that previously owned it.
  

So what do you collect?  I would love to hear all about your collections.  Pics are good too.  Just let me know in a comment.

Cleaning Your Collectible Ceramics, China, Stoneware

Ceramics - porcelain, china, bone china, stoneware, ironstone

    

If more than a light dusting is needed for heavily soiled items.

•           Line the bottom of two sinks or tubs with a thick layer of soft towels.
•           A dash of gentle detergent and warm water in the first sink/tub.
•           Fill the second with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of white vinegar and warm water.
•           Immerse your collectible in the first sink/tub to wash.
•           Rinse in the second.
•           Let pieces air dry.
•           Never wash more than one item at a time.

   
     Use baby shampoo.  It's gentle and doesn't leave a thick film.

     Try a foaming denture cleaner to get rid of food stains.

     A paste of household salt works wonders on fruit and ink stains.

     Rust remover gets rid of rust and won't harm the china.

End Result Will Be Guaranteed Value

     Everybody knows something is worth a lot more if it's not damaged.  Antique or vintage pieces gain their value from passing time.  The very thing that gives them value (time) can also be the very thing that takes all that value away.  Follow these tips to ensure the utmost value in your valuables is recognized.

     I'm always amazed at how much an oil painting is worth.  The appraiser almost always provides an increased estimate if the painting is restored.  This is done, for a fee, of course.  I'm glad there are restorers out there if needed.  But, I think I would be much happier, keeping the fee, and not needing this service.  To accomplish this all I need to do is ...

...leave the surface open to the air when framing an oil painting.  Covering it with glass traps moisture next to the artwork.

...place it in a spot that's cool and away form direct heat or light when hanging.  Watch out for radiators and fireplaces.  Fluorescent lights also cause fading.

...hang pictures with a slight forward tilt.  This will reduce the amount of dust that will settle on the surface and lets air circulate behind the artwork.  Condensation is the enemy! 

...roll an oil painting on canvas to store it with the image facing out.  Paint can withstand being expanded because it is supple.  It will crumble and flake if compressed.  Roll it around acid free paper then roll it again in plain brown Kraft paper.  You can tuck the Kraft paper in but don't seal the ends because air needs to circulate in and  around the painting.

...when cleaning the frame, spray a common household cleaner onto a soft cloth and then wipe the frame.  Keep from spraying the cleaner directly on the frame because some of the spray will most likely get on the painting.  Even if your picture has protective glass, there is a risk of the spray getting behind that glass and damaging the picture.

...clean gilded picture frames with a dry feather duster.  Liquid cleaners will dissolve the base coat on a gilded frame

...use mat boards that are "acid-free" or "museum quality" when framing a watercolor or print.  Glass is important for keeping dust away, but the glass also creates a static charge that lifts ink, pastels and charcoal right off the paper.

...store matted prints and watercolors in a low-humidity environment when they are not hanging on the wall.  Store prints flat in a portfolio, never rolled.
 

How To Detect The Old and Recognize Valuable

The experts on the Antique Roadshow know their stuff.  They also know a few tricks.  Here's a sampling.

• Earthenware or not?  Touch it with your tongue.  If it sticks, it's real!
• Could it be Tiffany?  Carefully tap on the side of the lampshade and listen for the unmistakable "Tiffany Whisper."
• The number of prongs on a fork are a tell-tale sign of age.  Is there 4 or maybe 5?
• When it says "Made in ..." it was almost certainly made after 1912!
• Repair spots on silver pieces may diminish the value.  How do you tell?  Breathe lightly on the piece of silver in question to reveal the repair.
• Looking carefully at the architecture of any building pictured on a needlepoint sampler helps to date it.
• The key to dating old lamps is determining what type of oil was used in the lamp.
• When you see the letters "EPNS" on silver, you know two things:  1) It's not very old, and 2)It's not silver!
• Examine the signature on an old painting from the side, if it appears to be "floating" on the canvas, it was probably added later.
• The best day to go to an auction is on a rainy day!
• Anniversaries, centennials, birthdays and death days all add value to the item for sell. So, check your calendar.

Only 36 Years Old /Bringing A High Price At Antique Auctions

WOW! 

An Antique Apple Computer Sells for Double High Estimate

An original 1976 working Apple 1 motherboard sold for $374,500 at a Sotheby's auction on June 15, 2012 (see Kovels Komments, June 6). It went for twice the estimate. It's an important historic relic even though it's only 36 years old. Other early computers and even computer parts have been sold at auction alongside more traditional "antiques." Prices are rising. I received this tid bit of information from a newsletter I subscribe to called Kovel's Komments.  The Kovel's have written numerous price guides for antiques and collectibles and are considered experts in the field.  Their newsletter includes all kinds of useful  information on the subject.  I never let one get by without reading it.  If you haven't checked out their website yet, here's a link.

Not Worth Collecting

I get a newsletter from The Kovels in my email.  Appropriately titled Kovel's Komments.  Terry and Kim Kovel are long time experts in antiques and collectibles.  In the most current issue of their newsletter was an article, 10 Collectibles Not Worth Collecting Anymore.  I thought it was very interesting and something every collector should know.
 
I copied this tip from the " Cares and Repairs" section of the newsletter.  Also good to know.
Do not use lemon-scented dish washing liquid or dishwasher detergent when washing any glassware or china with painted decorations. That includes everything from 1950s cocktail glasses to labeled canister sets. The ingredient that smells like lemons makes the detergents acidic and eventually fades the decorations--which makes the items worthless to collectors. Also remember that hand-washing these pieces is better than using a dishwasher because of the dishwasher's high heat

Other sections include "Mystery Marks" and "Collectors' Concerns".    Questions they have been asked are posted and answered here. You'll have to go to their website to use their price guide (for free).

Check it out, you'll see. Your going to love it.

How Do You Know It's An Antique? What's Collectible?

I'm sure you have seen those episodes of Antique Roadshow where someone has brought something purchased at a garage sale for a quarter.  The estimated value turns out to be $100,000.  Wouldn't you love to be one of those people?  Would you keep your item?  Or sale it?  I'm pretty sure I would sale.  I think.  A few guidelines.

• An old Sheffield plate will show the copper where the silver plating has worn off. This tells you it was probably made before 1850.  Once a piece has been re-silvered by modern electroplating methods, it's just about impossible to tell the difference between other kinds of silver.
• Mason's ironstone, found largely in jugs made for the home and in dinner service, is the original only if the words "Mason's Patent Ironstone China" appear in capital letters on the bottom.
• Pewter is an alloy of tin and other metals.  It has a more mellow and subtle color and appearance than silver or silver-plate.  If a piece called pewter is marked Dixon or Sheffield, with a number on its underside, it is not pewter at all but Britannia metal, a substitute.
• The earlier works of Wedgwood have greater depth and more delicacy in the raised relief molding.  And of course bears the impressed mark of Wedgewood.
• When making a major purchase of folk art, ask for a written guarantee.  It should include a description of the piece,the name of the maker, the period and disclosure of all restoration.  It should specify that if any of the information proves to be incorrect, it can be returned for a full refund.
• Acquire quality.  Look for items whose design is basically sound.
• Most Amish quilts you find were made in the 1920's and early 1930's.  Quilts older than that have worn out from use.  Most borders were put on by machine.  They had sewing machines as early as 1840.  Fine stitching and sophisticated color schemes are the spectacular features of an Amish quilt.  You will always find a deliberate mistake in an Amish quilt, illustrating only God is perfect.

Related articles

• Top Tips for Buying Antiques (pagesla.wordpress.com)
• Give your furniture an antiqued or distressed look (ladulcelavie.wordpress.com)
• Antiques Roadshow, PBS (greatamericanthings.net)
• Beginning a Collection (allcoins.wordpress.com)

I've Got Two Words For Ya...Preserving and Conserving

Tips For Preserving Paintings:

1. It's always a good idea to insure it.
2. Use two hooks when hanging your painting instead of one.
3. Keep the glass with the frame with the picture.  (I'll try.)
4. Non-glare glass over a painting ruins the view of the details and brushwork.
5. When fraiming a watercolor use acid-free paper to prevent disintegration
6. Absolutely DO NOT wash a painting with Ivory soap.
7. The quills in a feather duster can scratch surfaces.
8. Instead dust the surface with a very soft brush.
9. Don't rub linseed on a painting.
10. Paintings should be kept out of direct sunlight
11. No matter what people have said, rubbing a potato on the painting  is not good.
12. Especially if its an oil painting, (can melt or crack) keep away from heat of any kind.

Conserving Sculpture Tips

1. Wooden sculpture can expand or contract with too much humidity or too little, causing cracks.  Pay attention to the temperature.
2. If you have to move your sculpture, please be very careful.  Fingers can brake of and stone can crack.
3. Never use any type of cleanser on metal.  This could strip off patinas or gold leaf.
4. If it's of sentimental value only, go ahead and glue a piece back together.
5. Don't bend back bronze pieces that have been damaged.  Bronze is very brittle.

Related articles

• Recreate a Chiaroscuro Painting (education.com)