BUTTONHOOKS

The buttonhook tool became a needed item when clothing in fashion included many, many tiny buttons for men, women and children’s clothing and shoes.  Tight fitting high button shoes/boots were first followed by ladies’ gloves, dresses, men’s shirt collars and men’s wrist cuffs.

Buttonhooks were used to clasp or open tiny buttons on clothes.  Ladies’ dresses, gowns, work dresses and wedding gowns had maybe 20 to 40 buttons.  The buttons were so tiny so a tool or device was made to open and close the buttons.

Buttonhooks were made generic and also for a specific clothing item.  If one could afford, they would have 4 or 5 buttonhooks for a specific type of button.  Specific buttonhooks included shoe hooks, glove hooks, dress hooks, and several sizes of men’s clothing hooks including the collar buttoner.

There are two main types of hooks.  Most common is the “hook end”, less common is the “closed wire loop”.  Some buttonhooks folded or retracted.  Some merchants offered free steel buttonhooks with a clothing purchase.

By about 1930 zippers became in fashion.  At the same time, shoes and boots were being made with laced closure.  As fashion changes, so does the implements and tools needed to dress oneself.

Buttonhook handles or hookends were made of wood, bone, celluloid, ivory, steel, iron, and sterling silver.  Lengths varied from two inches to two feet.  The price range greatly… $5 to $60 depending on material, age, condition.  There are rare buttonhooks that can fetch $300. 

Price of buttonhooks include rarity, material of the hook and the handle, plus condition.

This information is my opinion only.  Thank you for reading my articles.  Email questions.

Have fun shopping and using antiques.
 

What's Hot!!  What's Not!!

Hot Hot:

- High Quality Leather Purses:  These are not an antique but wanted.  Purses like Coach are highly sought after in the second market to save a lot of money.

- Bohemian Clothes/Hippie Clothes:  These are clothes you can wear.  Build your own fashion look! One bold or subtle piece added to your wardrobe.

- Homer Laughlin Dinnerware, including Fiesta:  I am a huge fan of Homer Laughlin dishes, and I collect and use daily.  The product line is vast.

-Cast Iron:  Everything, including kitchenware, farm items and more. 

WHAT’S NOT SO HOT:

-Milk Glass

-Shot Glasses

-Playing Cards

- Glassware in general is not selling.  Both in single pieces and sets.

                             View the archive of Ms. Chesley's past articles here.
 

WHAT THE HECK IS THAT ?-? (Part 2)

These are considered "primitives". A primitive is thought to be an early model, simple/crude or in the early stages of human development. Primitives served a vital purpose to daily life. Primitives were hand made with products available in the immediate area. Their structure may have been simple, but their task/purpose was important. They are rare in these early formats. Let's investigate two primitives.

Here is the first primitive item: What the heck is that ??

Any guesses? No, it is not a pancake flipper or a kitchen tool of any kind. No, it does not help put on tight shoes or boots. No, it does not hold open a horses mouth for teeth inspection. No, it does not comb or shape a horses tail or mane. What the heck is that ?-?

Answer: This is a very simple, pure, basic... cabbage planter. Cabbage was first raised from a seed in a framed garden bed. The seeds became cabbage "sets" as they grew. The cabbage planter was a hand used tool to plant the young cabbage sets, one by one, into the soil. Very time consuming.  Usually made of maple or another hard wood.

Let's look at the next primitive item: What the heck is that ??

Any guesses? You might be able to guess this one. No, it is not a back scratcher. No, it is not a fireplace tool. No, it is not a cast iron stove tool or ember tool. No, it is not a horse hoof/shoe cleaner. What the heck is that ??

Answer: This is a fishing gig. A device used to drag through a school of fish to hook them in the body. Or, it could be used as a spear-like device for spearing fish and frogs.

Typically made with 4 prongs. Made of all iron, iron and brass, or iron with a wood handle. Thank you for reading my column. All information is my opinion only.

Happy hunting for treasures.
 

Bibles

One book is highly collectible, revered and valued above all else.  Its value is multifaceted.  It is the Bible.  Let's explore:

Today, we have numerous options of how to view/read/see/hear media.  There are Ebooks, downloading, audio books and more technology. 

I am old school.  I want a paper book.  I want to feel a paper book in my hands.  I want to smell the musty scent of aged paper.  To hold the physical weight of the words.  Once a paper book is opened, there is a right side and a left side separated by a middle binding.  These pages reveal black ink letters printed on thin white sheets of paper.  This is a paper book. 

The Bible, with its many editions, languages, sizes and versions is the most published book in the world.  My Random House paper dictionary dated 1988 defines the Bible as:

1. The collection of sacred writings of the Christian religion, comprising the Old and New Testaments.

2. The collection of sacred writings of the Jewish religion, comprising the Old Testament only. 

3. The sacred writings of any religion.

4. A book accepted as final authority.

Bible collecting or just buying one edition for personal use is on the upswing.  Price factors include age, condition, material quality, size, language, version and more.  Here are a few prices.  These prices are my opinion only.

• 1805, German Bible, 8x10 - $75

• 1846, The Illuminated Bible, 8x10 - $150

• 1850, Bible printed in Philadelphia, PA - $30

• 1854, Holy Bible, Philadelphia, PA, comprehensive Bible, gilt emb. leather cover - $35

• 1950, Family Bible, with illustrations, with hand written notes of births and deaths - $15

• 1970, The New American Bible, Saint Joseph Edition - $8

Thank you for viewing my article.
Have a great 2015 and have fun shopping for antiques.

Deb Chesley
Antique Dealer/Collector

Egg Cups

This is a hot collectible.  Egg cups are unique, useable today, small and easy to display.  Prices range from $3.00 to several hundred or a thousand dollars.  Some egg cups are very old and rare and thus demand a high price.  Let’s explore…

Any and all antiques intrigue me.  Egg cups sound so basic and simple but once you get in to the details, material, age…wow!!  Egg cups are a fun and diverse collectible. 

Some egg cups are one piece.  It’s a base that the egg sits on top of.  Some egg cups are two pieces.  An egg cup is just a 3 to 4 inch vessel to hold an egg at your meal.  A daily staple way back when, (for those who could afford eggs), to hold your egg for eating.

Collectible categories include basic, chintz, art deco and many more.  Egg cups can be used every day, now, in your kitchen.  Or, just display and enjoy their beauty.

Some price estimates:

• Egg Cup, Dedham Pottery, Massachusetts, Rabbit - $150

• Egg Cup, Mickey Mouse, Sombrero, 1930’s, 3” - $100+

• Egg Cup, English Flow Blue - $75+

• Egg Cup, Marilyn Monroe, New, 1993 - $50

• Egg Cup, Goblet style, Apple, Franciscan - $25

• Egg Cup, Railroad, California Poppy - $175+

• Egg Cup, Duck pulling an egg cart, Japan - $18

• Egg Cup, Hobnail, ruby flash - $50+

• Egg Cup, Wrought iron, 1850 $45

• Egg Cup, Blueberry patter, Stangl - $25

All prices are my opinion only.

Thank you for reading my articles, have fun shopping for antiques and learning about history.  It is an endless pursuit.

Antiques With Attitude,

Deb Chesley
Antique Dealer/Collector

MARBLES

Marbles are a child’s toy and an adult’s collectible.  They are round, colorful, tiny and shiny.  Let’s explore!

Marbles became a toy in about 1850.  The materials used to make them include natural stones, pottery, glass and china.  

There are three main categories:  antique, machine made, contemporary.  Then it gets complicated as there are so many subdivisions, different varieties and types.   Sizes vary, but most common are ½” to 1”. 

Here are just some of the sub-categories:  Agates, bloodstone, chambroth, clay, comic strip, end of the day, lutz, mica, onionskin, peppermint swirl, ribbon swirl, steelies, sulfides, Vaseline.  Each of the categories are interesting and diverse. 

One example is sulfide marbles.  Sulfide marbles have a frosted white figure in the center.  This is my fav.  Inside the center of the marble is a tiny white animal or bird or comic character such as Betty Boop. 

Second example is the peppermint swirls.  These are opaque glass of red, white and blue swirled together.  Always, red/white/blue.

Third example is the clambroth marble.  I would describe this as a stripped or lined marble.  It’s opaque glass with lines evenly spaced from top to bottom.

I am not a marble collector.  I have purchased and sold maybe a dozen marbles for profit.  I do know that condition is most important.  Why?  Think of how marbles were used.  In the game, you shoot one marble at another.  This often resulted in damage, cracks, nicks.  So, a mint condition marble is a prize today.  You need to watch out for reproductions too.

A marble is just a tiny toy with big value in some cases.  Let’s review some price ranges.  All prices are just estimates and in my opinion only. 

* Sulfide, bird, 2”  --  $100

* Sulfide, deer, 1 ¼  --  $150

* Sulfide, fox, 1 ½  --  $130

* Sulfide, chicken, 1 ¼,  --  $70

* China, decorated, glazed, apple, 1 ¾  --  $600

* Sparkler, Multicolor, Akro agate  --  $15 

*  Agate,carnelian,  1 ¾,  --  $20

*  Comic, Betty Boop  --  $200

* Lutz, black glass, opaque  --  $175

* Lutz, clear swirl, ¾  --  $70

* Mica, blue, 7/8 inch, $40

* Onionskin, 1 7/8  --  $250

* Onionskin, ¾ , pink/yellow/blue/white lines  --  $50

* Cat eye, banana, Peltier, 1”  --  $2

* Swirl, ribbon core, 1 ¾  --  $200

* Corkscrew,  Popeye, akro agate, 5/8  --  $25

Thank you for reading my articles, have fun shopping for antiques and learning about history.  It is an endless pursuit.

Antiques With Attitude,

Deb Chesley
Antique Dealer/Collector

Rhinestone Jewelry

I fondly remember Grandma’s rhinestone necklace, my Mom’s dangle rhinestone earrings, and the vintage rhinestone brooch that I wear year-round on all types of clothing and accessories.  Rhinestones are fun!  They are shiny.  They are versatile.  They are inexpensive and easy to find.  The period from 1920 to 1960 was the peak of their mass production.   They were popular then and popular today.  They were cheap then and cheap today.  Rhinestones are simply timeless.   Let’s explore.

Let’s start with the basics.  What is a rhinestone?  It is hard, bright, leaded glass stone backed with foil or tin. The backing is a thin metallic layer.  The reason for the foil or tin backing is that glass does not reflect light from the interior.  The backing stops the light from going right through the hard glass.   The backing refracts or bounces the light of the glass.  The backing can be tinted to make different color shades.

People began to call these high lead glass stones by many names such as simulation, glass flux, false stone, Austrian crystal, paste, brilliant and rhinestones.

In the 1920’s, few could afford expensive gems or diamonds.  But… rhinestones were cheap to make and sold at a low price.  Manufacturers advertised these sparkling glass pieces as “imitation diamonds that anyone can afford”.  Their popularity grew.  The number of manufacturers producing rhinestone jewelry grew quickly.  Higher-end jewelry designers entered the market and stayed in the market because of good sales.  Rhinestones were a hit and stayed in vogue though to about 1960.  Many manufacturers continued to produce and sell rhinestone jewelry, and they still do so. 

In the antique shops today, I see a wide variety of items and prices including necklaces, earrings, dress clips, brooches/pins, shoe clips, sweater clasps, even tiaras.  Some are dainty/small and some are gaudy/large and some are WOW.  Back in 1930, one could buy a rhinestone brooch for $2.  Today, that brooch might sell for $25 in a shop.

The less expensive pieces are made with inexpensive metals.  The better quality pieces are made with gold plate, sterling silver or a brush-over silver.  Having a manufacturers mark adds to the value.  Original boxes also add value.  Hand set stones into the prongs are more expensive then the glued/pasted into the tin backing.

It’s that glorious sparkle, the glimmer, and the fire of colors that attract people to rhinestone jewelry.

Here are some price references:

• Butterfly pin, gold plated, light blue rhinestones - $18

• Butterfly pin, clear rhinestones with red eyes - $15

• Hinged plastic bangle with inlaid rhinestones - $50

• Sunburst design pin - $18-$25

• Circle shaped brooch - $15

• Saxophone shaped brooch - $45

• Necklace, bracelet, earrings – matching set - $80

• Set of 2 dress clips - $45-$75

• Pearl earrings with rhinestone accents - $10-$30

• Earrings, shoulder dusters (extra long) - $20-$40

• Long dangle earrings - $10 - $40

• Clip-back earrings, large purple stones - $30

• Signed Boucher pin - $100-$200

• Signed Trifari ballerina pin - $100

• Signed Trifari Silver plated, set brooch and earrings - $100

• Signed Trifari, gold plated swag shaped brooch - $40

• Signed Kramer, tennis bracelet - $50

• Signed Kramer, small brooch - $35

• Signed Hollycraft, tiered Christmas tree pin - $30-$50

• Signed Boucher pin - $100-$200 

Price estimates are just my opinion.  I encourage you to visit your local antique shops and search out these wonderful fake diamonds.  Vintage rhinestone jewelry wears well today.  A little sparkle here or there.  Rhinestones are timeless.

Thank you for reading my articles, have fun shopping for antiques and learning about history.  It is an endless pursuit.

Antiques With Attitude,

Deb Chesley
Antique Dealer/Collector

EASTER  COLLECTIBLES

Here comes Peter Cottontail…

The first things that come to mind regarding older Easter collectibles are candy containers, rabbits, baby chicks, eggs, and Germany! 

Easter is both a religious and secular occasion.  It is an important religious holiday and time of year.  In this article, I am discussing EASTER COLLECTIBLES AND ANTIQUE ITEMS!   

The iconic Easter Bunny is center stage.  The bright colors on eggs and Easter baskets soon followed.  The Easter season offers a variety of collectibles for you to buy/collect/use/display.   Look back to perhaps 1900, 1925, 1940, 1950 and remember.

Let’s explore Easter Collectibles!

Germany is well noted for being the pioneer in this industry, specifically with candy containers but the whole industry as well.  German companies made the first Easter-themed candy containers in the early 1900’s (and before in smaller quantities) often shaped as rabbits, ducks and chicks.  The items sold well, so the industry expanded.  Quality was high.  Germany remained the leader in Easter items for many years.

Japan and other countries entered the market to compete and make a profit.  USA was a late joiner, waiting till the profit factor was well documented.  Commercial promotions began and “The Easter Season” was created for profit.

There were buyers then, there are buyers today.  German items from the turn of the century are prized.  Condition, country made, availability and size are key price factors today.

The USA’s late entry into the market impacts what we collect, see and pay for these items in today’s market.  The “Made in USA” items tend to be newer, less expensive, more common and easier available – typically from 1930 to 1950.  I keep my eye on those older German made items. 

Rabbits are consistently in high demand.  Some have painted-on clothes, fabric clothes or no clothes.  Once you start finding these treasures in your local shops or on-line, you will see all the varieties and different age/place of origin indicators.  The more you learn about a particular field of  antiques, the better shopper you become.

Materials may include:  Glass, metal, tin, celluloid, cloth, mohair, straw, hard plastic, molded cardboard, pulp, egg-carton material, pressed cardboard, paper and papier-mache and ceramic. 

An often overlooked Easter collectible is post cards - they are bright, cute, even funny, old, authentic, made with high quality materials/ink/designers/drawers, and still inexpensive.  In contrast, the inexpensive 1970-2000 Easter items are worth $2-$4 today, made with cheap materials and have no realistic price increase potential.  I sell mine at garage sales (and they still don’t sell).

A FEW EXAMPLES OF PRICES:

-Chocolate mold, tin, chick, 3”  --   $25
-Cake mold, cast iron, lamb shaped, 2 pc’s, 13”  --  $80
-Candy container, begging rabbit, brown, compo material, glass eyes, German, 1900-  1930, 5”-9” --  $90 to $200

-Candy container, begging rabbit, pulp, base, US, 1950  --  $50
-Candy container, egg, papier-mache, German, 4”  --  $35
-Candy container, rabbit with basket in arm, glass, USA  --  $35
-Candy container, rabbit with flowers, composition, German, 7”  --  $100+

-Sitting rabbit with mohair, compo, early 1900’s, German, 4-6”  --  $150+
-Chick or duck, celluloid, 3 to 8”, some plain, some ornate  --  $20-$100+
-Lamp, Morton Pottery, US, about 1945 to1965, Easter Bunny with carrot  --  $30
-Ceramic Easter egg and bunny, 2-pc, newer (maybe 1960 to 1980)  --  $15

-Sheet music, Easter Parade  --  $6
-Post cards, Easter theme, $5-15
-Toy, windup, rabbit, tin with fur, Japan, 5”  --  $50

NOTE:  I do not specialize in this area.  I do appreciate these items and own a treasured few pieces.  I display my Easter collectibles for a full month before Easter Day.  I use some Easter-themed serving dishes during the Season also. 

Thank you for reading my articles, have fun shopping for antiques and learning about history.  It is an endless pursuit.

Antiques With Attitude,

Deb Chesley
Antique Dealer/Collector

  Scales – Weighing Devices

Scales are an important part of today’s business world, manufacturing processes and home life.  We buy things with the weight printed on the package/label.  We take the measurement for granted, assume it is correct and per code/regulation.

Think back, way back in time when people were buying, selling or trading goods in the 1800’s and early 1900’s.  Think of a gold miner, a lumberyard, a flourmill, a fisherman, a jeweler, a blanket maker/weaver, a general store or a fur trader.  They want to sell a day/month/years worth of work and labor.  What is a fair price to sell?  Will someone pay more to me because my haul (my products, my goods) is larger, bigger, heavier and better quality?   The future buyer had the same questions but from the reverse view.

Weight was the solution.  The answer was a scale. 

The evolution of the scale system is an interesting progression – from primitive to reliable, from home-made scales to standardized models used throughout an entire industry, from generic measure anything scales to a very specific scale designed for a specific item. 

With a scale, a buyer or seller could weigh anything including sugar, gold, coins, flour, salt, gunpowder, pelts, cotton, grain, wheat, seed, spices, eggs, medicine and a new born baby.

Each unique industry over time began to learn and refine the benefits financially of weighing items before they bought/sold/traded/manufactured.  Hence, the customers learned the financial benefits as well.   I can’t describe the depth of the importance of the weight system to our history. 

Consider a shopkeeper in 1910, a chemist in 1870, a doctor, a grain farmer, a dairy, the post office, the local bank.  Every type of industry learned to price according to weight.  It took time for the weighing practices to spread from town to town,  from North to South and East to West.  It took time for the weight practices to become standardized and  “understood” in each industry.  If a salesman/business could afford a scale, it was bought. 

Customers learned to buy and compare price/quality according to weight.  That is what I do every time I shop at Cub Foods or Costco.  I want to be a smart shopper.   Scales help.

PRICING AND COLLECTING

Early scales were made of whatever materials were available including cast iron, marble, wood, brass, steel, glass, nickel-plate, plastic and bronze.

Early scale types include:  unequal arm balance, double beam, hanging equal arm balance, spring balance, permanent attached weights, countertop generic, hanging spring balance, hook balance, even balance, even balance with trip, dial front, lever, arrow point, pendulum...  and more.

With each new invention or refinement of a scale, the older model became outdated.  These outdated scales make collecting today more fun!   New material, new math and new sciences brought cheaper, better, lighter, mass-produced scales to homes, industry, farms, groceries and every day life.

Here are a few prices of scales today:

 - 1910 Grocers countertop, unequal arm balance, by Fairbanks, $80+
  - 1908 Union Scale, countertop, single beam, $100+
  - Common family/at home scale, referred to as a family dial type, $20-$35
  - Family Scale, The Daisy, 11” x 8”, $70+
  - Common hanging spring balance, $10-$40
  - Egg Scale, Jiffy-Way, made in Owatonna MN, Patent 1940, 6”x7”, $15-$30
  - Egg Scale, Acme, made in St. Paul MN, aluminum, $15-$30

All prices are my opinion only.  All prices depend on age, rust, nicks, condition, brand, materials, and other factors.

Thank you for reading Chesley’s Antique Corner.

Have fun collecting and using antiques.

 It  Happened….

We all have memories - some good, some bad.  Events occur all around us every day that impact our lives.  This article lists some events, issues, tragedies, inventions, people and things that might have influenced you, awed you or changed you.   Some listings are political, others are monumental - even tragic, others are just popular culture, interesting or silly.  Whether we like it or not, events occur and time changes.

Close your eyes right now and think about the past.  Go back to last week, 50 years, 100 years ago.  What do you see?  What do you remember?    Here is my take on…. It happened.

50 YEARS AGO

- Easy Bake Oven
- Beatles first USA #1 hit
- President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, TX on
  Nov 22, 1963.  Lee Harvey Oswald is killed 2 days later. 
  Lyndon B. Johnson becomes President.
- Bubble Wrap
- Zip code system takes affect in the post office
- Tatum O’Neal is born
- Sandra Bullock is born
- Martin Luther King’s speech “I have a dream” on Aug 28, 1963

75 YEARS AGO

- In Germany and Austria:  Nov 9, 1938, Kristallnacht – The Night of Broken Glass.  The
  beginning of Nazi hate crimes on Jews.  No one should forget.

- Orson Welles famous radio broadcast - “War of the Worlds”.  Story of
  Martians invading earth heard by 6 million radio listeners.  Turned to
  panic.  Power of the media.  Oct 30, 1938.

80 YEARS AGO

- Albert Einstein arrives in USA.  In 1933, Albert Einstein fled Nazi Germany and
  blessed us by ending at Princeton.

- Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first inaugural speech:  “This great nation will
  endure…prosper…the only thing we have to fear is fear itself…”.  Uplifting and needed
  speech.   FDR was a four-term president.

90 YEARS OLD

- Time Magazine - with its recognizable bright red border on every cover.

100 YEARS AGO

- Famous auto maker, Henry Ford, creates the first auto assembly line to increase
  production and save money.  This is 1913, and the retail price of the Ford car drops
  from $850 to $360.  Impressive production increase.

150 YEARS AGO

- Abe Lincoln’s speech, known as the Gettysburg Address, Nov 19,
  1863.  Topic is “devotion”.

THIS WEEK

- 5 counties in Colorado voted to approve the creation of a 51st state – yes, here in the
  USA.  Is North Colorado to be a new state???  It is in the hand of Colorado lawmakers
  and then Congress.

- Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers after a 23 straight
  losing streak to this team.  (rah).  This win is great!

Thank you for reading my article.  My grandma always said that times flies.    Now I understand.

It happened.

WHAT IS AN “ANTIQUE”?

This is an age-old question (get the pun).  People ask me all the time:  What is and what is not an antique.  The simple answer … there is no simple answer.  There are various definitions of the word “antique” and even more interpretations there of.  You can Google to get several different dictionary definitions.

So, what is an antique?  I started by asking the general public.  I went to a Sears Store and asked customers what they thought an antique was?  Here are some answers:

• Really old, maybe with markings on the bottom.

• Over 100 years old and things in England/over seas.

• A treasure.

• Anything passed down through the family generations.

• Things I can’t touch and can’t break.

• Grandma’s stuff, dusty, it’s old.

• Anything I can sell on ebay or Craig’s List 

• 1970’s or older, you know, retro things, old things.

• Heirloom, history, it’s nostalgia.  I have a lot of photos.  It’s all family.

• 75 years old or more.

• Older than me, I don’t know, I like old cars.

So, what is an antique?  Can we define the word? 

Most antique shows now promote themselves as an antique show/craft show\flea market, or an antique fair or an antique event.   Any gamut of words to include what vendors might sell to make money.

Most antique stores promote themselves as selling antiques and collectables.  A catch-all phrase. 

The reason for such phrases in the antique business is that the word “antique” has a broad and varying definition and meaning. 

My paper book dictionary, The Random House College Dictionary, Revised Edition defines an ANTIQUE as: 

"of or belonging to the past, not modern, dating from an early period, in the tradition or style of an earlier period.  Any work or art, piece of furniture, or the like, created or produced in a former period.  According to US customs laws, 100 years before date of purchase."

So what is an antique?  You be the judge.  It is something you want to keep and treasure?  Let’s embrace and collect our heritage.  If it has meaning – look to your heart- keep it.  That is what an antique is. 

This is my opinion. 

Thank you, Deb.

 
Garden Décor With Old Stuff and Antiques 

Are your annuals, perennials and vegetable seeds growing? Here are some green thumb ideas on how to DECORATE and USE older items in your gardens.  Some of my ideas are useful and some ideas are whimsical.  It’s fun to add something rustic, a touch of color, a personal theme or just that one unusual item to your gardens. 

These ideas can be applied to any type of garden:  huge/small/lawn, veg/flower/shrubs, tabletop, patio/deck gardens, or outside your front door decorations. Items can be nailed or glued to fence slates or stakes.  Items can be inserted between the greenery directly on the soil both foreground and background.  Use your imagination.  I have a 1940’s washing machine in my garden.  Re-purpose and reuse.

Let’s have some fun with antiques.

Themes:

-Nautical theme:  Use ½ an old boat horizontal or vertical, a ships wooden steering wheel, rope, fish decoys, nets, oars, wicker Creels.

-Hunting theme:  Use decoys, paint a bulls-eye, display several arrows – grouping items is a key to theme decor.

-Cabin theme:  Use old dock wood or any “seasoned” wood, drift wood, a wooden screen door, life preserver, fishing lures, large ice fishing lures, a grouping of bird houses. 

-Your personal collection theme:  If you collect tobacco tins…nail them on a fence in a grouping.  If you collect beer cans… nail them to fencing or insert on top of fence posts.  They will rust with time, but it’s fun to show your passion in your garden.  Replace with new tins as needed with weather age.

More Garden Décor Ideas:

-Make a name plate or sign using old wood and metal:  “Deb’s Daisies”,  “Chives”,  “No Weeds Allowed”, “Garden of Eden”.  You can make the letters with paint, nails, studs, old metal pieces.  Use railroad spikes.

-Common but adds a twist:  Milk can or milk stool – décor or planter.  Whicker chair – paint and remove the seat to insert a pot.  Wooden chair of any kind painted.  Splash on some bright paint, re-purpose and add some personality.

-Wooden bench:  Keep ¾’s of the bench to sit on, but remove 2 seating slates to insert a pot.  Or, remove the entire seating area and use as a planter.  A chair can become a planter.

-An old wheel barrel, plow, sled, barrel, wooden box/crate or wooden pop box, pail, water can.

-For tabletop:  Plant a flower in a 1950’s china tea cup with saucer under.  This also makes a nice hostess gift.  So simple, so small, so different.

-Crooks – Think both big size and small.  Use a 5 gallon or 20 gallon crook.  Use a 5” x 5” size crook on your patio table.

-Tractor Wheels -  Wood or metal, both last for years and years outdoors.

-Whirligigs, Windmills --  these are “wow” items.

-Old fence pieces - metal or wood.  Any type of old wood such as from a barn, a floor, window, barrel slats.

-Rod-iron pieces

-Re-purpose pieces of a picnic table 

-Use a Hoosier cabinet, vintage kitchen table or shelf unit as a garden table.

-Wood printer drawers

-Old wooden windows (with or without the glass)

-Almost anything can become a planter:  An old cracked bowl, a mixing bowl, crockery pieces, bucket, bath tub, a cowboy boot, military helmet, ashtray, copper kettle. 

REMEMBER:

Antiques can decorate any outside area.  It’s your yard – make it yours.  Use your passion and collectibles to accent your gardens.  Always, when decorating, keep it safety first --  rough edges, nails, sharp corners, doors that can close – keep it safe for your family and guests. 

What's Hot!!  What's Not!!  8/02/13

Hot Hot:

-Vinyl Records -  All types, 45's, 78's....  Irving Berlin, Devo, ABBA, Frank Sinatra, Dennis Day (My Wild Irish Rose), Doris Day, The Beach Boys, Eddy Howard (Stardust), Bruce Springstein.  Listen and enjoy.  

-Maps on paper, school house roll down/pull down maps, globes, atlas....  All hot.

-Military guns/rifles and attachments. 

-Garden art and decor - have fun in your gardens and decorate with unusual items and old stuff.  Items not meant for a garden add color and personal style. 

-Whirligigs

-1960's Blonde Furniture:  Bedroom set and mattress head board, TV stand, end table.  The once inexpensive blonde colored furniture is now expensive.

-1950's scarves, handkerchiefs, aprons.  The colors and options are endless.  Many are signed by the designer.  This is a fun item to collect.  Pick a theme or a color and go for it.

-Hawaii and tropical items.  Think about the Hula Dancer in a grass skirt as a car dash board ornament- she moved and shaked as the car drove.  Now, go farther.  Anything topical is sizzling HOT.

-Non-matching dinnerware.  China sets are OUT.  Buy one plate in this color and one plate in that pattern.  Mix up the designs and colors.  Make your own, personal set to serve 8 people. -- each one different.

WHAT'S NOT HOT 

-Spinning Wheels
-Collector Spoons
-Silverware sets
-China Sets
-Cheap cast iron, copper, brass -- decor, pots, knickknacks, whatever,  Not HOT.
-Collector Plates
-CD's  (not old enough yet)
-Oil Filled Glass Lamps (basic table-top style).  Too common (mass produced)  leads to low price point. 

                             View the archive of Ms. Chesley's past articles here.
 

GLASS STORAGE CONTAINERS: 
Green Jade-ite, Jadite Green, Jade Green

Many descriptive color names for the same jade green glass colored storage containers.  They are all the same product with the same use…store and preserve.  A very important need, both yesterday and today.  Simple and easy storage containers for the ice box, the frig, the shelf or the counter.  Staple items needed to be stored for future use. 

Okay, we all have Tupperware, Rubbermaid, Glade and other plastic storage containers in our cabinets.  We use these plastic storage items daily, in the frig, shelf and freezer.  This is today.  

Now, think back to a 1930’s or 1940’s kitchen.  There is no plastic or Tupperware, but there is glass storage containers.  First, the ice box.  Next, with modern technology and electricity came the electric refrigerator.  Wow, a modern wonder.  Food could be kept cool, stored and re-used more easily.  Multi-purposed storage containers were purchased.  Basically anything needed in the home or kitchen was made in a glass storage container. 

Jadite green was an inexpensive glassware.  During the Depression when money was tight and no food scrap could be wasted, glassware companies manufactured storage containers.  They were made in several colors, but jade green is a HOT collectible today.  The color is typically a light to medium jade green shade. 

These containers were cheap.  They were used to store items such as flour, sugar, salt, butter, coffee, grease and more.  Affordable and multi-purposed.  Made to fit a 1930 to 1950 frig.  Leftovers were stored and nothing was wasted or spoiled.  Staples were kept on the shelf or in a cabinet, preserving to use in the future was vital.

Most jade green storage containers had flat tops.   Think about the importance of flat tops – easy to stack and minimal space used.  Even canisters had flat tops, butter dishes and more, all for efficient storage.  Flat tops were economically wise.

I would say Jadite Green storage containers are best known for being affordable and useable.  Today, we collect and respect these precious, vintage glass items.

Article by:
Deb Chesley

CURRENT PRICES – Jade Green Storage, IN MY OPINION:

• Frig Container, 4x4”, Jeannette Glass Company, with lid=======$38.00

• Frig Container, 4x4”, Anchor Hocking, with clear lid========= $40.00

• Frig Container, 10x5”, Jeannette=======================$80.00

• Sugar Bowl with lid, Jane Ray pattern   ================== $22.00

• Sugar Bowl, no lid, Jane Ray pattern ====================$12.00

• Child’s Canister Set, 3” tall, 4-pieces, all with lids  ===========$350.00 (yep)

• Grease Jar, Screw on lid, Fire-King  ====================$55.00

• Sugar Canister, Square Shape, Jeannette  =================$75.00

• Mixing Bowl, 6”, Swirl pattern, Fire-King   ================$20.00

• Mixing Bowl, 6”, Anchor Hocking  ===================== $33.00

• Bowl, 8” with vertical ribs, Jeannette Glass Company =========$45.00

• Bowl, 11”, Laurel pattern, McKee Glass Company  ==========$70.00

 
WHO  IS  RICHARD  SEARS?

Hint:  Born 1863 in Minnesota
Hint:  An agent for the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad
Hint:  R.W. Sears Watch Company                        
Hint:  Famous Catalog
Giveaway:  Alvah Roebuck                         

Answer:  Sears, Roebuck & Company founder

This is my nod to a famous Minnesota entrepreneur, Richard Sears and his famous catalog.

CURRENT CATALOG PRICES:                           

I love the history and the memories of these catalogs… my grandparents keeping the catalog for months on the farm – rereading the same pages over and over.  Their catalogs quickly obtained soiled corners from so many page flippings. 

Estimated current retail value of a few Sears & Roebuck Company catalogs: 

            - 1912 Volume #125, 1458 pages, perfect condition,  $175

            -1940 Fall/Winter, 1182 pages, perfect condition,  $30

            -1922 General Merchandise, 1176 pages, perfect condition $70

Current retail values drop fast if the pages are well used, dirty, torn/cut, ear-marked/folded or written on.  Collectors want “perfect” to “very good” condition.  Above are estimated retail prices and vary greatly depending on the antique shop you visit.

Sears, Roebuck & Company

Richard Sears was born in 1863 in Stewartville, Minnesota, a rural farming community, his family later moved to Spring Valley.  The Railroad entered the city of Spring Valley, changing rural areas forever.  Nicknamed “The Iron Horse” trains changed how people traveled and also how product to buy or sell was transported.

The railroad also had an impact on Richard Sears – he saw opportunity and took it.   One of his first jobs was at the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad Company.  This did not satisfy him.  He knew he could do more.

In 1886 in Redwood Falls, a jewelry store owner refused to pay for 12 pocket watches that a vendor was trying to sell.  The jeweler didn’t think he could sell them for a profit.   Richard Sears observed the encounter by pure chance and then bought the pocket watches from the vendor.  He paid $144 for all 12 watches.  He resold the watches for a $2 profit each.  Richard Sears earned a  $24 profit and  now saw his calling:  He would buy and sell.  Yep, $24 dollars in profit started the HUGE Sears Company.  Richard was only 23 years of age and just getting started.

He quit the railroad job and moved to Minneapolis where he started the R. W. Sears Watch Company.   The watch was the only product so far that he had purchased and then re-sold.   How did he advertise in 1886?  He placed ads in farm publications and started mail-order marketing.  Another nod to this Minnesota businessman.

As his business grew in the 1880’s, still selling watches, Richard Sears moved his headquarters to Chicago-- the railroad center of the entire USA.   The railroad grew and so did Richard’s dreams and company.   He met and hired a simple watch repairman named Alvah Roebuck.  Alvah became a friend and business partner.  Together, they expanded their product line and launched a new company called Sears, Roebuck & Co.

Now a successful and still young adult, he realized that the rural farmers/families (specifically where he grew up in Minnesota) had very limited places to buy basic everyday items needed for the kitchen, the farm or the barn -products required to run the home and farm.  The rural family had many buying needs and few buying options.

Sears  business solution:  Buy more product and sell more product.  But it is 1890, how to reach that rural buying market?  His answer, the catalog. 

THE FAMOUS AND REVOLUTIONARY CATALOG

I call it ”THE CATALOG”.  Started in 1890, the Sears, Roebuck & Company Catalog became a staple for people in rural areas, first in the States of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois and then expanding across the US.

Catalog viewers would wish, just shut their eyes to dream of  buying that one special item in the paper catalog.  It was a wish book, a want book, a need book - a wonderland of items for sale at a specific set price.  It might be a wood burning stove with four burners, a first ever store bought dress in powder blue with a lace collar, a plow with 3 tines, a soft hairbrush with a celluloid handle, a pair of sturdy leather work boots, sewing machines, garden seed, or a vital cast iron kitchen skillet.  

The Sears & Roebuck catalog started with few pages, but grew to over 500 pages as his sales grew.  Some catalogs contained 1000-1500 pages. Richard W. Sears was a true leader in the selling business.  Accomplishments include mail order marketing, reaching rural families, his use of the railroad system, and the catalog.    Richard guided the Sears, Roebuck & Company business operations until his death in 1914, buried in the Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis which he considered his home.  Later his body was moved to Chicago where his business headquarters was located.

Richard Sears could sell and sell well.  He quickly became one of Minnesota’s youngest and boldest entrepreneurs.

The old Sears Tower still stands in Chicago but is now called the Willis Tower.
There are Sears Stores located in all US states.

Deb Chesley
 

Table settings in the 1920's  & 1930's mostly consisted of mass produced depression glass.  The name comes from the fact that it was made during the "depression-era".  Colors include pink, yellow, crystal, delphite, ultramarine, white, green, and more.  Product varies from candlesticks, pitchers, butter dishes, plates, cup/saucers, drinking glasses/tumblers, creamer/sugar, candy dishes and more.  This glass was affordable to many because of how it was made when times were tough.

Technical info:  Depression glass was made by a mold (also called a tank mold).  Silica sand, soda ash and limestone were melted in a ceramic tank.  Once liquid it was piped into a pressing mold.  When it cools and came out of the mold.... you had depression glass in a solid and useable form.

The early major manufacturers who were instrumental in making this product are Federal, Hazel, Atlas, and US Glass.  Women of the 1920s to 1930s often received a piece of depression glass inside boxes of soap.... or even at a local movie theater to entice them to buy a movie ticket.

This inexpensive glass item helped many households get through hard times by buying affordable kitchen items.  And, it also helped the glass companies survive the depression and hard times.

Missing Pieces

Are you missing one piece of china, or one crystal glass, or 2 forks from your set?

I hear these requests most often in the antique shops:

1. "I broke one cup from my 1940s china set - help!"

2. "My mother gave me her silverware, but it's missing three butter knives."

3. "I bought my dishes 5 years ago but now I want to get the large serving pieces."

4.  "I want to buy the matching gravy boat and larger platters/serving bowls that I could not
     afford before."

Where do you begin to look for replacement pieces of these older patterns?

You can try hunting from one antique store to another.  That may be fun for a while, but it is very difficult or near impossible to find one specific piece of one specific pattern in your specific color.  This hunting game at antique stores soon becomes very time consuming and frustrating.

A much easier solution is a company called Replacements LTD.  This company sells both old and new china by the piece. Plus, everything from dinnerware, stoneware, crystal glasses/stems, silver/stainless flatware, to collectibles-- again, in both old and new patterns!  They have a large stock that changes daily, plus a knowledgeable customer service staff to assist you.  Replacements LTD can help you complete your set much quicker than you can going from antique store to antique store.  I have used this service myself with much success.  They also BUY product by the piece or set.  Personally, I haven't  done this because I am also a reseller.

To see examples of older patterns that you can obtain through Replacements LTD:
Click Here.

You can contact Replacements LTD by either going online: www.replacements.com or by giving them a call: 1-800-737-5223.

Good luck hunting for your treasures!  Remember, each and every antique has its own attitude!

Deb Chesley
Antique Dealer/Collector
 

How To Research An Item Yourself

There are several different ways to research an item by yourself.  All methods, however, take time and effort on your part, but can be done if you are diligent.  Here are 4 basic methods:

     1. Shop Antique Stores
     2. eBay or other online auction sites
     3. Google search
     4. Reference Books

Method 1 -- Shop Antique Stores
 
Visit a local antique store with the single purpose of looking for a similar item -- you are NOT shopping for yourself, but rather you are searching for similar items.  Take a note pad, pencil, and tape measure.  Sorry, no cameras are allowed in any antique store.  Jot down specific notes on items found that are similar, identical, or to compare.  Include color, condition, size, draw a sketch, if needed.  Also include information on the sales tag:  the price, any key words such as who made the item, years made, etc.

Example:  You own a pottery vase, but don't know how old it is, the value, or even the pottery company that made it.  What to do:  Shop several antique stores, looking for all pottery vases.  Search every shelf and every locked case.  Read the price tag or label to see if a pottery company (manufacturer) is listed.  Bring a tape measure to measure the height of similar vases.

Method 2 -- eBay or other online auction sites

Log into eBay and browse items for sale.  You can also do an "advanced search" on recently closed auctions back to 15 days.  Search by different key words.  The key words you enter to search are important as they draw in what items you will see.  Look at the pictures of items that are similar to yours.  Read descriptions looking for words that will help you identify and value your own item.  (If you want to sell your item, you can list it.)

A second website you can use is Artfact.com.  Craigslist.org is a third website that can be used to compare items.

SAFETY WARNING:  When using websites for searches, selling, or communicating with others, PLEASE BE CAREFUL about how much personal information you offer!  Scammers hide on the internet.

Method 3 -- Google Search 

Use Google or another search engine.  Try typing in various key words to what assistance you can find.

Example:  Google search "price of a red wing vase".  Several sites about Red Wing Pottery will appear for you to check out.  Related reference books for sale will appear.  Of course, you could also see Red Wing shoes, Red Wing city information including hotels in town, etc.  Sort through your search results to get the information you need.

Method 4 -- Reference Books

As an antique dealer, I have learned to heavily rely on and use reference books.  I probably own 200 such books, plus all antique shops keep reference books for dealers and customers to use while in the store. 

There are a few different types of reference books:

   1. Price Guides -- Offer dollar value information
   2. Information Only -- No pricing, just the history.
   3. Combination of both.

There are books that only cover one item specifically, such as JUST Red Wing Pottery.  There are "general" books that cover all types of one area such as "all kitchen items", "all types of depression glass patterns", "all toys", or "all pottery makers."

Lastly, there are general reference guides that cover every type of antique from Apple Peeler to Zaneville Pottery, in alphabetical order.  Kovell's of Schroeder's are the most common of this type.

You can view reference books at an antique store, local county library, buying from a book store, or you can even buy reference books online.

When using a reference book, the first thing I do is identify what year the book was published so I know how old the pricing information is.  For example:  I am pricing a depression glass plate.  If the reference book was published in 2000, that is important for me to know that the prices in the book are 7 years old.  I would then look for a reference book published closer to the current year.

Reference books are a wonderful resource for not only pricing data but also for detailed information about when your items were made and by whom. 

As you can see, researching an item yourself will take some time, patience, and a little work on your part.   But it can be done!

Remember, every antique has its own attitude!

Deb Chesley
Antique Dealer/Collector
 

Sell Your Gold For Cash

This is a trend seen all over the internet and on TV commercials.  The companies ask that you send them your unwanted, broken, or mismatched gold, silver, and jewelry.  Does it work?  Can you make money?  The answer is YES, you can receive cash for your unwanted gold items.  Gold, silver, platinum - any amount - any color - any karat weight.  Even dental gold, charms, coins, and silverware.

The company asks you to drive to their store location, to call their 1-800 phone number, or log onto their website to order a free packet that they mail out to you.  You then place your old gold into the free mail packet and send it back to them.  The company then sorts through the items.  They conduct normal testing and an assaying process.  The term "karat" indicates the purity of the gold, such as 10 Kt or 14 Kt.  They then weigh your items and mail you a check.

Some websites offer you a grid of the price per ounce offered and update that price daily based on market value.  Some companies suggest you hold a party at your house and party guests brings their old jewelry.  A rep is sent to your home to analyze the items guests bring. Checks are given that day to your party guests. 

If you prefer selling your gold in person, there are local places that you can drive to such as pawn shops or jewelers who may buy your old items.  Below are just a few of the many places you can contact to sell your gold.

NOTE:  I do not recommend or endorse any of these companies.  I have not personally used any of them.  I have talked to people who have sold their gold (both in person and through the mail) and they were very pleased with the cash received.

Places to mail your gold to:

1. Cash4Gold.com - Phone:  1-877-GOLD-590 (Mail only, located in Florida)

2. USGoldBuyers.com - Phone:  1-877-977-GOLD (Mail only, located in New York)

3. EmpireGoldBuyers.com - Phone:  1-888-949-3674 (Mail only, located in New York)    

4. TopDollarGold.com - Phone:  1-877-GOLD-097 (Mail or FedEx, located in Colorado)     

Places you sell your gold in person:  

1.  952-GOLD-GUYS:  Bring your items to their store at the Mall of America.  They also offer a "gold selling party" right in your home.  They send the rep to you.  (Contact them for more information.)

2. HotelGoldBuyers.com - Phone: 1-877-721-8033.  They buy gold at certain hotels every weekend in Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Bloomington, and Edina.  They also offer the in-home gold selling party. 

3. Pawn America Stores, call 952-646-1760 to get the location closest to you.

4. Wedding Day Diamonds, 5 store locations.  Call 952-513-0030.

Here is an example of what you can expect based on the weight.  If you have $20 worth in WEIGHT of GOLD, they will offer you between $4 - $7, not the full $20.  As with any business dealing, please do your own research on any company you do business with.

Remember, even a wooden spoon can have attitude!
 
Deb Chesley
Antique Dealer/Collector
 

Tips For A Successful Garage Sale - Part 2

Next, it's time to determine what days to hold your sale.  The most popular days are Thursday through Saturday.  That's what I would suggest as well. 

You can expect that the first few shoppers who arrive at your sale may seem to walk in and then leave without buying anything.  Why?  Thursday mornings from 8:00 to 10:00 are times that collectors and professional dealers go out and buy.  These shoppers are often looking for one very specific item.  They walk in your garage do a fast scan and then leave.  Don't be discouraged.  Your sales should begin to pick up at 10:00 am or noon when the average garage sale shoppers wake up and start to drive. 

The average shoppers start to arrive at 10:00 am, but I always open at 8:00 am for those people driving to work who might see the signs and decide to stop for a couple of minutes. 
 
Another thing you can do to boost your sales is to invite your neighbors and friends to your garage the night before your sale opens...even if you are still pricing and working in your garage.  Just tell them to come on over and shop! 

Now that you determined the days of your sale, the next thing is advertising your sale.

I am probably unique in this suggestion, but it works for me.  I have never once placed an ad.  I use signs...a lot of very well placed and daily monitored signs.  If you don't have the luxury of living on a main thoroughfare, you begin by placing signs directing them off the main thoroughfare to your sale.  Your signs don't have to be elaborate.  Just a simple "Garage Sale" with an arrow pointing them the way.  Keep your signs the same color...if you start with a yellow sign, keep using yellow signs throughout the route to your sale.

In contrast, most people tend to place an ad in the local newspaper.  Use your local shopper. It's delivered to every household in the area every week.  I happen to live in Anoka, so my local shopper is the Anoka County Shopper. 

These are the two most popular advertising options for garage sales.  You can use one, the other, or a combination of the two.  There is no right or wrong option, simply go with the option that you feel most comfortable with.

Antiques With Attitude,
Deb Chesley
Antique Dealer/Collector