When trying to determine how to properly label an item, you must first determine how to categorize them. We cover the difference between antiques, vintage items and collectibles in more detail in our article What Makes Something Antique, Collectible or Vintage. In this article we will be going over how best to "label" and define the "type" of vintage items you have. What Makes an Item Vintage Vintage was once used to define pieces from the 1960's and 70's. Today, it is now used to describe … [Read more...]
Types of Collectibles that are No Longer Worth Collecting
Things that Could Have an Impact on A Collectible's Value Over the years there are many things that can cause a collectible's value to fluctuate. Sometimes these factors can increase its value, other times decreasing it instead. Some of the main factors that impact an items value could be: Supply and Demand - If the demand is high but the supply is low then buyers could be willing to pay more, but if the supply out paces the demand the seller will need to offer the better deals in … [Read more...]
What Makes Something Antique, Collectible or Vintage?
Is My Item Antique, Collectible or Vintage? There has been a long debate over what time frame dictates if something is an antique, collectible or vintage. In this article I will clarify this subject. Les't start with the antique time frame. Antique - 100 years and older Collectible - Less than 100 years old Vintage - Less than 25 years or it has cycled back into fashion … [Read more...]
Iconic Barbie’s From the Last Six Decades
The Barbie doll made her first appearance on March 9th 1959, produced by American company Mattel. Ruth Handler co founder of Mattel and the designer of Barbie envisioned creating a teenager version of a baby doll after watching her young daughter Barbara play only with paper dolls. This sparked an idea of creating a 3D plastic doll that appealed to older children because at the time no teenage plastic doll existed. Barbie, short for Barbara Millicent Roberts, named after Ruth Handler's … [Read more...]
Preserving Vintage and Antique Photographs
In this article I will cover the proper way to preserve and store vintage photographs. First lets cover the enemies of a photograph. Enemies of a Photograph Heat Extreme temperatures (hot or cold) can cause the chemicals in the photograph to change this can have many effects on the photograph. Example of damage that heat can cause. Brittleness Weakness Discoloration Wrinkling Cracking Staining Wrapping … [Read more...]
5 Tips for Collecting Antique Teapots
The antique teapot market has become very hot over the last few years. With high tea becoming all the rage these days, it has been fueling the teapot market. Teapot collecting is very curious as modern teapots can be just as sought after as vintage and antique ones. Here are 5 tips on how to collect antique teapots. 1. Character of the teapot The character of the teapot is one of the most collectible aspects of a teapot. Here are some examples of teapot character. Humorous … [Read more...]
11 Christmas Present Ideas for Antique Lovers
Christmas is fast approaching and about this time I start getting a lot of emails asking what to get an antique lover for Christmas. In this article I have listed 11 present ideas that antique lovers would love to get for Christmas. … [Read more...]
The History of Queen Anne Furniture
Queen Anne style furniture is one of the most recognized and popular style of antique furniture. Have you ever wondered how it came about and got its royal name? In this article I will explain the history of the furniture style and its name. … [Read more...]
History of Disneyana Collectibles
Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald and Goofy. Who doesn’t recognize those names? Disney collectibles, often called Disneyana, are prized possessions to the true collector. First, a little bit of Disney history for those of you who don’t know how all of the magic started. In 1923, Walt’s first animation studio went bankrupt. He moved to Los Angeles to join his brother, Roy, where they started the Disney Bros. Cartoon Studio which was eventually renamed Walt Disney Studios in 1926. In 1928, they … [Read more...]
5 Popular Patterns of Depression Glass
Currently, the five most popular patterns of Depression glass are Cameo, Mayfair, American Sweetheart, Princess and Royal Lace. I will briefly cover characteristics of each pattern. Depression Glass Patterns Cameo Pattern Cameo was produced by Hocking from 1930-1934. Most of the Cameo a collector will find will be green, though the pattern was made in yellow, pink and crystal with a platinum trim. Pink pieces are very rare due to limited production. Yellow was made only during the years of … [Read more...]
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