Antique Collectibles Review

Antiques Road Show

2008-05-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

Being an avid lover of old objects I was drawn to the Antiques Road Show
listed on my local cable channel list. I was expecting a knowledgeable host
who borders on intimidating but who has enough wit to carry off the program
without a hitch. I was pleasantly surprised to find something completely
different.

The Antiques Road Show is more than mildly entertaining. Many may think of
looking at a bunch of old things would be comparable to watching paint dry
but the host of this show is really charming and downright funny. His quirky
character makes the Antiques Road Show a real pleasure to watch and his
knowledge of the various items is outstanding.

I used to think that I may have missed my calling when I enter antique
stores. The dealers in my area pretty much know me by name if not by sight.
I spend considerable amount of time looking through objects of interest and
I also spend a lot of time reading about the various items. The Antique Road
Show has shown how little I really know.

My interest in objects from the past is closely linked to my interest in
history in general. I like to think that I have a good grasp on historical
events as well as the items associated with different eras. However, after
watching a few episodes of Antique Road Show I have come to the conclusion
that there is way more information than I could imagine getting into my
head.

The amazing thing about the program is that the host seems to have all of
this pertinent information stored in a data base between his ears. I learn
something new each time that I watch Antiques Road Show and I really find
that the things I learn help me understand our history much better. It also
makes me realize how much studying an appraiser has to do in order to make
an assessment.

An example that immediately pops into head when thinking of interesting
things learned from the Antiques Road Show was about an old bathtub. The
unit was unusual in shape. In fact, it looked nothing like a tub as we know
them today. The host mentioned that babies were last in the family to use
the tub, adding, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water” as part of
his illustration. Not only did I learn about the object I also learned about
an old saying that until that moment made no sense to me.

You can learn a lot in just one episode of Antiques Road Show. If you have
any interest in the past or if you own any older objects you may want to
give this show a try.

Antique Christmas Decoration

2008-05-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

Christmas is always a time to look forward to in any household. But what makes it all the more exciting in our household is the fact that the entire family comes together to put up the Christmas decorations. This has been a time honored tradition in our family from the past several years. In fact, I still can’t recall how or when it started, but it all probably came into being the day my grand father walked into the house with a mysterious gift box wrapped under his arm.

I was just a kid then, but naturally I was curious. So as he came into the house and proceeded to recline on his couch, we all (namely, my sister, brothers and assorted cousins) gathered around him to see what he had brought home. We were all secretly hoping that it was some candy, for grand father had a knack for sourcing the most amazing candy! But then, he was a man full of surprises and one could never be sure what he had come home with.

Grand father saw the twinkle in all our eyes and slowly (almost laboriously) opened the box to reveal – you would never guess – an antique Christmas decoration! What attraction an antique Christmas decoration could hold for a ten year old is beyond my comprehension even today, but to be honest, I was enthralled. Just seeing that antique Christmas decoration (don’t ask me how I knew that it was an antique Christmas decoration; my grand father told me!) made my little face light up with joy. Grand father then slowly proceeded to explain the story behind the antique Christmas decoration.

He told us how a humble pheasant in rural Russia had lovingly carved up a piece of walnut wood to make the shape of the antique Christmas decoration. He then imaginatively led us through the various things the pheasant must have done to create each of the unique features of the decoration till it took its beautiful shape and size. He also narrated to us how the antique Christmas decoration must have lain in some musty old attic till it was discovered by some shrewd relative or junk collector, who, having recognized its true value, must have sold it to the antique dealer from whence my grandfather bought it.

Even today, as we all gather around Christmas time to decorate the tree in our living room, we take great pride in the first of all antique Christmas decorations our grand father procured for us. Ever since we could afford it, one or the other of us has taken turns to buy some or the other antique Christmas decoration for the tree. But even now, the pride of place, the top belongs to the antique Christmas decoration – a beautiful walnut star – that grandfather bought.

Big Ben tower clock

2008-03-27T22:08:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has ever seen the Big Ben tower clock and has not been impressed is probably blind or severely jaded. The Big Ben clock is one of the most impressive architectural marvels in the entire world. You can hear the Big Ben clocks chime from almost all over London, and the elaborate mechanism keeps almost perfect time. I have never been a big fan of souvenirs, but when I saw the clock Big Ben, I knew I had to have a replica of it myself. I wanted to get a Big Ben alarm clock that preserved the majesty of the original. Unfortunately, that was harder to find than I had hoped.

Big Ben souvenir clocks, like Statue of Liberty souvenirs, are generally mass manufactured and cheaply made. If you want to get a big Ben clock that looks good, you will have to search for it far and wide. When I was looking to buy a Big Ben clock, I went to practically every souvenir store in London before I found the one that I liked. A long time ago, every region offered its own unique products, but nowadays, souvenirs are more or less the same the world over. Realism in the Big Ben clock was not stressed any more than in any of the other models of famous places that I had seen. Almost every Big Ben clock that I found was in the wrong color, and most of them were not well proportioned either. Either the Big Ben clocks were too tall or too squat and fat. Either they were made of cheaply molded plastic with a seam where they were cast, or else they were made of gold-plated steel, and looked nothing like the original.

I actually finally found my Big Ben clock at a little curio store in the middle of nowhere. It was not one of those souvenir shops that look the same everywhere, but instead was an outfit that specialized in handmade crafts and antiques. I had actually given up my search for a Big Ben clock when I found their model in the back. It was ceramic and, as far as I could tell, perfectly proportioned. It was an analog alarm clock, controlled by dials on the bottom, but it was good enough to actually be a display piece. I thought that it looked quite sharp, and they gave me a good price on it.

Antique dealers

2008-03-27T22:07:00.001-07:00

Although I have attended my share of antique auctions, it is not my favorite way to buy collectibles. You see, at an antique auction the crowd is too rowdy, the room is too crowded, and you have to make a decision too quickly. This is why antique auctions make money – people are used to making snap decisions, and often are conned into paying more than a product is worth. I would rather go to an antique store any day of the week. At antique stores, you see, You get a more personal experience. You can actually talk to the antique dealers at your leisure. You can look at all the wares an antique dealer has, find out where they're from, ask any questions that you have, and in short, make a slow informed decision. People who like to make snap judgments do great at auctions, but give me a good antique book store any day of the week.

The problem with antique dealers is that it can be really difficult to find out where the best prices are. At antique auctions, the price is determined by the crowd. You can figure out what people are buying, what people value, and what things are worth. With antique dealers, however, you are more or less at the mercy of the shopkeeper. Unless you are a true expert on antiques, it is a risky business to buy something from an antique dealer. This is why you have to understand what reasons you are buying for, and get the necessary guarantees.

For example, if you go to antique dealers purely for the pleasure of their wares, don't worry about it. As long as you're not buying antiques that are too pricey, you should pay what you think they are worth because of their appearance. If, on the other hand, you go to antique dealers to make a valuable investment, you should probably bring an expert along with you. Many antique dealers will agree to hold a particular item for you for a day or two. If you can find an antique appraiser, they can come in and take a look and tell you what it is worth. Alternately, there are some antique associations that certify antique dealers. If an antiques dealer is honest, they will get a good rating. Although this method is not reliable one hundred percent of the time, it is better than any other system I have come across.

Antique Door Knob Collections

2008-03-12T01:24:00.000-07:00

There are people who collect all sorts of thing. From dolls to bottle caps, there is a collection for nearly every personality. Some people even get all worked up over the old knobs on doors, and have started collections out of antique door knobs. We're not sure how this collection happened. Maybe is started when an old door was going to be thrown out and there was a nostalgic moment, and the knob was kept as a memory. Then that knob called out for more knobs, and a collecting frenzy was underway.

No matter the reason for them, antique door knob collections are very popular, and can be very expensive. Some antique door knob collectors are very serious about their trade. They know all there is to know about antique door knobs. If you think a door knob is a door knob, you're dead wrong.

In the last century antique door knobs have gone through a number of personality and design changes. Instead of just being something used to open and close a door, door knobs back then were just as much a part of the house as the rest of the décor, and were expected to make a statement. For a while the job was relegated mostly to glass artists who created beautiful bubble glass knobs, lead crystal cut into jewel-like shapes, as well as amazing pieces of brass that were carved into extremely ornate patterns.

As time went on, styles of knobs came and went, and it was only in more modern times that the door knobs we used seemed to become a bit more boring, and just looked at as things that are meant to open a door.

It's possible the boring state of today's door knobs is what caused many hardware manufacturers to go back in time and start lines of pieces that are reproductions of those fascinating antique door knobs. Those reproductions have become a major income for those companies as people continually look for new ways to dress up their home.

But the real money seems to be in the door knobs that were really from that time. Just as much as the other collectibles and antiques in old estates can get a pretty penny at auction, the antique door knobs in those homes are also commanding top dollar at estate sales and auctions.

Here's a little interesting antique door knob history: During World War II, many people pulled the brass doorknobs from their homes to help the government in their collections of brass to make war goods. Having one of these brass goodies today can fetch a pretty penny at an auction.

How much would you pay for antique door knobs? How about $8,300 for just one knob? That's the price that the 'Doggie knob' fetched at an auction. The beautifully carved bronze knob with a pooch looking through the center was created in the late 1800s. There are believed to be only two of them in existence.

Unique Taste Of Antique Wines

2008-03-12T01:21:00.000-07:00

The collection of antiques are a passion that has been around for decades. There are many collectors who look for rare and valuable items, creating their own miniature galleries, libraries, or museums in their homes.

There are many reasons why antique collectors have a fondness for the art. On one end, vintage items are usually artistic and beautiful, so there is an aesthetic appeal to this hobby. For others, it is a mark of wealth and affluence, as certain extremely rare and valuable items can only be obtained from specialty collectors and require vast amounts of time, money, and effort to locate.

Then of course there is the practical approach of the resale value of vintage items. With proper care and maintenance, antiques can fetch huge sums of money from other collectors willing to buy them. The best part about vintage items is that, properly maintained, their value only appreciates over time.

One type of antique collection that can be considered a time-honored art, right alongside stamp collection and vase collection, is the collection of antique wine bottles. This hobby evokes images of earlier times and a past era where nobility had their own collection of rare fine wines in their cellars, bringing out their best vintages to entertain only their most honored guests.

The collection of wine bottles today is not quite restricted to the nobility as such. More and more people have gotten into the craft of setting up small wine cellars in their homes, ranging from tiny racks running behind home-made bars, to larger staggered racks housed in their basements.

The best thing about this hobby is that wine's taste and quality also appreciates with the passage of time, so this increases the value of even recently bottled wines. Some collectors specialize in speculative wine collections, focusing their purchases not on established vintage labels, but rather on modern wines which are much easier to locate and purchase.

The reason for this is that they can then wait a few years for the currents in the wine markets to shift, and once those labels they've purchased are no longer in production, they can, after a few more years, be considered vintage labels which will drive up their monetary value considerably.

The more traditional collectors scoff at this approach, tending instead to acquiring rare wines from the past centuries. These people will admittedly wind up spending far more for their purchases than those who collect recently produced labels, but the rewards are far more satisfying as well. Aside from the affluence that comes with such a purchase, there is also the fact that these items are so difficult to find that even reselling one bottle of them can bring in thousands of dollars.

Beside the financial aspects of reselling old items, this hobby can educate you with new information about wine. You can build impressive collection of wine bottles, that can turn any event with your family or friend to a big happy party. Remember keeping the most valuable bottles for special occasion or special moment that it be worth it.

Passion Of Collecting Antique Items

2008-02-22T18:57:00.000-08:00

Collecting antique item is a passion for some people, but often they find the idea of starting an antique collection daunting.

Since there are literally thousands of things to collect, many find it hard to choose what collection to start. Moreover, people are afraid to delve into collecting antiques because they think that it is expensive and a time consuming hobby. Since there are a lot of unscrupulous individuals, there is also a chance that a budding hobbyist might get discouraged after having bought a fake antique or a reproduction for a steep price.

Here are some things to consider when deciding what antique objects to collect:

Determine the reason for starting the collection

The first consideration you need to think about is your reason for collecting. If you just want to start your own collection for your personal satisfaction then you really don't have to worry too much about the market value of the objects you will be collecting.

However, if you think of your collection as an investment, you may want to surf the Net or shop around for things that many people consider valuable. If you eventually want to earn money from you collection, you must study and research about antiques on the market.

Consider collecting something you like

Even if you are planning to sell your collection afterwards, you still have to choose something that you are interested in. If you don't know anything about baseball and you're not interested in the game, then it won't be fun collecting baseball memorabilia even if they are hot items on the market. However, if you follow what you like, you won't regret investing time and money in building up your collection.

If you are still confused or clueless as to what objects to collect, you can probably look back to your childhood. Think about what items you desired or wanted badly when you were a kid. Did you like fancy dolls? Were you an avid airplane fanatic? Did you admire the China and other porcelain items in your grandmother's cupboard? Did you like to read and love books, newspapers, or comic books? Do you love music and records?

After asking yourself these questions, there is a big chance that you will have an epiphany of what you would like to collect. Antique collecting should be enjoyable as much as it is profitable.

Do your research

Collecting antiques is a very demanding hobby. You need to allocate a significant portion of your time every week or month in studying and collecting data about the objects you want to collect. At first, you can surf the Internet for articles and websites on antique collections. This will give you a rough idea of what you are getting yourself into. Moreover, you may even encounter blogs about other people's experiences when they were starting out. Such information is very important for novice collectors.

Aside from the Internet, books are good sources of information about this type of hobby. You really don't have to spend a penny in the beginning. Just visit your local library for materials about the things you're interested in collecting. You can also look at your local bookshop for possible resource materials.

Another way to do your research is by visiting antique shops, galleries and even flea markets. This will help open your mind to what other things can be collected. Toys, books, jewelry and furniture aren't the only things that can be collected. Bottles, boxes, posters, photographs, and even cameras and other gadgets are also good antique collectibles.

Aside from researching about what to collect, you should also start studying the world of antiques. You have to know how to detect fakes or reproductions before you start your collection because there are many people who are out there just to defraud others. Moreover, you should also know something about pricing, appraising, and the value of antiques. In the antique world, even identical items may have different prices because there are many factors to consider – cracks, chips, condition, marks or signatures.

Find other collectors

Once you have decided what object to collect, it is advisable to find other people who share the same interest. If you are lucky, you might even find organizations or web-based groups that promote your object of interest. You won't know about the antique world and market alone. You need the help of other collectors, appraisers and aficionados.

Antique Grandfather Clocks

2007-02-26T18:01:00.000-08:00

I have always loved antique grandfather clocks since the very first days of my childhood, or so I have been told. We used to own an antique grandfather clock that had been with us for generations. It was an heirloom, having been in my father's family for at least three or four generations already.

Of all the antique grandfather clocks which I have seen up to this day, I think that old one was still one of the very best of all. It had this really loud, distinct, brass ring to it that I have never heard in other antique grandfather clocks.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that childhood memories are always a bit more luminous and vivid than the memories of adult life, but I think that my father's antique grandfather clock was the very best in the world.

Of course, I was inspired by that clock in my choice of careers. I worked in a timepiece shop that sold many antique grandfather clocks, and learned all that I could about them. I studied how to fix them, tune them, and even to modify or change the pattern of the ringing bells by hand. It was really an intellectually exciting time in my life, and no doubt about that. I figured out so many things, not just about antique grandfather clocks, but about myself and the kind of person I am and want to be. I cannot remember anything better in my life.

The sentimentalism that I feel towards some of the antique grandfather clocks from my childhood aside, I have to tell you that not all of them are equal. Just because something is old does not mean that it is a thing of quality or an antique. Sometimes it is quite the opposite.

Many times, people fall in love with high priced antique grandfather clocks and buy them without really knowing anything at all about what they are doing. This is a shame, because they can get ripped off doing this, instead of going home with a thing of beauty and quality. Above all, you must do all that you can to make sure this does not happen to you. You deserve to get something that you will love and be proud of. Antique grandfather clocks should be well made, and should last for hundreds of years to come. Otherwise, what's the point?