Friday, October 26, 2007

BEEN AWAY TOO LONG - Antiques & Collectibles Going Home

The world has shrunk with technology being what it is and the Internet. The days have passed where your buyers for those wonderful treasures you find will be found only a few miles from where you live. The whole world has become your market place, and we at the 31 Club are going to help you develop it.

With the dollar at all time lows against most foreign currencies, the outflow of antiques and collectibles from this country to the country of their origin has never been greater. This gives you the advantage because most dealers will know the name Rookwood Pottery, made in this country, but how about Ruskin, Zsolnay, Moorcroft that were made overseas. Even if they recognize the name, they probably won’t Know the rare from the common. This is where you come in.

I once was shopping and came across a fairly large vase with a wonderful crystaline glaze and a silver top. I must confess, I didn’t know much about Ruskin at the time, but I did know quality when I saw it. The price was $50, and there was no doubt that I had to purchase it. Going home and looking at the mark book, I found that this pottery was made in England from 1898-1935.

Having very little idea of what this piece of Ruskin was really worth, I immediately posted it on eBay. To my surprise, at the end of the first day it had been bid up to $300. I began to get excited and knew that I had to know more about this pottery. After seven days, the final bid was over $1,500. I said, WOW!

Over the years I have found several pieces of Ruskin, and guess what? I always knew just where to go with them as they were found. You see after the auction, I emailed the person who had purchased my piece and we became close friends over the Internet. He was a very advanced collector of English pottery and is my best source for information still today. Working with others and asking question can become very rewarding for you.

There are many companies that produced wonderful things from many other countries, but most dealers only know their name if that. They often let the true treasures just lie there for you to find.

May I give you one more example of where knowledge was my friend? Entering a shop that was owned by a friend of mine, I spotted this beautiful tray that I just couldn’t take my eyes off of. Picking it up and turning it, I didn’t recognize the maker, but it was so beautiful. I asked the price and was told $175. I knew it had to be worth that.

To my surprise the mark was from a company call Zsolnay from Hungary, and I just happened to have a book on this company in my library but had never really studied it. This company started producing pottery around 1868 and still is in production to day. Opening the book, I found the very piece I was holding in my hand. I almost passed out! $3,500 plus was the price given in the book, and this was a old book. Can you imagine if I hadn’t owned the book? How would I have known the value? I would have probably sold it to some one else, and they would have made the real profit. I don’t remember the exact price that I sold it for, but I do know that it was over the $3,500 the book said it was worth. You do have to be careful buying Zsolnay, however, because they have started to reproduce the older pieces. However, the new marks are different than the old ones. This difference in the marks can cause the price to vary by thousands of dollars.

Lets help the wonderful collectors overseas return items that were produced in their country to them, so that they can be added to their collections, where they might be more appreciated than in this country.

Why don't you take a look at the wonderful recommended books on our site, and add to or begin your own reference library. Here are the first recommendations.

Be sure to visit our web site for more information about how you can join the 31 Club and start your own race to your millions! Read more about it here!"The Guy in the Red Tie" --- Daryle Lambert

If you wish to leave comments use the ANONYMOUS button and then you don't have to sign in to leave your message.

No comments:

Post a Comment