Make Money Buying and Selling Antiques: Art Pottery

Rookwood Pottery. (Photo from www.bargainjohn.com)

When you're looking to make money buying and selling antiques & collectibles, it's important to take note that Collectors of art pottery will usually stop at nothing to purchase the pieces they desire.

So pottery is second to fine art on my list of treasures to find. I have many success stories to share with you and hopefully after reading this blog you will be sharing yours with me in the future. It was only after attending an auction at the Cincinnati Art Gallery that I became a true believer in the business of buying and selling art pottery.

Sitting in my seat on the third row so that I could see everything that was going on at the auction, I began to plan my strategies for purchasing the items that I had circled in the catalog. One item really caught my eye because I hadn't ever seen one like it. It was a plaque showing a steamship pulling out of port. It was a rather large plaque and I figured it would bring some nice money but did I ever underestimate it! This piece, that could have possible been purchased at a house sale for five to seven thousand dollars, never looked back as it passed $50,000. The audience, including me, was holding its breath at $75,000 and people were applauding as it sailed past $100,000. Who says you can't make money in this business?

It wasn't that dramatic but I attended a house sale where there was a Grueby vase being offered. Every dealer in Chicago was ahead of me in line so I returned home thinking that I might return to the sale later, which I did. The vase was still there with its $5000 price tag and I was asked if I would like to purchase it. My answer was “Why should I when everyone else has passed on it?” I was able to negotiate a deal by putting four other items with it, and the total I paid was $3200. Do you see where I follow my own rules? The four pieces sold for around $2000 but, are you ready for this? The Grueby vase sold in Cincinnati for $13,500. I ask, can you make money with art pottery? I walked into a shop in Glencoe, Illinois and spotted a rather plain Rookwood small vase. What made it special was that the vase was carved. It was uncrazed and by one of the top artists at Rookwood pottery, so I figured that I would make a pass at it for around $300. The price tag read $600 and after some lengthy negotiations I was able to purchase it for $350. I feel I made a fair return on my money as it sold for $4500 at auction.

But this isn't about me so how can I help you? First I would like to give a list of what I think the leading potteries are. These are not in any particular order: Rookwood, Grueby, Newcomb, George Ohr, University of North Dakota, Marblehead, Teco and believe it or not, Tiffany. A great book to study on is American Art Pottery by David Rago. It should be purchased at Abebooks.com or Amazon.com and it doesn't matter if it is used. Also you have heard me say many times that you should always keep your Kovels Book of Marks close at hand.

Here are the steps that I take to value a piece of pottery. First, who made it and who is the artist? Second, I evaluate the condition. It should be mint to bring top dollar as damage can take 75% of the value away. Then I look at the size--the larger the better is a general rule (in fact some pottery is valued by the inch). Last, is the market for this pottery increasing or decreasing? Why did I include that last step? Here is an example: Roseville was one of the favorites of the dealers but the market has gone down dramatically for Roseville pieces so I didn't include it in my list. Yes, if you can buy them cheaply enough they are still a buy, but not at the prices of past years. You see we want to make money and not let others set the prices for us so, yes the market is important.

When you want to make money buying and selling antiques & collectibles, staying with pottery makes sense, because there is an ample supply to be had and there will always be collectors for the better pieces.


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Antiques & Collectibles: What's in a Name?

Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica

One of the things I get to enjoy most is checking auction treasures sent to me by 31 Club Members. Stephen sends me a flier almost every week, and I think he's becoming very knowledgeable on what to look for when he attends auctions. I always email him back with a list of the items in that auction I'd be interested in if I were attending. However, Stephen learned a very important lesson last week. His eye told him that the three pieces of McCoy pottery were unusual, and he purchased them. But, he didn't check them carefully enough before he bid, because when he got them home, he discovered two had damage. Because he bought them right, and in fact, I think they may be rather rare, he still may salvage something.

Julie. sent me an auction flier where there were two pieces of Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica porcelain being offered. One was a platter and the other was a covered vegetable bowl. I told her if they sold for a hundred or two she should pick them up. Well, her report back to me wasn't what I wanted to hear, but my idea was great. If you ever see any Flora Danica be sure to give it the once over, and if it can be purchased right, take advantage of it. Most dealers would just consider it china. However, at this auction, there must have been some knowledgeable people in the crowd, because the platter brought $1500 while the covered vegetable bowl went to the highest bidder at $2000

Another item at the sale caught my attention and it was a Dale Chihuly bowl. Pieces by this glass artist can bring tens of thousands of dollars. Often his work is composed of a bowl and then three to five additional pieces inside of it. This was just a single bowl and nothing exciting, so I thought that it may have gone for $500 or so. Wrong. The final bid was $3300.

These are two names that I want you to add to your list of treasures to search for. No, Julie didn't buy at this sale but what about the next one she attends? Always remember, it doesn't matter how many pieces you miss, just the ones you buy. As long as you have money, I guarantee you that your number will come up, and that's when all the waiting will have been worthwhile.

Just a little refresher course: Don't spend your time researching common items, because every person on the street knows the value of them. Spend your time studying the rare, where the real money is. Most dealers want to talk about Roseville, Weller, McCoy or Haeger, but not me. I want to know more about Newcomb, Grueby, Rookwood or George Ohr. If you are talking about these pieces, I can assure you that my attention will be focused on that conversation. What's in a name? Everything, when it comes to Antiques, Collectibles and Fine Art.

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