Antiques & Collectibles: Buy What You Can Sell

"Casablanca" movie poster sold for $23,000 in March of 2006 through Heritage Auction Galleries (http://www.ha.com/)

What is the true value of an item? This is the most important question that can be answered for you in the Antique, Collectible and Fine Art business. Being able to understand what creates an item’s value will save you unlimited pain and loss in the future.

There are many areas within the collectible business and several of these areas you will want to avoid at all cost. So, before you get started, you’ll want to scratch them from your want list because they will likely not create profit for you, regardless of their price.

Franklin Mint items are tops on the list. I once saw a young man with Franklin Mint collectibles that he had paid over $30,000 for turn around and sell them to a dealer at $1500 – and the dealer still lost money. This is also true of the collector plates, most often sold on the Bradford exchange. Today, these plates are listed at ten cents on the dollar of their original selling price.

I’ve had to learn some valuable lessons in these area myself. I once attended a large auction in Louisville, and I couldn’t help myself when a set of twelve plates came to the block. I had researched them and found they had originally sold for $3,600. I won the plates with my bid of $400, and I was sure I had found a treasure that day. I kept them for many years, and after moving to Chicago, I thought I’d test the water on my great buy, so I listed them at a local auction. They sold for only $300. The only way I could justify my $100 loss was to tell myself that at least I hadn’t lost as much as the first buyer.

Another market that hasn't done so well for me is the Movie Poster Market. You can look in the Kovel's price guide for Movie Posters and find prices for many posters as high as $5,000 or more. However, I am very familiar with prices that reach tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands for the most rare posters. Heritage Auction Galleries auctions movie posters and recently, a Bride of Frankenstein poster sold in the high 300,000's. The movie poster market is a very controlled market, and a poster getting anywhere near the posted price is nearly impossible. Go to any dealer that specializes in Movie Posters and ask the price for a rather rare one they are showing. Return later to the booth and tell them you have one of those posters, and I will almost guarantee you they won’t give you a price. I do think that some movie posters are wonderful, but we are in the business of making money. If you buy something and can't sell it at a reasonable price, then you must go on to the next item.

For the consumer, Galleries selling works of unlisted artists might be the most unfair market that I know of. There isn't ever a secondary market for this type of art work that I can find, and after it’s bought, the paintings will only have a value similar to other decorative art items.

I once was call to a house by a woman who needed money for a surgery. She showed me a painting that her father-in-law had gifted to them, having paid over $18,000 for the painting at the time. Many phone calls later to auction houses and galleries, I was finally able to sell it for $1,000 to a buyer. (He did me a personal favor by buying it.) If the artist isn't listed or the painting doesn’t have a record of its history, pass on it and go to the next item.

The final area of items to stay away from is Limited Prints. If the prints aren't signed by the artist, I have no interest in them. Unsigned prints are a dime a dozen and are to be avoided at all cost. The framing will be more valuable usually than the print. Signed prints are a different story. Most of the prints you find will be signed within the print. But, what you’re looking for is where they have been signed after the print has been produced. So on most of these they will have a double signature and usually one will be in pencil.

While you’re on the lookout for valuable antique and collectible treasure, keep these three words in mind: Secondary, Secondary, and Secondary. I repeat it three times so you’ll not forget it – ever. If there’s an item you are considering and you don’t know if there is a secondary market for it, let someone else have it and save your money for a better buy.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

How to Pay for Your Travel with Antiques, Collectibles & Paintings

I traveled to Baltimore yesterday so my wife, Vickie, could attend a business conference, and Joshua and I could visit with my other son, Lawson. In past years, I went out to look for treasures as she participated in the scheduled events and classes. This year started out different, however.

It was a task being ready for the early morning taxi. We allowed plenty of time to arrive early and get through security at O’Hare – that is, of course, if the taxi showed up. Six calls later to the taxi company, each time being told the driver is five minutes away was not the way to start the day. We finally called another company, but by this time it was 9:30. It was not likely we’d make our 10:30 flight. But, the second taxi company made good on their word, and as we were pulling out of the driveway, wouldn’t you know it -- the other taxi appeared. We all smiled and waved goodbye to him as we burned rubber on the way out.

Rushing out of the taxi to check our bags, we were told the plane had already closed its doors, so we spent three hours hanging around the airport before we caught the next flight. Vickie missed the day’s sessions, but we did have a wonderful meal with my older son and his wife once we arrived. I do hope to treasure hunt tomorrow, but I am wondering what could happen next.

When you are visiting another part of the country on a trip, be sure to
look for items that are out of place there. For example, if you are on the East Coast, look for West Coast paintings. By doing this, your chances improve for finding a treasure. Remember, I found the painting by Kentucky artist Harvey Joiner on the East Coast. The market for this painting was in Kentucky. That’s when $240 turned into $3700. That isn’t so bad for a country boy.

On several past trips to Baltimore, I found items that fattened my
wallet quite well. I once purchased a painting from an antique store for $500 that was later sold for $2500. And the store shipped it to me in Chicago. I’ve also found pottery such as Rookwood and Roseville priced to my liking on these trips. I used to have a rule that no matter where I traveled, I could pay for the trip plus turn a fair profit for myself by selling the things I bought on the trip. As your knowledge increases, you should be able to do this, too.

PS : I hope to hear from a lot of you on Monday on the AuctionWally BlogTalkRadio Show at 8PM Eastern Time.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

Take a look at our Gallery of Fine Art Paintings by Listed Artists, here.

Antique Garden Furnishings - Money Grows in the Backyard

Antique Garden Furnishings: Pair of Lead Figures of Pan, the Greek God of the Woods, offered for $8,500 at Aileenminor.com

Who would have ever thought to check the backyard before going into the house at an estate sale? But after reading this blog, I'll wager you'll consider it. The only time I recall prices catching my attention for Garden Furnishings was at some of the Red Barron Auctions in Atlanta, Georgia where there were huge fountains, statues, and urns large enough for a person to hide inside. These furnishings were usually so large, you would have had to own a mansion to use them. Prices were also large, with some items going as high as $250,000 or more. But, naturally, there are much smaller items to be found other than the grand pieces from these great estates of yesteryear.

Garden furnishings have been popular for centuries. I can still see those beautiful gardens in the old movies about the Roman days. Gardens have been the property of the wealthy in Europe for thousands of years. In this country, Since we began to duplicate the lifestyles of the Europeans, the ladies of the South have had formal gardens. If you close your eyes for a moment, you’ll be able to image a Southern Belle, dressed in that large hoop dress with a very stylish hat and parasol walking among a formal garden of her plantation. These images bring back a completely different style than we experience today.

“Snap out of it Daryle, and stop that dreaming,” I just told myself. So it’s to get back to the real world and back to treasure hunting and making money, because there's some serious money to be made today in Antique Garden Furnishings.

At an estate sale, when you enter the back yard and take a seat on that cast iron bench to scan the property, make sure that bench isn’t a Fern shaped 19th Century 59-1/2 inches long valued at $3,500.

What should you be looking for in that yard? How about a bronze figure like a little boy and girl reading a book by M. Geiss, valued $4,000 or more. Your eyes might then settle upon a cast iron fountain, decorated with birds and leaves. In today’s market, this fountaint might bring $15.000 to $20,000. Urns were always a great part of the beautiful gardens, so how about an 1880’s cast iron urn featuring angels for a mere $25,000. Other items are hitching posts, sun dials, birdbaths, boot scrapers, objects of art, and architectural elements like finials and wall brackets. My, oh my, there certainly are wonderful things besides flowers in a garden. Do some of your own research on the Internet and see what you learn today.

One of my friends told me the story of a sale he attended and after going through the entire house, he completely struck out. That was, until he was leaving and noticed two large green urns on the porch. He returned to the house and asked if the urns were for sale. I guess he caught them off guard, because they told him, “Well, I guess you could have them for $50." He quickly paid the price, and rushed out, needing some oxygen in the worst way. Like lightening, he managed to get those items into the car. You see, on the bottom, incised twice, was the word “Teco”. Need I say more?

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Finding Antique Treasures

“What should I watch for, Daryle?”

That’s the question more and more people ask me everyday. What you should watch for while you’re out treasure hunting is whatever is priced cheap enough for you to double your money or more. When I leave the house, I’m an explorer looking for the chest of gold and jewels. When I find a chest, I won’t know what’s inside it, but I’m hopeful it will be filled with treasures.

Once I open the treasure chest, I might find my treasure comes in the form of an oyster plate, as it did for our member, Marsha. Cecil’s treasure was a painting. You can be assured, as they left the house, they had no idea what treasure was in store for them that day. How many ship wrecks did Mel Fisher search for before he found the Atocha? I understand he was just about broke when he found that ship and all its treasure. Now his story will go down in history, not to mention the great wealth he accumulated. So don’t quit before finding the mother load.

How many 49ers would have struck it rich if they’d only stayed another month? Your journey might be like the young man in Florida I wrote about in my book, whose purchase of a $25 painting changed his life when it sold for over $675,000. Or maybe your journey will be more like mine, where over the years, I’ve had several huge scores, but the accumulation of many average or a little above average finds have proven to be the secret to my success. Even the turtle crossed the finish line, and I have known many of these turtles in the Antique and Collectible field. If you stay the course, your fortune will be made one way or the other.

In the meantime, it’s Friday and have you prepared for the weekend? Do you know the sales you’ll be attending? Are they garage sales, estate sales or auctions? Have you passed out enough cards and spoken to plenty of people each week that you’ve now been called out to the fertile field of someone’s home?

It’ll be coming up upon a year that I’ve been blogging. I haven’t missed a day. You should have a fairly healthy list of items etched into your mind along with some sensible business insight, now, to put to good use when you enter the door of your destination. I hope it will be just like opening that treasure chest. Maybe it will be a piece of Rookwood or Grueby pottery. Maybe a Rene Lalique or a Tiffany. Perhaps a prized western painting, a special baseball card or comic book that hasn’t been touched since the 1950’s. These items could change your life, and I can guarantee you that your chances of finding one them is far greater than winning the lottery.

Please be patient as our site undergoes reconstruction. Cindy, Jeremy, Chris and Clarke are working hard and more dedicated to your success than you can possibly imagine. As the weather warms up and sales spring up everywhere, I’ll be waiting to hear from you about your treasures found.

Stay ahead of the times and get there before the crowd. Join 31 Club today. Can you get FREE MENTORING anywhere else but here?

Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Make high profits and learn to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles with the strategized plan found in my 220 page book,31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles. It's FREE with your membership.

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McCoy Pottery Teaches 31 Club Member the Power of Showing Up

Vintage McCoy Pottery Vase with Leaves recently sold on eBay for $43.99. There were 7 bids.

It does my heart good when I see something I have taught come true with my own eyes. In this case, finding treasure where other people dare not to trod makes a great subject for today’s blog.

Two days ago, Marsha, a 31 Club Member, called and asked if I would go with her to see some pottery that someone had placed a classified ad about. The vision of Teco, Grueby and Newcomb began dancing through my head. I could see that one special piece just waiting for us. Instead, Marsha told me the ad in the paper said 100 pieces of McCoy pottery, a lower end pottery, and the asking price was $500. Needless to say, my balloon was deflated rather quickly, but I agreed to go with her if she would pick me up.

She arrived within the hour, and we began our journey together. When we arrived at the location, I perked up when I saw it was familiar to me. I had attended many calls from this particular neighborhood, and most of them had been very profitable.

We were greeted warmly and invited in. McCoy Pottery was everywhere and the better pieces McCoy produced dominated every room of this gentleman’s home. In the basement there were over a hundred pieces of McCoy, perhaps ten pieces of Shawnee Pottery, and one oyster plate. These were the items he was interested in selling.

He told us what some of the better pieces would bring on eBay, and he was correct. This man knew his pottery. When I calculated the total, I could see the overall value could easily bring about $2,000. He knew this, too, but said he simply didn’t want to bother with them. He was so right on the money that I felt strange in asking if he would take less than the $500 he was asking -- but you know my rule. Thankfully, he supplied the courage for me when he mentioned that he hadn’t had any other visitors. I offered him $400. What a fantastic gentleman. He said if we agreed to take them all, he’d let them go for $400. Marsha had herself a deal.

Marsha and I headed back to the car to get some packing materials, and I asked her what she thought the profit on the pieces would be after she had sold them all.
“Maybe a thousand dollars,” she said. I asked her how she arrived at that figure. “I think I should get a least $10 a piece for them, don’t you think?” I didn’t want her to get too excited, so I told her that with the Shawnee pieces, it will probably be closer to $20 a piece. She was thrilled. Then I asked her, “What about the oyster plate?” She asked me what I meant. “The oyster plate will bring you more than you paid for all the other pieces,” I told her. She looked like a deer in the head lights. I can’t wait to see her final total after selling them all.

The ad for this pottery was in a public paper, but no one answered it. Why? I’ll take an educated guess and say that people saw the word “McCoy” and figured it wasn’t worth much. That was my initial response. Boy, were they wrong. This is an example of what I meant when I’ve told you never miss an opportunity to visit someone’s house. Many times when I’ve gone on a call, I didn’t end up purchasing the items I went to see, but walked out with some of the greatest treasures I have ever purchased. When you go on a call where there is no competition, you can take your time looking, and this is where your skills and knowledge come into play. You see, I immediately spotted the oyster plate and knew that we were going to make the deal.

It took Marsha a couple of trips to pack up all the items, but she got them all. I wish her well in selling them and advancing up the 31 Steps.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

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Ebay Still Fighting Hard in the Wrong Direction

Ebay Fights Back with New Promotion

Several months ago, I wrote a Blog about what I thought eBay was going to do. First I said they might do away with the listing fees all together, but instead, they raised them in a very deceptive manner after their leader left. I think now they are beginning to see that their listers have seen through their crafty manuever.

EBay is a wonderful company that is going in the wrong direction. It is a mature company that needs to think about giving back to their stockholder, for their patience, as the stock continued to grow. But it is no longer a growth stock whose earnings are going to quadruple every year. At this time, they need to service the customers they have accumulated since their inception and give them reason not to jump ship.

EBay sent out e-mails this week promoting one cent listing fees, but they come with several conditions, and none of them are in the best interest of the customer. Why not do the right thing and just eliminate the listing fees altogether instead of squeezing every last dime out of their customers they possible can?

EBay stock has been a cash cow for its investors over many years, but over the last six months, they’ve seen the stock drop by 25%. In fact, the last several years haven't been that great for eBay stock holders. Its price has declined 50% since January, 2005. Do I still admire what they have accomplished? Yes. I just wish that they would realize who and what they are, and be responsible to the many people that depend upon their service and who have helped make them successful by their support.

EBay might think they are not replaceable, but they are. And, as I predicted months ago, their competition is coming at them from every direction. One of my favorites is Online Auction, http://www.ola.com/. If you are doing consistent business, you might want to look at their program. Another is Blackwells Live Auctions, however I’m not sure they have worked out the bugs in their program yet. Another interesting auction site for antiques and art is igavel.com. I encourage you to take a look at these other companies.

Please don’t get me wrong about eBay. The purpose of writing this Blog isn't to knock eBay but to hopefully show them that we are all very concerned. I encourage the 31 Club members to take advantage of all the specials eBay offers, if they are to their advantage. But, if after using these specials, eBay’s regular program doesn’t present the best deal, be sure to be flexible and check your options.

Ebay has the most capable people outside of eBay who have been supporting them for years, like Skip McGrath, Terry Gibbs and Gary Henderson just to mention a few. By helping other people to learn their way around the eBay system quickly and getting thousands of individuals and merchants up and running efficiently, they have helped support eBay's growth. But what support so they receive from eBay?

If we all worked together for the good of the customer, there will be room for all. But if we get greedy, the market will most assuredly replace us.

So, while eBay is still putting up a fight, I don’t think they are quite ready to surrender. But I don’t think the last chapter is in yet. And I have hope for this fine company.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members. Turbo charge your treasure hunting today and start building a bank account big enough to last a lifetime. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

See the fine paintings we have listed in our gallery from artists like Robert Woods, William A. Slaughter, William Horton, Tom Darro, and more. Our Hannah Barlow decorated Doulton Lambeth Vase is superb. Take a look here.

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Please leave a comment. If you don't want to sign in, just use the ANONYMOUS button. Chime in and participate! -- Daryle Lambert

Daryle Lambert: Rookwood Tile was Sailing

We will continue yesterday's discussion of Art Tiles by looking at another great company - Rookwood.

Since I lived most of my life in Qwensboro, Kentucky, I was very unfamiliar with Cincinnati, the home of Rookwood. But the Bengals and Reds were there, and they were the closest pro teams from my home in Kentucky, so as I got older, Cincinnati became more familiar. I became acquainted with Rookwood very early. Rookwood was the first potteries that I became interested in to the extent of wanting to create a collection of their work for myself. In fact, did you know that if you visit Cincinnati, you can eat right in the kilns of the Rookwood factory?

Rookwood is known for its lovely vases, produced by many of the greatest pottery artists this country has ever known. At past World's Fairs, Rookwood designed pieces large enough for a grown man to climb into. But aside from wonderful pottery, Rookwood make great tiles and plaques, too.

Some of the outstanding artists that worked at the Rookwood factories over the years were Matthew Daily, Maria Nichols, Sara Sax, Kataro Shirayamadani and Artus Vanbriggle. This is just a short list from the many artist that passed through the doors of the wonderful company in Cincinnati Ohio.

This company posted its first catalog, which included tiles in 1907. These pieces were from 2 by 3 inches to 12 by 18 inches in size. Most were architectural tiles at that time, but later many of their artist also produced fantastic plaques.

The tiles were called faience while the plaques were named vellum. Today, I combine them when talking about pieces that are usually put in frames and hung on the wall. The tiles are usually carved and look like something that would be around the doorway or hearth. The plaques, on the other hand, look like paintings with scenes of landscapes or other scenes.

I once attended a house sale, and one of the dealers showed me a plaque he had just bought for $100. I looked at it and realized that it was a vellum Rookwood so I offered him $4000 on the spot. He told me that he had already sold it and wouldn't tell how much he got for it. I don't think he received anywhere near the $4000 that I offered. Later, I saw it come up for auction and I think it hit about $7000. Don't be afraid to make an offer to another dealer if you see something that would meet our goal of doubling the purchase price. This wouldn't have been a double, but I think you would agree it was close enough.

I once attended one of Cincinnati Pottery Auctions, where I had several pieces consigned. There was a wonderful larger plaque that I thought might look good on my wall so I circled it in the catalog. When its number came up, I started to get excited, but that didn't last long. The auctioneer yelled out, "Do I hear $5,000, yes, how about $10,000, how about $20,000, yes I have $50,000, thank you I have $75,000, let's make it an even $100,000," and it stopped there around $97,500. This plaque was of a steamship going out to sea. It showed the water breaks as it was leaving. If you ever see a Rookwood tile with a ship, buy it as fast as you can if the price is right.

“Rookwood Pottery- the Glazed Lines," by Anita Ellis is a great book I'd recommend taking a look at.

Discover how our book can be the tool that helps you become financially free simply buying and selling antiques, collectibles and fine art.

Be sure to visit our web site for more information about how you can join the 31 Club Wealth Building and start your own race to your millions! Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us. Contact us here.

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Daryle Lambert - Holiday Aside, Back to Antiques, Collectibles & Fine Art Treasures

Thank you for the little break over Thanksgiving. Too much food and football, but alas,another Thanksgiving becomes a chapter of family history. It was wonderful.

These last couple of days have given me time to think about where we at 31 Club Wealth Building have started and the wonderful progress we've have together on the road to fulfilling our dreams. We have had some fantastic success stories and I believe they are just beginning. Cindy, Chris, Clarke and I have begun to lead you on your journey to find treasure. We are only beginning to ascend our 31 Steps to our Millions, and what better way to do this than to have an open discussion where we can share our ideas, experiences and knowledge and a place to track our progress.

Membership is growing at a wonderful rate and should pick up now that we are into the Christmas season and people are beginning to buy Christmas gifts. Why not share our book and club with someone near and dear to you?

Content both on the website and in the blog is gaining popularity, and members are responding at a ever increasing. So if you haven't contacted us yet, drop us an E-mail with your comments and questions, and let us know you're out there. I would say that we are definitely on target. But that still leaves us to find the answers we are looking for on how to complete The Million Dollar Race. I think I have it. We need more information to work, with so here we go.

At the present time art work, both American and European, appear to be where the big money is. So, where do we find the knowledge needed to compete in this field? One suggestion is to find a set of the books by William H. Gerdts call Art Across America. This set come in three volumes. The East and Mid-Atlantic, The South and The Midwest, The Plains and The West. By studying these books you will familiarize yourself with the greatest artists of this country. There are hundreds of artist that most dealers will not have heard of, and if you find a painting by one of them, you will have found a treasure. I made a list of all the artists mentioned in the book on The South and Mid-West to keep in my wallet. You might want to do this with several books that list artists. After all, we know that it is virtually impossible to commit to memory all the listed artists there could potentially be great finds for. We'd really appreciate any support for the club, and you can help keep us going by ordering used or new books through our Amazon Link. If you don't find what you're looking for there, try Abes Books.

Sometimes the treasures we find might not be in dollar value, but be personal treasures, priceless in our mind and heart.

I participated in a service at the Glen Oakes Nursing Home on Wednesday night, which is something I've been doing regularly for a while now. When the service was over, a wonderful lady I know asked if I would visit one of the people that was not able to attend that night.

Joan C. greeted us with her warm smile as we entered the room. I found out that Joan had served others for forty years as a nurse until illness and the loss of a leg ended her career. She'd been married for fifty seven years, had five children and twelve grandchildren, was a member of Mensa, and had accepted Jesus when she was seventeen. We had a lot in common right off the bat. It wasn't until I started admiring the beautiful paintings on the walls in her room that I was pleasantly surprised to discover that she was the artist. And a very accomplished one. I immediately picked one of her pieces I wanted to buy, but before I could get the words out, my friend said she wanted to buy that one. I said, "No you don't!" We both laughed because she knew I had my eye on that one, and being gracious she told me I can have it. We prayed together, and I am certain Joan and I will become close friends. Wednesday, I added a real treasure to my personal collection from a very special artist. This personal treasure will always be with me. --Daryle

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

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Daryle Lambert - Thanksgiving Greeting to All Our Readers

May you have a warm and restful Thanksgiving. We at the 31 Club wish you a wonderful time of giving thanks with your friends and family.

Cindy, Chris, Clarke and I are so blessed to have you in our lives. We pledge to do everything in our power to see that the coming months are successful for you. God has blessed each one of us in many ways and meeting all the members of our club through the Internet has been one of the greatest blessings for us. We look forward to the day when we can meet each and every one of you face-to-face.

These last five months have seemed to whiz by, but look at all we've accomplished working together. The website that Chris has put together is second to none, getting more and more recognition each passing week. Chris just put up the video of Joshua, if you haven’t seen it yet. I am so thankful that his wife and children have been so understanding during our start up period.

Cindy has been my constant source of strength. When I wondered if I had another blog in me she would say "Just be yourself." How thankful I am to have such a talented person to cover up all my mistakes. Wow, can she write or what? I was joking with her the other day that I was afraid others would see her talent and heir her away from us.

You haven’t heard much from Clarke but he was sure there when we needed him and he is waiting to be called upon again.

May your lives be richly blessed this Thanksgiving Day and remember -- In this business, you don't need luck when you have knowledge.
Be sure to visit our web site for more information about how you can join the 31 Club Wealth Building 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.

Daryle Lambert: Fire Screens & Andirons on a Frosty Winter Night

Winter is just around the corner, so this might be a great time to cuddle around that wonderful fireplace. On the farm, when I was young, we would fix egg nog and homemade cookies, huddle around the fireplace and tell stories about the great adventures that had taken place over the past year.

Now as I have grown older, my eyes see different things. Sure, I yearn for the times I spent with my family, but that was then and this is today. How can we take advantage of wintertime and what Antiques and Collectibles does winter afford us?

Andirons, Bellows, Fenders, Fire Screens and Tool Sets are just a few of the items used in conjunction with your fireplace. I would bet you have passed by several of these items in your searches, never giving them a second thought. I know I did, until I took the time to learn about them. I encourage to take some time to familiarize yourself with these types of items so you don't miss the boat the next time you are at a sale and these items are there.

At a sale, these types of antiques and collectibles aren’t displayed in prominent places. These usually are found sitting on the floor, behind pieces of furniture.

A pair of andirons with brass and wrought iron Square Plinths (square base at the bottom of a column) with swags from 1765 and 26 inches tall might command a price of $10,000 in the market today.

Say that is a little to rich for your blood? Then how about a pair of brass ones, Federal, with spurred arched legs and slipper feet for a mere $5,500

Brass seems to be the choice of the day. Urn Finial, Spread winged Eagle pair with Penny Feet By J. Bailey $7500.00 and then there are the Bronze ones, Putti and Sea Monsters , Italy for a fair price of $12,500.00. You may never look at Andirons the same way again.

But it doesn’t stop there. Bellows can bring over $1,000. Fenders $5,000 and Screens up to $20,000 or more. You might be have sitting in front of a fortune all this time and not know it.

You might research on eBay for antique andirons, fireplace screens and fireplace tools. Be sure to check the completed listings, as well, to see what items are actually selling for. You can even have them list the items from the highest to lowest price. You'll find many different price ranges here, while getting exposure to valuable items.

Research and learn. The average dealer will never recognize their true value but you as a informed hunter will be able to swoop them up at tremendous bargains. By finding things of this nature, it won’t take long for you to see the progress that will that together with the 31 Club Antique & Collectible Wealth Building, we are on the right track.

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

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