How Do We Know People Are looking for Antiques and Fine Art ?

This is a question that I am often asked and I have given much thought to my answer. The conclusion that I have come to is fairly simple. Are there paintings or other antiques that I would buy regardless of the economic conditions? The answer to that is a resounding yes! And, if I feel that way, then it only seems logical that others feel the same way. Very few people are in the business of Antiques and Fine Art solely for the money, you will find that most of them truly enjoy the items that they purchase. Most antique and are dealers are also collectors.

I can share my want list with you. These items remain constant regardless of other factors with the exception of price. First are paintings by Patty Thum, a Kentucky artist who painted around the turn of the century. You should add this to your list of things to watch for because I am obsessed with her work and so is my wife. We are also interested in other Kentucky artists such as Harvey Joiner, Carl Brenner and Paul Sawyier to a lesser degree.

But those aren't the only items that stay on my want list. I am always looking for Doulton pieces by leading artists including: Hannah Barlow, George Tinworth, Eliza Simmance, Mark Marshall, Frank Butler and Emily Stormer. By having constant items on your wish list, it helps you begin to associate with other collectors of these items therefore letting those collectors know you are a buyer. In addition, it provides you with a sell list of customers for items that don't meet the requirements for your personal collection.

It will subsequently become apparent to other people and they may consider you an expert in the area or items you choose to deal in. This provides you with a base of business and it will continue to expand as your name is shared with others. One of our first rules in the 31 Club is to let everyone we meet know what we're doing and after we have become established, we tend to forget to continue to follow this rule.

Make your list of items that you are most interested in and share them with everyone you come in contact with. This is the best way to promote yourself and it costs you nothing. Save money and help make money - what could be better than that?

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Sharing 31 Club with Others

Maxfield Parrish "Stars" 1926

Yesterday, when I saw the morning stock market flying high and lots of e-mails coming in, I thought the day started out to be just beautiful. But the best of the day came when I got an e-mail asking if I could help with pricing an item. The young lady stated she was afraid of being ripped off, and she had no idea what the value of a print she had was. I asked her to call me so we could talk further. She did.

This young lady, Julie, is a student at a college in California. She found us on the Internet. I don’t believe in coincidences, so I figured there was a special purpose for her inquiry, and hopefully, I could help. Her first words to me were, “I bought this print and it had an original sticker on the back.” I told her that was a good start, but did she know who made the print? “Yes, it’s Maxfield Parrish, and the name of the print is “Stars.”

I immediately pulled out my Maxfield Parrish book by Coy Ludwig and discovered this print was a pretty fair find. I was able to tell her that there were three sizes: Small – 6x10, medium 10x18 and large 18x30. The large one is the most rare.

I could tell she was eager to know what is was worth, so I didn’t wait long before letting her know the larger one was worth from $1800-$2500. Unfortunately, she has the medium one, which will bring in about $700-$900.

I couldn’t resist asking her why she’s looking to sell it. “I have to sell it to buy my books this semester,” she told me. My heart stopped because I could tell she was very attached to the print.

I advised her not to be upset about selling this piece and to definitely buy her books and complete college. I told her that after graduation, she’ll be able to buy as many of these as she wanted. I didn’t want our conversation to end there, and as we talked, I learned that she had an interest and Antiques and Fine Art. She also told me she had some spare time away from her studies. I introduced her to the principles of the 31 Club, and she seemed to easily grasp the concept, so I invited her to join us. I assured her that being involved with the 31 Club could help with her school expenses. I feel certain we will soon have a new member from California.

I encourage all of you who are members to never miss the chance to share what the 31 Club is all about with others. You might just end up being somebody’s angel when one is needed.

*******

Treasure Hunters:

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Spotting The Rare

This Tiffany Ceramic Vase sold in 2003 for $11,000 through Burchard Galleries, Inc.

As you advance through the 31 Steps of our club program, your hunt for valuable antiques and art will take you into the higher end of the market. Having said this, it’s important to be knowledgeable about what items from a particular company are rare.

Many companies produced items aside from their main lines that are often overlooked. Very simply put, people, including dealers, are not aware of these anomalies. At the 31 Club, we are on the hunt for pieces that may not be easily recognized to help us move through the 31 Steps and attain our financial goals.

There is little doubt you are familiar with Tiffany and Galle glass, but did you know these companies also produced pottery? These are not common, and their value is also uncommon. If a nice piece of Galle or Tiffany glass becomes available, most people will know what it is. The same can't be said of their pottery. When you become familiar with their pottery marks, you’ll be a step ahead of the pack.

Just to give you a taste of this, Kovels Price Guide lists two items for Galle pottery, both figures. One is priced at $2415 and the other $5175. Tiffany listings include sixteen pieces ranging from $200 to a high of $8,800.

Several years back, when I was previewing items at an auction, my eyes fixed upon an unassuming piece of pottery. When I examined it, lo and behold – there was the Tiffany mark, LCT, all hooked together. I couldn’t believe my good fortune. As I hovered near the piece, I overheard a couple of dealers discussing the vase. “Can you believe they would let fakes like that in this sale,” one said. “Anyone would know the piece isn’t Tiffany.”

I had to turn away to keep from asking them whether or not they’d ever seen Tiffany Pottery before.

When the auction commenced and the vase was offered, the auctioneer announced they didn’t guarantee the piece to be authentic. (I’m sure he’d heard a complaint from those two dealers about fakes.) . At first there was no interest in the piece, but finally they got a $100 bid. I made sure I sat on my hands in this early stage, but I can state with no hesitation, I was extremely anxious. When the bidding slowed at $150 I put my card up at $200, and that bid was followed by one at $225. I bid $250, and finally the auctioneer said, “SOLD.”

I couldn't believe I had just purchased a real piece of Tiffany pottery for $250. You see, most people have never seen one of Louis Comfort Tiffany's pottery pieces. This vase sold a few months later just over $5700. Not bad for a “fake.” You may be fortunate enough to find some of their “fakes” also, ha ha.

What sweet little treasures these pieces can become when others think you are a fool for bidding on them or buying these pieces at house sales.

Treasure Hunters -- Partner Up with 31 Club on high quality treasures you find. You Find It, We Buy It, We Sell It, You Net 35%. It's our groundbreaking Associates Program, one of the many benefits that comes with your 31 Club Membership.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today. or email us at info@31corp.com to find out more.

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It's a Buy for High Quality Antique Furniture

The prices of high quality paintings, pottery and art glass are on a tear. So I got to thinking, if this is so, there’s probably something out there dragging its feet in these markets. Turns out, it’s good antique furniture.

I thought the days of me hauling around chests, tables and chairs where over at my age, but the high quality pieces are a real bargain right now, I may have to reconsider. In fact, I have told you before that if an item was larger than a bread box, I wasn't very interested, but I may have to eat my words today.

The more auctions and estate sales I attend the more I am sure that there is big money to be made in antique and collectible furniture today. I’ve seen high quality furniture selling cheaper than I can believe. At an auction I attended last week, I saw a beautiful empire chest made of tiger maple sell for a mere $200.

Why this sudden reversal? In my opinion, we live in a disposable society. The days of the ancestral home are disappearing for many people. Families move around from home to home every few years, and family members divide up moving to other states and even other countries, disposing of furniture along the way and buying new "disposable furniture" to fit their new home. But, there will always be those who will be seeking high quality antique furniture.

In the markets I’m attending, I see early chests selling for $100 to $200 when a few years ago they would have brought $1000 or more. The same with antique tables I would have loved to have purchase ten years ago for $500, now are bringing in only $150 at auction.

Over twenty years ago, I bought a wonderful Armoire for $750 and sold it almost before I got it home for $3500. It was heavily carved with burl walnut panels. I’ve purchased a lot of furniture over the years, but I mention this one today because last week when I was in Owensboro Kentucky, I saw a pieced that was almost identical to this one, priced at $650. That’s just the asking price, and I’m certain I could’ve bought it for $500. It’s still beautiful, and I know even in this disposable society, there's still someone today who would pay $3000 or more to own a high quality piece like this.

If the market for general mid to lower end antiques and furniture isn't moving, this trend doesn't necessarily hold true in the high end markets. For the highest quality antiques and art, including furniture, there's always a market.

At the 31 Club, we keep our sights on high quality and rare items. And, our job is to buy right.

Well, furniture can be bought right today. Maybe we shouldn't wait any longer to take advantage of this under priced market. I know the rest of the market will be trailing us as we look into this dramatic change. By the time they realize what we are doing, it will be too late for them to catch up.

Yes, there are disadvantages to dealing in furniture, but like any other market, if the price gets low enough, it’s time for us to step in. We need to re-inform the public that today’s furniture is still mostly plastic or made of composition materials. Most of these pieces will last about two years or three years while hand made antiques have lasted over 100 years. If you’re up to the task of handling furniture, now is the time to make some serious money with the truly high quality pieces.

If I do decide to take the plunge and tip my toe back into the pool of the furniture market, I’ll have to figure out how to transport the items and where to store these fine pieces. I can tell you this -- the storage companies are begging for tenants, so a ten foot space will cost you about $100 a month, and the first month is usually free. That gives you time to make a profit to offset the expense.

I will be more than glad to answer any questions that you may have on
furniture, and soon we will have an expert on our "31 Club Panel of Experts"
for you to call.

Today's Photo: This French period antique double "Chapeau de Gendarme" armoire made of walnut and secondary woods sold on eBay for $15,000. It had hand carved decorative motifs-signed by cabinet maker on center front: 1786 Joseph Bertin.

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Condition of Antique/Collectible Items: Pricing, Repairing, Restoring

I have a rule I abide by whenever I evaluate an item for pricing. I base it on how close to mint condition it is. If it has some damage, then, I deduct the appropriate percentage of my purchase price for that damage. Here’s an example: If a piece is heavily damaged, I might deduct 90% of what its mint value would be to come up with my offer. If there is very little damage, the deduction might only be 50% of its mint value. I always buy based on the item’s present value – not what the value could be after it’s repaired. I have found that it’s best to let your buyer pay to have a piece repaired, if they choose to. If I’ve bought well, I will still make the profit I intended. Buy and sell as is, always.

Here’s an example of why this is important. Yesterday, Ann, one of our most active members e-mailed me very excited about a rug she purchased for $8 at a house sale. She told me she’d taken the rug to a dealer who told her the rug could sell for $8,000 if she had it repaired. He could repair it for her at a cost of $1,600.

While selling an $8 item for $8,000 might sound like an excellent scenario, I told her not to repair the rug, but instead, offer to consign the rug, "as is," to that dealer to sell, and when it’s sold, she’ll accept just $5,000 and the buyer can pay for repair if they want to. Sounds like a good deal, huh? The dealer didn’t take the offer.

Then, I told her to take it a couple of other merchants to see what they have to say about the rug. She went to two more merchants and discovered that even repaired, the rug wouldn’t bring anywhere near the $8,000 she was quoted. Is it any wonder the first dealer, who offered to do the repair for her, wouldn’t accept her consignment offer?

You must be on guard against these types of schemes. They get your money, and at that point they’ve got their profit and could give a hoot whether or not you can ever sell it at a profit or break even with it. Every business has unscrupulous people trying to pick your pockets, and the antique business has not been miraculously spared of them. Don’t let them do this to you. The 31 Club is your best insurance policy against these types of people.

Ann has learned that selling her item in its present condition will make her far more profit than if she had repaired it. She can now see that repairing it would’ve proved to be a big loser for her. If she is able to sell this rug for $1,500 or more, “as is,” it will prove to be a very wise use of $8.

Even with the disappointment of not making about $6,000 profit on this $8 investment, Ann can buy for me any day. Her great eye can spot those special items others miss, and I’m fairly certain she can haggle on price very well. With your increasing knowledge base and continual practice, you can do this, too.

Don’t Buy Based on What You Think it Can Be. Buy it For What It Is.

Read this Blog a second time, or as many times as it takes you to understand the principles in it. Understanding this will save you huge amounts of time, money and a gray hair or two.

Please send in your stories so we can all learn from them. Sharing these stories with others will prevent us from making a lot of mistakes. Being a member of the 31 Club can guide you to becoming one of the most informed people out there in the field.

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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.

Civil War Collectibles/Memorabilia

Civil War Era Lyon & Healy Snare Drum is offered for $1,195 at Shotwell Antiques

It’s been a fabulous few days in Baltimore. We visited three ships and a submarine in the harbor. But, the highlight of the day was when a Mexican sailing ship pulled into dock with all the sailors in their white military uniforms. The officers had chests full of medals and you could see their national pride. A formal presentation welcoming the captain to Baltimore by some dignitaries followed.

This put me in a "pride of country mood," so tomorrow we are going to Gettysburg, the one place often cited as the turning point of the Civil War. I have been reminded of my faith in God and Country by this trip and of how thankful I am to be a citizen of the United States of America. Where else could we have had the opportunity to start the 31 Club, a club that is helping so many people?

The Civil War has produced some of the most collectible items that the world has ever known. This is a field of collecting that can be started for very little money, while the better items can command prices we probably never would have dreamed of. A collection can be started with a single bullet from the war era for a dollar or two.

If you find items used in the war, the are plenty of collectors out there and the rewards will astonish you. Confederate and Union swords can bring tens of thousands in the market place today. A single drum at auction might top $10,000 or more. A uniform could top $100,000 if it belonged to the right person, and weapons have no upper limit. I have seen a single button from a uniform bring thousands of dollars. If the items have records to connect them to a soldier, this will double or triple its value.

The exciting news for you is that Civil War memorabilia is plentiful, and there are many books written on the values of these today. This is one of the areas that our members should familiarize themselves with. Price Guides always come in handy like Warman's Civil War Collectibles Identification And Price Guide and Illustrated Catalog of Civil War Military Goods: Union Weapons, Insignia, Uniform Accessories and Other Equipment

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.

Know Your Customer -- The Collector and The Advanced Collector

Pauline Pottery, 10" tall, sold at Craftsman's Auction March 2006 for $2,880.

Often the one thing that makes a collectible so valuable is that there was enough production by the company so that anyone can find pieces to start a collection Usually a budding collector starts with a less valuable item and then works his or her way up to the more expensive pieces.

Let’s take Rookwood for an example. If you're collecting, you might make your first purchase of Rookwood in the commercial wares area of their production. A simple vase might fit the bill. But, as you advance in the collection, the artist signed pieces will become more appealing to you. Yes, they will be far more expensive, but over time you will have become more knowledgeable and realize that this is where the true investment will be. This is true of Roseville, Weller, Van Briggle, Teco and many other pottery companies whose production was expansive, and is a great way for the novice to learn as their collections grow without making too many mistakes.

But why is this important to us? We want to buy and sell, right? Yes, but unless we can get into the mind of the collectors -- our customers -- our buying will be more about ourselves and not about the ones we want to sell our treasures to.

There is an exception to this type collecting. There are some collectors who buy the rare items from companies who had only a limited production. In the industry, we refer to this type of collector “the advanced collector.” Pauline Pottery, produced right here in Chicago and then later in Wisconsin, is an example of an item an advanced collector might look for.

The Pauline Company was in business for only 10 years from 1883 until 1893. This lets you know that the number of pieces they produced would be very limited, and I doubt you will find many people that have a large collection of their pottery. However, this is where the advanced collector steps in. He wants one of the better pieces from the Pauline kilns to show the diversity of his collection. The pitcher that sold on ebay brought over $500, and even though it did nothing for me personally, I can see why a collector would want it in their collection.

The main problem with purchasing this type of merchandise is that there will always be a limited market for the company’s wares unless the item is exceptional. Don't get stuck with common pieces by unknown companies because they will be yours forever. If you do see an exceptional item, but don't recognize the mark, this is a time to get very stingy with your money. This is also an excellent way to find a Treasure while taking very little risk.

In the case of Pauline, the mark is a very indistinct crown with no writing but perhaps the artist’s initials. Their second mark just says “Pauline Pottery.” I suggest you keep your eyes out for very large and decorative pieces by this company, but leave the lesser ones alone. If you find that special piece of Pauline, I think that you should be able to buy it very reasonably. Therefore, your profit should meet our goals of at least doubling our money on our purchases.

Remember to tune into the AuctionWally BlogTalk Radio program on Monday. I am Auctionwally's special guest and you can call in your questions. I hope I hear from you.

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.

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.

American Art Pottery - Walrath

Example of Walrath Pottery valued in the thousands of dollars.

This past weekend, I saw Rosville and Weller pottery well overpriced and wondered how anyone could turn a profit if they purchased these pieces at those prices. This seems to be the norm today, and the reason why so many dealers are having a hard time selling their inventory. At the Arlington Show I attended last month, it seemed to me that items such as Grueby, Newcomb and Rookwood were priced out of sight. I wonder if perhaps these pieces are being purchased by dealers at prices too inflated for today’s markets.

The secondary market should set the prices for us to use as a guide when we purchase, and if we find pieces priced even beyond that, where can we hope to go with them? Yes, the best are bringing record prices, but that isn't so when it comes to the medium or lower priced items.

A new name that might bring you great returns, should you find a piece is Frederick Walrath. Walrath was an exceptional potter and his work is coveted by the most serious collectors of American Art Pottery. Walreth died in 1920, and his better vases can easily command five figures and his less serious pieces will bring in the hundreds. The pieces I’ll be discussing are the ones he produced in Rochester, New York, however he did work at one time for the Newcomb Pottery Company of New Orleans.

His work is marked Walrath Pottery” with a mark that looks like a cross bow between the two words. This is the kind of item that most people will pass, or have very little knowledge of what its true value should be. When you find a special piece of Walrath, this is the time to be patient and check all your connections before pricing it on the market. Here is where you can really compound your investment. While others are struggling to break even on the more known pieces like Roseville, Weller and Van Briggle, you will have your money ready for those special pieces of Walrath when the opportunity presents itself. Patience will be your guide to success.

This weekend was a prefect example of what I am talking about. Thinking I was going to buy several items at a sale I attended, my plan wasn't fulfilled. I made a pass at several items that would have been good buys at the price I offered, but my offer wasn’t a deal maker. I only purchased one piece from this sale, keeping my other funds in my pocket for another day.

I knew the Rookwood lamp at this sale was exceptional, and I knew I had to own it. But, even as sure as I was that I’d found my treasure for the week, I called a good friend in Cincinnati to confirm my judgment. He assured me that the lamp was a fantastic buy. In my judgment, this piece is very special and should go to auction for the best results. Remember, we aren't in a hurry because the compounding of our funds will create wealth for us, not the quantity of pieces we buy and sell.
So add Walrath Pottery to your growing list of things to watch for. By now, if you have followed my blog, that list should contain several items that could change your prospective of this business.

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.

Estate Sale Treasures – You Don’t Have to be First to Find Them

While I’ve enjoyed writing about the great treasures our readers have reported to us, today I’d like to share my experience yesterday. I think it well serve you well.

Yesterday was a time for catching up for me. There were emails to send, books to ship and general paper work to do. However, one of our 31 Club members asked if I’d be willing to join her at an estate sale. I agreed to meet her later in the afternoon. Now, knowing I’d need to be in home in time to watch the Kentucky Derby, I put my efforts at catching up in overdrive so I could pack everything into my time schedule.

I called our member about 1:30 and was surprised to hear she was already at the sale. I was thinking to myself (often a dangerous thing to do) that if there were treasure at this sale for me, it would probably be all gone by now, but I’d still go to help our member.

I met our member at the front door of the house, and once I got to the sale, I immediately recognized the person conducting the sale. I asked if she thought there was anything still here for me. To my surprise she said, “Yes, the Georg Jensen silver.” We headed immediately to the dining room to check it out. When I picked up a knife where the price tag was taped, my eyes almost dropped out of their sockets. Believe it or not, they wanted $10,500 for the set. I couldn’t get away from the table fast enough, but while my mind was spinning, I decided I’d offer $2,000 if I was going to make an offer.

But that was only the first room, so we preceded to the living room where it was hard to miss a Steinway Baby Grand -- with a price tag of $25,000. About this time I was asking myself what could possibly be here for me. But, I continued on. I knew very little about the modern artwork that decorated the walls, and these pieces had hefty price tags as well. Asian artifacts were intermingled through out the house, and again, I was at a loss without any of my books in this category. I sat down on the living room couch to collect my thoughts when my eyes landed on a very large lamp. My mind wouldn’t allow me to believe I was looking at a treasure that every other dealer and shopped had overlooked. After all, it was later in the afternoon and most people would have figured all the real treasures were gone by now.

I raised my self up from the sofa, as if I was in slow motion and walked toward the lamp. The closer I came the more difficult it was to breathe. Unbelievable! There on the end table was a Rookwood vellum scenic vase made into a lamp, and the vase itself was over fifteen inches tall.

My hands began to tremble as I turned the tag to examine the price. $1,800. I knew this had to be mine. My mind started racing as I figured out at what price this might become mine. I’ve bought from these people many times before, and usually at half the price, but I knew that with this lamp, I couldn’t take a chance. I stepped up to the plate and offered $1,200. She refused, and told me I could leave a bid. I informed her that I didn’t do that, because I was here to buy. She was firm about leaving a bid, so I returned home very quickly to do some research. (My house was only five minutes away.) Let me tell you, after a little research, I broke every speed zone getting back there, just hoping the lamp was still there.

I entered the house with my wife and son with me this time. My wife went to look at the items in the dining room, while I worked up the courage to peek into the living room to see if the lamp was still there. It was. But now, I had to see if there was one of those little red tags on it, showing it had been sold. No red tag, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

We finally settled on $1,500, which was a much higher percentage of the asking price than I usually pay, but for this piece, there was no question on what I was going to do. So, what’s the value? Between $4,500 and $5,000.

Tomorrow I am going back to the sale because there were several other item that I want to make offers on but at less than 50% of their asking price. There are Royal Doulton mugs, listed prints, figurines, and glass objects that could pay for the lamp, if I am able to purchase at my price. Not bad for a day when I wasn't even intending to go out. Better Late than never, and by the way, Big Brown may be the next Triple Crown Winner. What a great looking horse.

Today’s Photo shows a set of 1945-1951 Georg Jensen sterling silver designed by Johan Rhode, Jensen's most influential of all his designers. The pattern is the very popular "Acorn" pattern, and is offered at Leopard Antiques for $3,350. Photo from Leopardantiques.com

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.