Buying the Real Thing: Antique, Collectible & Fine Art Items

This authentic Apache Indian Necklace, is offered at 31 Gallery & Marketplace along with Indian Blankets and Indian Axes.

What are the real things today? Each day I’m having a more difficult time distinguishing between the cheap junk marketed to the American Public from foreign companies and the things of true value I remember as a kid.

Yesterday, I spent many hours shopping with my family and friends. We visited shops in Gatlinburg, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and in Cherokee, North Carolina. I was surprised as I saw hordes of people spending their money on imported items that weren’t worth ten cents on the dollar at the time of purchase. The foreign companies that are producing these items are more than pleased to sell them to us, and then turn around and buy American items of value with the 90% profit that they’ve just made selling us their junk. Not only that, but we are losing jobs at the same time.

Our dollar has lost most of its value, not by what is happening overseas, but by the purchasing of items that immediately lose 90% of their value as soon as we take possession of them.

While in Cherokee, I saw items that looked like American Indian items such as bead work, bows and arrows, garments and many figurines. But you know what? They had nothing to do with the Indians. When I turned them over, I couldn’t believe my eyes; “Made in China”. The same was true in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, but there were even different names like Hong Kong, Korea and Japan. If we buy their merchandise with our dollars but sell our best back to them, we are sure to go broke in this country.

This is why the 31 Club is stressing that our members should only deal in antique, collectible, and fine art items that will retain their value, and even appreciate over a period of time.

Let’s go back to the basics when we discussed keeping a list of everything we sell and who it goes to. This will become more and more important to you as your success increases. A satisfied customer is the most valuable asset you have besides the merchandise itself. I sell over 50% of the items to repeat customers. Remember the gentleman I sold all the Kentucky art to? Well, since he bought those paintings from me, they have doubled in value. Do you think he might listen to me if I call him again with a painting I thought would be a great buy for him? Likewise with the lady that bought the Lotton Glass from me. Now the selling price of one vase of four would return her the entire purchase price for all four if she chose to sell it now. I doubt very seriously that if they had the “Made in China” label on them the story would be the same.

For my friend Colin, who’s with us, one of the most important parts of our trip was going to see the Indian Reservation and buying some authentic Indian items, but I could see the disappointment in his eyes as we moved from shop to shop and found only inexpensive fakes of the real deal. Let’s take pride in our country and not let our money go overseas for cheap imitations.

Your future in the Antique and Fine Art business will depend on you being able to recognize quality in your buying and developing a reputation for dealing in the best.

I am in the final countdown for returning home, and I am totally ready to jump back into making the “31 Club” the best opportunity there is for our members.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club.

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets that help you increase your profits. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

Fine Art & Antiques: An Answer to the Stock Market Roller Coaster

One day the stock market is up 150 points, the next it’s down over 200. Over and over again. Are you beginning to grow weary of this roller coaster market? You might even be thinking about exiting the market, where do you go?

The 31 Club’s answer to the roller coaster stock market is to invest some of your money in Antiques, Fine Art and Collectibles. When things are the bleakest for other markets, the Antique, Fine Art and Collectible markets shine.

In this troubled market, it still amazes me when people are able to buy items for a small amount of money and then resell them immediately for many, many times their purchase price. I encourage all who will listen to me to maximize their efforts by investing their money in inventory that can be turned quickly today. I believe we have reached the optimum time to accelerate our efforts to follow the guidelines set out in my book 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and Collectibles. Regardless of what other markets are doing, we can still profit quite handsomely using the tangible items being bought and sold in a sizzling high end antique, fine art and collectible market like we have today, then following the strategy to grow funds presented in my book. There isn’t a better time to be trading in items that hold their value and appreciate in all types of economic situations.

“Make Hay While the Sun is Shining” is an old saying I take to heart. And, the auctions, estate sales and garage sale markets are in full bloom now, so are you spending the proper amount of time visiting them to fully take advantage of these conditions?

This is the time to encourage people you know to purchase quality Antiques and Paintings and offer your expertise in the field to assure them of investing properly. I was able to assist one of our members in purchasing several pieces of Lotton Glass a few months ago, and today, she could double her money if she wished to sell them. This is at a time when the stock market has lost 4000 points.

I simply love this business. One reason is because it helps insure us against financial setbacks. You carry home insurance, car insurance and life insurance but what kind of insurance can we have in the business? Yes, there is insurance against breakage or other forms of damage to our items, but that doesn’t insure that what we buy will make us profit. But there is a form of insurance we control that costs us nothing: The price you pay for your inventory. When there is a cloud of fear overhanging the financial condition of most people, you just offer less for the items you wish to purchase. Yes, the percentage of items that you buy may shrink, but you will have received insurance at the lower cost to assure your profitability on the items you sell.

An example of this might be that painting that you would have offered $500 for 6 months ago. Today your offer might be $350. Or that Tiffany vase that would’ve caught your attention at a price of $1000, might cause you to want to make that offer today at only $800. This is insurance that you control, and you receive it at no cost. You can’t beat that.

My time in the Smoky Mountains is quickly coming to an end, but I have to admit, I miss all your phone calls and emails. I want to get back to work so I can enjoy all those stories of your successes. I truly do feel that we are forming a community that has the core values I wrote about two days ago: God, Family and Country.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club.

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets that help you increase your profits. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

Daryle Lambert: The British Are Coming – Clarice Cliff Art Deco Wares

You may not have heard of Clarice Cliff but you'll remember her after you read this Blog. In fact, I will be adding her works to our hot list for this year. There are many of her treasures to be found, but right now, most people wouldn't even recognize them as Treasures. But, isn't that precisely what we're looking for?

I will continue to guide our 31 Club Members to study the rare and unusual. That is where the real money is to be found, and that is what we are looking for. Clarice Cliff falls in to this class, and we are so thankful that it is off most people's radar.

This lady was way ahead of her time when she popped onto the scene in the early twenties. Clarice Cliff's colorful Art Deco wares were the hit of the town back then. She produced almost everything that could be used on the proper English Table. Over time, these wonderful pieces have been forgotten by most people, but now, they have arisen once again, lead by the tremendous demand for her Bizzarre Ware. Honolulu, Rudyard and Blue Firs are other patterns that also command extremely high prices.

It seems strange to me that more U.S. dealers aren't really acquainted with Clarice Cliff, but that can also be said about most things that are produced outside of this country. I'm guessing the reason why is that most U.S. dealers might feel that since it wasn't produced in this country, then their chances of finding a great piece are slim, so they don't bother researching these areas. It's the same old story. Buy what we can find the most of. What a mistake that is.

There is a wonderful site that I would like to direct you to: www.claricecliff.com. At this collector's club, I promise you that items can be seen here that you will fall in love with. They are as modern as today and can definitely dress up a rather dull table. This site provides you with all the patterns and designs for Cliff's work plus the marks you will be looking for.

Should you find a piece of Clarice Cliff ware, be sure to check for damage because this will reduce the price that someone is willing to pay by as much as 75%.

I once picked up a piece of Bizzare Ware from a grouping of items spread out on a table, and the lady at the sale told me that I can have anything there for five dollars. To tell the truth, I just liked the Deco look, so I bought it. I put it on eBay, and the first night the bid was already over $150. "Well, looky here," I said to myself. If I remember it correctly, it closed between $350-$500. Now that is the return I love to see.

If everyone is talking about certain items, then your chances of making a score are slim. But if you're the only one in the crowd that knows the value of the items being offered, then you are in a pear tree.

Find out more about my book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles. When you order, your membership in the 31 Club is Free.

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If you have any questions about the book or the club, e-mail me at info@31corp.com.

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.

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Daryle Lambert: Early Art Glass - Quezal Glass

Yesterday I mentioned Quezal Glass in my Blog, and Cindy said, "Daryle, you needed to write about Quezal Glass before you write about Durand!" So -- today, I'm following up on that with one of America's most beautiful glass -- Quezal Glass.

As a young man, Martin Bach, Sr., born in 1865, worked for the St. Louis Glass Works before coming to the United States. He was determined to become a master in glass, so in 1884, when Tiffany and Nash started their company, he became their first mixer. Studying under these men, he learned all the formulation skills he needed to duplicate the glass that he was helping produce. Finally, after having a quarrel with Mr. Nash, Bach resigned to start his own company.

Not having the experience in glass blowing, he heard that Thomas Johnson, a gaffer at the Corona Glass Works was looking for employment, so together they formed the Quezal Art Glass company in 1901. Most of their employees came from the Tiffany plants. Quezal's early pieces were mostly unsigned, and they were identical to Tiffany, so later many of these were signed "Tiffany."

This so infuriated Tiffany that he had his designer produce new designs that were different than the ones being produced by Quezal. This must have been quite a tiff, because at one time, Tiffany even considered stopping the production of all iridescent glass at his factories but then reconsidered.

In some peoples eyes, Quezal pieces were more desirable than Tiffany. They say that the Quezal pieces are more colorful and have more definition than Tiffany.

After 1905, Quezal was having some financial difficulties, and this began their downward slide. Eventually, most of their great employees began to leave for other jobs. Then, in 1924, Martin Bach, Sr. died. His son, Martin Bach, Jr. took over the company, but it was never the same. Finally, Martin Bach, Jr. went to work for the Vineland Flint Glass Works --the Durand Glass I wrote about yesterday. I guess I can see why Cindy wanted me to write about Quezal first. It keeps things in chronological order.

Quezal Glass and Durand Glass hold about the same value. Tiffany's value is higher, and there is more of this glass than, Quezal or Durand.

All through the early years in this country, the true artists in the fields of Pottery and Glass got their training with many companies before starting their own. It wasn't rare to see a person leave a company, yet years later be working for that same company.

Discover how my book, "31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles" can be the tool that helps you become financially free following the same simple financial principles that the wealthy follow -- all with antiques, fine art, and collectibles.

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. Or, if you'd like to sell your item to us, contact us today.

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So Many Plates! Are They Worth Anything?

Plates, plates, and more plates. In fact, I get tired of looking at plates at every sale I attend. But should I? Is it simply that seeing so many worthless plates have jaded me? I asked myself these questions and then decided to do a little research to get some answers. After having done that, I see that by having such a negative opinion of the "lowly" plate and not even stopping to examine them at the many sales I have attended, I have probably passed up some real treasures in my hunt. Shame on me. I now have a different perspective.

Yes, I have found a few plates worth mentioning, but very few. One worth bringing up is the Saturday Evening Girls plate that I discussed in the book “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and Collectibles.” I found one of these plates as I was on my way to Lake Geneva one Father's Day, and I paid twenty-five cents for it at a yard sale. The one I found in a stack of plates on the way to Lake Geneva for Fathers Day. Twenty-five cents didn't seem like much of an investment, so I bought it. It darn well made me happy when it sold for over $300. And now that I think about it, there was the set of fourteen plates I purchased for $150 and soon sold them for over $$1,200. And, wait a second. It just hit me that I did buy a Meissen plate for around $50 and sold it for over $500. Oh, and now this calendar plate just flashed through my mind. The one I bought for $5 and sold for $500. Maybe I like plates a lot more than I thought I did.

You see, this business is like hunting for a needle in a hay stack, but when you find the needle, all the effort becomes worth the hunt. Now that I've started back down that road that I've traveled, I bet I can remember several other stories of finding different types of plates that have proved to me excellent finds. The oyster plates I bought for $25 that I sold for $375 comes to mind. That's not so bad. If I totaled up all the money I've made from plates, how dare I look down my nose on them. When I took out my latest Kovels Price Guide to look through some examples, I was totally surprised to see what some of these plates were now selling for.

$4,950 for a 1907 calendar plate, (Bristol Steel Fishing Rods, Outdoor Camping Scene advertising plate.) A 1922 Edison Mazda, Egypt, Maxwell Parrish plate for $4,510. I have to admit, this is not bad for one plate. And then there were the RS Prussia and flow blue plates that still bring in top dollar. Yes, this is still an area that can bring us the type of return on our money that we are looking for, because so many people today look on these items as I did , “ the lowly plate.”

Discover how the 31 Club, together with our book, can be the tool that helps you begin building personal wealth using antiques, collectibles and fine art, rather than the conventional methods of using stock, bonds, and real estate investing. You won't find results like these through your bank or your stock broker! Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge 31 Club members are participating in, here.

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.

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