Daryle Lambert: Vintage Comics Bring in Bucks

I heard from one of our most faithful members today, and she supplied me with a real story for you. Vicki H. has been communicating with me almost from the day we started our Blog. If there is still anyone out their that doesn't think treasures can be found today, they must not have run into Vicki H.

This latest story is even better than the ones she has shared in the past. We all have heard that Comics can be profitable, but do you know which ones are making Vicki jump for joy? You might be surprised that the funny books, as they were known as at the time, aren't the ones that are bringing the most money. Even I was caught off guard. It's the Horror Books that are moving to the head of the class. Vicki H. has just listed several lots of comics, and one listing is already standing out. This lot is for two Golden Age Comics from 1952-53 and titled "Tales of Terror." Having 13 bids, standing at over $400 for the two, with five days left to go their final price is anyone's guess.

Yes, Horror is where it's at, but why? Let's think about it together. First, parents might not have wanted their children to read those, so there might have been fewer printed. Second, the story lines were limited, so this could be another reason for their rarity. If you have any thoughts on this please comment.

I can check how Vicki's listings are doing, and so can you by going to zvicki40 on the advanced search under "sellers." If you aren't aware that you can look up individual sellers, then this is a great eBay tip for you. When you make a list of sellers who deal in items that interest you, you can checking their sites directly. This is a good way to find listings that can be purchased for your customers at prices that can meet our goals. This way you don't have to continually check all the listings on eBay to find what you want.

So often I have been at garage or estate sales and have seen boxes of comics that I passed by. I was so sure that if there had been anything rare, someone would have pulled it from the pile. Duh -- how dumb was I? By doing this I have probably passed by tens of thousands of dollars when I could have purchased the whole box lots for only a few dollars. You see, even though I have been in this business for over 40 years, I am still learning! That's what makes this business fun, as well as profitable.

As you can see, money in this business can come from all directions, and you will never run out of things to purchase that will put a smile on your face when they are sold. In this case, as I have mentioned in previous blogs, when you have the opportunity to buy multiple items at one time, usually the price is cheaper, and there is always the possibility that there could be a real treasure hidden in those boxes.

Way to go Vicki! Thanks for educating the rest of us. I will be waiting with bated breath for your next success story.

Learn about Antiques & Collectibles and Learn How to Invest in Antiques & Collectibles. We use a wealth building plan to get the most out of buying and selling. A plan that will help you accumulate enough wealth to last a lifetime. Join the 31 Club. When you join today, you'll receive my 200 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, FREE.

"...I spent about 15 years in the antiques and collectible field
and I can tell you this is one of the best books you will ever
read about making money with art, antiques and collectibles."
-Skip McGrath, Auction Seller's Resources & EBay Powerweller

"It has been a great pleasure knowing Daryle for more than
10 years. I share his excitement in releasing this book. He is
a man of his word."
Riley Humler, Cincinnati Art Galleries
Consultant, Antique RoadShow

Want to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article 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.

Go to Our Homepage.

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

Getting Out of the Gate with Antiques, Collectibles & Paintings

Royal Haeger Collie Figurine had 11 Bidders

Talking each day and sharing with you gets me so excited, I usually can't wait for the next day to roll around. Telling stories of sales bringing in tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands gets my blood pumping. It's like being back in that race car in the days I thought I might someday race in the Daytona 500.

But Cindy brought me back to earth yesterday. She told me, "Daryle it's okay to talk about all the items in the way high range, but let's take care of today and first help people get out of the gate." I understood. I was getting caught up in the excitement of where I wanted to take you all. That's why it's good to have a partner who can douse you with a bucket of cold water when you need it.

I've given you plenty of information and insight about the path we'll be heading down, so let's focus on getting you out of the gate. When a horse jumps out of the starting gate, they take very short strides until they are underway. That's the way it is in the race you are beginnng. After you've take a few strides, then it's easier to put it in drive and sail along until you get near the finish line.

Let's spend your first $100, and then, the money each later buy and sell creates for you. I'll spend more of our time here writing about the kinds of items you'll be starting out with as you climb the steps toward the more rare and valuable items. You see, it's those early steps that will provide the seed money that will eventually produce the funds that will enable you to be well taken care of in your golden years (or way before that if you are diligent.)

So rather than talking about Tiffany, Daum Nancy or even Stueben, let's talk less expensive glass, pottery and porcelain. Like Carnival Glass. Names like McCoy, Haeger and Frankoma. These first steps can be taken in anything you find that you can buy low and sell high. Things like comic books, political memorabilia, vintage Christmas items, vintage kitchen ware, vintage cook books. I've written about some these during the year, so scroll back if you're new to the Blog and the 31 Club.

If you'll remember, our member, Vicki H. purchased six boxes of vintage phonograph needles for her first step. She spent $100, and she divided them up by manufacturer, then sold them individually on eBay, making herself about $800. Mike, from Vancouver Island, was working on his first step and found a bagful of vintage sterling bridle rosettes he paid $30 for. He sold one of the rosettes for $183.

While there are rare pieces of Carnival Glass listed, like the People's vase for $50,000, there are far less expensive and more common pieces listed for around $200, too. While you are studying, you will begin to recognize the more common pieces from the valuable ones, and if more common items appear at a sale and meet the requirements to be purchased, this would be a good place to start. For example, if the most current price guide shows $200, then you should add it to your inventory if you can get it for $50 or less. Remember, the goal is to, at the very least, double your money.

Glass, pottery, porcelain and even paintings can be used to complete your first step, so let's take a look at some pottery that can get you started. McCoy, Haeger, Frankoma, and many others are pottery you're more likely to encounter. If you'll buy a pottery and porcelain price guide -- one of those big thick ones, you'll be able to see just how many makes of pottery there are out there. These guides can serve you well. Don't forget to look up some of these names on eBay and do a completed listing search to see what some of these items look like and sell for.

You might find a Haeger Blue Dog figurine at a garage sale, because you'll have recognized the name. Today's Photo shows a Royal Haeger Collie figurine that sold a couple days ago on eBay for $108.28. There were 11 bidders. Familiarize yourself with the different types of items these companies produced.

You might run across a McCoy cookie jar, even the McCoy Harley Hog made in 1984. In my 2001 guide, that cookie jar lists for $155. Do you think you might find something like this at a garage or yard sale? You bet. Do a search of "McCoy cookie jar" on eBay in completed listings and see what prices come up.

When you get a good price guide, frequently studying the manufacturer names will etch these names into your mind. A method of study that Cindy uses is to make flash cards. She started with 5 names, and every couple of days, she adds three more and reviews them them all. Then she quizzes herself.

At a sale, When you come across an item whose name you recognze, or that you can recognize on sight, you'll feel great and you can say, "Aha, I know that." Keep the price guide with you in the car. If you have internet access on a lap top or phone, that helps, too. And don't forget -- if you see something you think might be of value, pick it up and claim it as yours. You can always have someone set it aside for you while you check your guide back in the car.

Paintings can often be found at garage and estate sales. Though most may not be listed artists, you can still make money during your early steps with these items. I see many of my friends buying paintings for $25-$35 on Friday and Saturday, then, at the local auction house on Tuesday, there they are awaiting auction that week. These often bring in $250 - $450 for a quality piece. Not a bad return for two days. I've even known dealer friends of mine who have picked up a painting for $35 and it turned out to be the work of a listed artist and sold for thousands.

When attractive paintings showing some quality are found at garage sales, it might well be worth the risk to buy them, and turn the pieces quickly at a local auction. There are always people looking for decorative art.

As you get started on your 31 Steps, I am just as interested in helping you with these kinds of items, as I am in the items you find down the road.

Learn about Antiques & Collectibles and Learn How to Invest in Antiques & Collectibles. We use a wealth building plan to get the most out of buying and selling that will help you accumulate enough wealth to last a lifetime. Join the 31 Club. When you join today, you'll receive my 200 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, FREE.

"...I spent about 15 years in the antiques and collectible field
and I can tell you this is one of the best books you will ever
read about making money with art, antiques and collectibles."
-Skip McGrath, Auction Seller's Resources & EBay Powerweller

"It has been a great pleasure knowing Daryle for more than
10 years. I share his excitement in releasing this book. He is
a man of his word."
Riley Humler, Cincinnati Art Galleries
Consultant, Antique RoadShow

Want to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article 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.

Go to Our Homepage.

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

Daryle Lambert: Ebay "Specials" Won't Raise the Sinking Ship

Contact Lists of Collectors and What Items They Want to Buy

eBay has sent out several e-mails to their customers announcing "specials" they are running. I believe the time for that is long gone. Now, it's time for them to come clean and raise their sinking ship. If they don't, their next quarter earnings are going to really shock their stockholders.

Up to this point, the market has been wonderful to the eBay stockholders and their buyers and sellers. However, the bulk of eBay's business is the middle to lower priced merchandise, and now the ability to make enough profit on these items is seriously in question. The game is over when the expense of doing business becomes so great that a merchant no longer has the incentive to do business. That's what is happening to eBay users today.

In my opinion, it isn't the commissions that are going to do the damage. It's the number of customers they won't retain. I'm guessing they won't be able to continue to add new customers as fast as the old customers high tail it out.

For the members of our 31 Club, I will be watching new developments in the market place. I know that a few "specials" offered won't stop the impending strike that's been planned by merchants, nor will it defer the competition from eating away at their customer base. eBay will either have to change their business model, or the results could prove disastrous for them. We would all lose if this happens.

As all this disorder takes place, believe it or not, listing your items in the local newspapers or trade magazines such as Antique Trader, Antique Week and Maine Antique Digest might be coming back as an effective way of merchandising. Also, private websites such as ours (www.31corp.com) are coming into vogue again, so you might want to check it out. We provide a great place to list your paintings and other items at a low fee with no buyers premiums to discourage your buyers. Private sites like ours have the ability to link to hundreds of other sites where your items will be seen.

Other resources that help you locate collectors for your particular items are right in the back of antique and collectible magazines. They often will have an ad in the classifieds and will list the items they're looking for. This is a quick way of finding a new buyer you haven't dealt with before.

There are books on the market that list collectors and what items they collect. One that I like and have used is Trash or Treasure Guide to the Best Buyers: How and Where to Easily Sell Collectibles, Antiques & Other Treasures by Tony Hyman. This book has contact listings of collectors and what they collect.

Some of these suggestions will eliminate the commissions all together and enhance your profits tremendously.

One of the most overlooked ways of making a sale is to go back to a person who has purchased from you before. This is the easiest sale you'll ever make, because they have already done business with you and know that you're honest and truthful. These sales represent over 50% of my business. I've got no advertising costs or commissions to pay. What could be better than that?

Don't worry too much if eBay doesn't wake up and smell the coffee soon. There are a lot of ways to turn a profit with antiques, collectibles and fine arts. Maybe soon they'll realize the world does not revolve around them. There has always been a market, and there always will be.

Learn about Antiques & Collectibles and Learn How to Invest in Antiques & Collectibles. We use a wealth building plan to get the most out of buying and selling that will help you accumulate enough wealth to last a lifetime. Join the 31 Club. When you join today, you'll receive my 200 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, FREE.

"...I spent about 15 years in the antiques and collectible field
and I can tell you this is one of the best books you will ever
read about making money with art, antiques and collectibles."
-Skip McGrath, Auction Seller's Resources & EBay Powerweller

"It has been a great pleasure knowing Daryle for more than
10 years. I share his excitement in releasing this book. He is
a man of his word."
Riley Humler, Cincinnati Art Galleries
Consultant, Antique RoadShow

Want to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article 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.

Go to Our Homepage

.

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

Fund Your Life with Antiques, Collectibles and Fine Art

What's your number? No, not your phone number, but what's the number in dollars that you will personally need in order to finance your life during your golden years? After you've paid to send the kids to college, that is.

Oh, you don't have money to send the kids to college? Sure, you can jump through the hoops to try and get grants, the kids can try to get scholarships, and heck -- they can even get their own loans. You could get lucky and win the lottery. But, I'm asking you this: If you knew of a way to have enough money to send the kids to college and have enough money to live a funded life during your golden years, would you want to know what that way is? Wouldn't you want pursue it?

"Well, Daryle, what's that got to do with Antiques, Collectibles and Fine Art?" Everything!

You see, in the Antiques, Collectibles and Fine Art Markets, making money to stash away for your golden years is so much more effective than anything else. I swear it's true. I've been in the financial securities business. I know how it works. You'll make the money a whole lot quicker in these market than your banker or stock broker could ever make for you in the financial markets. And you'll have a lot more fun. Now, it won't happen overnight. I'm not talking about getting rich quick. But it will happen faster than it does in the stock and bond markets when you follow a plan.

That's what my book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is all about. That's what the 31 Club is all about. We are all working diligently at accumulating a stash of cash, buying, selling and reinvesting right here in the greatest market around -- the Antiques, Collectibles, and Fine Art Markets. We're meeting wonderful and interesting people, learning more than we thought possible, and we're having loads of fun doing it.

The plan we work with is right in the book, and the help you get to follow it is through the 31 Club. My staff and I are working the plan right along with our readers. And we're showing a 7,500% return on our initial investment right now-- only 8 months into it. And we still have a few items in inventory awaiting sale for even more cash. We'll use that to fund our next buys.

I show you how to do all this in my book. Then, I continually guide those members of the 31 Club who call me. I show you how you could be assured of living a funded life by working with this plan. For those of you who are sitting on the fence, only reading the Blog day in and day out -- What on earth are you waiting for?

Who buys the book and becomes a member? We have young, old, wealthy, and just getting by. We have those who are almost broke, broke, widows, widowers, singles, divorced, in middle school and in college. We have people from all walks of life and professions. There are seasoned antique dealers and people who've never known a lick about antiques in their life.

But we have one common insight: We all know it's going to take a lot of dollars to continue to live well anywhere in the world. We have one common thread: The desire to learn and be active in directing our lives. We have one common goal: To live a funded life, and have fun getting there. Who will fund your life?

Learn about Antiques & Collectibles and Learn How to Invest in Antiques & Collectibles. We use a wealth building plan to get the most out of buying and selling that will help you accumulate enough wealth to last a lifetime. Join the 31 Club. When you join today, you'll receive my 200 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, FREE.

"...I spent about 15 years in the antiques and collectible field
and I can tell you this is one of the best books you will ever
read about making money with art, antiques and collectibles."
-Skip McGrath, Auction Seller's Resources & EBay Powerweller

"It has been a great pleasure knowing Daryle for more than
10 years. I share his excitement in releasing this book. He is
a man of his word."
Riley Humler, Cincinnati Art Galleries
Consultant, Antique RoadShow

Want to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article 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.

Go to Our Homepage.

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

Can Ebay Predict the Election Results? Political Memorabilia - McCain, Obama, Hillary Clinton

Barack Obama Campaign Print Sells for $5,900 on eBay. Highest Price to date.

What a difference a month can make. Not too long ago, I wrote a blog about political memorabilia. I suggested that you might go to all the current presidential candidate's headquarters and gather up all the campaign items you could. How many of you did that? If you did, your rewards might prove to be fantastic.

Who would have thought that an old, worn down soldier could have survivied against the Millionaire and the 9/11 Hero? But, he did. Three months ago, John McCain would have gladly given you his autograph. If he did, today you might be holding the signature of the next President of the United States. Pretty much out of money and with little hope, his campaign posters could have been collected by the bundles. How the scenario has changed today. You still might have time to pick up some of the buttons or other items that will become very valuable collectibles if he wins. What kind of returns will you have make on John McCain's memorabilia if he is elected President?

Next, let's examine Barack Obama, a freshman Senator running against the Senator- Wife of a past President. Not any President, but Bill Clinton, one of this country's favorites. The press had crowned Hillary early on and suggested that anyone who challenged her was wasting their time and money. Yes, I think Senator Obama would have gladly signed your autograph book, and probably several times. He is proving to be one of the most charismatic campaigners that I have ever seen. Do you have anything from his campaign headquarters? How about Hillary's? As this race gets heated up, anything that has Barack Obama's name or Hillary Clinton's name on it will gain in value. You won't have to wait ten years to see it. This will happen between now and November. If you doubt me, just check some items on eBay now and then, again, right before the election.

As I write this, there are 2282 items listed on eBay under "Obama". 1438 Items listed under "Hillary Clinton." 647 Items listed under "McCain." I checked the completed listings, and as I write this, the highest price paid so far is $5,900 for a Barack Obama 24'' x 36'' Edition of 350 (signed and hand numbered)
"Progress" print. Clinton and McCain have less impressive completed sales prices. Can eBay be predicting the Election Results?

Isn't this business fun and easy? All you have to do is think outside the box. That's what makes this fun and profitable. While everyone else is running around like a chickens with their head cut off trying to find items that they will make a 20% return on, you are being given information about things that will prove to be real treasures. You can sell some and keep some, because the cost is zero. Twenty years from now people will be asking each other, “How did he or she do that and who did they know to get those things.”

This is the greatest advantage to doing business the 31 Club way. You never have to be in a hurry. You're always ahead of the trend, because you take the time to become knowledgeable. You'll know the direction of the trends.

Have you picked up any of these items? If you have, please share what you've got in the comments section. Then, if you sell them before the election, please share that with us, too. Our members will be watching to see if I have shared a truth with them, so help me out.

Learn about Antiques & Collectibles and Learn How to Invest in Antiques & Collectibles. We use a wealth building plan to get the most out of buying and selling that will help you accumulate enough wealth to last a lifetime. Join the 31 Club. When you join today, you'll receive my 200 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, FREE.

"...I spent about 15 years in the antiques and collectible field
and I can tell you this is one of the best books you will ever
read about making money with art, antiques and collectibles."
-Skip McGrath, Auction Seller's Resources & EBay Powerweller

"It has been a great pleasure knowing Daryle for more than
10 years. I share his excitement in releasing this book. He is
a man of his word."
Riley Humler, Cincinnati Art Galleries
Consultant, Antique RoadShow

Want to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article here.

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.

Go to Our Homepage.

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

Arts & Crafts Movement Metal Work - Heintz

The silver-on-bronze work of Heintz Art Metal Works of the Arts & Crafts Movement are treasures that might find a place on your list of items to make note of. "Arts & Crafts" is a decorative arts design that emphasizes spare, clean lines and simplicity of design.

Heintz Art Metal Shop was founded in 1906 in New York by Otto Heintz. They discontinued their works in 1935 when a new name, Silvercrest, was taken. Heintz produced some of the best bronze ware that have ever been made in this country. Most people aren't aware of this company, but the ones that are aware, realize that there is a ready market for their better pieces.

The fantastic thing about Heintz was their ability to combine different metals, often making the body of a piece out of bronze, but enhancing it with silver. While today you will see an abundance of cheap copper or bronze items on the market, I think it is fair to say that Heintz items will bring a premium still today.

Once you begin to appreciate the items that they produced you will be able to envision one of their large vases sitting on your Stickley sideboard, or a candlestick of theirs in the middle of your Arts and Crafts table. In fact, some of the best desk sets that were ever made came from this factory. If you are seeing what I'm seeing, you will understand why the better pieces will fly off your shelves and into someone else's collection quickly.

Note that your search for and purchase of Heintz treasure comes with a warning. You never want to clean a piece of Heintz. By removing the patina, up to 75% of the value can be eliminated. When I find a piece, I'd rather let the new buyer clean it as they see fit. And if you find a piece of Heintz, and it has been cleaned, know that its value has been lowered. You don't want to be paying too much for a piece.

Heintz's better candlesticks in today's market might fetch up to $4000, and the same can be said about their lamps, which might bring a considerable amount more. Vases also are highly sought after, and it is unusual for one to be found under $200. From there, the ranges can go into the thousands.

I have had many pieces of Heintz, but most of the pieces have been in the $200 - $600 range. I have seen pieces that I would have given my eye teeth to own. Once you recognize their mark, you will never forget it. It will just become another little nugget of knowledge that gets planted in your brain, waiting there until you need it.

The best places to find Heintz is garage sales and flea markets. These venues don't seem to put as high a value on the Heintz as collectors do. There is money to be made with these wares, so keep a sharp eye out for them.

Learn about Antiques & Collectibles and Learn How to Invest in Antiques & Collectibles. We use a wealth building plan to get the most out of buying and selling that will help you accumulate enough wealth to last a lifetime. Join the 31 Club. When you join today, you'll receive my 200 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, FREE.

"...I spent about 15 years in the antiques and collectible field
and I can tell you this is one of the best books you will ever
read about making money with art, antiques and collectibles."
-Skip McGrath, Auction Seller's Resources & EBay Powerweller

"It has been a great pleasure knowing Daryle for more than
10 years. I share his excitement in releasing this book. He is
a man of his word."
Riley Humler, Cincinnati Art Galleries
Consultant, Antique RoadShow

Want to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article here.

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.

Go to Our Homepage.

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.

TODAY'S LINKS:
Heintzcollection.com
Learn about the Arts & Craft Movement

Antique Pipes & Meerschaum

Meerschaum Pipe. Photo from House of Pipes

As a young man, I remember looking at a magazine ad of a man sitting in a large comfortable chair beside a roaring fire, his dog at his side, smoking a large pipe. What could be better than that, I thought? I looked at the spiraling smoke climbing toward the ceiling, and I dreamed that would someday be me.

I never did start smoking, but that doesn't mean that I can't feel the satisfaction that picture has embedded in my mind.

At one time a man's prized possession was his pipe. He chose the right pipe as diligently as he would choose a wife. His pipe had to be made of the finest wood, clay, ivory or meerschaum. It had to feel just right and draw with perfection. No, nothing was too good for a gentleman's pipe.

How times have changed, and today, having lost their dignity, it is not surprising to find twenty, thirty, or even forty pipes in a box lot. But, there are still people that appreciate a great pipe and are willing to pay handsomely for a special pipe. They're the collectors, of course. And pipes are highly collectible. Just take a quick run through the completed sales on eBay and see how many bids certain types of pipes get, and at what price they're selling for.

This is where you come in. With a little research, you can come to recognize the ones that the true pipe connoisseur is searching for. Yes, among those discarded pipes could be a real treasure. In fact, I have been fortune enough to find several of these treasures in a single box lot.

At one auction, I allowed someone else to out bid me for a box lot of pipes. I later approached the winning bidder and asked about the ones I was interested in. They sold them to me for a couple of dollars. And here's the clincher -- the ones I bought were worth $300-$600, while the ones remaining in the box were worth about $5-$10. Yes, knowledge is King, and I will be showing you this as long as we work together.

Some pipe bowls are often carved with a great deal of artistry. The stems can be made of Bakelite, Vulcanite, Lucite, or just soft plastic. Expensive pipes once had stems made of amber.

Just a few examples from Kovel's price guide. A carved wooded pipe with a figural bowl, Dutch figures $1440; Ivory and wood crowned head and glass eyes $545; breaded man head silver mounted $260. These can be found in box lots for $2-$5 dollars each.

The Meerschaum pipe is a much different pipe, and you may have to pay up for them. The fact that few people really know their worth still can provide you with wonderful surprises. Here is an example. A helmeted warrior with a mother of pearl design $750.

This is where my theory comes in handy. I just say "I will take them all." This works out pretty well for me. I once bought a box lot of pipes for about $200. I sold them all and made about $2,250. There are people who work all month long to bring home $2,250. With knowledge, you can make that amount and not have to work all month for it. I see treasures everywhere.


Learn about Antiques & Collectibles, and Learn to Invest in Antiques & Collectibles. Join the 31 Club. When you join today, you'll receive my 200 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, FREE.

"...I spent about 15 years in the antiques and collectible field
and I can tell you this is one of the best books you will ever
read about making money with art, antiques and collectibles."
-Skip McGrath, Auction Seller's Resources

"It has been a great pleasure knowing Daryle for more than
10 years. I share his excitement in releasing this book. He is
a man of his word."
Riley Humler, Cincinnati Art Galleries
Consultant, Antique RoadShow

Want to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article here.

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

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TODAY'S LINKS:

There's a couple of good books put out by Schiffer Books about collecting pipes. I recommend Collecting Antique Meerschaum Pipes and A Complete Guide to Collecting Antique Pipes , both by Ben Rapaport, and The Ultimate Pipe Book by Richard Carleton Hacker

Look at some beautiful and interesting antique pipes here:
House of Pipes

This is an older article, but the history is not outdated:
The Art of the Antique Pipe

Ruby Lane has some more common antique pipes that will familiarize you with the more common item and can help you assess value.