“The Restorer and his Magic" - Daryle Lambert – When restoring can make you money.

R Agass Baumgartner - Conservator

Seldom do I take a day off from the 31 Clubs work I do at home but yesterday was the exception and what a learning experience it was. A wonderful young artist by the name of Gretchen visited me and brought several paintings from Kentucky for me to purchase. We agreed to meet in the office of R. Agass Baumgartner who happens to own one of the premier restoration studios in the United States.

Having talked to Gretchen about the paintings I knew that they would have to be restored, even if it were just a cleaning, because the owner had been a heavy smoker. While we were in his studio, Mr. Baumgartner gave us a wonderful study of restoration. The first lesson he shared with us was that it is always best to do as little to a painting as is needed. He said the purpose of restoring is to take a piece back to the condition that it was in when the artist painted it. “My work is not to enhance a painting or make it better than when it was painted but to bring back the original beauty of the piece and prepare it for many years of being admired in the future “ he said.

We continued to ask questions because where could we receive better answers than here so one I asked was, “When do you reline a painting?” His answer surprised me, “Only as a last resort. If the edges of a canvass are damaged, we strip line the painting, which is just adding a small strip of canvas so that the original canvas can be properly tacked to the stretchers.” He also shared how it is possible to reduce cracks in the paint and how waxing a canvas gives it more stability.

I was utterly amazed by the amount of knowledge this gentleman has at his command. You could see the love that he has for each work that was restored. Also what a pleasure it must be to work with your son every day and in such a beautiful studio overlooking Michigan Avenue. I would highly advise anyone that has a painting worthy of restoring to contact Baumgartner Fine Art Restoration at 1006 South Michigan Avenue Chicago Illinois.

Last but not least was his advice that if you are going to restore a painting be sure to have it done by a qualified restorer. Don't have a person attempt to restore your painting just because they say, “I will do it cheap.” In that case it is better to leave it un-restored and let the new owner decide what he wants to do with it. Undoing a bad restoration can be very expensive

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“Pontiac is a Name to Remember" - Daryle Lambert – Made for speed.

Now that is a Car - lhmopars.com

I wasn't around at the beginning of the Pontiac legend but I was there for their heyday. Oakland Car Company of Pontiac Michigan started this great tradition for the Pontiac brand in 1907 and it was founded by Edward Murphy. However, it was only two years later that it was gobbled up by General Motors in 1909.My 220 page book about how to make money buying and selling antiques & collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Us Today!
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General Motors didn't really expand the Pontiac brand until 1926 when it introduced the “Chief of the Sixties" series. For around twenty five years Pontiac was known as a family car but that was soon to change in the fifties. Street racing and movies featuring James Dean created a new era for car enthusiasts.

My first car was a Chevrolet Bel Air two door hard top from 1955. If you are familiar with the fifties then you know my car had to be pink and gray, like everything else that year. Cars, kitchen appliances, clothing, furniture and even your underwear and socks had to be pink and gray. I thought that this car made me the cat's meow. My friend David Cox, who later became the mayor of a major eastern city, owned a Pontiac at the same time and we raced on the streets on many occasions. I'm not sure that I can really tell you who won most of the time but I think that I did and he probably would say he did.

The name that most older citizens would recognize as a Pontiac brand would be the Bonneville and I am sure this name came from the Bonneville salt flats that were used for testing the fastest cars of the day. But people that have a need for speed remember when Pontiac equipped a standard car named Tempest with the high powered engine and called it the GTO. This car was a real racing streak. The 389 cubic Inch V-8 was like nothing before it. In fact today it is known as the first muscle car. Later came the Firebirds and Trans Ams. Why am I telling you all this? It is because this fantastic line of cars is going to be put out to pasture. There will no longer be that image of young men testing themselves by driving a car at speeds that should only be achieved by professional drivers. No longer will you see Pontiac in the NASCAR series.

You are asking how this information can make us money, aren't you? I have shared with you in past blogs for the 31 Club that the mean age for collectors is about 45 years and that collectors attempt to re-capture their past. So people in their 60's will remember all the hubbub that surrounded the Pontiacs. But what should we look for? Anything associated with the Pontiac automobile. Advertising, manuals, hood ornaments, hubcaps, photos, ownership papers, trophies and there must be hundreds of other items that you will find if your search includes Pontiac memorabilia.

Isn't it interesting how the events of history create new collectibles almost everyday? There should never be a time when there isn't something exciting coming forth in the collector market and you should always be prepared for it.

“UND – University of North Dakota Pottery" - Daryle Lambert – Most Unusual

University of North Dakota Test piece - Julia Mattson

I continue to search for items for the 31 Club that I haven't seen before and it happened again last week with a piece of UND pottery. I have been interested in anything Western since I started going to the Eaton's ranch in Wyoming several years ago. It really didn't matter if it was a painting, pieces of pottery or Native American items. They became my new first love.

But back to this unusual find. I received a phone call from this wonderful lady asking if I would be interested in purchasing a few pieces of UND. Without hesitation my answer was yes. She sent me pictures and descriptions of five pieces but only one really peaked my interest. I have to admit I had never seen anything like it.

This small vase was 5-6 inches tall and was decorated with irregular lines of color. There didn't seem to be any rational reason for the pattern or special design but just random lines as if the person was doing finger painting as a child. Even though I didn't understand it I found that the vase was strangely appealing. Not being able to get the piece off my mind, I called my sidekick, Cecil Roeder, to get his opinion.

Wow is he good because the first thing that came out of his mouth made complete sense to me. “It is a test sample for different glazes when they are fired,” he said. As I sat there I wondered why I hadn't thought of that? Yes it is still attractive to me and maybe even more so because it is a one of a kind. When you add that it is made of red clay, which I believe makes it an early piece, and also is marked with Julia Mattson's initials, I believe it is a special piece.

I once found a plaque of a lady playing tennis and when I turned it over the inscription told me it was presented as a trophy and it gave the winner's name. I had hoped to find the owner but was unable to so I sold it on eBay where it quickly quadrupled my money.

There is a serious group of collectors for UND and most are looking for examples by Margaret Cable, Hildegarde Fried, Flora Huck and Julia Mattson. The better pieces to be found are carved western scenes or animals. There is one example that I am still looking for and it will be a piece marked “Maggie Mud” which designates that Margaret Cable made it.

You will find that the buyers will flock to you if you are offering a better piece of UND and the price should bring a huge smile to your face. I have found the most information on UND in a book by Darlene Hurst Dammel by the name Dakota Potteries. You may find it on Amazon or Abebooks.

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“Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder" - Daryle Lambert – Remember these names: Cluthra and Cintra.

31 Clubs Steuben Cintra Bowl - www.31corp.com

Several months ago I was asked to do a blog for the 31 Club on Steuben and I believe that request was honored. However I just received the prices from Early's Art Glass sale and was somewhat surprised by the Steuben prices that were much stronger than I thought they would be.

The more common pieces didn't set the world on fire but still did quite well. The Steuben Blue and Gold Aurene mostly fell within the range of their estimates but get this. A Yellow Jade bowl, 10 ½ inches in diameter with an estimate of $200 - $300 was hammered by the auctioneer at $2500. I wish I had been there to see the people's eyes in the audience as this prize continue to climb in price.

However, these aren't the pieces of Steuben I want you to concentrate on at the moment. I have to admit that, until recently, I wasn't familiar with the names Chuthra and Cintra but you can bet that now they are a part of my vocabulary. Yes, they are seldom mentioned in discussions of Steuben, but be assured that every Steuben collector is aware of them. Most of the pieces carrying these names will command over $1000 if you are fortunate enough to find them in a dealer's booth. However, since the public is usually unaware of them, they may be found at much more favorable prices.

Here is my story and why I had to educate myself on these names. I had been called in to buy items that were for sale by a wonderful lady for her elderly father. There were paintings and glass, porcelain and pottery galore. She, however, had done her homework and most of what she was offering was out of my price range. But not wanting to be deterred in my search, I asked if I could visit her basement and she agreed. There were racks and bins of mostly worthless junk stacked from floor to ceiling.

My eye quickly scanned from wall to wall but then fell on this sort of ugly centerpiece. It was a very unattractive piece and had a matte surface, but for some reason I just had to pick it up. The first clue was that it had a ground pontil. This is where the piece had been snapped off from the rod it was attached to. Usually only the better pieces have a ground pontil. Then the real search began for the signature. The mark wasn't easy to find but finally there it was, Stueben. I asked the price and it seemed reasonable at $25. Getting home and looking in my glass books to my anazement the true value was closer to $2000. There was a piece no larger than mine that was listed in the Early's last sale ande it sold, even in this market, for $1400. By the way, I also bought a Daum Nancy perfume bottle from that home.

The beauty is in the eyes of the beholder as I mentioned before. But this can mean major bucks for you. So keep those eyes open and if in doubt about the value of a piece be sure to pick it up and look.

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“Give me Liberty or Give me Death” - Daryle Lambert – Not meant to offend.

My President

I have tried very hard not to let this blog be composed of just my religious and political views but I hope that you will forgive me if today I break that rule. It is becoming more apparent every day that our President Barack Obama has lost his way or is definitely on a path that is different than what I believe our forefathers planned for this country. The quote “Give me liberty or give me death” exemplifies what our forefathers believed but they even carried this further to include all people that seek freedom around the world.

I received an email yesterday and I couldn't agree with it more so I am going to share it with you. Yes, President Obama's memorabilia will be worth tremendous amounts of money in the future but will it be because of his greatness or his failures?

Arrogant Americans, Mr. President? Peter Heck - Guest Columnist - 4/14/2009 7:50:00 AM As I was sitting in church waiting for the start of the service, my grandpa came walking towards me pointing his finger. No matter how old I get, and no matter how long he has been out of the U.S. Navy, that's still an intimidating sight.As he approached me, his voice quivered as he said.... "We saved that continent twice... how dare my president apologize for this country's arrogance." My grandpa is right. Americans need not apologize to the world for their arrogance; rather, Americans should apologize to their forefathers for the arrogance of their president. Barack Obama's first foreign trip as President of the United States has confirmed the naiveté so many of us feared during the election cycle. But worse than that, it has also demonstrated that our president suffers from either a complete misunderstanding of our heritage and history, or an utter contempt for it. Neither is excusable. Garnering cheers from the French (of all people), President Obama declared: "In America, there is a failure to appreciate Europe's leading role in the world. Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive." Consider that Obama spoke these words just 500 miles from the beaches of Normandy, where the sand is still stained with 65-year-old blood of arrogant Americans. Indeed, columnist Mark Whittington observes, One should remind Mr. Obama and the Europeans how America has shown arrogance by saving Europe from itself innumerable times in the 20th Century. World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and the wars in the Balkans were largely resolved by American blood, treasure, and leadership. But all that appears lost on the president's seemingly insatiable quest to mend fences he imagines have been tarnished by the bullish George W. Bush. If Obama wishes to continue trampling the presidential tradition of showing class to former office holders and publicly trash Bush for his own personal gain, so be it. But all Americans should make clear that no man even if he is the president will tarnish the legacy of those Americans who have gone before us. Ours is not a history of arrogance. It is a history of courage, self-sacrifice, and honor. When abusive monarchs repressed the masses, Americans resisted and overthrew them. When misguided policies led to the unjust oppression of fellow citizens, Americans rebelled and overturned them. When millions of impoverished and destitute wretches sought a new beginning, Americans threw open the door and welcomed them. When imperial dictators were on the march, Americans surrendered their lives to stop them. When communist thugs threatened world peace, Americans bled to defeat them. When an entire continent was overwhelmed with famine and hunger, Americans gave of themselves to sustain it. When terrorist madmen killed the innocent and subjugated millions, Americans led the fight to topple them. This is the legacy that generations of Americans have left. If President Obama seeks stronger relations with the world community, perhaps he should begin by reminding them of these very truths, rather than condemning his own countrymen on foreign shores. This obsessive need to put down his own country, has caused blogger James Lewis to call President Obama a stunningly ignorant man who has evidently never spoken to a concentration camp survivor, a Cuban refugee, a boat person from Vietnam, a Soviet dissident, or a survivor of Mao's purges. Unfortunately, I can no longer bring myself to give Mr. Obama that benefit of the doubt. Not after looking at the pain in my grandpa’s eyes...a man who still carries shrapnel in his body from his service to this country. As a student and teacher of history, I recognize that America has made mistakes..plenty of them, in fact. But one of the great things about our people has been their courage and humility in admitting and correcting those mistakes. God willing, they will prove that willingness again in four years and correct the mistake that is the presidency of Barack Obama.

I still have hope that our President will see what a great country this is and that the people that voted for him wanted change but he may have misinterpreted what that change was to be.

“Rare and Unusual Musical Instruments” - Daryle Lambert – Do you have an old xylophone?

Xylophones aren't for Everyone - Thanks to www.flicker.com

Believe it or not there are collectors for every musical instrument you can think of. I was just thumbing through the Antique Week and came across an ad for xylophones. { God makes the most beautiful music but man isn't far behind } Now how many of them would you like to own? If you are able to locate the rare and unusual of anything then the market is wide open because of the limited opportunities these collectors have to acquire new items for their collections. When was the last time you saw a xylophone?

I carry a gentleman's card in my wallet because he has ask me to call him anytime I find an accordion. The thought never crossed my mind that I would ever be buying accordions but now I would never pass one by without calling him. I don't even know how to Polka. There are other instruments to search for. Did you know that harmonicas can sell for as much as $5000 or more? Neither did I but I do now.

It is easy to identify with guitars and violins because reading the auction records you know they can bring from $10,000 up to $100,000 or more for Gibson or Martin Guitars and Fender Stratocastyers aren't bad either. Violins can be in a class of their own like the Stradivarius that sells for millions. Even a medium quality violin can sell for $10,000 or more. Here is a story you will like. A man brought a violin to an appraisathon and was told the violin was worth about $1000. You could tell by his expression he was disappointed. As he began preparing to leave, the appraiser asked if he had any idea what the bow was worth? Since the violin was worth only $1000 his answer was "maybe $100". The appraiser almost made him have an heart attack when he announced that the bow's value was $25,000.

Here is another one. I was at a local auction and saw an early Martin sell for $12,500. The crowd went crazy but at the next auction two weeks later I asked him what he had done with the guitar. “You won't believe this but I hung it in my shop the next day and it sold for $25,000", he said. The stories keep coming. Have you heard of Bill Monroe? Probably not, but he is the father of Blue Grass. In fact he is from a small town, near where I grew up, called Rosine, Kentucky. His mandolin sold for $1,000,000 and I can assure you that never in his mind did he think that old piece of junk that he played music with could ever sell for over $1000.

If you think hard enough I am sure that you can come up with some strange instruments that have been used for making music and today it may surprise you what they are worth. Let's see if we can come up with some of that foot-stomping music like I remember from back home and make a lot of money at the same time.

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“Spring Has Sprung for the Antique and Art Business” - Daryle Lambert

Spring has Sprung- Thanks to www.photozo.com

I was just beginning to enjoy the spring flowers and the return of the Robins and Redbirds. There didn't seem to be any reason to get in a hurry because nothing was happening anyway. That was until this week, when regardless how hard I try, I simply can't catch up. First, however, let me share with you a story from one of the members of the 31 Club and I believe you will agree things are happening for her too.

This is an email I receive from Vicki H. that will let you know she is in the “Million Dollar Race.”

Hi Mr. Lambert,

I wrote to you several months ago regarding the large Silver Candlesticks I bought from an estate sale for $600. Well, they just sold at Dumochelle's auction for $2500.00! I am so excited about it! I am also frightened by the prospect that my earnings which amount to $1819.00 will now need to be re-invested. I don't know what to turn to now?

I thought perhaps more silver? But am unsure. Also, I wondered if you would be interested in purchasing that Cowboy painting I got back last year. It didn't sell on ebay for $25. And has now been sitting in my antique booth for months and won't sell for $150. I don't know where else to try to sell it. The biggest problem with it I think is what shipping costs would be, because of the large frame. Any help with this is appreciated.

I am re-energized now and am looking forward to finding more treasures! I am taking the trip to the spring longest yard sale next month and hope to find lots of good things! If all goes well Colleen and I are going on the August Longest yard sale too. By the way - Loved the blog on Art Glass and I joined Warner's club. It looks fantastic!

Best Wishes, Vicki H.

Those are the kind of stories I like to share and I hope that I will be receiving one from you soon. Back to my week. First, I had an email from a woman who wanted to sell me a Quezal vase which I immediately accepted. Second, I completed two sales on eBay: a painting and then a Weller Jardinière and Pedestal. But this was just the start of things to come. I have been offered paintings by Ellen Farr and William Horton. The gentleman that offered the Horton was representing a client and when he told his client that he had offered it to “Daryle” in Chicago the man started to laugh. You see the seller and I are great friends but over the last few years we had just sort of drifted apart. He lives in California and we have had many great deals together. I am sure that we will keep in touch from now on. What a small world.

Just when I thought that things couldn't get better, are you ready for this? I was offered $50,000 worth of art work by an artist that I search for from two seperate sources. There are a total of eleven different paintings and I feel certain that many of them will be mine tomorrow. Here is the greatest part. Several of these pieces will go to present customers of mine and will never see the auction market.

The number of inquires that I am receiving each day is also on the rise so that tells me that our members are getting more active also. With this season starting off like this, I can only imagine what the summer is going to be like for us as this business gets in full bloom.

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