“Fun While It Lasted – Daryle Lambert's Antique and Collectible Blog – Still Waiting.

Rooms by the Sea by Edward Hopper- Thanks to www.canvasreplica.com

My record for a sale of a single item is $115,000 and this painting has been the pride of my 45 years in the Antique and Collectible business. The joy that I received from finding this painting by Frederick Morgan was more about the discovery than the money, if you can believe that.

Well, two days ago, I almost went into orbit for a while when I discovered a painting by Edward Hopper in a lady's house. She had asked me to come by and look at a round oak table. My eyes were immediately drawn to this painting and I knew there was something special about it.

I had known the lady for some time and she had become a friend of my wife and rode the train with her to work. The phone rang one afternoon and the voice on the other end of the phone asked if I knew who I was talking to and my response was of course. This is when she asked me to drop by about the table. Since she lives close to me in a very up scale neighborhood, I made the appointment for the next day. The table was all in pieces but then there was the painting.

I hurried home to research the piece and found to my amazement that Hopper's works can bring millions if the subject matter is right. Guess what? The subject matter in this painting was what you would want it to be, cubic and surreal. Now my heart was really beating fast and I couldn't wait to return to her home. I gave her a call to see when the next day she could see me and we set the appointment for about 10:30 the next morning. But while I had her on the phone I thought that I would ask her a few more questions, like is there anything on the back. She, being very gracious, set the phone down and removed the painting from her wall and said "Yes there is a paper that says who it is by , what gallery it was shown in, the size and who the owner was." At that time I shared with her what the possibilities were for the painting and if it turned out to be what I thought, she could pay me a commission for selling it. This is when I needed to take another heart pill because she had just described a show label on the back of the painting and that was about all I needed to hear before announcing it the real thing. By my first estimates this piece could be worth $2,000,000 to $10,000,000. My mind started to really go to work then thinking about where can we insure it, where would be best place to sell it and even how I would write a book about this adventure.

I have written that I am now on the hunt for something that I can sell for $500,000 and I thought that I had found it. Not being able to sleep, I spent the next few hours on my computer until my eyes wouldn't stay up any longer and I headed to bed. Up at the crack of dawn it was back to the computer. This was when my heart began to sink. During my search I ran across the listing for reproduction paintings and Hopper's name was listed. Still with all the information that I had and having actually held the painting and with the label on the back, I thought that it might be the real thing. But the true test would be the size so the next morning at 10:30 I was on her door step. She had taken the painting upstairs so she retrieved it and I sat on her couch slightly shaking with the tape measure in my hand. It measured 33 by 23 inches and this told me what I wanted to know because the real painting measures 40 1/8 by 29 inches. The suspense was over but I still had, for a moment, that excitement that is still to come for me, but it will have to wait for awhile. Yes that $500,000 item is sitting in a home, garage or building and I am on its trail and there isn't a way it will escape me forever.

I am sure you are asking if I was disappointed and I would be less than honest if I said no but still I would have wanted to have this experience all over again even if it ended the same way because I know that day is coming when the piece I find will be real.

My 220 page book about how to make money buying and selling antiques & collectibles is FREE with your membership in the Daryle Lamberts Antique and Collectible Club . Join Us Today!Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

“Carnival Means More Than Rides” - Daryle Lambert's Antique and Collectible Blog – Expensive Glass.

Canival Glass Plate - Thanks to www.usauctionlist.com

Each day brings new and exciting things into my life. I often encounter questions from members of the “31 Club” that require me to hit the books because answers don't immediately come to mind. This is one way to keep this old brain of mine active and I thoroughly enjoy it. However, the greatest part of what I do is keep in contact with people I really like.

This happened today when my mentor Cecil Roeder called and asked about a Carnival Glass plate. I almost had to laugh because it is so seldom that Cecil has to ask me about anything. You see he is almost a walking encyclopedia when it comes to Antiques and Collectibles. But this plate was one that he couldn't find so we were like two kids, both going through our libraries searching for the answer, while holding the phone with our head and shoulder. Most of you have read what I have written on Carnival Glass and how it was the poor man's Tiffany, but it no longer is. In fact, some Carnival ranks right up there with Tiffany. Since the piece that Cecil was trying to appraise was a plate which often can carry prices in the thousands of dollars, he wanted to be sure that he found the correct information.

After maybe 30 minutes we finally found what we were looking for and it seemed like a mystery solved. This is what I love about this business and that is, if you give it time, all the questions you have can be answered and often it is with the help of a good friend. In this case what we were searching for was a price for an Orange Tree blue 9 inch plate, but with a twist. The center didn't have the normal pattern and that could have made a tremendous difference in the price. Finding that this center is called "tree trunk", it was possible to establish a price for the plate which was under $500. The great thing about our study of this piece was the information that we were able to store in our minds about other items that we ran across in our books. Now we both know that in the event we find this identical plate in green it would be worth up to $5000.

This is the type of information that will send you to the front of the class. How would you feel if, attending one of the local garage sales, you noticed this Carnival Glass plate sitting in the china cabinet where it was placed fifty years ago? Approaching it and picking the plate up, you discover that it is the Orange Tree pattern and in green. How would you keep your composure as you turned to the clerk and asked the price? To your surprise the answer could be as low as $25. No it isn't Tiffany, but it could even be better. However, if you didn't know about this piece you would probably walk away wondering why are they asking so much. Again I have to state knowledge is king and don't you forget it.

My 220 page book about how to make money buying and selling antiques & collectibles is FREE with your membership in the Daryle Lamberts Antique and Collectible Club . Join Us Today!Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

“Why Just One?” - Daryle Lambert's Antique and Collectible Blog – Another Glass Master.

Tony Jojola - Thanks to www.wrightsgallery.com

I have shared with you about my love of Western Art that started with visiting the Eaton's Ranch in Wyoming [ www.eatonsranch.com ], however it has grown greatly from there. I have become very interested in everything to do with the Indian culture. After collecting several wonderful Western paintings by such artists as William Gollings and Ida McAfee, I began to notice other Indian memorabilia. There were the beaded gloves with the American flags on them, ceremonial beaded clothing, weapons and leather goods. The artistry and craftsmanship among the different tribes is astonishing.

From my experiences on the ranch, I became aware that at some level I was connecting to this culture. This is when I began taking trips to South Dakota with Colin Craig, who has become like a son to me. We have gone to the Lakota Sioux reservation together over 20 times and I believe they have accepted us into their families. There isn't anything like a pow wow or a sun dance to make you yearn for the days of old when people where free and roamed the open plains of the West.

However, many of the skills that the older members of the tribes possessed have been lost and I don't think that the young will ever recover them. However, there is a new group of artists emerging and I would like to introduce you to one of them. His name is Tony Jojola and he is becoming one of the true masters of art glass. He studied under Dale Chihuly and his work is getting great acclaim from all that view it.

Here is a short biography:

Tony Jojola is one of only a handful of Native American glass Blowers. Born on the Isleta Pueblo in New Mexico, Jojola began working as a potter at a young age. After enrolling at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, he was exposed to the art of glass blowing. Further training at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine, led to a period of study at Pilchuck Glass School, where he served as studio assistant to Dale Chihuly, the acknowledged master of American Glass Art. With Chihuly�s support, Jojola established the Hilltop Artists in Residence program at the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico. This program helps at-risk youth through learning the art of blowing glass. During the past year, Jojola was prominently featured in a traveling exhibition of Native American Artists working in glass organized by the Museum of Craft & Folk Art in San Francisco. The exhibition showed at a number of major west coast venues, including the Heard Museum in Phoenix, AZ.

This is another opportunity for you, as a member of the “Daryle Lambert's Antique and Collectible Club”, to run ahead of the pack. If you are able to find pieces of work by the likes of Novaro and Jojola, they will definitely fatten your bank accounts. I will continue to share names of top artists that few recognize. I suggest that you go to Yahoo and type in Tony Jojola and study his works, because if I asked 1000 people standing in line at a garage or house sale who he is, I doubt that there would be a single person that would know of him. These true masters of their art are collected by the sophisticated collector and I assure you that you will have no trouble placing their works.

My 220 page book about how to make money buying and selling antiques & collectibles is FREE with your membership in the Daryle Lamberts Antique and Collectible Club . Join Us Today!Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

“What Makes the Difference?“ - Daryle Lambert's Antique and Collectible Blog – The name of course.

Jean Claude Novaro - $6600 on EBAY

I have been in love with art glass for many years, however, to make money with it you need to discover a name other than Tiffany, Loetz, Lalique or Steuben. Yes, you can make money with these names, but it is harder than if you discover a piece by an artist not so well known. Some years ago, Warner Smith and I visited a lady's home. She had a piece by Charles Lotton and to be honest it wasn't a household name for me at that time. Warner particularly like the Lotton so I encouraged him to start a Lotton Club because after a short search I found that there wasn't one.

This was the start of something special, even though Warner at first encountered a lot of resistance from the Lottons. His club prospered and the prices took an immediate jump because of Warner's efforts. However, today you are unlikely to find a real bargain in Lotton glass because it is in every major auction of art glass. These pieces seemed to have topped out but still they are holding their value and I believe only the best of this, the Lotton glass, will continue to appreciate over the near term.

So where does that leave us? I think it leaves us looking for exceptional art glass that isn't a household name yet. I have mentioned Satava and Smallhouse in previous blogs and Warner has taken them on in his new site "www.artglassclubs.com." But have you heard of Jean Claude Novaro? Neither had I but by searching for expensive art glass I ran across his name. If you are fortunate enough to find a piece of his work you have truly found a treasure. He makes all kind of glasswares: vases, lamps and sculptures and figurines that look like Murano pieces. The only difference is that his figures don't sell for a few dollars but thousands of dollars. Here is his biography.

Thanks to www.novarogallery.com

JEAN CLAUDE NOVARO Born in Antibes, France in 1943, Jean Claude Novaro apprenticed at a glassworks in Biot when he was only 14 years old. For fifty years, Jean Claude Novaro has perfected the art of creating glass sculpture with a singularity of purpose some might say borders on obsession. Novaro has said that his relationship with glass was “love at first sight. I’ve never even thought of doing anything else”. Today, Novaro is recognized as one of the greatest glass blowers of our time; not only for his technical mastery and innovation but also for his solitary technique, a rarity even among the most accomplished glass maestros. Each action of creation is pre-planned and intentional, designed to achieve a specific result. Claude Monet once said, “No one is an artist unless he carries his picture in his head before painting it, and is sure of his method and composition”. Given this definition, Jean Claude Novaro is an artist of the highest order. He has elevated the art of glassblowing to the level of contemporary painting. He became a master of glass at the age of 20. Since that time, Novaro has developed a style known not only for his delicacy, but for its weight, depth and complex layering of color using transparent glass, which is a particularly difficult effect to achieve. Novaro not only mastered the incorporation of gold leaf into his glass; he is the first in 3500 years of glass-making history to add luminescent elements, a spectacular invention of which he patented. His work appears in more than 160 individual and collective exhibitions around the world, in countries such as France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Holland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan and the United States. His work his collected by thousands world-wide, including actor Robert De Niro, world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, tennis player Jimmy Connors, entertainers Bill Cosby, Frank and Barbara Sinatra, Prince Albert of Monaco, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Florida Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria. Novaro has been awarded “Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres” (Knight of Arts and Humanities) in 2003 by the French Government. “Novaro is a master; a master known the world over. His work needs no translation, no explanation, no glossary, no expert exposition – they need only an eye to see and a heart to understand” Bill Cosby

“It May Be Time” - Daryle Lambert's Antique and Collectible Blog – I took the step today.

Just Keep Mov'in - Thanks to flicker .com

I believe that I am like so many of you. In what way, I am sure you are asking. Well for the last few months it has been very difficult for me to get motivated and do the things I need to do to continue my march in the “Million Dollar Race.” Going to sales and listing an item for the fifth time had lost some of its zing for me, but today I got that old feeling back and listed several items. Checking my listings just two hours later, I found that there were watchers and even bidders.

The other surprise that I got was when I looked at the cost of listing on eBay. They may have finally figured out that, without people listing items on their site, they will go broke. It may be time for you to take another look at eBay for your listings. In fact, I got an email from them telling me I am getting five free listings a month. Now that eBay has done their share it may be our time to do what we know best and that is buying and selling. I believe that the public is again starting to shop for Antiques and Collectibles and it is up to us to provide them the opportunity to find them.

Now may be the time to take those items that you have tried to sell with no results and give them another chance. Also go out this weekend and see what you can buy, then list it when you get home to see if what I am telling you is really happening. I believe this would be a great time to commit all your cash to buying items for listing at this present time. If you don't get the results you wish then it will be okay to slack off again and only commit to those extra special items.

With the change in weather, look for fishing collectibles like lures, reels, bamboo fly rods and old advertisements about fishing. (By the way, I took Joshua fishing Monday and he caught a 4 lb. large mouth bass at a friend's lake.) You should also keep your eyes out for golf collectibles and I think they will fly off your shelves. Vintage woods, irons, putters and even bags should make you great returns on your investments. I just saw a large frame hanging on a gentleman's wall containing a hole flag, a golf ball signed by Tiger Woods, some advertising and some other items from the Masters. I am trying to buy it but haven't closed the deal yet. Maybe that little vacation that I took this weekend got my blood stirring so that I can get back in the race.

From the start I have always said there was no way to fail in this business if you followed the rules that I have given you in my book “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and Collectibles.” The method we use together will always get us across the finish line if we don't quit but it is all right to take a little breather every now and then. I think it is time for me to put my shoulder back to the plow as they say in the country and I hope that you will be with me.

My 220 page book about how to make money buying and selling antiques & collectibles is FREE with your membership in the Daryle Lamberts Antique and Collectible Club . Join Us Today!Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

“Arbitrage” - Daryle Lambert's Antique and Collectible Blog – A word you should know.

Arbitrage - Thanks to frankschilling.typepad.com

I can't help myself but I keep going back to the lessons I learned as a stock trader. Often these same lessons can be applied to the Antique and Collectible markets and convert themselves into money in our pockets.

One of the surest ways to make money with stocks is to arbitrage between different markets and this same strategy can be used with antiques and collectibles. The difference between what a stock is selling for on different exchanges often gives the trade an instant profit. If Ford is listed at $6.10 on the New York stock exchange but $5.95 on the Pacific exchange, you would buy on the Pacific and sell on the New York thereby capturing a $.15 profit with very little if any risk. There are traders doing this all day long throughout the world. So why shouldn't we do the same thing in our field of business if it is possible, and it is.

Why can't you buy items on the different auction sites and immediately sell them on another site that you think will bring a higher price? You may even use a “Buy it Now” feature to hasten your profits. If, by training yourselves on market values, you find an item that is selling too cheaply, you would buy it and sell the item immediately on another site. This is possible even before you receive the item or can be done once the item is in your hand. For example, Seeauctions seems to have a very strong market for coins so searching the other sites you find a silver dollar that isn't reaching a sale price that is equivalent to its value. You buy it and that same day list it on Seeauctions. There are now many auction sites and new ones springing up everyday so you can sit back and scan these sites until you find a bargain. The greatest part about this strategy is that it doesn't cost you anything to use it. All that you must keep in mind is the shipping on the purchase and the fees on the sale.

If you use Paypal you might want to leave enough money in your account where you could do this on a continual basis. I have stated, however, that you never want to let your risk grow to a point where it would endanger your business so a few thousand dollars in your account should always be sufficient.

In one of my stories I talk about little Jimmie buying a watercolor for $40 and immediately consigning it to another auction in the same city where it brought over $22,000. Another example was when Warner, one of my partners, and I called a man in Canada about a plaque we were considering . He said that it would be of great interest to him at a certain price. Guess what? We knew where one was being sold. After purchasing it with only one phone call it was flipped for over $3500 profit. Not bad for the time it took to make the phone call and the only real risk was if God had decided it was time to call the man home.

Arbitrage, the word even sounds great and it can be put into good use in “Your Race to the Million.”

My 220 page book about how to make money buying and selling antiques & collectibles is FREE with your membership in the Daryle Lamberts Antique and Collectible Club . Join Us Today!Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

“Who is Afraid of Roseville Pottery?” - Daryle Lambert's Antique and Collectible Blog- “Don't You Be.”

Roseville Futura - Thanks to wisconsinpottery.org

Enough is enough and that is what I have to say about the prices that Roseville Pottery pieces are bringing in today's markets. This is ridiculous. People are selling the better pieces of Roseville for less than the junk pottery that was made by unknown potteries that sold for a quarter originally.

This may be a once in a lifetime situation to take advantage of a preconceived weakness in the Roseville market that isn't justified. Yes, there were some rather crude reproductions of Roseville made but even a novice can tell the real from the fake once the fakes are pointed out to them. This shouldn't be the reason for the almost total collapse of this market, so now I am left with a puzzle. What could it be? Here is what I think. It is the blind leading the blind. Someone reduced his prices on Roseville so the dealer next to him reduced his even lower until there is no market at all.

I listed a Pinecone jardinière that was 15 inches high that had an old label with a price of $2500 still on it. I know you won't believe me but a lady emailed me that she would give me $125 for it, but are you ready for the real kicker? She said only if it were in perfect condition. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry so I just laughed. This is the time to strike while people are completely blinded by what others are saying.

If you check the other auctions like Seeauctions and Online Auction you will find prices for pieces I am going to share with you at even more ridicules prices than these on eBay. Here we go freesia ewer $10.50, Bleeding Heart Bowl $15.50, Bleeding Heart Vase with handles $15.65, Snowberry Vase $17.50, Apple Wallpocket $15.00, Bushberry vase handled $22.00, Cornelian Vase $19.95, Columbine Vase $28. I would love to have all of these and feel certain there is a double of my cost in each one. But let's look at the more popular patterns from the past: Futura Vase $795, that you couldn't have touch for double that a few years ago and think if you were lucky enough to buy it for half that, this Baneda 12 inch vase didn't get a bid at $725, neither did this Blackberry Vase at $675, Blue pinecone Vase $600 and another Blackberry Vase for $425.

Here are two pieces that didn't even sell that I would have given my eye teeth for: Cherry Blossom lamp $404 and a Sunflower vase with handles for $382. What would they have brought at other less well viewed auctions I can only imagine. It is time to buy Roseville and don't be ashamed to bid ridiculously low prices because everyone else is and they are buying some real cherries

My 220 page book about how to make money buying and selling antiques & collectibles is FREE with your membership in the Daryle Lamberts Antique and Collectible Club . Join Us Today!Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.