When Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, little did he know what he started. Yes, the light bulb provides us light, but with that came the lamp. And artisians the world over have taken that lamp to new creative heights.
Comfort Louis Tiffany, perhaps the greatest glass master of all time to this date, saw the light and wanted to create something beautiful with it. His creation came through lamp shades of stained glass panels. Now all he had to do was produce the most fantastic lamps that man had ever seen up to that date. Little did he know that years later, a single one his lamps would sell for over $8,000,000.
Now, I'm not asking you to go out and try to find yourself a Tiffany Lamp, but I am asking you to study the truly great high quality pieces, so you can learn to recognize quality when you see it. This will be your advantage over others. You can study and learn about these items through books, researching on the internet, and by going to antique shows where these high quality items are often found. I've written before in another blog about the importance of getting up close to some of these items at shows, and I encourage you to regularly attend antique shows to come face to face with these items of high quality. even if you never will have a chance to buy a Tiffany lamp, you can still have an appreciation for the finest. I will probably never own a Maserati, that's my dream car, but I still want to be able to admire it.
To set you off on your path to learning about the finer things, I'll share a few links here about Tiffany that will explain what a gifted man he was. Take a look here at these links: Tiffany Link. Tiffany Link. Then, do your own study by finding other sites. Just type in "Tiffany Lamps" in any search engine.
While you are studying Tiffany, remembe that I have stated that today we have a rising star by the name of Charles Lotton that is becoming the Tiffany of today. In fact, while Tiffany’s lamps were made of panels and the artistry was in the patterns, in Lotton's lamps, the artistry is in the glass. Time may prove that Charles Lotton is even a greater glass master than Tiffany, if you can believe that.
There were many companies that began to produce wonderful lamps that aren't as expensive as the Tiffany Lamps are today. Some of these companies such as Chicago Mosaic Lamp Company, Handel, Jefferson, Miller, Moe Bridges, Pairpoint, and Pittsburgh. With this many companies producing fine lamps there must be thousands of lamps just waiting for you to discover them. When Cindy attended the Arlington Park Antique Show with me, she saw beautiful lamps and loved the reverse painted scenic lamps produced by the Moe Bridges Company. I'm certain that one of these will eventually find its way into her home.
The lamps from all these fine companies can vary in price from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. "Quality Electric Lamps" is a wonderful book put out by L-W Book Sales in 1992 that shows a large number of these lamps in color, along with prices for that year. I recommend that you search out one of these books and keep it as part of your resource library.
In order to complete the early steps in our 31 Race to a Million Dollars, it's not necessary to concentrate on the older lamps. I have found that lamps at garage and estate sale can be bought for pennies on the dollar of their original price. Even at auctions, lamps seem to sell at very reasonable prices. Stiffel lamps are a good example of what I am talking about. I have seen Stiffel lamp sell for under $25.00, when I knew that on eBay they would bring $100.00. In the beginning of our treasure hunt, this might be a great way to get some of those early steps out of the way.
Be sure to examine each lamp very carefully for a mark. It's usually there. By finding that mark, you might see that lamp as a treasure where others have overlooked it. This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine. Have any of you heard that before? I hope it brought back some good and warm memories.
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 an Erte Bronze, Lotton Glass, and many many more high quality items priced reasonably with no buyer's premiums. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your piece to us. No high fees selling with us.
Be sure to visit our web site for more information about how you can join the 31 Club Wealth Building and start your own race to your millions! Read more about it here!"The Guy in the Red Tie" --- Daryle Lambert
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