The Secret to Vienna Bronzes

You may be familiar with Vienna bronzes, but today I might surprise you with a real secret. When you talk to people about bronzes, they usually envision large 2' or more figurines that may sell for over $100,000. But, they often miss the smaller pieces that can be special in their own right.

I’ve been buying, what are called “cold painted bronzes” for many years, most of them being dogs. These little treasures are bronze figures that are painted to look life like, and most of these pieces will have a foundry mark.

Since I was a canine collector, these very life-like Vienna bronze sculptures appealed to me, and they were also easy to sell for better than average profits. These were small pieces that were less than 4 inches long, and I’d buy them for $2 to $10.

I attended a sale and found five of these on a table, and if my memory serves me right, I think it cost me under $30. Once I was out of hearing range, I let out a huge howl. You see, I may have just bought 5 of these pieces knowing each one would return me at least $500.

Here’s a few examples of the prices of these special treasures: Braye Bull 11 ¾ inches $3450, Bergman Arabs 8 inches $1540. Fredericks bronzes can sell for over $50,000. Mene 13 inch dog $$3500 and Wien animals from $500 up. The prices for these bronzes are usually very friendly when you find them at garage sales or estate sales.

Figurines marked by Bergman bring in thousands of dollars in today’s market, and are a real find. If you find one of these, and it’s real, you can be assured you have found treasure. But, all of this is not the real secret I had in mind for you today.

What do you do with a piece you find marked NAM GREB? You grab it and don’t let it go. Why?

The secret of NAM GREB:

Most of us who do something that is a little naughty want to hide it. Often times, this hold true in art as well. You see the Bergman Company was a well established company who made quality bronzes, but they also wanted to step out and make some erotic pieces for their customers. So, not to smear their image, they marked these erotic pieces with the name of Bergman spelled backwards: NAM GREB.

Often these erotic pieces were hinged, but when you looked at them they looked very conventional. However, when you opened them up, there was usually a nude woman standing there in front of you. One is a mummy opening to a nude lady. This little beauty is worth close to $5,000. I once found one of these priced at about $800. I purchased it and then sold it for close to $5,000. Now you know the secret, and may good fortune smile upon you.

Learn Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills and Put a Turbo Charge on your money making skills. Join Me at the 31 Club and get FREE Mentoring.

You'll 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 the Strategic Plan 31 Club Members follow. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join today.

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View the 31 Gallery & Marketplace here.

Always Making Progress in the Antique & Fine Art Business

Louise E. Edwards-Doulton Lambeth 19" Vase, circa 1882, is offered at 31 Gallery & Marketplace.

I’ve written several times that high quality items are selling in today’s market and this is reflected in our 31 Gallery & Marketplace sales. I believe as money continues to tight America, quality in the antique and fine art market will be like cream rising to the top. In the last week, our Hannah Barlow designed Doulton vase sold for over $3700, and the other Doulton Lambeth piece in our gallery will not be far behind. Our Jean Faurege painting also sold for $5,000. What if these items had been yours?

Because of the high quality of items being presented in our Gallery & Marketplace, many serious collectors are returning to see what new items have been added. The Gallery & Marketplace is available for 31 Club Members to list their high quality items, and if you’re not a member yet, why not?

I believe our 19” Louisa E. Edwards vase by Doulton will soon sell. It was made in 1882 and incorporated at least two other assistants in its production. At $3750, I believe it’s a bargain for anyone looking for something very special to add to their collection.

What will set the 31 Marketplace above most other places offering Antiques and Fine Art is that our members can make substantial money without using a single penny of their own money. This is accomplished by using the club’s Associates Program when you find high quality art and antiques that may be out of your budget to purchase. When you call and tell us about the item, the 31 Club partners with its member to acquire the item and though this partnership, we are able to bring great treasures to the market together.

With the dollar so beaten up in our country, this might be a great time to concentrate on items made out of this country. You see, the Hannah Barlow vase was sent back to its country of origin – England. With the difference in currency, this English buyer bought the item at near half price.
A few of the companies that can pay you great dividends if you are knowledgeable enough to spot them are Meissen, Rosenthal, Nymphenburg, Doulton, Royal Worchester, Dahl Jensen and Hutschenreuther. If you find a treasure of this sort and list it with us, either yourself or through the Associates Program, it will get a good look from our foreign collectors.

While these are just a few of the companies, a little research into more companies will increase your knowledge. It’s in researching that you learn best. There are several books that you can find used that will give more detail on these companies. I would high suggest that you either buy or read books at your local bookstore or library on these companies

Here’s a 31 Club Update of our development progress:

* An Online Inventory Sheet so you can keep track of your items and your progress is in the final stages of testing. I think it will be a great asset to you.

*The 31 Gangs Race to A Million Progress Sheet has been up dated and will be posted soon. I think that you will be surprised by the gangs progress.

*The 31 Club Panel of Experts is coming together and I think there are going to be many experts who will be there for you.

*Free Advertising for your Wish List is the next major item for Jeremy to complete.

*The Associates Program is up and running well. There have been several members who have already taken advantage of this program.

*New Items Coming. There are approximately 100 new items in the process of are being listed on the Marketplace.

*Video. The club is now the proud owner of a video camera and all the accessories necessary to do video for the site. If you have video you’d like to share with the Club please, send it to us. It is all right to advertise your site or store.

Our membership is growing every day, and I personally thank you for your support by telling your friends and enrolling your family and for staying with us while we build our site from scratch. These are, indeed, exciting times we live in.

*****

Learn Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills and Put a Turbo Charge on your money making skills. Join Me at the 31 Club and get FREE Mentoring.

You'll 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 the Strategic Plan 31 Club Members follow. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join today.

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View the 31 Gallery & Marketplace here.

Find Your Passion. I Love Daum Nancy Glass

Rare Daum Nancy Roulot signed 9" Vase available at 31 Gallery & Marketplace

What is your passion? In the Antique & Fine Art Business, this is very important to know if you want to be successful. Over time, my passions have changed along with my collections. As a child, I started collecting coins and when I sold the collection, it paid for my college education. This was a true blessing because I already had a wife and child at the time. I later developed a passion for Griswold cast iron, and when it came time to buy a house, the sale of my Griswold collection provided for the down payment. Since then, I have collected, if you want to call it collecting, many things. In reality, I’ve been able to keep beautiful things until I sold them at a price I was satisfied with.

My latest passion is for Fine Art, because it is the most difficult to master. I spend several hours a week just studying in the direction I want my passion in art to go. For example, I'm most interested in Kentucky artists and regional art. But don't misunderstand me, everything in my house, with the exception of my wife and son, are for sale for the right price. For example, my two Patty Thum paintings, that happen to be the only paintings I’ve brought home that my wife likes, could cost you a pretty penny, but they are for sale for the right price.

But, there’s been one passion that’s stayed with me for many years and that is Daum Nancy Glass. I fell in love with this art glass the first time I saw it. I particularly like the enameled acid etched pieces, and I look for these. Over the years, I have always kept a few pieces of this glass in my home, even though I have owned many that have been sold. I prefer Daum Nancy Glass to Galle, and I think the artistry of Daum is much better than Galle.

Financially speaking, Daum Nancy has been fantastic for me, and it can be for you too, once you become knowledgeable about it. One Daum vase I owned made the cover of the Cincinnati At Galleries sales catalog one year. It was a large piece of a winter scene depicting snow blanketing the ground with leafless birch trees filled with blackbirds. If I remember correctly, this vase brought over $15,000.

Today, however, we have to be careful about reproductions or outright fakes, but with Daum Nancy this is fairly easy. First look at as many pieces of the real thing as you can. This is easily done by visiting good Antique Shows. One of the greatest pieces to keep your eye out for are the Daum Nancy 1 inch to 2 inch range Miniatures, decorated with winter scenes and some flowers. I have sold these little beauties for over $2,500 and usually never pay more than $500 for them.

“Glass Art Nouveau to Art Deco” by Victor Arwas is a great book you might want to have. I’m sure there are many other books out there, but I have this one. Books on Glass, Antiques and Art are a must if you want to expand your knowledge in this field. It’s not necessary to purchase new books. I buy used, and it enables me to buy many books. Whatever older book you’re looking for, chances are you can find it used on Amazon.com.

Learn Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills and Put a Turbo Charge on your money making skills. Join Me at the 31 Club and get FREE Mentoring.

You'll 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 the Strategic Plan 31 Club Members follow. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join 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.


Daum Nancy LINKS:

Passage Arts has some fine examples of Daum Nancy
http://www.arts1900.nl/Fransglasindexpagina.html

Google Images: Daum Nancy

Antique Coffee Grinders for Coffee Connoisseurs

The 1870 Enterprise No. 3 antique coffee grinder sold on eBay for $870

If you have a flair for the extravagant, why are you using an inexpensive coffee grinder on that very expensive gourmet coffee you just purchased? With a Starbucks on every corner, and their top of the line coffee beans available in several supermarkets, don’t you think your house should be equipped with the most expensive grinder you could find? You won’t find these grinders in stores like Macy’s, Nordstrom’s or Neiman Marcus, however. You’ll find them in Antique Shops and at Farm Sales.

The home grinders rolled out around 1894, and even though they lasted for just a short time, they had a pronounced impact on daily living. Grinders were all but forgotten by the 1940’s, but the love for coffee has since then been renewed, and most people can’t get through a day without a cup. Since Starbucks came around, I believe in the 1980’s, coffee connoisseurs are no longer satisfied with making their daily brew from coffee already ground in a can.

So how expensive can antique coffee grinders run? These simple items have become very collectible, and people are paying top dollar for the rare ones. The Enterprise No. 12, with an eagle finial and a painted decal may bring over $5,000 today. Now, that should grind some serious coffee. And, there are others to watch for as well. I’ve talked about Griswold cast iron in past blogs, but did you know Griswold made a coffee grinder that is one of their most rare pieces? At one time, I had one of the largest collections of Griswold in the South, but I never found the coffee grinder.

The most popular grinders are the Enterprise grinders. The no. 9 will bring over $1,500 while the Enterprise Mfg. Co. Philadelphia grinder should net you a hefty $1,750 or more. You might have seen coffee grinders at sales you attended but never gave them a second thought. Even the small wooden ones can bring in a fair amount of money, if they have writing on them. Grinders with advertising written on them will be another plus for any grinder.

You just woke up and smelled the coffee. These grinders are real treasures. Keep your eyes open for these special items when you attend garage sales, estate sales and auctions. A collector will be glad you found one.

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

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. 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 Paintings’ Rising Prices and 5 Rules for Buying & Selling Paintings and Fine Art

Wallace Weir Fahnestock (Vermont, 1877-1962) original oil on canvas of offered at 31 Gallery

Why has the price of good art continued to rise regardless of what the economy does? If you’re like me, you might have wondered why this is true. I have seen the figures, and it’s evident that good art has been the best investment over the years, surpassing most other types of financial investments. When I see paintings selling for 250 Million or more, I can’t help but believe this is true.

“Follow the growing trends,” was one of the first lessons I learned as a stockbroker, so in applying this to the Antique and Fine Art field, you’d have to say the trend is definitely up, and that’s where we should be dealing.

I have encouraged all our members to study and do research on art and artists that interest them. Personally, I have made more money with my art purchases than from any other items. This being so, I suggest you spend the time necessary to educate yourself in the field of art. This doesn't mean for you to abandon all you other research, but to include it whether or not it’s your favorite area. I try to be familiar with a great number of artists, but I spend extra amounts of time studying groups of artists, such as Kentucky Artists or Artists of the West. Choose whatever interests you most.

So why is good art selling at the skyrocketing prices it does? I think I might have partly figured one reason after I attended a very large Art Show yesterday. As I walked through booth after booth, I realized all the works seemed the same to me. There were lots of large canvases and bright colors, but one just faded into the next. Then I had a strange thought: These must be props for department store windows. Sounds crazy, I know. I guess what I was really thinking was that these pieces were so very commercial and lacking in artistic mastery. Nothing made me say, Wow! The pieces selling at this large art show had selling prices from $500-$3,000 and I truly believe if someone tried to re-sell one of these a year from now, they’d be lucky to sell it for $150.

Then a thought hit me. Where are we going to get great works of art in the future? The lack of contemporary works to appreciate in the future or the lack of works that will be sought after by future collectors was evident to me. It will have to be from the secondary markets. This only reinforced my belief in the trend showing the prices of good art, purchased in the secondary markets, escalating with no end in sight.

This is also why we should pursue good artwork to sell. I hope you won't think this is just an old man’s opinion. Good art will last over time, but bad art will always be bad art. What does an up trend in the art market mean for 31 Club Members? Your time spent becoming knowledgeable in the art area will be time well spent and profitable. Having said that, below you’ll find some general rules and guidelines for buying and selling fine art.

5 General Rules to Buying and Selling Paintings and Fine Art

1. Oil Paintings, as a rule, bring the most money.

2. Size matters. Larger paintings usually bring the most money, but not always.

3. Watercolor Paintings and Drawings follow oil paintings for value in that order. Prints are usually last in value.

4. The Artist’s record of sales prices is very important, and his mark (the highest price paid for one of his pieces) will usually be very important in the future prices for his work.

5. Buy the best art you can afford.


Remember, these are general rules, and with any rule, there are always exceptions. Keep this in mind as a guideline and always do your research.

The secondary market for high quality artworks is where you and I can affect our future plans in the art and antique business most. When we buy the best art we can afford, we will always have customers. It may take a little more time to present a piece to the point where a customer will see it, but when he does, he will pay the asking price. This is the function of the 31 Club Gallery and Marketplace. Over the last couple of weeks, we sold a $5,000 painting and a vase for $3,750. Now is the time to start having the marketplace represent your quality pieces, because buyers are searching our site for good works of art and other high quality antiques & collectibles.

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

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. 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.

Garage Sale Adventures

I found this Yellow Ware Bowl stashed under a table at a garage sale. It's now available at 31 Marketplace.


You don't find the pot at the end of the rainbow every day, but you can still find some sunshine. This happened to me today. Still missing my little dog, I was struggling to get moving yesterday. Thankfully, 31 Club Member, Marsha, called me about noon and asked if I’d like to go with her to a few garage sales. I knew I had to get out of the house and helping Marsha would fill me with good cheer, so off I went.

At the first sale, It didn't take us long to realize that the sale had items from an emptied booth from an antique mall. The owner didn’t even bother to take her sale labels off the items. We looked and came away with a piece of Griswold cast iron for $5 that should bring $15-$20; nothing to write home about. But there was an Ironstone platter I wanted to get home and check out. It was very large for a platter and extremely heavy. After checking prices at home, today I’m asking Marsha to go back to the sale and buy it. The price was $100, and I feel sure no one will have purchased it at the asking price. If I’m right, we may even buy it for less than $100. I figure that it’s worth $400-$500.

The next sale was very interesting. The lady had some very unusually cat items which included jewelry, change purses and even a Garfield the Cat telephone. We were able to pick these pieces up for under a dollar each, and I figure they will bring at least $5 each, if not more so, we just added another $25 or $30 to our profits to fund other purchases. But, we weren't though with this sale yet. I spotted a great print from the Napa Valley. The asking price was $20, so we passed on it and headed out toward the car. One of the assistants was following us, and I was telling her about the 31 Club. Before we reached the street, I mentioned that there was a print we would buy for $10, but we didn't know the artist. “I’ll take that,” she quickly said. No, we didn't know who the artist was, but because they had bought it in the Napa Valley and were told it was a local artist, someone will know. So in our listing, we’ll just describe it as a local Napa Valley artist. It’s quite large and very well done, so I have no doubts it will bring $150.

At this point I knew that I needed to get back to work, but on our way back, we saw an estate sale sign that just pulled us like a magnet. I immediately recognized one of the gentlemen conducting the sale, so we talked awhile, then Marsha and I began browsing the sale. There were about 10 Royal Doulton mugs and a small figurine, so I asked what they would take for all of them. They wanted $130 which wasn’t bad. I offered $80, but they wouldn’t take it. It was late in the day, and I knew all the dealers who planned on coming to the sale had already been there. I also knew that this sales house reduces everything by half the second day, so we decided to take a chance they would be there tomorrow.

If these Doulton items are purchased, there will be at least $150 profit there. So, no real treasures on this day, but how did we do? We weren't looking for $5 items, but that was all there was to be found. When I total our future profit if the platter and Doulton are purchased, and we don't yet know what we may find tomorrow, there should be at least $625 profit, which isn't bad for a day.

Remember that poem from yesterday’s blog? Don’t Quit! The pot of gold is just around the corner when you persevere.

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

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. 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.

Don't Quit

I have to admit to you, yesterday was a hard day for me. I’ve been struggling to keep my little dog, Bella, who is a mix of chihuahua and dachshund, but finally I had to make one of the hardest decisions of my life and give her up. Even though she spent almost 24 hours a day with me and even shared our bed, I was unable to break her to use the outside. My wife was extremely patient and gave me the time to make this decision without pushing. But once it became embarrassing for her to invite friends to our home, I had no choice. Yesterday, I really felt like just quitting until I saw a poem that I have hanging on my wall now. I’d like to share it with you. Please take the time to watch this video and take in its true meaning. God intended for all us to succeed and we only lose when we quit.

Click Here for Video

It’s times like this that I draw true strength from knowing what we are accomplishing with the 31 Club. If, together, we can help others to be successful, it is then that we know this: By helping others we ourselves are being helped.

Cindy and I spent most of the afternoon photographing pieces for the marketplace, and she will begin to list them soon. I also got an advanced look at the new inventory program, and it is near completion. I often forget about where you and I are going together, but then I pinch myself and say “what are you teaching our members about patience?”

31 Club Member, Cecil, called today, and it looks like we’ll be buying an Anna Pig next month using the 31 Club's Associates Program. No, we haven’t decided to go into farming, but this is something you should know about. You see, Anna was a pottery company in Anna, Illinois started by the Cornwall Kirkpatrick and Wallace Kirkpatrick. They are best known for pottery pig bottles and jugs. The last Anna Pig sold for around $12,000. In Kovel’s guide, there’s an example shown priced at $7,000. Keep your eyes open. And, take advantage of our Associates Program when you come across items that might not be within your budget. You can still make money when you partner up with us by using the Associates Program. We can buy the item and you'll make money on its sale. This program is available to all Club Members.

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

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. 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.

Antique Chests, Trunks, Boxes, and other Painted Furniture. What's the Paint Worth?

19th Century Cupboard with old blue paint is offered at Hillsdale Barn Antiques for $2,250

Some of you have heard this story before, but repetition reinforces something in your mind. So for those of you who have already heard the story, it’s a good idea to read it again.

A participant on the Antique Road Show brought a highboy dresser to be appraised. He told the appraiser that when he purchased it, it had been covered in horrible red paint that covered the beautiful grain of the wood, so he had it restored. He gave the highest praises to the restorer.

The Antique Road Show appraiser asked him, “Which would you like first, the good news or the bad news? The man chose the good news first, and that good news was that it was a wonderful piece with no repairs or added pieces. The appraiser told him it was worth about $35,000. “But the bad news is that you washed $100,000 of red paint off of it.”

This story brings me to what I want to discuss today; antique painted items, like boxes, trunks, chests, tables and more. If these painted items are genuine, they can bring big bucks.

How do you know painted items are genuine? For starters, their paint shouldn’t look like it was painted yesterday. Something that’s over a hundred years old should look its age, and have a very mellow patina.

Next, I’ll often ask the person who owns the piece if the items has any history. I’ve often been told the whole story of where it came from and who owned it. Don’t let this be your only means for evaluating an item though, because sometimes the story doesn't match the piece you’re looking at. When you go to antique shows and antique shops, you can examine the real thing and this will prepare you for when that special piece is offered to you.

As you research the patterns that were used during certain time periods on painted items, they’ll become familiar to you. That way, when you see them, bingo! You might have just rung the cash register, and we aren’t talking small bucks here, but very possibly some extremely green money.

A recent example of what I’m talking about showed up at Cowan's Auction last March 15th. There were several nice painted pieces in the catalog, and one was a nice 19th century Bentwood box that had an estimate of $500 to $800. Another was a box painted with flowers estimated at $700 to $1000. Next came the Pennsylvania Dower chest estimated at $6000 to $9000, and what a beauty it was.

Be sure you examine all painted items, large or small, because if they are from the 18th or 19th century they have true value. While some dealers will just pass them by as being new, with your keen eye, you will pluck them right out of a pile of trash.

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.

Antiques & Collectibles: The Power of Networking

To be in the Antique and Fine Art World, knowing a large number of people will prove to be the lifeblood of your business. Remember when I said to make business cards and pass them out to everyone you meet? There was also a time I instructed you to tell all your family and friends what you were doing. What if I told you there was a better way to pass your name around to let others know you're in others the Antique and Fine Art Business?

I received an email from a 31 Club Member asking if I was a member of "I Antique Online." To their surprise, I had never heard of it, so I looked it up. All I can say is -- Boy! I'm a member now. This is a new social networking website for people just like us. Its members are looking for answers and also to meet other people who want to network with other people interested in Antiques, Collectibles and Fine Art. I think this will become a very large site because of the amount of people interested in this subject. So, I'm highly recommending you join at http://www.iantiqueonline.com/ and participate in phases of their activities.

You may also want to join Face Book, because I understand they are the fastest growing social site on the web. I'm sure there are many more sites like these, and you can search them out for yourself.

If you join one or more of these sites, be sure to keep current so members will interact with you. This is what will help build your business. I've already started a forum on the site about making money.

The member who told me about “I Antique Online” also shared another very interesting site with me. “Shop Goodwill.” You probably have heard of Goodwill, but I didn't know they had a website. I joined right away and bid, on two paintings the first day, but I unfortunately got outbid at the last minute. Sounds strangely familiar doesn't it? I could have continued to bid on a painting when it was at $300 to $400 but unfortunately, it finished over $700. For the collector, that was okay, but I'm in this business to make money. I thought I could spend my money more wisely.

If you have sites you'd like to share, please send them to me and I'll publish them. And let more people know of the “31 Club.” The larger our number, the more benefit it will be to you when you decide to sell something or to buy pieces for your own gallery. You see, if you want to rent a car, you'll more than likely think of Hertz and might even consider renting there. Why? Because you recognize their name. What does the word eBay mean? You might not know, but I'll guarantee if you ask 100 people, they will all know the company is in the online auction business. When 31 Club has name recognition, you will benefit tremendously, so share your company. It will only come back to help you.

I was talking to a banker today, and I got the chance to tell her about the 31 Club. She said she'd go home and sign up. But she didn't stop there. She told her mother and aunt and now they're joining. Just think -- or $16.95 right now, you can not only learn how to become savvy in the Antique and Fine Art business, but membership can help you become a better business person all while you're building up cash reserves large enough to last a lifetime. This club can help everyone, whether you're buying antiques and fine art or lots of close-out items. Isn't that worth the price of admission?

I'm eagerly waiting for more of you to email or call me with what is happening in you searches. Your stories are what keeps my motor running – even the stories that didn't turn out so good. I'll leave the light on.
align="left">Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club.

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. 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.

Full Speed Ahead for the 31 Club Gallery & Maketplace

This Jean Faurege painting sold this week at the 31 Club Gallery for $5,000.

I am going to be up front with you, because this blog is mostly about your 31 Club Marketplace. I’ve been telling you for some time now that all the hard work Cindy, Chris, and Jeremy have been doing would pay off for our members. Well, we are beginning to see the results. The marketplace part of the 31 Club will be perhaps your greatest asset in this business. Let me explain that statement:

Getting top dollar for the fine art, antique & collectible items we sell in this business is important, but the percentage of the sale we keep has equal importance.

Within a very short period of time, our emails and phone calls have lit up with inquiries about our listings. Just in the last few days, we’ve sold the Jean Faurege Painting and the Doulton Lambeth-Hannah Barlow decorated vase. The painting brought $5000 and the vase $3750.

The owners of these items could have taken these pieces to auction or listed them on eBay, but here’s the difference. Customers are beginning to recognize the quality we are showing in the gallery and are seeing that they don't have to look through hundreds of items to find one of quality. I believe these two items we sold this week would have sat in a shop or in a booth at a show forever because of the few number of people that would have seen them, but with your 31 Club Gallery, there are now thousands of people viewing items every month.

When customers come to our 31 Club Gallery & Marketplace, they'll find items of high quality without searching through an endless inventory of common items. Once customers find something they like, they are buying it at the asking price.

I can assure you that the people who bought the Faurege painting and the Doulton Lambeth vase will know they bought a quality piece at a fair price. I've already received an email from the woman who purchased the painting expressing her complete satisfaction.

Selling items at auction can be expensive, but not selling items at the 31 Club Gallery & Marketplace. And buyers don't have to worry about buyer's premium when they buy.

$500 was the total commission on the $5,000 painting with no buyer’s premium a buyer would have to pay to an auction house. In this way, the buyer could pay the asking price and still save money, while the seller received $4,500. Compare that with what they would’ve received at auction house or on eBay.

The commission on the Doulton Lambeth vase was only $281.25, netting the seller $3468.75. I highly encourage you to consider listing your better items on the 31 Club Gallery & Marketplace. If they don’t sell as quickly as you would like, you can always sell them at auction. Another great advantage to your marketplace is that your items never leave your hands until they are sold.

Beginning Wednesday, Cindy and I will be photographing over 100 new items we’ll be listing, and I think you’ll enjoy and benefit from these expanded listings. I believe there’s a new Sheriff coming to town and it’s the 31 Club Gallery & Marketplace. Remember --I told you first.

It is so easy for Club Members to list with us.

Everything is sold on the condition that it is still available. You send us the pictures and descriptions and the prices you wish to achieve and we'll set you up. We do reserve the right to refuse items if they don't meet our high standards or if they are over priced for the current market. We are using the honor system with our members. You’ll deal with the customer directly and will send us the commission check. Yes, we are going to be a community that helps one another.

Members --Remember -- If you come across special items beyond your buying budget, call us and see if the items fits our Associates Program. We'll help you buy the item!

* * * * *

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

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. 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.

Rare Books & Collectible Books

Have you noticed how the price of Antique and Collectible Books are increasing? If not, you should take another look. I have a theory to why this is happening, and I believe there is a trend forming.

As the price of gas increases, it’s only natural that people will be spending more time at home. When they tire of watching TV, there will likely be an increase in time spent reading. Books present a cheap form of entertainment, and an excellent source of knowledge.

Why is this important to us, and what do we need to know to take advantage of this opportunity?

Books are plentiful and there are treasures there to be found, so be sure not to pass them by without a look.

We can begin our research on sites like AbesBooks, Schiffer Collector Books, and Amazon’s book store. Here you will be able to find comparable prices for the books you locate in your hunt. It will also show you the different prices based on condition, which is the most important factor in pricing books. One copy of a rare book in used condition with a library stamp and writing on the pages might sell for $50, while the same book in mint or near mint condition could easily fetch $1000 or more. Quite a difference right?

What type of books are in high demand today?

This is a question I get quite often and it isn't an easy one to answer. Yes, signed first edition books will always top the list, but this is an ever- changing market. One year ago, you could have pick up Obama's books for a pittance, but today they will cost you a pretty penny. Perhaps a new author writes a huge winner like Harry Potter and continues to write numerous others as sequels. These, in the first editions, signed, by the author, can put serious money in your pocket. This is one area where the contemporary tag may not affect the price.

But let’s not forget the older books. As interest grows on certain subjects due to new movies or current events, the older books, again, take on the glamour of super stars. For example, a 1976 1st edition signed "Interview With The Vampire" by author Anne Rice, is offered at $1000 at C. Dickens Fine, Rare & Collectible Books.

Historical material will always be popular, if written by the right author and signed. I went into a family member’s home recently and was amazed when I was shown sets of Civil War books and was told that these sets were worth $25,000 to $75,000 dollars each. Who would have thought it? One area of interest this year might be the Olympics.

I still love the story about the person who bought a first edition of Tarzan for $2.00 without the dust cover, only to find himself standing next to the guy who had the dust cover wrapped around a completely different book. He asked the man with the dust cover if he could buy it, and they finally agreed to a price of $1,000. I personally know the gentleman who bought this book, and he later sold it for over $18,000. There's also a set of Tarzan Books for sale at C. Dickens.

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.

Who Says Young People Have No Interest in Collecting?

The way things were done in the antique business years ago seem to be fading from my memory. This was very apparent to me as we ventured into an old shop in upper Wisconsin called the Wonder Shop. Most antique shops or malls today are very orderly, but not this one. It was the kind of mall I remembered from my youth-- a large building stuffed from top to bottom with every conceivable item you might want to purchase. We had traveled some distance to get to this relic from the past, but you couldn’t imagine our disappointment as we approached the building only to find a closed sign posted. Nineteen of us, mostly children, had their chins dropped in disappointment.

This would be a sad ending to a story, if out of the corner of my eye, I hadn’t seen a gentleman by the name of Randy walking toward our cars. We were greeted with a big friendly smile, and I informed him that we had some serious shoppers with us and asked him if he could open his store. Randy, being a man who loves children, said, “Sure, come on in.” I couldn’t help but think that if this was Chicago, the police would already be there the minute we put our noses up to the windows to peek inside.

Randy unlocked the store, and for the next two hours, I observed eleven children having the time of their lives. Digging through passageways that were barely wide enough for them to struggle through, they reappeared carrying World War II helmets, fishing poles, beanie babies and too many other items for me to list. I wish I could have saved the looks on their little faces for you but I didn’t have my camera. Let someone tell me that young people no longer have an interest in collecting. The adults, not wanting to be out done, found old milk cans, book racks, coffee mugs, games, nick knacks for the cabin, and this list could also continue.

No, I don’t think that there were any real treasures found yesterday, but as I have mentioned before, this is for the family, and I can assure you if we had spent the day at Disney World, no one would have had a better time than we did at the Wonder Shop. I personally think this day was what God intended. Not all treasures can be valued in dollars.

Let me share some of the other positives with you. Randy is now a member of the 31 Club, and he will be participating in all our programs. He also took me up to the second floor where he said he and his wife had been setting aside items to sell when they retired. He has no intention of quitting this business completely.

Now for the sad part of this story. Due to his wife’s illness, he is selling the property and all its contents, and so, we are back to where we started in this Blog. Things of the past are disappearing before my very eyes, however, I feel so blessed that my son, Joshua, and all the other children with us experienced this way of doing business before it truly disappears.

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.

“I’ve Bought a Painting. Now What Do I Do? -- Make Money!

Ellen B. Farr (1840-1907)

For those of you who have purchased Fine Art, Antique or Collectible treasures, and are wondering where to re-sell them to make money, this Blog, about a purchase a 31 Club Member made, should give you some things to consider when re-selling a piece.

Mason has been communicating with me for several weeks, and last week he emailed me very excited about a purchase he made. I am asked to give my opinion on numerous items each day, and how to make money buying and selling antiques & collectibles, and often times I have to give the bad news that the item someone is considering to buy or has already bought has very little value. But in Mason’s case, I had very good news for him.

Mason had purchased a painting by Ellen Farr (1840-1907). It is a true treasure, and he has a good chance to make money, because it was new to the marketplace, plus it was untouched, making it even more desirable. Mason had seen that a painting by Farr had just sold for over $14,000 and that excited him.

This is the place where it’s important to have some knowledge about what makes a particular artist’s work valuable if you want to make money. First, you have to compare apples to apples. Mason’s painting was only 20 inches while the $14,000 painting was over 60 inches. Second, the larger painting was of a cherry tree, which seems to be a signature image for Farr, while the smaller painting was a still life. Yes, these both are desirable, but the larger painting will usually command a much higher price, and in addition to that, the cherry tree will bring more than the still life generally if it's a signature for the artist. This kind of knowledge will help you make money buying and selling antiques & collectibles.

Now that Mason is in possession of the painting, what should he do next? There are three main choices he could make to sell this painting. First, he could sell his painting at John Moran’s auction, because this is the auction house where the highest price was obtained for a Farr painting. But let’s take a closer look at this option.

If Mason made this choice, he could have to wait as much as three months for the next appropriate auction for his painting before he can expect to make money. In addition to that, the painting would be out of his possession for that amount of time, and if it’s up for auction, he has no assurance it will be sold. Because of the price he paid for it, he must sell it with a reserve (meaning a price it must reach or it isn’t sold). That reserve price might not be achieved. If it isn’t sold at the auction, then it’s no longer considered new to the market, and because of this, future buyers will discount its value. Last but not least are the high commission fees he'll encounter at auction which will eat away at his profit.

His second choice could be consigning it to the 31 Club Gallery. Here he would pay a much smaller fee and be able to retain a much larger percentage of the sales price for himself. It would be advertised on the Internet and the art guides which would give it excellent coverage, however again, there isn’t an assurance it would be sold.

His last option is to search the market for someone willing to purchase it directly from him. After Mason shared his painting with me, I began an extensive search for a buyer. After close examination by the people I called, I received an offer of $2800. This represented a profit of one thousand dollars. If he accepts this offer, he doesn’t have to wait for an auction and pay their commission fees. Once the purchase is completed, Mason can ship it directly to the buyer. Should he choose this option, he may receive a little less money, however he is assured his painting is sold. When you want to make money buying and selling antiques & collectibles, as well as fine art paintings, it helps to remember the purpose: To make money keeping our money turning as quickly as possible, and then do it all over again. Holding out for top dollar stagnates your money.

Yes, there may be circumstances where any of these options would be best, but what do you think Mason’s best choice is? You will be faced with this decision yourself soon. If he sold it for the $2800, what would his total be after the next ninety days, and how many more times would he have turned his money during this period of time? I am going to let you think about this because this is the core of what you’ll be doing.

I seem like I’m on a 50 state marathon this summer, because this weekend, I’ll be in Wisconsin. However, I won’t be gone long; I’ll return home Sunday.

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 make money buying and selling antiques & collectibles. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan on How to Make Money Buying and Selling Antiques & Collectibles. 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 about how to make money buying and selling 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 – When is Enough My Good Man ?


I think that the public has finally said enough is enough: no rising prices from auction houses. My phone is ringing off the hook with people looking for alternatives to selling at auctions. Our marketplace at the 31 Club is going to be one of the answers to this dilemma. Once the combined commission for the buyers and sellers went beyond 25% it was only a matter of time before the customers would get fed up and look for alternatives. However these alternatives don't appear over night; they have to evolve. Your staff has spent many hours discussing how we could serve our members best, and be assured if they did the work most of the profits would end up in their pockets. Please look at our commission structure if you list your items on the 31 galleries. The maximum is 10% for items selling under $5000 if you are a member of the 31 Club. That the higher levels the commission is even less. Now that some houses have over a 50% combined commission I think the customers have had enough.


In my opinion this is the reason that eBay is turning to what appears to be a more retail friendly model. They know that these commission rates can't be sustained. One of the reasons that auctions were attractive was because under normal circumstances their item would be sold on a certain date if it met the reserve that they had settled on. However today if they are receiving less than 50% of the hammered price, I think they may be willing to wait a little longer for their items to sell where they receive 90% or more of the sales price. The great thing that we are offering the market with our galleries is when customers search for quality Antiques and Art they won't have to struggle through thousands of items to find one that is worthy of their consideration.


One of the promises I made each one of you was that I would keep you ahead of the trends and I stand by that promise. We were one of the first to share with you the changes coming with eBay. Yes they didn't go all the way to satisfying their base but at least they acknowledged that there were problems.


Just a little history lesson; when I started in the Antique and Art business the commissions at auctions were 5% with no buyers premium. Unbelievable, right? Today it is more important than ever to search out the best venue for selling your hard earned treasures. Yes you might say “ Daryle you said that it is all about buying and never about selling.” That is still true and if you buy right it really won't matter where you sell because your goal will still be met. But why be satisfied with such a small profit from your efforts when if you use the recommendations of the 31 Club those profits will be expanded tremendously? Jeremy and Cindy are in the process of accumulating these lists as I write this blog.


The 31 Club is going to be your best alternative to the outside forces that are trying to minimize the importance of the people becoming educated in the field of Antiques and Fine Art by convincing them that they are a fortune to be able to pay over 50% of the selling price of their treasures, but I don't believe that and neither should you.


So that you will know that I heed my own advice, I would like to share this little story with you. Just a little side bar. When I decided to publish my book “The 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and collectibles “ everyone said I should go to one of the large publishing houses. So I listened and they informed me I would be fortunate to sign with them because I would receive 20% of all sales, but I would have to do most of my own advertising. I politely told them to write their own books, that no way would I take a deal were even if the book was successful I would lose money. Guess what? Thanks to you I can say that I am very thankful and God is blessing this venture that we are taking together and I wish nothing but the best for those publishers, but my books will always be sold directly to you. I also was told if I didn't put them in stores my sales would be limited. Wrong again. I still believe that the people have the last say and I have heard from you loud and clear.

Antiques & Collectibles: What's in a Name?

Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica

One of the things I get to enjoy most is checking auction treasures sent to me by 31 Club Members. Stephen sends me a flier almost every week, and I think he's becoming very knowledgeable on what to look for when he attends auctions. I always email him back with a list of the items in that auction I'd be interested in if I were attending. However, Stephen learned a very important lesson last week. His eye told him that the three pieces of McCoy pottery were unusual, and he purchased them. But, he didn't check them carefully enough before he bid, because when he got them home, he discovered two had damage. Because he bought them right, and in fact, I think they may be rather rare, he still may salvage something.

Julie. sent me an auction flier where there were two pieces of Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica porcelain being offered. One was a platter and the other was a covered vegetable bowl. I told her if they sold for a hundred or two she should pick them up. Well, her report back to me wasn't what I wanted to hear, but my idea was great. If you ever see any Flora Danica be sure to give it the once over, and if it can be purchased right, take advantage of it. Most dealers would just consider it china. However, at this auction, there must have been some knowledgeable people in the crowd, because the platter brought $1500 while the covered vegetable bowl went to the highest bidder at $2000

Another item at the sale caught my attention and it was a Dale Chihuly bowl. Pieces by this glass artist can bring tens of thousands of dollars. Often his work is composed of a bowl and then three to five additional pieces inside of it. This was just a single bowl and nothing exciting, so I thought that it may have gone for $500 or so. Wrong. The final bid was $3300.

These are two names that I want you to add to your list of treasures to search for. No, Julie didn't buy at this sale but what about the next one she attends? Always remember, it doesn't matter how many pieces you miss, just the ones you buy. As long as you have money, I guarantee you that your number will come up, and that's when all the waiting will have been worthwhile.

Just a little refresher course: Don't spend your time researching common items, because every person on the street knows the value of them. Spend your time studying the rare, where the real money is. Most dealers want to talk about Roseville, Weller, McCoy or Haeger, but not me. I want to know more about Newcomb, Grueby, Rookwood or George Ohr. If you are talking about these pieces, I can assure you that my attention will be focused on that conversation. What's in a name? Everything, when it comes to Antiques, Collectibles and Fine Art.

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.

Local Auction House Treasures

This Charles Bragg original oil paintinge is offered on eBay for $9000.00.

A little rest is a good thing, and it can do amazing things. I certainly rested enough on my Smokey Mountain vacation, and as you all know by now, I was eager to get back into the swing of things again. So, yesterday I went to our local auction house to pick up a couple of checks I had waiting for me there. One check was for a group of Depression Glass pieces I sold for the 31 Group’s Race to the Million Dollars, and the other was for a painting I sold that I hadn’t paid anything for.

The Depression Glass cost the group $70, and as I said, the painting cost me nothing. I wasn’t expecting any great shakes from their sale, in fact, the checks had been sitting at the auction house waiting for me to pick up for several weeks. You can imagine my surprise when I opened the envelope and a check for $175 for the Depression Glass was staring me in the face. I flipped to the next check and could barely contain myself. $750 dollars for a painting that cost me nothing.

If these results had been someone’s first step in the 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles program, they would’ve been off to a great start.

When you have very little expectations and something like this happens, the adrenalin rush can't be measured. However, this isn't where this story ends. I previewed the items for the auction scheduled for later that night, and I came up with my list of items I’d bid on. And bid I did!

I ended up purchasing a cowboy water color for $150 and four Bing and Bonadal figurines for $25. And, what a gift followed when I was able to buy two wonderful Indiana Dunes paintings by Glen Bastian for $600. I was just getting started. Then came the large oil on board by Alexander for $45. Only $45! And then, maybe the best buy of the night were two oils by the well listed artist, Charles Bragg for $350. I finished off this buying spree with very large print by Le Be Dang and a print by Leroy Nieman from the 1972 Olympics; very appropriate, don’t you think?

Our total investment was $1645, but what could this return to us? I figure the return will be a minimum of $5,000 and very possibly quite a bit more. Not bad for a Tuesday night. I got talk with all my friends who were there, share stories with them, and I learn a lot from asking questions while I’m there. What a fun and exciting way to make money this is!

You will be able to follow the sales of these items on the 31 gang’s inventory sheet. I promise that the 31 gang hasn't forgotten about the race, and our new webmaster, Jeremy, is preparing the webpage so Cindy and I can update it ourselves as things sell. We may not be in the lead, and if you are ahead of us, you’ll know we are close behind. Have you started your race yet? What Step are you up to?I know of many of you who have been working the steps have had some amazing results. So, if you haven’t sent in your gains to us, send us an e-mail and share your stories.

Just a simple small local auction with very little expectation, but look what happened. And the same thing can happen for you if you get out there. What I sold got me revved up, and what I bought will keep me excited for weeks. So come, join us and have some fun. And profit from it, too.
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.

Ripe Market for Picking Treasure at Local Auctions and House Sales

1870 Liberty & Vienna Railroad Stock Certificate sold on eBay for $152.50

This market is ripe for picking and you, members of the 31 Club, are making my mouth water from the lists of auctions and estate sales you send me to review. Everyday these lists are coming in, and I just wish I was there to enjoy the feasts you are partaking of. In these markets, if you spend your money wisely it will be a great winter for you. I do have to caution you, however. In your enthusiasm, don't fail to do your homework and attend previews. Missing any damage on pieces can be quite costly and can take a large percentage of your profits.

I took a look at an auction list one member sent me and wanted to hop on a plane to join him. There was a wide variety of items represented in this auction, but I quickly narrowed it down to under twenty. I figured if I were in attendance and only purchased half of these twenty items my night would have been well spent with good gains.

There were some wonderful items on the list but nothing that would draw a great crowd. This is the type of auction that you might sneak up on and find a true bargain. There were two prints by Jessie Wilcox Smith and these made me think of the time my friend, “Little Jimmy” purchased what was supposed to be a print, for $40, and then resold it sold within a few months at Treadway Gallery in Chicago for over $22,000 because it turned out to be an original.

Just to give you a feel for this auction, there were prints, books, toys (with many Hot Wheels), jewelry, rugs and one lot of over 100 piano rolls. I pick out the piano rolls as one of the items I’d bid on. Why? Well, if you were with us in the beginning of 31 Club, you might remember that one of our very first members made her first $80 investment on several boxes of vintage phonograph needles she found at a garage sale. Many would have thought that was a foolish purchase until they saw the money she made selling them on eBay. Those needles brought in over $800. When you buy in bulk, it will often pay off very well, as it did for Cecil on the lot of vintage Railroad Certificates he purchased.

One of the best buys that I have ever enjoyed was when I purchase over 500 Royal Doulton items at one time. The $15,000 I paid seemed to be a huge amount of money, but when you spread it out over all the items I had definitely paid less than the 25% rule we go by. So if the average price was $30, and I made at least four times my money, you do the math. I think you’ll see why I was smiling as I left with my truck full of Doulton.

At local auctions and house or estate sales, be sure to keep your eye on items that have a high value in the market place, but in these selling venues, won't bring the value they truly deserve. This is when you step up to the plate. And remember our Associates Program if you find high quality items that are beyond your budget. Members who are using this program when spot high quality items are able to make money when they call the Club and we negotiate, purchase, and resell it. I have found that at local auctions and house sales, most people have a pain threshold of about $1,000 and when the price goes above that, the crowd quickly dwindles. This is the game you want to play as soon as possible.

The office doors are open again, so I’ll be waiting for those questions and suggestions that will help make this one of the largest enterprises around.

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 Paintings: Portraits Are In.

Portrait of a Boy and Dog by an Unknown Artist.

Over the years I have had many opportunities to purchase unsigned primitive portraits or folk art portraits of men, women, and children. These have never particularly appealed to me, but after I examined the past catalog from Cowan’s Auction held in March of this year, I’ll be taking a second look next time I see one. I thought these had very little value, but that doesn’t appear to be true today. And, to my surprise, the values can skyrocket if they are signed. While I was aware that certain portraits by the leading painters could bring in fabulous money, with some fetching over $100,000, I didn’t know that most of these old portraits would bring $500 or more. I have passed on many of these portraits at prices as low as $100.

Checking Cowan's auction, I found where there were several paintings by fairly unknown artists that that brought good money. but were by fairly unknown artist. From their March 15th auction, lot # 27 by Robert Fulton sold for - $2520; #28 – for a pair by unknown artist - $13,000 plus, #146 By Samuel Shaver - $3,700 and #151 a pair by Ezra Ames - $5,700. Wow! I have passed on many listed portraits in Nashville shows for under $1500. Boy, do I wish I had that opportunity again.

You will find these portraits at many of the house sales you attend, and I hope you will begin to take notice of them. If you find a quality portrait painting, I suggest you consider Cowan's as the auction house to sell them. Go to the Cowan’s web page and sign up to get their past auction results. I think you’ll be as amazed with the prices as I was. Not only will you find the prices, but you’ll see photos of the paintings as well as their descriptions. This is one of those cases where I think it would definitely be best to sell this type of painting at auction, rather than on the Internet.

Over the last few days, I’ve been giving you information will assist you in making a lot of money. By applying the rules I’ve learned about buying and selling over many years of trial and error, you’ll gain from my roughly 45 years of experience. When you apply the financial principles to these trades, you’ll see your money accumulate substantially.

There have been several emails about the website, and I will try to answer all of them, but please be patient, as there are many changes coming. Checking the site while Jeremy is doing some of the construction may be problematic. I am looking forward to the day when the 31 Club site will be interactive, and you will be able to participate in the content whenever you wish.

I’m back from vacation and I have much catching up to do over the next few days. I thank each and every one of you for your patience while I was away, and special thanks to Cindy and Jeremy for keeping everything running in my absence.

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.

Collectible LP’s and CD’s: Profits Found Trading in Music

Original, Sealed, U.S. Pressing of 1964 "Meet the Beatles" sold on eBay July 3, 2008 for $2,027.99

We’re in the car headed back to Chicago, and I must say, I am having a very hard time trying to type. So, today we have a Guest Blogger, my friend and 31 Club Member, Colin. Colin collects and trades in Music, and here’s his blog in his own words:

Music has been a transforming art form for thousands of years. Within this past decade alone, music has been listened to in so many different ways. Remember the old 45’s you used to spin in your living room or at the local dancehall? I’m sure half of you don’t! Artists would come out with vinyl LP’s that you could buy in the store for a dollar at best, and they would feature some 8 songs (You know, 8 tracks). Slowly we progressed to those cell phone-sized cassette tapes, where the music was played through a stereo instead of using a turntable with a needle. These lived a rather short lifespan, however, and for good reason. They broke easily (the tape would get stuck and tangled up in the machines), and finding a particular song on the tape was difficult as you had to fast forward to rewind through the long tape to find what you liked. For these reasons, cassette tapes are not, and were never, worth much, even when they later became obsolete.

Since the beginning of MTV in the early 80’s, we heard the famous saying, “Video killed the radio star” (the title of the first-ever music video). Music was no longer limited to the radio, but music videos became the norm, and it became unwritten law that artists needed to make a video to accompany their hit song as a new means of promotion. Around this time, CD’s hit the scene and slowly revolutionized the way we listen to music.

Music became digital and no longer did we need to worry about our cassette tapes getting tangled up in the stereo, or tearing our LP’s up with needles. Now we could just pop in a CD, not having to worry about rewinding or fast forwarding for an hour to find that one song we really liked! Songs were made as tracks, and with the touch of a button, we could find our favorite one! The only problem was, CD’s cost up to $15 a pop, and nearly all of them had maybe one or two good songs, and the rest were considered filler (basically songs that just were not good!). Only the best of the best made CD’s where most or all of the songs were consistently listenable. Putting such a dent in your pockets for only one or two songs hardly seemed worth it. Not only that, everyone had to re-purchase everything that they had on cassette or LP and get the CD version. The benefit of this caused many of the more obsolete vinyl records to become quite valuable, while other more common ones lost all value. It is really hit or miss with these, and the ones that are still sealed are definitely the ones that will bring in the most money.

With so many artists and bands, you really need to do your research to find records or artists that have value. A good start is going on eBay and looking up completed auctions for 12” records or LPs/vinyl, and seeing the most expensive items that were recently completed. Then you can go out on a hunt at used records stores or find other auctions on eBay that sell a huge lot of records at once (and see if you can find a hidden treasure in the lot). Garage sales and estate sales can be goldmines, as the common person has no clue which ones, if any, are worth anything.

Back to our history lesson-- As we entered the new millennium, music again was completely revolutionized. With the development of the internet, the power was now all ours! MP3’s forced their way into the picture, and with the click of a button, you could have just about any song in existence through a simple download- for free! Artists got angered though because essentially, we were stealing their music and they lost whatever money they would have received from their greedy record companies. A new program called Itunes requires you to purchase a song for $1.00, so that artists do receive compensation for their work, as they deservingly should.

While CD’s are still in use, people are actually buying more blank CD’s. Now, why would you want to buy a CD that has nothing on it? Because now we could make our OWN CD’s- called mixtapes! We now can download any song we want, arrange them however we want and record them onto the disc, ending with a CD consisting of 15-20 songs that do not need to be skipped. Apple developed the ever-famous IPOD, where we can take all of those downloaded songs and store them on a device smaller than your wallet. Now you can’t walk down the street without seeing someone using an IPOD. In fact, I’m listening to mine right now! And you can sure bet, just as CD’s replaced records and cassettes, the IPOD and music on the Internet, is doing the same thing with CD’s.

How does this affect you? Well, I can tell you that I have made more than 3000% profit on CD’s that I have bought and resold.

Recently, I bought a CD on eBay for $10. Knowing what I was looking for, and knowing that the seller had no idea of the treasure that he had, there was an opportunity that could not be passed up! That $10 CD was soon sold on eBay the next week for $300. The original owner missed out on $290 just by misidentifying the CD.

The best thing that has worked for me is searching on eBay for “lots” where sellers sell a bundle of CD’s at one time. Most people do not take the time to search through all the CD’s in these lots, but if there is one in particular you are looking for that is worth a lot, by taking a couple minutes to read all of the titles in the lot, you sure can come across CD’s that will give you the bankroll to make even larger investments.

There are certain artists whose memorabilia and music is worth more than others- typically artists that recently passed away, or artists that are known to have an extremely loyal fanbase (the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, or more recent artists of our younger generation such as 2Pac, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, or the Insane Clown Posse- believe it or not!). I have found that buying “promotional cd’s” (CD’s that were never intended for sale and were used as distributions to radio companies or at concerts to promote an upcoming album) and advance CD’s (another form of promotional CD given to radios and other people in the business) can often turn a profit. Getting these types of CD’s of artists who are new to the industry, and have not yet become popular can often turn a good profit once they do become huge. This is because their advance or promo CD’s are made in limited numbers because they have not built up the fame or respectability for the companies to heavily promote them.

If you have a good ear for music, you just might be able to catch the next big star before they blow up big-- if you do, get your hand on these CD’s while they are still available! Do your research and you can make yourself a very nice profit!

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.