"New Kid on the Block" - www.glassclubs.com – Daryle Lambert – Warner Smith Does It Again.

Satava Sideswimmer - Thanks to - www.ohmygodardbranson.com

I remember when my parents would tell me something as a child and say not to tell anyone else the secret. This almost always nearly killed me so I would just give my best friends a hint that I had a secret. This is what my friend Warner did to me.

Several months ago he shared his new plans for an Art Glass website and I thought it was a terrific idea. However, he told me that I couldn't share it with anyone else. Yes, you guessed it. I felt just like a child again. It was impossible for me to totally keep the secret so I did mention some of what he was doing in a previous blog for the members of the 31Club but I didn't mention his name. Warner has taken a new partner with him in this venture and his name is Jerry. What knowledge Warner doesn't have about art glass, Jerry does. He is one of the foremost authorities on all types of glass in the United States.

The secret was released yesterday and you can find it at www.glassclubs.com. This site will become one of the most frequented sites for art glass on the web. I am so envious of the technical aspects of the site that I have asked Warner to share his technician with me.

With the formation of a new club that incorporates the Lotton, Satava and Smallhouse Clubs into one, there will be a huge following of this site. You will remember that I gave you a sneak peek by mentioning both Satava and Smallhouse as art glass masters to keep your eye out for in a previous blog. There will now be an excellent secondary market in all three of the studios' production and this will provide stable prices for their works of art. The www.glassclubs.com will have a wonderful traders area where you will be able to buy as well as sell your pieces. I would recommend that all that read my blog join this club.

Both of these new artists carried by the “Glass Club” make unusual pieces that I guarantee will be represented in my personal collection some day. Satava makes paperweights from clear crystal that contain the most realistic Jellyfish that you have ever seen. The one I want is the side swimmer. I could sit and stare at one of these for hours. But not to be outdone, Smallhouse produces pieces that are topped with the most beautiful and colorful frogs and octopuses that you have ever seen. I will own one of the Smallhouse jars topped with an octopus someday.

These three artists are the supreme art glass masters of the present day and their works will definitely appreciate in value. Since they are still relatively unknown by most people there is always a chance you could sneak up on one of these treasure at a price for below their true value.

Congratulations to Warner and Jerry for their support in bringing the art of collecting “Art Glass” out of the darkness and into the light. Be sure to check out the new site and I believe that you, like myself, will be amazed.

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“Ladies know Best" Daryle Lambert – It's all about leather.

Hermes Birkin Bag - Thanks to www.theartthat.com

I know that I might make some groups mad but this is just too good to pass by. I have noticed that at most of the house and garage sales I attend there is always this group of ladies that head for the bedrooms and closets. I thought that they were just looking to buy something for themselves but was I wrong. No more will I leave a sale before I have investigated the haunts of this special group of ladies.

You know that old saying that the only one who needs a mink coat is a mink. Well that saying is definitely not right in this market today. Skins today bring big money as you will find out but continuing to read this blog. I promise you that some of the 31 Club members will take what they read here to heart and I will be posting their stories for you to read in the future.

I was tired last night and started my blog about 11:00 not knowing what to write about. So usually under these circumstances I just sit at the computer until an idea comes into my head. “Why don't I write about items made from leather?” I asked myself. That seemed simple enough so I started listing the items that I would mention in the blog. "Handbags, coats, shoes, belts, hats, luggage and gloves.” These items could be contemporary, vintage or even native American and this should make for interesting reading.

My first thought was to go and look on eBay for ladies' hand bags. The way I usually approach this is to go and examine the completed auctions so that is what I did. Punching in the highest priced items, my eyes almost popped right out of my head. Are you ready for this? Hermes Birkin bags made of Crocodile and Ostrich were selling from $14,000 to $96,000! I sat back in my chair and said to myself, WHAT? Let's get real is the phase that passed through my mind. But even as I scanned the cheaper ones like Chanel, Christian Dior and Coach, the figures still astonished me because many were still $2000 or more.

I had to clear my head so I clicked on leather jackets and it started all over again. Gucci, Dior, Chanel and Louis Vuitton came up on the list and here again were prices that just rocked me. Used Gucci jacket $10,000, and there was a wide range of these from long coats to biker ones but none were cheap. Next came used shoes and who would ever have thought? There were pairs selling as high as $900. Can you imagine that for used shoes?

Time has run out for me so I won't be covering the other items such as luggage, gloves, hats and belts but I think you get the picture. This has been a real lesson to me because it seems that these ladies have had this market all to themselves but now that I have exposed it I am sure they will have competition from the members of the 31 Club.

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“Hi Kiddies. It is Time for Disneyland” - Daryle Lambert - Sure way to make money.

Fireworks at Disneyland - Thanks to www.flicker.com

Why haven't I thought of this before? What does every young person want to do with their vacation? Do you have the answer yet? It is to go off to Disneyland. But where do all those collectibles that we bring home end up? Yes in a garage or house sale but how many people realize how much what we would call junk might be worth to a collector? I didn't until I started preparing for this blog and Wow!

Disneyland might be the most visited place in America and remember, collectors try to recapture their past. Every parent dreams of taking the children to Disneyland and some plan for that trip for many years. Yes it is expensive but to see that look in your child's eyes as he hugs Mickey Mouse is priceless.

I know you're waiting for me to pull this all together but believe me I think you will even be surprised with what I share in the next few sentences. It might be possible to just concentrate on Disney collectibles and move through the first 15 steps in the “Million Dollar Race.” To find out more about this race you will have to check out www.31corp.com. It will be your ticket to success beyond your wildest imagination. By joining the 31 Club you will have the opportunity to work with thousands of other people to provide for your success. But back to Disneyland where we may be able to make more money from their memorabilia than it cost us to take our children there.

Let’s look at a few examples of memorabilia from Disneyland that may well make you smile if you run across them. First we have the 1956 Disneyland Skyway poster being sold for $1825, followed by the 1967 Rocket Jets poster clocking in at $686. I will just mention a few more goodies for you to dream about: a 1950 Chip and Dale animated celluloid drawing $685, 1963 original signed Gold Pass $2550, 1954 original set of blueprints $2500, 1959 Subway and Monorail Dedication Program $859 and then we had the “It's a Small World and Alice in Wonderland posters coming in at $700 each. The biggest surprise, however, was the offering of a Country Bear Jamboree sign at $8500. So that you will not think that these are the only items being offered on eBay from Disneyland there are over 7100 completed listings posted.

How could I have missed this opportunity? You see I am learning right along beside you. We may owe a great big thanks to Mickey Mouse sometime in the near future.

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“How Can It Continue?” Daryle Lambert – Pro Sports Record Payout.

Matthew Stafford - A Happy Young Man - Thanks to www.washingtonpost.com

My question to you is can professional sports continue to pay young kids the amounts of money that they are today? Why should this be important to us as sellers of sports memorabilia, or is it? I will try to share with you both sides of this issue.

First, I just saw where the Detroit Lions paid a young quarterback from Georgia by the name of Matthew Stafford $41.7 million guaranteed over six years with the possibility of that being expanded to $78 million. This is before he even throws one pass in the NFL. I would think that the value of everything that Matthew has touched since he was in youth football must have just skyrocketed in value. If you are fortune enough to be picked the first round of the NFL draft you will become an instant millionaire. That seems totally inconceivable to me but it is true and only a handful of these young men’s names will be recognized by the public in just a few years. My question to you is where does all this money come from? It comes from people like us that sit every weekend glued to the television watching ball games and the advertisements that support the games.

With sure fervor for sports, which are today’s gladiators, I think it is safe to say that sports memorabilia has a bright future. We as dealers should spend a fair amount of time staying current on the value of these items. Yes my advice to the members of the 31 Club is to buy items at a price that they can instantly be sold for a doubling of the price paid. However it is painful some of the time to look back at transaction that we have made.

For instance I purchased a 1951 all Yankee's signed baseball for, if I remember, around $300 and sold it to a gentleman in New York for $1000. Mickey Mantle was on that ball and Joe DiMaggio was on the sweet spot. Today that ball may well bring $10,000 or more. I think there were either five or six Hall of Famers’ signatures appearing on that item. Here is the question. Why was that ball special? Give up? Mickey Mantle’s rookie year wasn't until 1952. He got sent back down in 1951. I think that you will find that the rare and unusual sports items have far outpaced other investments over the last fifty years. Yes, there is still huge money to be made in sports items. However by continuing to double your money in this manner there is no way that holding on for many years to an item will keep pace.

The other side of this issue, however, is can it last? Horse racing is a dying sport. The reason for this is that racing got too expensive and it was too slow for people looking for fast action. I very seldom today run into anyone who is collecting racing items, with the exception of Derby Glasses, and that is because people still want the have a complete set of these glasses. For you that are familiar with NASCAR racing, it was impossible to get tickets for the race at Bristol Tennessee, but not today. It is simply too expensive for a family to attend a race any longer. To maintain the money being paid to the athletes, tickets prices must continue to go up and I think this will be what kills the golden goose for the collector. It may still be several years before people begin to lose interest because it is just too expensive to remain a fan, but I do believe we are headed in that direction. Just look at boxing and try to remember the last time you or a friend went to a boxing match?

Yes, for the moment we the members of the 31 Club should include sports memorabilia in the items we search for, but be ever on guard for a changing tide in this field and don't fall in love with these items thinking they will always continue in this upward cycle we're in today.

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“ How is Obama Doing? “ - Daryle Lambert- Is there still money to be made there?

President Obama - Thanks to blogs.diariosur.es

It has been a while since I traveled back to my predictions about President Obama's collectibles. You may recall that I said in my opinion they would equal Washington and Lincoln in value some day. I still haven't changed my mind and perhaps my opinion has even strengthen. How can you say that most would ask?

I just checked eBay to see the progress Obama memorabilia has taken. Yes the feeding frenzy may be over but how about the true under lying values. His hope posters are still selling quiet well with the last two bring $4000 and $3550 respectively. Not bad for something that was given away. These signed posters with in the next 20 years could be $25,000 each or more. I wish that I could tell you what the more could be but I will leave that to your imagination. His first edition book Audacity of Hope sold for $2000 signed. This was a true bargain but you must have proof that it is his signature or have it authenticated. I believe if you search for the values of books signed and written by early past Presidents you will hurry out and buy every one of Obama's with out a second thought.

Books and posters aren't the only things that you should keep your eye out far pertaining to Obama's presidency or early life. A guitar signed by Obama and Bruce Springsteen brought $2600 and a Gold Turkish coin was hammered for $1800. Anything with his original signature will bring big money in the future as he reduces the number of times he will be willing to sign items for the public. This has been true of all presidents. With these prices can you imagine what they would have been if the economy hadn't gone into the tank?

Yes the freebies might be gone but in my opinion the game is just beginning for Obama memorabilia and you should get a board. This is an area of collection that you should actively pursue and spend time on the Internet, your local papers and anywhere else you might come up with these treasures. Be careful of frauds because they are out there. I would love to have a signed photo of their puppy with his paw print. If any of you have the inside this would be a great project to pursue.

I disagree with almost everything the man has done but you can't deny he is shaking things up. He is my President and I wish him nothing but the best. Time will tell if he is on the right track but I believe that most American cherish freedom and capitalism.

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“RE/COLLECT” by Kit Novotny - Daryle Lambert – What makes a collector?

Car Collection - Thanks to Flicker .com

I have been privileged many times in my life but none more than last night. I attended a solo performance of a play “RE/Collect” at the University of Chicago that was written and performed by Kit Novotny. You are asking why this was so important to me, right? Well, I will try to explain how it affected me and also served as a great lesson to my 10 year old son, Joshua.

It all started several months ago with a phone call from a wonderful young lady named Kit. She ask if it would be okay to interview Joshua and myself about being collectors. My first question of course was “How did you find us?” She explained that she had run across our website www.31corp.com and found it quite interesting.

We set a date for her to visit our home and anxiously waited for her visit. After spending several hours with the interview, Kit thanked us and said we would hear from her later. Kit had taken special time to interview Joshua. In fact, at one point he informed me I could be dismissed because she wanted to talk to him.

Little did I expect what was coming. “Do you remember me?” said the voice on the other end of the phone. “I am Kit who interviewed you and Joshua about collecting.” I assured her that I remembered and she informed me that she had produced a play from that interview and several others that she had accumulated. I thanked her for allowing Joshua and me to be a part of it and then she invited us to her first performance.

The date of the performance was last night and I have to admit I didn't really know what to expect, but as we arrived Kit greeted us and had our tickets reserved. The theater was packed and everyone seemed to be excited so we sat down and started talking to the people around us. The first people I started a conversation with were Kit’s parents who had traveled from Massachusetts for the performance by their daughter.

The program explained that the play was a re-enactment of the interviews that Kit had conducted over a year and she played the part of each interviewee. There were seventeen interviews but I was most interested in how she portrayed Joshua and myself. I was very interested to see this young lady take on the role of an old man and the next moment be a young boy but she did it amazingly well. Her play gave me a new found understanding of the thinking of collectors and I now realized that it is truly an individual thing and often has very little to do with the object but more about the memory.

This experience reinforced my belief that we at the 31 Club are serving a very honorable service by helping people reconnect to the favorite memories of their past. By doing that we are enhancing their lives in a good way and as you know in the world today we are in a battle for those good memories. If you are reading this and have not become part of the 31 Club I would encourage you to consider joining us as we continue to enhance our own lives while helping others.

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“Change can Become Dollars” - Daryle Lambert – “Don't look at coins the same way today.”

Your Future - www.dreamstime.com

My old coin collection changed my life for the better and provided me with a college education. If you haven't read my book “31 Steps to your Millions in Antiques and Collectibles”, you should. In the first few pages I tell the story about how, with a young family and no money to speak of, I was able to attend Kentucky Wesleyan College and get a degree. Maybe I had $100 in my account, but through buying and selling American coins I was able to put myself through college.

Today I visited a young man that had inherited a house full of items after his mother’s death. Spending over two hours looking over hundreds of pieces, I started to try teaching him the principles that we use at the 31 Club. It was overwhelming with perhaps hundreds of custom jewelry pieces, most of little value and over fifty paper items from etching to prints that would make pretty wall hangings but nothing else. I am sure that he was disappointed because I showed so little interest in this assortment of garage sale items but why should I? It wouldn't help him and I was in a position to help him but with what?

He led me through the house where he had wrapped and boxed what looked like hundreds more items that, from reading the notes on the boxes, will never pay for his time and work to store them. I could understand if they had sentimental value but I didn't get the sense these items did. One day they will be drug out only to find that more time has passed but the contents of the boxes haven't appreciated at all.

Here is where I try to save my reader time and effort. Don't spend your time trying to make common items valuable. It just doesn't work, no matter how much you desire it to. I was almost ready to say it was time for me to go when he asked if I would look at one more thing. My thought was why not, but truly I didn't have very high expectations. We entered a bedroom where there was a card table loaded with cigar boxes and other containers holding hundreds of coins. Silver dollars, Liberty halves, Lincoln cents, Buffalo nickels, Liberty dimes, all the different types of quarters. I felt like I was back in college. He had spent hours on the things of very little value but nothing on the coins. There were uncirculated rolls of dimes, quarters and nickels. I even found mint uncirculated halves wrapped in tin foil. I tried to figure in my mind what this collection was worth but I had to stop when the figure got to the thousands. You see to him this collection was just a bunch of coins and he was trying to pick treasure out of junk when the treasure was right in front of him.

I think that you will find most people think just like this gentleman. That is why I have recommended that you share with everyone you know that you will buy all their old coins. Remember those cards we are going to post? Be sure to include coins in what you list. If you don't think that the coins are a way to go, just check out www.seeauctions.com and the completed sales on coins. Susan B Anthony dollar uncirculated $51. I remember when you couldn't get people to take them. This meant most of those coins were put in a drawer and forgotten about. Wouldn't it be nice to find a couple of rolls of these? I remember when I was reading about Treasure Island and wanting to find the chest of gold coins but today, just finding a collection of American coins can be more valuable.

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“When It Rains It Pours” - Daryle Lambert – Does the hard work pay off in Antiques and Fine Art?

Hard Work Makes Honey - Thanks to www.trekearth.com

I have been trying for several months to tell everyone that I come in contact with that change is coming. Yes it was hard to sit for days without a single prospect but I just kept on doing what I have always done and that is sharing my story with others. Writing a daily blog for the 31 Club didn't allow me to lose interest and it also forced me to do my research.

Has your hard work started paying off for you? Are people that know that you are in the antique and fine art business asking you questions and sharing where there might be items you wish to purchase? How about the house sale conductors and people that have multiple garage sales? Are they sending you invitations to their sales? Did you put out those 100 cards on the bulletin boards and are they paying off? These are only a few of the questions that I would like to ask everyone that has decided to come on this journey with all the other 31 Club members.

When I prayed and asked how I could be of service to others, the plan for the 31 Club became a reality but that was just the first step. I knew that I couldn't give everyone that read what I wrote a living [Fish ] but I believed and still do that I could share with them a way to change their lives [Teach them how to fish]. If you aren't beginning to get the results that I am about to share with you, it only means that we haven't spent enough time together, either by email or phone. The 31 Club’s sole purpose is to see its members become successful.

Just today a lady called and presented me with 5 or 6 of the greatest paintings that I have ever been offered. I had hardly hung up the phone when I got an email asking for more pictures of our W. A. Slaughter’s painting that is priced at $25,000. I had the busiest week for me in almost 6 months last week and I was able to turn over $10,000 worth of merchandise. There is more quality glass being presented to me than I can keep up with. This should be true for you. too



You are saying “but he has been in the business for so long”, right? Wrong, everything that I just shared with you came from new sources and the work that I have been putting in my pipeline over the winter. I would think that if you aren't beginning to see results like these it might be time to examine the steps needed for your success. Set yourself a goal for the next six months and let me know what it is. Together we will form a plan that will help you achieve your goal.

I work with people at church on their budgets and for six months I examine their results and if they are meeting their goals then I turn then loose. I want to make you that same offer but if I don't hear from you I have no way of knowing how well your are or are not doing. The markets are changing and I can feel it so don't be left at the starting gate in our “Million Dollar Race”. The field is open and if you want to be a contender you must get out of the starting gate.


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“Come Fly With Me.” Daryle Lambert – Things with Wings Mean Money.

Wright Brothers - Thanks to Flicker

Most people today can hardly recall the early days of aviation. The Wright Brothers are only a name to most but they started an era that is continuing even today. Almost any item that recalls the history of the airplane is eagerly sought after by today’s collectors. I would highly recommend that all the followers of the 31Club spend time researching aviation memorabilia. It would be very difficult to include all the items that the collector is hunting for in one blog but I will try to give you a summary.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to take a quick tour of your home town in a Spitfire or another older warplane? Yes, for most of us this would only be a dream, but there are collectors that have a stable of older planes. I remember when a collector found a plane buried in ice, I think in Iceland. He recovered it and restored a piece of history to its original condition. But I would assume that this was out of the reach of most people, even if their interest in aviation was all consuming.

So the question is where do we go? Perhaps one of the most rewarding areas in this field of collecting is the posters. I just checked eBay, my old stand by for information, and there I found a 1950's United Airlines Sunny California poster for $1900 and another American Airlines one for $1200 promoting New York City. I have no doubts that there are travel poster representing the airlines that sell for tens of thousands. Often you may find these still rolled in their original tubes for $1.00 at house and garage sales.

Needless to say toy airplanes are a treasure trove if you can find the older ones. I remember one of the first toys that I ever owned was a cast iron plane that my uncle brought back with him from the war. It might not be worth much to anyone else but it would be priceless to me if I could find it today. Toy planes come in all shapes, forms and fashions. Cast iron, plastic, wood, tin and, believe it or not, even glass. Some like the Buddy L Hanger with three planes might fetch $1500 or more while a pre war Japanese fighter might reward its owner with $2500. The more modern G I Joe USS Flagg with its planes sold for over $2100 on eBay and I think at that price it was still a bargain.

I attended a sale at Direct Auction and purchased two fairly large gas engine model planes for my son Joshua . Knowing very little about flying model planes, I didn't even know what all I had bought because they came with batteries, starters, controls and many other things that I'm not even sure to this day what they are. After getting all this home my wife threw a fit and asked us what we were going to do with these planes with about a four foot wing span? To tell you the truth I had no idea. So taking one and hanging it from the ceiling in our family room I kept the other in the back of my pickup for over six months. The attachments are stored in a closet and even now my wife Vickie tells me that they have to go. But here is the good news. After hauling this one around for half a year and finally figuring out that Joshua and I would never fly it, I took the one back to Direct and guess what? I doubled my money on the complete purchase and still have the one hanging plus all the other items. Every once in a while even a mistake turns out okay.

But what else should you keep an eye out for that is in the aviation field? Candy containers, paddle cars, models, jewelry and there are so many more I could stay up all night just thinking of them. However, it is enough just to let you know that there is a healthy group of collectors waiting for you to help them increase the size of their aviation collection and they are willing to pay top dollar if you have the merchandise they are looking for. Happy flying.

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“Never Too Old To Learn” - Daryle Lambert – Henry Faulkner Kentucky Artist.

Henry Faulkner painting - Thanks to www.millerfineart.com

I have been writing to you about my knowledge of Kentucky art and its artists for quite some time. But I just found out I didn't know it all. Little did I realize that a gentleman by the name of Henry Faulkner had made quite a splash as an artist in Kentucky. In fact I didn't even recognize the name at all. My phone seldom stops ringing and it wasn't a surprise that it rang yesterday afternoon. This lady with a pleasant voice said “Is this Mr. Lambert.” “I don't know about the mister part but this is Daryle Lambert and how can I help you?”, I replied. She then told me about a William Horton that I might have interest in because she had seen our ad on the AskArt site for William Horton. My next question is always “Can you send me pictures of the painting and a description?”

While we were chatting, I learned that she had connections in Kentucky and as we continued the conversation it was mentioned that she had received several Kentucky paintings from her husband. This caught my attention with visions of Harvey Joiner and Carl Brenner dancing through my head. “Henry Faulkner is the artist” was what I heard through the phone and I blinked and said to myself , “Who is that?”. In fact the name meant so little to me that I didn't even pursue it any further.

But after we had finished our conversation, I thought that it might be good if I at least looked him up on AskArt. To my surprise he had 23 listing and his prices were pretty consistent from $3,000 to $10,000. I was stunned and couldn't wait to get my customer back on the phone. Mr. Faulkner lived from 1924 to 1981 and had a very colorful life. He was rumored to have been a Tennessee Williams lover and was often photographed in drag.

His painting took him from Europe to the Florida Keys where he was a friend of Ernest Hemingway. While most of his paintings were in a whimsical style composed of flowers, animals and buildings, these weren't all the subjects his art covered.

Now for the sad part, I am sure that I have seen paintings by Faulkner at house and garage sales but never gave them a second thought because in my mind they were just decorative pieces. But you can be assured that from now on I will have his signature implanted in my mind where it will never be lost again. As you are in the field this is the reason to check everything you see and later do your research because we will never know it all. I wonder how much money it has cost me by not knowing the name Henry Faulkner?

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“ Are You fully Invested? “ Daryle Lambert- Antiques and Fine Art Compared to the Others

W. A. Slaughters Painting

I am ask every day about the economy and where people should put their money. I have a pat answer for these folks and it is where it will bring you the greatest returns. There is a time and place for everything. Yes silver at 3 or 4 dollars was a great buy and the same could be said about Gold at 600 dollars but not today. Only the hustlers are touting Gold and Silver today. Even I might not be ashamed to have 5% of my portfolio in the metals but I would have bought them many years ago. If my readers had listened to me they would have 50% gains in Silver and almost 20% in Gold as these commercial metals continue to decline in value.

If not metals then what. How about real estate? This has proven to be one of the best investments over time in the history of this country and now it may be at that statics again. The only problem is do you have the cash available to purchase properties? The requirements have been tightened and you will find it very hard to buy a property with least than 20% down and even then you had better have great credit. Because of the need for large amounts of cash to purchase real estate this take it out of the reach of most people.

Going down my list of potential investment the next area that I discuss with investors is the stock market. Here you don't have to possess the total capital required for real estate and we are perhaps at the best buying opportunity for stocks in the last 50 years. I personally am fully invested because I believe that cash is the worst place to put our money today. The people that have cashed everything out that they own and put it under the mattress will sleep on a soft pallet but it will be an expensive lesson as inflation eats away at their savings. On a scale from one to ten one being the worst place for you money and 10 the best cash would be a one. I believe that if you do your research just like we teach at the 31 Club, for stocks rather than Antiques and Fine art, you will be greatly rewarded in the future by your stock investments.

But you knowing me I am sure that you know I have kept the best for last. Yes there will be no greater investment in these hard times than Antiques and Fine Art. Over the last 50 years even real estate couldn't keep up with these investments. I just saw a painting by Bruce Crane only be bid to a few hundred dollars when its actually value I feel should be at least $10,000. What else provides you the opportunity to at least double your money within a matter of days after it is purchased. I have demonstrated this to you just over the last couple of weeks. First the Graf painting selling at $3000, then the Lotton glass bringing almost $2000 for two pieces and then the Ila McAfee painting selling for $750. All of these equaled or exceeded our goal of a double. There was also the Rolex watch and at the present time the 31 Club has several other items selling on eBay that should do equally as well ads the items I just mentioned.

Yes my opinion hasn't changed during these rather difficult time if anything I have just become more convinced the the Antique and Fine Art business is the way to go. No I done suggest that you invest all your money in these but I do believe that it should command a prominent position in you portfolio. I think I can say without hesitation that nothing else you own will out preform this investment. If you still adhere to the old adage “Cash is King” I feel there will be a time you will have to pay the piper.

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“ Artus Van Briggle - but which one? “ - Daryle Lambert

Most of you know the name Artus Van Briggle and how he began his Van Briggle Pottery company in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1902. This masterful pottery artist only lived a short time after he began producing pottery there and died in1904. His discovery of a wonderful matte technique soon enhanced his reputation as a true master. The world lost a genius in Mr. Van Briggle but he had been sick for years and journeyed to Colorado for the drier air that would help his tuberculosis. Pottery pieces from the era when he was alive can command thousands of dollars on the market today.

All of his pieces were signed and it is very easy to distinguish the date on Van Briggle Pottery. Although only a small portion of his production was dated, it is is eagerly sought after by collectors. I was once fortunate enough to find a 1904 piece that I purchased for a few hundred dollars and later sold for more than $3,500. In my career, I have only owned three dated pieces.

After Mr. Van Briggle's death, his family kept the pottery company going until it bankrupted in 1913. It has changed hands several times since then and is still making fantastic pottery today. For you to really make money, I think that it is important any pieces you purchase pre-date 1920.

I am sure by now you are asking but what about the title “Artus Van Briggle - but which one?” Here is the rest of the story as Paul Harvey would say. You see, Artus Van Briggle worked for Rookwood pottery from 1887 till 1901. In fact he was rated as an “A” artist at Rookwood which gave him the same stature of Matthew Daly, Henry Farny, Maria Nichols and Kataro Shirayamadani. If you are fortunate enough to ever find a piece that he made while at Rookwood then you have a true treasure. Those pieces can bring big bucks.

So I would advise all my readers to add Artus Van Briggle to their list of artists to search for whether it is his Rookwood or Van Briggle pieces.

I have a personal request to make of you and it is that my son Lawson Lambert is trying to get a sports broadcasting job and it is a contest. If you would go to WNST.net and register, then scroll half way down the page to where it shows the contest, listen to my son and then vote, I would greatly appreciate it. As you scroll down, you will see the name Jerry Reinhardt and Lawson is below this gentleman and you can give him five stars. Here is thanks in advance.

God Bless,
Daryle

“How Companies Ruin a Great Thing” - Daryle Lambert [ Doulton – Fenton – Ty - Ganz ]

Sponge Bob Beanie Baby - Thanks to Flicker

Do you recognize these names: Royal Doulton, Fenton Carnival Glass, Beanie Babies and Webkinz? I believe most of you will but what do they all have in common? I will give you a hint; it starts with “G” and ends in “d”. If you guessed “Greed”, you are correct.

All of these companies began by making quality products in fairly limited production, but as you will see that big $$$$$ got to be too much for them and what had made them great was soon what took them to mediocrity. It never ceases to amaze me how companies can forget what got them to where they are. They miss the point that it isn't about them but the love of what they produce.

First, let’s examine The Doulton Company that flourished since the 1800's. This company, founded in England by John Doulton, was able to acquire the services of some of the greatest pottery artists of the time and by the turn of the century names like Barlow, Tinsworth, Butler and Marshall were household names in the pottery industry. Doulton produced stoneware and porcelain during the early years but after 1920 they became the king of porcelain collectibles such as figurines, Toby jugs and decorative plates. They were the toast of the town but what happened between then and now?

First they used artists to decorate each piece separately and the artists were on salary. Next they used the best designers in the world to make their molds and each had outstanding detail such as fingers that were separated and not just a clump of clay. However, with their success, Doulton soon became greedy and thought that if their name was on it the people would purchase their products regardless of quality. Boy were they wrong. With the ever increasing prices and the lack of quality caused by putting their decorators on piece work (paying them by the number of pieces they decorate in a certain period of time), the public soon turned against them. Figurines that at one time sold for $500 may now be purchased for $100. Yes, there are still collectors for the older quality pieces but today’s production has very little value. So much for greed, right?

This same scenario has also played out with other companies such as Fenton, Ty and Ganz. Fenton produced some great Carnival glass patterns that were highly collectible but then they had to reproduce them, Now the collector is cautious. Ty though that the public could never get enough of their Beanie Babies but that proved to be false as can be seen by the prices that they are fetching today.

I told the story in my book ”31 Steps to Your Millions” about a friend having me sell 12 Princess Di Bears. They had to be shipped to me from Texas. After they arrived at my home I immediately put them on eBay where the prices had dropped $300 each. Greed had again reared its ugly head. What were they thinking by producing millions of each bear? I am afraid the Webkinz are headed in the same direction.

This is why I tell all my readers not to get caught up in all the frenzy but stay with the quality and it will prove to be your best friend. There is still a fortune to be made in collectibles but you have to be knowledgeable enough to know which ones.

My 220 page book about how to make money buying and selling antiques & collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Us Today!
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“Glass Artists Who Aren't Household Names” - Daryle Lambert - [ Carlson – LaLonde – Parriott ]

Robert Carlson Glass - Thanks to www.artline.com

What you don't know can often make you the most money. Here is an example of what I am talking about. It was your typical Tuesday night at Direct Auction in Chicago and as I was roaming around I spotted something different. At first I thought that it was a broken bowling trophy. There was a wooden base that had a glass sculpture attached to it but the glass was broken. I pieced it up just to see why anyone would consign a piece like this to auction?

There was a name on the glass, Harvey Littleton, which at the time meant nothing to me. Now I know he is one of the true masters of contemporary glass. If you recall from my past blog he and Dominick Labino fashioned the first small glass melting furnace that made it possible to produce art glass in the smaller studios. There wouldn't be the West Coast glass community if it weren't for the efforts of these two. But on with the story. I asked John at the auction if I might look Mr. Littleton up in one of their books and he gave me his permission. Wow, was that broken piece more interesting to me after I did my research. You see his works usually go from $3000 to $10,000 or more. This piece was hammered at a little over $1000. You see I wasn't the only one that had discovered the value of Mr. Littleton's works.

Over the last few blogs on art glass I have presented the tops in the West Coat community of glass artists but I would like to leave you with three other names, just in case you see their names at a garage or house sale. Even at auctions their names may not be recognized.

First is Robert Carlson who states that his Art in Glass is mystical and if it isn't a part of his life then he has failed. I love his use of colors that are vivid and bright There is hardly anything about his work that is symmetrical and it seems to have a natural flow to it. I found where a 7 X 13 ½ inch piece of his work sold for $2000 and today that might be cheap. I can only imagine what his larger pieces sell for. He has a tape out that you may wish to purchase called “Spirit into Matter. By Robert Carlson.”

Next is Richard LaLonde, who unlike Carlson, likes harmony in his work. The latest method that he uses is to pour crushed glass out in patterns or pictures and then fuse it all together. Here again is an artist who maximizes his use of color and breaks all the rules about what color should be positioned next to another color. As he says it just has to come from the heart.

Last but not least is Charles Parriott who appreciated the true art form that glass can be. He often drew and redrew the plans for his sculptures many times before attempting to complete the real piece. His work is truly original. Please just store these names in your memory because their work is out in the marketplace somewhere and it may just become your next treasure

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“Fire Sale on Memories – Chicago Tribune” - Daryle Lambert – Antiques and Collectibles.

Fire Sale on Memories - Photp thanks to epic.aps.anl.gov

The article by Christopher Borrelli and Robert K. Elder that appeared in the Chicago Tribune on April the 13 is the best advertisement for being a member of the 31 Club that I can think of. It tells of people that accumulated collectibles and held them, hoping to capitalized on their appreciation in the future. However, as the economy declined, their need for money forced them to sell their treasures, as the Tribune stated “At a puny payoff.”

If these people had the knowledge that our members of the 31 Club have, they wouldn't have bought the low end of the collectible markets but only the rare and unusual pieces that would have rewarded them handsomely. This business is about knowing what will be sought after in the future. To appreciate, they must be items in limited supply. It is no surprise to me that comic books from the 80's and 90's don't bring much on the market today, but if the same person had purchased four or five comic books from the 30's to the 50's for the amount of money he paid for the later ones he would be dancing in the streets today.

In the article the writers mention Barbie dolls, Beanies and Action Figures. I feel sorry for the person that though these items would pay for their children's college or their retirement but if they had only researched these items they would have found that millions of each had been produced. That would have told them the story. Where were they going to find millions of collectors in the future to buy their common items at elevated prices. But you can bet that the collectors that bought 1959 Barbie dolls, Purple Elephant Peanut Beanies and the first Action Toys are still doing very well. This business isn't like the hunter that takes a shotgun to go hunting and sprays his shots but more like the one that takes a rifle so that he can focus on his target.

We want to focus on the rare and unusual so that even in a difficult market we will do well. When I first started buying Royal Doulton I had to have every piece that had that name on it but I soon learned it wasn't the quantity of the collection but the quality that counted.

I remember a story about a gentleman that visited the home of the best known Coca Cola collector in the world. Viewing the collection his question was “Is this all there is?” He was looking at pieces that, if sold, could purchase a house in most towns. I am sure that you are familiar with this gentleman because his ad is in all the trade papers. I would value his collection in the millions. That is where our focus must be in purchasing treasures for others to buy from us. True collectors will pay top dollar for the rare but have no interest in the common. Buying the pieces that the collector isn't interested in will only tie your money up and then you will become like the individuals that were written about in the Chicago Tribune.

I will finish the series about Art Glass in the next blog but I thought this was too important to wait until later to share with you.

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

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“Dale Chihuly, Dean of Glass” - Daryle Lambert - The Master Artist

Art from the Master Chihuly - Thanks to www.flicker.com

I have been using Bonnie Miller's book “Out of the Fire” for my last couple of blogs. It highlights many of the artists that made up the Puget Sound Art Glass community and perhaps some of the most beautiful Art Glass ever produced. I have to admit that I wasn't familiar with most of the artists highlighted but Dale Chihuly was a name I knew well.

I have purchased several pieces produced by him and I have never had to sit around waiting for buyers. As soon as I advertised that I owned a piece by Chihuly the buyers came running. The profit realized on these pieces made me want to discover more of Mr. Chihuly's works.

Chihuly takes pride in the fact that he often works with a team, composed of as many as fourteen people working together in unison on a single piece. He is like the conductor and often is still drawing the designs as the team is forming the piece. His pieces tend to be larger than the average piece of art glass, and today he is even making large architectural pieces.

Often Chihuly's pieces are almost paper thin with many swirls and patterns that accentuate the vivid colors that he incorporates in most of his pieces. If you aren't acquainted with his work you are missing out on seeing the work of a true master. His work doesn't come cheap but who knows when you may run upon a piece that is priced where you can make several steps in the “Million Dollar Race” from its sale. Remember our goal is to advance to the more expensive items as soon as our knowledge and money allow. Here is a great biography on Mr. Dale Chihuly.

I will cover two more artists from Bonnie Miller’s book and then we will go on to other areas of the antique and collectible business. This adventure that we are undertaking together is just beginning and the exciting finds that are just in front of us will be unveiled in the near future. I am so encouraged by the questions that I receive each day that show that the message of the 31 Club is being well received.

Just this week one of the members sent an email after purchasing a group of ink pens for just a few dollars. One was worth $250. Here is his note.

Daryle, Thought I'd drop you a line and say "Thank You" for your Blogs*.Wife and I were out digging in a messy antique store last Thursday and asked the owner if he had any fountain pens. Yes he did. We purchased a box of assorted pens for $20 and one of them, a 1950's Parker Pen was worth $200 before any repairs. Sold it this AM. The other ones may have to keep for a while.

Ron

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