Stoneware Jugs Can Pad Your Pockets

31 Club member, Cecil, attended a very small flea market in Greenville Kentucky, when a gentleman approached him inquiring about one of the exhibitors. Cecil informed him that the person would be back to his booth very shortly. As he was passing on this information, Cecil noticed a stoneware jug the man was carrying. This jug didn't hold great interest for Cecil, but he asked if there was anything else he wanted to sell. This gentleman said he had several jugs in the car. Cecil hadn't noticed another man listening to their conversation and as they headed toward the car, the other man followed closely behind.

When the trunk was opened, Cecil found it filled with jugs of all descriptions. The first one Cecil eyed was a Louisville Kentucky gallon jug worth a couple of hundred dollars, but while he was examining it, the gentleman behind him picked up something from the wheel well, wrapped in newspaper. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see it was a quart jug from Hartford, Kentucky. The man asked the price and was told $100. He said, “Sold," and the piece had a new owner.

The size of the jug is important. Whiskey jugs basically come in three sizes: Gallon, ½ Gallon, and Quart. The general rule for jugs is the smaller the jug, the more expensive it is. Next in importance is the town it's from. The smaller the town, the higher the price. This is because fewer were produced in very small towns. Cecil was well aware of this, so when the other man walked off with a jug Cecil thought he should've had first dibbs on, he was not very pleased.

After Cecil was done looking through the trunk, he met up with the man who had just purchased the jug out from under him and ask if the jug was for sale, knowing that he had just purchased it for $100. “It really isn't for sale, but if you want, I'll will keep you in mind,” was the answer. Cecil confessed to me that he should have bought it right then and there at any price up to $1,500, but he just couldn't pull the trigger knowing that it should already be his at a $100. You see that jug will bring at least $2,000 on a bad day.

I learned that there are a few jugs even more valuable than this one. Keep your eye out for The Beaver Dam Kentucky Jug, because Cecil said if you find one, it will bring whatever price you ask. Watch for those whiskey advertising jugs. They bring good money as well. Uhl Pottery also put out a line of jugs at one time, and they bring a pretty penny, too.

A good book to learn more about these jugs and crocks is Antique Trader Stoneware and Blue & White Pottery Price Guide. It's available used on both Abesbooks and Amazon, however it's priced better today on Amazon.

Another fine bookAmerican Stoneware Wallace-Homestead Price Guide It's also priced better on Amazon than on Abesbooks.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members. Turbo charge your treasure hunting. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to build a bank account that last a lifetime with your profits. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

See the fine paintings we have listed in our gallery like the Texas Bluebonnet painting by William A. Slaughter. Works from Robert Woods, William Horton, Tom Darro and more. Our Hannah Barlow decorated Doulton Lambeth Vase is superb. Take a look here.

Please Visit our Website.

Will You Find Diamonds or Rubies at Estate Sales?

#13 Giswold Cast Iron Skillet Sold for $925 on eBay on March 26, 2008

I checked the paper the other day and found a House Sale listing a Civil War Operating Table, so yesterday I made it out of the house early to check this out. Being from Kentucky, my mind told me that I might be the only person attending the sale who would have interest in this prize.

I arrived at the sale with my son, Joshua, and as we waited for Cindy to arrive, I began visualizing the purchase and sale of this table in my mind. I even visualized reporting this great find to you all in a Blog. When I entered the house, I immediately ran for the area where I was told this table was located. When I got there, my heart fell. This antique and highly collectible prize, already thought to me mine, had a price tag higher than the amount I had designated for the purchase. I’m sure Joshua and Cindy could see the disappointment in my face, but I tried to show a strong presence to them by saying I am sure there are other treasures here for us. I thought I was fooling myself, though. But, since we were already here, why not look around?

The first things I spotted were about 50 pieces of an amber Depression Glass set, I liked their price tag of $75. I asked if all the pieces were perfect. They were. I told the attendant I was willing to take the entire set for $60. He accepted that and this was the start of our shopping list. Next was a quick trip to the kitchen, where I found about 10 pieces of Griswold Cast Iron skillets and lids. At one time, I owned one of the largest collections of Griswold around. There were several skillet lids, skillets, and even a miniature. I quickly formed a large group of the pieces. I asked the attendant what these would cost me. He asked me what the tag showed. I told him that it showed $100, but I could give him $60. He added them to my list. This is when Cindy called me on my cell phone from an upstairs bedroom, so I was certain she found something. “I’m stranded up here, guarding some special books I don’t want to walk away from. It’s too many for me to carry,” she told me.

I went up there, and indeed she had found some great books, but there were tons more still on the bookcases. You should’ve seen the look in her eyes when I said, “Just start stacking them and I will carry as many as I can down the stairs. I’ll be back for the rest.” We did this until I must have carried 100 hundred books out of there, into the family room and plopped them down on a sofa.

But this story doesn't stop there. The family room had loads of bookshelves filled with more books. I dug in and by the time the two of us had finished there must have been 200 books on the living room couch. They were an assortment of books From Civil War books to Antiques and Collectibles, Fine Art, to Golf. There were so many that we had to take a blanket to cover them so that others would leave them alone. This helped, but I had to still tell several people that these books were sold.

Two pieces of Yellow Ware, some sewing items, a few advertising bottles, and a couple of Vintage Cigar Boxes completed our shopping. We might have missed the diamond, but I think we may well have found over $2,000 worth of rubies that we spent $287 on. It would have been very easy to just have walked away in disappointment. No, we didn't make $10,000. That will have to wait for another day.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members. Turbo charge your treasure hunting today and start building a bank account big enough to last a lifetime. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

See the fine paintings we have listed in our gallery like the Texas Bluebonnet painting by William A. Slaughter. Works from Robert Woods, William Horton, Tom Darro and more. Our Hannah Barlow decorated Doulton Lambeth Vase is superb. Take a look here.

Read Up On The 31 Club Here.

Visit our website here.

Please leave a comment. If you don't want to sign in, just use the ANONYMOUS button. Chime in and participate! -- Daryle Lambert

Tobacco Collectibles Spell Money

Antique Dutch Silver Snuff Box Sold on eBay for $9,660 on March 17, 2008

Yesterday, I said that I would continue for a few day sharing things that will get you started on the journey to your million dollars in antiques & collectibles and help you get past your early steps of the 31 Steps. So,I’m continuing today.

Most people like to have things in their homes that remind them of trips they’ve taken or events that proved to be of great pleasure to them. Items we used in our everyday life are also items that bring back warm memories, and people will collect these. These items often end up in garage or house sales and can be purchased reasonably, then flipped for a fair profit.

There certainly are pieces of advertising that bring in tens of thousands of dollars to be found, but today I will be introducing you to some you are more likely to find.

I would suggest that anything associated with smoking and tobacco will be collected for the next 20 – 50 years. The reason for this is that smoking is going the way of so many other things that were common place fifty years ago, but today they barely exist. With that in mind, let’s examine what some of these articles might be.

The value of old plugs of chewing tobacco with the paper labels might surprise you. The same might be said of an unopened pack of cigarettes from the early days. In fact cigar boxes often command some serious money because of the wonderful designs that decorate these boxes. Let’s not forget the pipe tobacco bags and tins that are eagerly sought after or even the early snuff boxes that most women wouldn't leave the house without.

There are ashtrays, matches, tobacco cutters, posters, tin signs, cigarette papers, cigar labels, and mirrors. And I am just getting started. I would like to list the value of all these things but it is easier just to tell you to look under advertising in the Kovels price guide you should already have purchased. There is a also a nice book by Warman's called Tobacco Collectibles that I would highly recommend. You will be able to find many books on this subject by checking the companies at we are affiliates with, Abebooks, Amazon, and Schiffer Collector’s Books.

So many of the items that fall into this category can be purchased very inexpensively through Abebooks and Amazon when you buy them used, so please check these. We appreciate those who purchase through our affiliate because it helps keep this Blog running.

I’ll be adding these items to my next “What's hot List.” Even items you can find on the cheap at garage, house and yard sales that canturn out to be quite valuable.

When I was little, I use to pick up cigar labels and pretend that they were rings. You would naturally ask what value is there in paper labels that when the cigar is finished. Wouldn’t they just be thrown away. But, cigar labels can bring up to $2,000 or more in today’s market. How about tin signs that advertise Tobacco products? Would you believe that certain signs bring over $5,000 and by placing it in the right auction, many times that.

There was a time when the most important thing I owned was my marbles and guess where I kept them? In Tobacco tins, of course. These tins today may bring $5,000, $10,000 or even more. Do you still have questions as to why I would ask you to search for these lowly items? I think that Tobacco collectibles are a treasure trove for the ones searching for them.

It could be well worth your while to become very knowledgeable in the area of tobacco related items, especially ones that included advertising.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members. Turbo charge your treasure hunting today and start building a bank account big enough to last a lifetime. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

See the fine paintings we have listed in our gallery like the Texas Bluebonnet painting of William A. Slaughter. Works from Robert Woods, William Horton, Tom Darro and more. Our Hannah Barlow decorated Doulton Lambeth Vase is superb. Take a look here.

Read Up On The 31 Club Here.

Visit our website here.

Please leave a comment. If you don't want to sign in, just use the ANONYMOUS button. Chime in and participate! -- Daryle Lambert