Silver Trophies

Silver Trophy

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Modern Technology

The Best of Times
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Army,Navy, Air-force and Marines

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Meissen or something else?

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The Question: Is this a Tea Strainer or Tea Caddy Spoon? Daryle Lambeart's Antiques and Collectibles Blog.

Tea Strainer or Tea Caddy Spoon ?

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Chandeliers - Daryle Lambert's Antiques and Collectibles Blog - Light into your life

I will be leaving the Smoky Mountains tomorrow but before leaving I had to visit Kay at the Gazebo. She was one of the first dealers in Lotton Glass and we always have a great time talking about how things are going.


When I rang her door bell she didn’t answer but I did get to look through the window and there were many Lotton piece. It seems that most of them were by members of the Lotton family besides Charles. It looked as if her shop was fully stocked with other great glass and pottery pieces and when I picked up her card at the door I noticed that she now deals in Lalique and Sabino, as well as Lotton. I have to assume she is doing well and I will see her next year.


I decided to walk a block and look through the Morton Antiques Shop. This is owned by Kay’s uncle and one of the finest antiques shops that I visit. It is filled with Meissen, early American glass, Tiffany and most of the other names you would recognize. I looked at a few of the items that he had and believe me there wasn’t anything cheap. The gentleman that I ususally talk to wasn't there but his partner, who is his son, was. We started to talk about business and he said that over the last three months their business had really picked up. I asked him if there were any items that were doing particularly well and he said Chandeliers. In fact he said they couldn't keep the better chandeliers in stock for very long.


This got me to thinking because I am often offered chandeliers but usually pass on them because it is so hard to pack and ship them. Also if you break a piece on the chandelier how would you ever replace it? But after thinking back to where I could have purchased some great pieces and what they seem to be bringing in the markets today the risk may well be worth it. In fact I just completed buying an estate but passed on the chandeliers. When I return home I hope they are still there and can be added to my inventory.


The chandelier is a perfect example of what I have talked about in the past. I am not interested myself in buying 1000 items for a $1 and then selling then one at a time for $2. Yes you would double your money but the work and time be worth it, not to me. However don’t confuse that with a chandelier that might have 50 or 100 pieces to pack and ship. The difference is that the chandelier will be shipped to one person and the profits can be four or five times your cost. Now that makes sense to me. Always evaluate what your time and money are worth before you accept or reject a trade.

“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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“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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“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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“The Worm May Have Turned” - Daryle Lambert – Antiques and Fine Art

Thanks for this Nation Under God - Photo by www.flicker.com

With the stock market coming to life again, I decided to see if the Antique and Fine Art markets have begun to recover. I have hesitated to list much for a few months because there didn't seem to be any bids at any of the online auctions. However, as I saw the eBay fees beginning to drop, I listed several fairly nice items to test the water. I have to confess I didn't have any elevated expectations but to my surprise I did quite well.

The plan I devised was to list several different types of items to see if there was any strength whatsoever in the different markets. I knew that Lotton Glass had held its own in these markets so I listed two pieces, one a perfume and the other a Jack-in-the-Pulpit. I was hoping if the market was strong that the perfume would bring $800 and the Jack-in-the-Pulpit $1500. Their actual selling prices were $510 and $1275. These prices met all my goals contained in the rules of the 31 Club on buying and then some, but the buyers also did well. This is what I often refer to as a Win-Win situation. Remember, if we are able to supply the collectors items for their collections at prices they consider reasonable, they will be our customers for life.

Next, I listed about five mid to higher range paintings. These didn't do as well but I did sell the Carl Graf for $3000 and it looks as if the Ila McAfee is going to sell as well. I will continue now to dip my toe in the water if the better pieces are again going to be in the spotlight and hopefully we will make up for the slow period over the last few months. My phone calls and email are definitely picking up so maybe the cycle is starting all over again just in time for summer.

Cecil called today about this great painting he had found that was going to be re-auctioned but the estimate had been dropped by over 50%. Even at the original estimates this large painting would have been a great buy in a good market so we are hoping to slip up on this painting in the near future. So if you find pieces that didn't sell over the last six months but the auction houses are offering them again at a lower price, it may be time for you to step in.

Just as a side bar, what have you thought about my calls on the stock market and the gold and silver markets? The metals should go lower and stocks like Ford and Xerox should continue to climb. I still get up every morning thinking I must be dreaming because I loaded up on Ford at $1.26. Isn't it strange how all these markets seem to work in a pattern together?

You are going to find out that the studying you have done over the winter is about to pay off, so let’s get back to what we enjoy most: having fun and making money. But don't forget during this Easter season to give thanks to him who makes all things possible. May you and your families be blessed and healthy.

“Early's Glass Auction” - Daryle Lambert

Early's Auction - Thanks to www.flicker.com

Steve Early is one fine gentleman and I am proud to call him friend. His Spring Art Glass Auction will be completed this weekend and I believe the results will be mixed. This doesn't surprise me considering Steve doesn't use online bidding for his auctions, so buyers have to travel to Cincinnati Ohio to purchase items from his sale. When the economy is sailing along, people have no trouble paying the cost of visiting far away auctions, but I have been waiting to see if this rather slow period would have its effect on collectors. I believe the verdict is in and it has had an effect.

I talked to one of the dealers visiting the sale the first day and his opinion was that the sale was a little off but expected to pick up the second day when the better merchandise was to be sold. I will be eagerly waiting for the sales results to see if he’s right.

Here is the way I see it. This period might be very advantageous for the 31 Club members. Because sellers are not sure what the results of selling their items at auction now will be, they are holding back their better stuff for later. This gives the collectors less reason to bear the expense of traveling so the sales at auction may be a little on the light side. However, this also means that our 31 Club members might have the opportunity to cherry pick [buy the better pieces but leave the rest for others to buy] sales because they know which pieces are selling at prices that we consider bargains. Since I don't yet have the results from the second day I might be a little premature but I doubt it.

From studying Early's wonderful catalog it seemed to me that perhaps Steuben Glass was going to do very well at this sale, but again the better pieces haven't sold as I write this blog. Also there was a fairly large grouping of Lotton being offered and I am anxious to see the prices for this grouping. Having two wonderful Charles Lotton pieces listed on eBay the results of Early's grouping could tell me what to expect for my pieces. I have noticed that the prices of Lotton Glass have seemed to resist the trend of lower prices that I have seen on other glass.

In normal times it is often very difficult to compete with other buyers at sales but today you might find it easier to purchase those real treasures at auctions. It is even more likely that some dealers will fear making a mistake, giving you the opportunity to step forward and take advantage of the situation.

Don't be shy and remember, our goal is to spend our money. Jim Ellis, an old Kentucky farmer, once told me that he never made money in good times but he really raked it in when the times were rough for others. You see he treated his money dearly but if there were bargains he had the cash. By the way at one time, the story goes, he was one of the wealthiest men in American.

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“Back in the Game” - Daryle Lambert

Your the Winner - Photo thanks to wwwsnponline.com

I listed five things yesterday and it feels great. What have you done lately? The reason I ask is because I haven't heard from many of you but I am sure that is going to change. I already have as many as eight watchers on one auction and seven bids on a Charles Lotton Jack in the Pulpit vase.

If I am able to stay on target, I hope to list at least five more of my treasures today. I think that for some of you it is time to pull that book out of the drawer and read it again. Of course I mean “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and Collectibles.”

Last night I was at a nursing home talking to about 100 residents, many of whom were young. The subject was the Lord’s Prayer. I asked if they understood it? Almost every hand went up as a “yes” but then I had to tell them that most people don't. You see I was talking about the part where we say “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” I think that his will is for us to be successful if we are willing to do our part and today I am asking you “are you willing to let him do his will for you?”

If you do nothing but read my blogs in the archives you will have more information than almost anyone that calls him or herself a dealer. We have traveled together over the last two years to come to this point where as you go out into the field you’re equipped for success. I have shared my stories with you until I feel that I am almost bragging, but that isn't the case, because I am sure that you can surpass anything that I have accomplished if you are willing to try.

I sit at my computer each day asking myself how I can inspire and encourage you but if I don't get a response I can't judge my success. I hope the word is getting out but I have put that in the Lord's hands for “His will” to be done. I am going to continue to write each day because I feel that you, the members of the 31 Club, are my family and each of you joined the Club for a purpose. Yes, our arms are open to anyone that has a need that we can help them with, but ultimately it is still up to them to have the desire for success.

There is a great story in the Bible about a man with ten servants. He had to travel so he split his money among the ten to watch over while he was gone. The first servant had made what he was given multiply ten fold. Now that sounds familiar! The second five fold and so on down the line until he came to the last servant. This servant said I buried the money so it wouldn't be lost. This is when the man said take my money from this man and give it to the one that has increased his ten fold. There is a powerful lesson here and I hope you see yourself as the one that increased his ten fold.

If you are having a difficult time starting on your journey just hitch your wagon to the 31 Club’s and we will pull up that hill together. That is what a family is for, right?

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“Where is that Old Bear of Winter?” - Daryle Lambert.

HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN

Sitting here at my computer over the last several months, I have felt like a bear in hibernation, really not very motivated or encouraged to go after it again. But I think things have changed, perhaps it is partly due to my feelings that the country is going to be all right and the stock market is on the rise.

So what is this “Old Hibernating Bear” going to do? First, I am going to challenge all the members and future members of the 31 club to try and keep up with us as we again focus on the 31 Steps to success. I have already this morning listed two fabulous Charles Lotton pieces on eBay. Why eBay you must be asking? The answer is simple. Their rates are now reasonable and they still have the largest audience. I hope to spend the rest of the day listing all the things I have horded over the winter.

This is the time to get back into the “Million Dollar Race” and I feel certain there will be members that reach the half way mark this year. Set your goals high because with the economy where it has been (I do believe it is headed back up) you will find that there are treasures around every corner waiting for you to find them.

Let’s not wake up all those other sleeping bears but let them snooze while we are filling our sacks. By the time they wake up, we will be so far ahead that the race will almost be over. This is still the time to spend our money but also to put what we have already bought into the marketplace. I am making it my top priority to hear the cash register go KA-CHING, KA-CHING over the next couple of months.

Nothing helps you to get over the winter blues like putting money in your pocket and that is precisely what I intend to do. I hope that you will be joining me and even passing me by, which will give me even greater motivation.

During this period of reawakening, I will not distinguish between my higher priced items and the less substantial ones I have purchased. I hope to use the shotgun effect and replenish my bank account to the point that it was before I went on a buying binge last year. Remember we want to stay with the rare and unusual but something bought for $20 that might sell for $150 is still a treasure in my book.

Say this to yourself if you are like me. I have even been saying it out loud, “It is time for me to start making money again.” I am still here to help so let’s hear those phones ringing and that computer clicking.

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“Cowan Pottery Shines Above the Rest” Daryle Lambert

Cowan Jazz Bowl - Thanks to www.artknowledgenews.com

My last two blogs have come from Leslie Pina's book “Pottery Modern Wares 1920 -1960.” They covered Glidden and Carlton wares but the pottery featured in the book is Cowan. I have written about this company before but I thought it might be good to update the information on this wonderful company.

R. Guy Cowan is described as “the man most responsible for the introduction and fostering of ceramic art in this country.” As an employer, Mr. Cowan mentored some of the greatest ceramic artists of all times. Cowan settled in Cleveland, Ohio to start his first studio. He was a chemist so he often experimented with different clays and finally settled on a white clay for his preferred lines. His method of making clay was very complicated and involved white silica, Maine feldspar, ball clay and powdered feldspar mixed together. An electric magnet extracted the iron. This mixture was then drained through 40 layers of canvas to make the mixture used in the final products.

His products weren't cheap even in the early days. Some were priced as high as $40 and limited editions could bring $500. He closed the pottery in 1931 and died in Arizona in 1957. This ended one of the most exciting careers ever established in the ceramic field.

The highlight of Mr. Cowan's career might have been the introduction of the Jazz Bowl in 1931. Its selling price was $50 and there were only 50 produced. Each one was different, with the carved decoration varying and each with an eye dazzling blue-green transparent glaze. One of these pieces has sold for over $120,000.

Cowan made a large variety of items from flower frogs, vases, plates and figures. Each piece was carefully designed to catch the eye. They would enhance any living quarters. You will find that there are still enough pieces to be found to make your search worthwhile.

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“Carlton Ware” - Daryle Lambert

Carlton " Rouge Royale" - Thanks to www.perfectpieces.co.uk

Isn't it amazing what you can find if you go looking? Yesterday, because it was getting late, I pulled a book out of my library and found a company that I wasn't familiar with. After writing the blog on Glidden Pottery, I decided to examine a few of the other companies featured in Leslie Pina's book Pottery – Modern Wares 1920-1960, and found Carlton Ware, that I think you will find of interest.

Some of the most beautiful ceramics that were ever made came from the Wedgwood Company with their Fairy Lustre lines, but little did I know that Carlton also made a series equal to the Fairy Lustre.

There were other companies making exceptional lines of earthenware and porcelain. A few of their names are: Doulton, Clarice Cliff and Longway. These companies excelled during the period starting in the 1920's,

However, the one I want to examine today is Carlton Wares. The company was founded in 1890 by Wiltshaw and Robinson to make novelty wares, but during that time they developed several lustre colors. These often were gilded and enameled in Chinese patterns. This is where they became very competitive with Wedgwood, and in some cases were preferred.

Once you have seen some of the pieces produced by Carlton you will never forget them. I wish that I had a collection of the gilded and enameled pieces myself but we are buying for others, right? But after seeing the vivid colors of the animals and flowers on these pieces you will be hooked. Be sure to add this company to your list of companies to search for and you will be rewarded handsomely. Two of the lines that attract the most attention are “Rouge Royale” and “Bleu Royale.”

There is a rather extensive list of items on eBay and it would be good if you would examine both the current and completed listings. There is money to be made here and the markets are on both sides of the ocean.

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“ Let's Look at Mid Modern Gidden Pottery “ - Daryle Lambert

Glidden Pottery- Thanks to www.jax-deco.com

I never cease to be amazed at the variety of items that I have passed by, not knowing their value. Yes, I feel that I am aware of the value of most pottery from the 1950's back, but what about the 1950's forward? Here is where I need to upgrade my knowledge. Today, it was getting late since I spent the day in church and with our company so the question was what to write on at the last minute.

It was time to visit that library that has been sitting in the closet for quite some time. I scanned the bookshelves but nothing caught my eye until they landed on a book by Leslie Pina titled Pottery Modern Wares 1920-1960. I have owned this guide for many years but never really studied it. Browsing through the pages I came to Glidden Pottery. Some of the designs appealed to me so I starting reading and went “wow”.

Glidden Parker, Jr. had one interesting life and his work, I am sure, will become very collectible. He was born in 1913 in Maine. He finally landed in Alfred, New York after pursuing a writing career and I am sure glad he did. It was here that he discovered his love of ceramics. In 1939, after his marriage to Patricia Hamill, he opened his first pottery and design shop. By 1953, Mr. Parker had 35 employees which quickly increased to 55. They were putting out 6,000 pieces per week. During the years after his divorce in 1946, he began to spend a large amount of time in Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Southwest United States. Although all his pieces were produced in Alfred, his work definitely started to carry a Western influence. The pieces of Mr. Parker’s work that I most enjoy are the ones with the Mexican or Western designs.

Parker finally remarried and started a studio and shop in Puerto Rico. His new wife was the daughter of a Puerto Rican senator but the marriage only lasted four years. This wonderful artist then moved to Scottsdale, Arizona where he finished his career.

I had looked at many pieces with the Glidden mark and just passed them by, but never again. There are large parts of his works that are being sought after by collectors and these can bring over a thousand dollars or more. But even his commercial pieces can easily bring $25 or more and if purchased for $.50 that is a pretty fair return.

Clech out eBay to see the wide variety of his designs and I think you will become hooked. This would be a great item to start new collectors on when you’re asked what to collect. Glidden will do nothing but go up in value from here.

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.

“Be on Your Guard” - Daryle Lambert

Photo thanks to wwwtricyclefetish.com

The sun is out and the days are longer so it is time for them to slither out from under the rocks. I know you think I am talking about snakes, right? Well you’re wrong. I am talking about those that sell fakes and reproductions to the unwary. Yes, this is the time of year that those unscrupulous people begin to pump out large numbers of their worthless merchandise.

Why is this? Because unwary people in their greed to make money don't take the time to double check the items that they find to see if they are truly the real thing. One of the first rules you should follow is that if it seems too good to be true it very well may be. This doesn't necessarily mean that everything you find at bargain prices is a fake but it should tell you the owner isn't sure of what he has or that you need to be extra cautious.

Today I got an email from one of our members of the 31 club who was rather excited because of an upcoming auction. A nice size art glass vase was listed as being by Daum Nancy and it was prominently displayed. The member felt sure this was the piece he wanted to hone in on and as he described it to me I had to give him a real shock. It had the Daum Nancy with the Cross mark but then he said it had an additional word “TIP” which immediately told me it was a fake. I know that he was disappointed but by receiving this information he was saved from making a real mistake.

Be sure that you watch for things that might prove to be real give aways for fakes like phillips head screws in what are supposed to be antique toys or rough castings in the metal where the original pieces are smooth. If you find anything where the paint looks as new as yesterday there is an excellent chance it is a reproduction. In pottery, if the design seems flat and the colors not vivid, be on guard. You would be surprised how many fakes and reproductions use misspellings that aren’t caught by the buyer.

There is one way to be safe and that is to do what Tim did. Give me a call. It is always better to be safe than sorry even if you have to walk away from something that seems like a great bargain. Remember if you purchase something and it proves to be fake later after you have purchased it you can't take it back.

BE ON GUARD ! BE ON GUAED ! BE ON GUARD!

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“Will the Ink Stop Running?” - Daryle Lambert

Photo thanks to www.flicker.com

One of the pleasures that I occasionally receive is buying a group of letters that were written before the turn of the century. The penmanship that was taught in school back then was as beautiful as any art work you can find today. Even I remember my teachers having the students practice over and over the correct curve on a letter of the alphabet until it was perfect. I hate to admit it but all their efforts were wasted on me. My handwriting today is worse than chicken scratches but who writes longhand anymore, right? This I am afraid is a passing art as more and more of our writing is done with the aid of computers.

However, this makes for a great area of collecting and there are still treasures to be found in the field of ink pen collecting. This was brought to my attention when I was discussing watches with our new friend Keith yesterday and I asked if he had any other areas that he felt were his specialties. I listened as he shared with me a wealth of knowledge on ink pens and how they had made him a small fortune over the last several years. This might even be a great new area of concentration for me because it fits all the requirement that I set for myself before a collectible becomes one in my inner circle. Pens are very small and their numbers are very large so I should feel confident I could find some great ones. There is great variety in color, size and material used in their manufacture. But not to leave out the most important fact, they can sell for huge money often in the thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars. Yes, I think that I will spend more time searching out these wonderful instruments from the past.

Just a little story that I wish I were writing about you. This person attended a rummage sale and spotted this great looking pen for only $55 and couldn't resist buying it. Taking the pen home and wishing to use it he had second thoughts and decided to investigate the value before just adding it to his other pens. Turns out it was worth over $15,000! It was soon sold, the reason the person said was that their hand writing just wasn't so great that he needed a pen like that.

Often at garage or house sales you will find a large number of pens for sale and I suggest that you make a bid for them all because the gold in the tips alone is usually worth more than you pay for the pen and by buying them all you usually get the great one cheaper than if you bought just that one. Always ask if they have any ink pens for sale because they may go to their desk and find ones that haven't been put out to sell. Here is just a little tip. Buy some white tee shirts and have items that you are searching for put on the front and back of the shirt. Have the print large so all who see it will know what you want. You may even want to put your phone number on the shirt. I can assure you that the number of people that talk to you about what is on the shirt will surprise you. Standing in line at a sale that shirt will become the topic of conversation.

I think that it’s a shame that we are losing such a great example of what was a wonderful learned skill from our past but the new technology is even causing the young students today to not be able to reason without help. Why learn to spell when you have spell check, right?

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