Surprise Value in Souvenirs

I have always thought of Souvenirs as trinkets, but no more. There are serious collectors for items that remind people of wonderful memories of time spent family or friends.

The secret of making money with souvenirs is to find items that were made only in small amounts. For example, Olympic Torches bring huge money. A 1992 Barcelona Olympics can sell for $5000 or more, and a torch from the 1984 Los Angles event will bring over $4000. This is just one of the items you might have acquired if you have been fortune enough to attend an Olympics. Paper items such as pamphlets about certain attractions or schedules of events are eagerly sought after by collectors who are willing to pay big money for the right ones.

One of the biggest collections of souvenirs I’ve seen was one a gentleman had put together of the Statue of Liberty. It was composed of thousands of items in every shape, form, and fashion one could imagine. There were snow globes, ashtrays, spoons and figurines, and this is just a starter list. Small items ranging from key chains to large structures eight or nine feet high made up this large collection. When I asked him why he had such an interest in the Statue of Liberty, he told me that his parents came to this country as immigrants, and he never wanted to forget what this country meant to his family. Boy, do I wish more of our immigrants felt that way today.

Niagara Falls is another area of collecting to people who remember this as the most romantic place in the world. It used to be known as the honeymoon capital of the world. Many types of souvenirs were produced for the visitors of this world renowned wonder.

One of the greatest things about finding souvenirs is that they are so easy to sell. You may even find collector clubs who will notify members of items you want to sell.
Some of my personal favorites are the items made to help you remember your visit to My Old Kentucky Home. I am sure this isn't a huge surprise to you who know me. Sometimes some of the items we think don’t have much value to us have great value to others. Fun and profit is our motto, and souvenirs fill both these.

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Rare Books & Collectible Books

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

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

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

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

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

What type of books are in high demand today?

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

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

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

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

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

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets that help you increase your profits. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

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Vintage Collector Watches: Small & Profitable

Original condition 1966 Omega Speedmaster Professional 321 is offered for $3,499 at Elitewristwatch.com


You have a clock on your computer, by your bedside, and even in your car, but the one on your wrist is the one that can bring a smile to your face. Wrist watches as time pieces have kept us on time for many decades and lately, their value has gone through the roof. And while you might be familiar with names like Rolex and Cartier, have you heard of Patek Phillipe?

Wrist watches can bring hundreds of thousands of dollars, and their owners may have little idea to their value. I’ve purchased a box lot of watches with up to 25 individual pieces and later discovered there was one worth $2,500 while the others only had values from $25 - $100. But, when they were purchased for a grand total of $500, this was a fantastic purchase.

Older time pieces have been passed down through the family with little thought as to their value. Often a person will sell these watches for $25 because it doesn’t have a band. Of course with rare exceptions, these bands if they had one would have no value anyway.

You can check for prices on watches on eBay’s completed sales or on the Internet for auction results at the major auction houses. There are also price guides for watches you can purchase. I encourage you to find a guide and buy a used copy. I promise you, if you study the watch guide, you will run across a watch that will bring you many times the money you paid for it. I used to wonder why some of the dealers took so much time examining boxes of what I thought were worthless time pieces. Now I know the truth. There was gold in them there boxes.

I am often able to buy old watches for $5 or $10 dollars that have 10 to 18 carat gold cases. The value alone of the gold can be several hundred dollars on these pieces. Most people would think that the jewels in a watch would have the most value, but in truth, they are almost valueless compared to the gold. If you happen to be extremely fortunate, you might even find a watch in a platinum case. Then you can really celebrate.

What makes a watch valuable? First is rarity. Then, several other factors come into play such as the manufacturer, age, materials (platinum, gold, silver or other) condition, and whether or not it is all original or designer piece.

With the price of gold and platinum where they are today, you must always figure in the value of the case, and then real money can be made just from the case alone, if it is 18K gold or higher. Any platinum watch will bring some money.

If you can find a vintage watch with its original band, buckles, its box, and all the original papers, you’ve found yourself a real winner, and it will command a large premium over comparable watches that are missing these items.

Have you seen the ads in your local paper where a company will take out two or more full pages in the paper purchasing old watches? Can you imagine the cost of these ads? Well, they aren’t in the business of losing money, so there must be great profits to be made in this material. Why not learn from these people who come into your area, advertise in a big way, and then make away with huge profits. They should be at a disadvantage, because in most cases, we don’t trust strangers. So in reverse, they do know you and hopefully you have their trust, so this business could be yours. You can get this business by placing a small ad at the same time they’re running theirs, but say you are a local buyer.

Be sure to add watches to your list of desirable things to watch for because they are perhaps one of the potentially profitable items that I can think of. And they don’t take up much space. Tick, tick, what a great sound.

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

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Vintage Clothing & Accessories as a Business

This Vintage Hermes 35" x 35" Silk Scarf sold on eBay for $250 in June, 2008.

Today as a favor for my friend, Colin, who is sharing our vacation, I attended a meeting on timeshares so that he could receive a $75 gift. This seemed simple enough, but as most things in my life it took a strange turn. When I joined him, the session was already in progress, and the young lady who was conducting the interview looked to be eighteen or nineteen years old. This proved to be the fact, because she was a recent high school graduate. Her name was Ana, and I was amazed at her command of the financial facts necessary to sell a timeshare.

Colin was more than willing for me to enter into their conversation, and I soon learned that her father was an Elvis Presley impersonator here in Pigeon Forge. What a life this young lady has lived, but I will have to share more of it with you later. I asked her if she got her poise from her father, and the answer was “yes”. I soon shared with her about the 31 Club, and this started an extended conversation.

You see, at this early age, she is already planning her future and it includes a Vintage Clothing store and this extended to a large Internet presence. Having my total attention now, she began to mentor me in the field of Vintage Clothing and Accessories. Did you know that the real market in this field is in the accessories, and the profit can be fit for a King? A vintage scarf that puts the finishing touches on the special outfit may sell for $250, or the belt that accentuates that wonderful waist line can fetch up to $500. Boy, am I behind the times! When you add hats, gloves, shoes and jewelry to this mix you have the opportunity to enlarge your bank account fairly rapidly. I ask her if the market in Vintage Clothing and Accessories could support her in the lifestyle that she wanted to live in the future. Her answer was “it could provide me with any lifestyle that I could dream of.” How often have you passed by the clothing and accessories lying in the bedroom of your last visit to a house sale?

I promise, as soon as I return to Chicago, I will be hitting the books to get myself up to par on this field of collectibles. I hope that you will too. Ana has promised to stay in touch, and as continues to coach me, I will help her get her company off he ground. Colin and I have already learned that she is going to be in Chicago soon, and we’ll get together then.

Almost everyday, I run into people that have great ideas that pertain to the field of collecting. I hope that I will be able to pass these on to our members so that the horizons in collectibles will be widened. Who would have ever thought that those old garments and accessories that my mother was throwing out today could be worth a fortune? We always get back to those tried and true sayings like “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” So true, so true.
Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club.

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets that help you increase your profits. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

Treasure Hunting for Antiques & Collectibles Can be a Family Business with Many Rewards

I was privileged to have one of our members at my house the other day, and she brought her nine year old son along for the ride. I ended up spending a couple of hours with him on the computer and talking about our business. He was intrigued with the thought of making money by going to garage sales. His mother could hardly keep him at my house because he wanted to go out hunting for treasure right away. I’m wondering if his response has a special lesson to teach us.

In our haste to become successful, I hope we haven’t forgotten to take our children along with us. It’s never too early to share how to go fishing, as the Bible tells us. Let’s stop giving our children fish to eat and start teaching them how to fish for themselves at an early age. This way. We’ll never have to worry about them providing for themselves later in life.

My son, Joshua, has more fun going treasure hunting with me than almost anything he does. Often he’ll say, “Daddy, how about that vase over there? Would that be something interesting for us?” Out of the mouth babes, especially if it happens to be an artist signed piece of Rookwood.

He does have a passion for trains and lava lamps, and I encourage him to keep his eyes open for these pieces. When he finds something, we discuss the price that we’d pay for it. If the seller isn't agreeable to that price, Joshua says “Daddy, that's all it’s worth, right?” He never seems to be disappointed, he just starts looking for something else. I think that he’s learned some lessons that will serve him well in later life.

The Kid’s Connection is still waiting for more questions to be answered. I’m going to ask Joshua to write about something he’s interested in so I can include it in a future blog. He wants this section of our blog to be attractive to the kids and he’s attending “Apple One on One” at the Apple store so he’ll be able to put up videos and podcasst for the kids. I am still trying to find out what a podcast is.

By spending time with your children treasure hunting, there may be some surprises there for you also. Have you looked at the auction prices for toys these days? It is nothing for a toy to bring $25,000 to $30,000 or more. How about the Hot Wheels VW Bus that sold for $18,000? A box of marbles just sold for almost $20,000. And they say these are children's toys! I don't think so. Our member, Marsha, called yesterday to tell me about a metal rocking horse she just bought. I can’t wait to see its value.

Shared time pays great rewards, now and forever. I think a wise man said that I just can't remember who.

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

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets that help you increase your profits. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

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Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

31 Club Helps Members Trade in Higher End Antiques, Collectibles & Fine Art

A Member of the 31 Club Located this Historical Document Signed by Patrick Henry, and it was then purchased through the 31 Club Associates Program.

When we started the 31 Club, we aimed at formulating a plan that would help people walk the success steps of life. The ideas that have come from meetings with Cindy, Chris, Clarke and Jeremy have spoken about many have proven worthy of our efforts, but one program that your 31 Club has started is beginning to stand out above some of the others. That is the Associates Program.

The Associates Program gives members the opportunity to participate in a transaction when they find and present an outstanding item to the 31 Club for purchase. If we are able to buy the piece, the member will receive 35% of the net profit of the transaction.

We now have Associates in Texas, Kentucky, Michigan and Illinois. I feel certain that in the coming months, we will have a 31 Club Associate in every state. Through this program, you will have the opportunity to advance in your Race to the Millions faster than it might be possible to advance by yourself.

If you don't fully understand the program and would like a more complete explanation, e-mail me at info@31corp.com and put “Associates Program” in the subject line.

We have transactions in the final stages on items we’ve purchased when 31 Club Members found a great item, didn’t have the funds to purchase it, but called us to buy it using the Associates Program. When these transactions are completed, members will be putting thousands of dollars in their pockets, while at the same time, they are receiving the best education possible in the Antiques, Collectible and Fine Art field.

Already in partnership with members of the 31 Club, we’ve purchased a valuable historical document signed by Patrick Henry, a painting by Walter Darby Bannard worth thousands of dollars, Rookwood and Muncie lamps, and several other paintings that will soon be appearing in our Gallery & Marketplace.

We are waiting for each one of our members to take advantage of perhaps the greatest benefit you’ll receive for becoming a member of the 31 Club.

Something interesting and humorous happened yesterday when I received an e-mail from one of my favorite people and one of our earliest members. She told me about an Estate Sale where a Rookwood Lamp and a Muncie Lamp were being offered. She thought they were priced a little high, so she asked what would be a good price to offer them the next day when the price would be reduced. I immediately sent her back an e-mail to call me because I thought we could have a good laugh together. She got right back to me, and I had to tell her that I had already purchased the two lamps the day before.

Here’s what happened: I got a call the day before from another lady who was interested in the sale, and she told me about these wonderful lamps. She was interested in purchasing these using the Associates Program. So, I called the person conducting the sale to see if we could buy them. I was told it wasn’t possible, but if I called the next day after 12:00 noon and they hadn’t been sold, I could have them. I called and they were available.

Naturally, I bargained a little before completing the sale. I’m sure the same thing could happen in the future where two people see the same sales ad and call me. So, if there’s something you think might be interesting to us to buy through the Associates Program, the sooner we are notified, the better. And remember, the Associates Program is for Members Only. So, it you’re still hanging out and just following the blog, it’s time to get off the fence and join us today.

This story brings back that old saying: The Early Bird Gets The Worm.

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

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets that help you increase your profits. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

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Selling and Making Money in Antiques & Collectibles Part III

Ann has been in the antique and collectible business for considerable time, but was experiencing some of the business hardships written about in many of the trade magazines last year. At that time, she was beginning to feel the onset of burn-out and was seriously questioning whether or not she could get ahead.

But when Ann read 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, she asked herself, “Can working like this book says really provide me with the necessary money I'll need for the future? Nothing will provide me with the amount of money I’ll need, except the 31 Club Plan. And the plan makes sound financial sense, too.” After soaking in the information, Ann decided she could do it.

If you’ve questioned whether or not our plan can work for you, I hope you come to see that the community being formed by the 31 Club will help you get the answers to stay the course and reap the rewards this business provides.

But on with Ann's story: She’s shared with me that the turn around time on her money is something very important to her, and she looks for items with this in mind. So, when she attended a house sale, she was looking for anything to add to her inventory that would sell quickly.

An old Indian belt with silver and turquoise medallions for $25 and an old Indian Blanket with figures for $45 caught her eye and seemed to play right into her game plan when she spotted them at a house sale. At first you might not think of this as a great find, but in the end, I believe this is a real start on a journey that will end in the fulfillment of Ann’s goals.

You see, Ann called me to tell me about these two items. I knew someone who would be very interested in the two items. I asked her if she would price them or if they were going on eBay. We spoke a few more times after that before she gave me an answer. She decided she would be satisfied if she could sell them at $1,000. My collector was willing to pay that price.

Before I would let this deal go through, it was important to me that she understood that at a regular auction or on eBay, the pieces may bring in a little more. But, as you’ve heard me say before, when you factor in the commissions, and the time element, this was a good offer. She understood, and the deal was completed.

Ann had invested only $65 and had just completed roughly the first 4 steps of the 31 Steps with this one transaction. If she does the same buying and selling cycle with the $1,000, she’ll end up with approximately $16,000, (I haven’t done the math on paper but it’s somewhere around there.)Ann made wise decisions, and this one sale can set her on the path to bigger and better things. This can be your story, too.

Yes, this is the greatest business in the world and a barrel of fun. But, I’ve found that most new people to this business spend far too much time trying to squeeze the last penny out of their items. This is a big mistake.

The Key to the Door of Success

It’s so easy to find a fair price for almost anything you have to sell these days. The quicker it’s sold, the sooner you’ll have money to reinvest and complete another buy/sell cycle. Keeping the money turning is the key that will unlock the door to success. And the door with the keyhole is the 31 Club. Our community, network and knowledge can help reach financial goals decades sooner than through any other investment plan; all through buying and selling antiques & collectibles. All it takes is for you to join the club (for a ridiculously low amount right now) and to use the network of people we’ve spent years putting in place.

Selling To Other Dealers

When I’ve made a great buy on an item, rather than try to squeeze every penny out of it, I’ll sell it to another dealer, leaving enough in it for him or her to make a profit when they sell it. This means they’ll know that I sell at a very fair price, and they’ll be coming back for more. I’m making good money, and they’re making money. This works for both of us. It fulfills my goal of having a place to sell my items quickly, and keep my money circulating and accumulating, ascending me up my 31 Steps.

It is the Knowledge of Buying That Will Assure Your Success, Not Selling.
Ann bought right, so she had no trouble selling.

Boy, am I excited for all of you! I think the secret is out of the bag, and our members are going to the head of the class.

If you haven’t sent in your stories and pictures, why not do that today? And if you’ve been sitting on the fence about joining, it might be time to get off.

Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today. Rub elbows with like-minded 31 Club Members, and Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to Make High Profits and Continue to Grow Your Money Buying and Selling Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles. Newbies to Seasoned Dealers.

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.

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Negotiating Your Best Deal on Leftover Estate Sale, House Sale, and Auction Items

What's your next move if there are items you want to buy at a house or garage sale, but prices are firm and more than you want to pay?

Do you walk away in search of greener pastures? Absolutely not.
You make a lower offer and see if it’s accepted. What’s the worst that can happen? Someone might say “no”?

Do you just pay the asking price? Of course not. That’s breaking all our established rules for success, as well as a guarantee failure will soon be your partner.

Yesterday, a 31 Club Member called me facing these choices. He had been at a house sale and found many upper end items the first day of a sale, but prices were firm that day. A 24” x 36” pastoral painting interested him, but he could only describe some of the things I would need to know if I was going to make a phone assessment of the piece. Since prices were firm, I advised him to return to the sale the next day, bringing his camera along. So, back to the sale he went the next day.

Oh, Boy! It’s Leftover Time. Leftover Estate Sale Items Can Be Your Ticket to Success.

Hooray! The painting was still there, and its price had been reduced from $400 to $200. He shot some photos of it, and sent them to me via e-mail. I looked at those pictures, and I realized he had found a treasure. In fact, I had just sold a much smaller painting similar in subject matter to this one; cattle and a stream backed up by beautiful mountains. And, his painting appeared to be better quality than mine, and it was twice the size. Who knows what this might bring in? My painting brought in $2,600 in an Evansville, Indiana sale.

After I looked at these pictures, I got him back on the phone and asked to speak to the lady conducting the sale. We had some light conversation, and then I asked if she could possibly take $100 for the painting. She agreed! No other takers were waiting in line for this piece, and the sale was ending. The company had done the best they could do, and $100 was their best offer. End of story. Or, is it?

31 Club Free Mentoring and The Associates Program is Worth Countless Bucks in Your Pocket.

Along with my offer of $100, I asked if there were other items not sold. And there were many. In fact, several paintings were left behind; their signatures impossible to read. That is – impossible to read for the person who’d not seen these signatures before. Remember, Knowledge is King, and that where 31 Club comes in. You see, tomorrow, our member is returning to photograph and e-mail me photos of the leftover items.

Depending upon what’s leftover, we’ll make an offer at a price we like. Although this member might not have the funds to purchase all the leftover items we like, the 31 Club Associates Program will buy those items that are beyond his budget, handle the sale, and share a good percentage of the profit with him. It’s a win-win deal for both of us, and we’ll make it possible for the sales agent to close the sale without having any leftover items in inventory to dispose of. That's win-win-win. The sales conductor will be quite happy, and there could be a few great treasures in there for us. The Associates Program is available to 31 Club Members only, so join today, if you’ve been sitting on the fence.

A Rejection is Just a Problem You Haven’t Found a Solution For.

I ask all 31 Club members to think outside the box. You’ll discover that situations aren’t as they first seem to be, and with a little creativity, you can turn this to your advantage. Countless times, I made offers on items that were rejected, but I continued to shop the sale and found other things to my liking. Before settling up, I’d go back to the items whose offers were rejected and ask, “Why don’t you throw that piece in for what I offered because of the amount of money I’m spending with you.” Very simple, and it almost always works.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles.

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.

How to Know the Difference Between an Antique Sugar Chest and an Antique Blanket Chest

35" High Maple Sugar Chest, Early 19th Century, Sold for $9,000 at Doyle New York in May, 2007.

What qualifies a piece of furniture to be called a “chest?” Surprisingly, many pieces of furniture can be called a chest. You have a chest for holding clothes, but this is just one kind of chest. How about a sugar chest, or even a blanket chest? These three chests had entirely different functions, but all are called a “chest.” So let’s examine some of the differences in these three types of chests.

Did you know that at one time sugar, was a very precious commodity? Back in the early to mid 1800's, sugar, in fact, was so expensive and prized, it was kept in a locked chest. This furniture was a very functional piece, plain in decor, yet often a symbol of the family's social status. They were often kept out in plain view, usually in a parlor room or dining room. The most expensive of the sugar chests might well be the Kentucky chest.

These chests were usually made of walnut, and often consisted of just four boards. Why is this important to know? A four board chest was special because it meant it was formed from virgin timber. Today, most furniture is composed of several boards glued together to make a side, front, back, top. Only with virgin timber were the trees large enough so that an entire side or top could be produce from one log.

The sugar chest could have one small drawer at the bottom, but some had no drawers at all. The chest opened from the top, and inside you would find a small space where the knife that cut the sugar was kept. These chests can be fairly primitive or very formal in design.

You must be familiar with sugar chests if you have an interest in furniture, because the value is substantially different between sugar chests and blanket chests. The sugar chests are usually much more valuable, and be warned that there are people who rework blanket chests to look like sugar chests for obvious reasons. A good Kentucky sugar chest may bring $25,000 or more, so they are well worth looking for. The best places to find these at a bargain price is at sales in states where they weren't used. They’ve moved with families through the generations and the new generation doesn’t know its use nor care to inquire of its history.

Have you ever heard the expression “a horse being taken to the glue factory?” This comes from the fact that early glue was made from horse parts. This also explains why older furniture often comes apart. The early glue was water soluble, and if it was exposed to moisture it would easily come apart.

Unlike the valuable sugar chest, a valuable blanket chest that will bring big money usually has to be signed and dated. Blanket chests from the 1700's, with the right information on it about the owner, can easily bring $50,000 to $1,000,000. These are, indeed, rare. Blanket chests you are more likely to come across will be valued in the $500 to $2,500 range. These chests are usually long and narrow, standing on very short legs, opening from the top. They can have up to two small drawers underneath the main compartment.

It is easy to see how someone could convert this to look like a sugar chest, so don’t be fooled.

In both of these types of chests, you will find the value between the best to the average is the difference between night and day. If you are fortunate enough to find a piece that could be of substantial value, that might be the time to call in an expert to confirm your opinion. Any repair or the use of new parts to the piece will reduce the chest value by up to 80 %. So be on the lookout for more modern parts or any repair.

Tomorrow we well discuss the chest that you are probably more familiar with – the clothes chest. The style of the clothes chest covers a wide range of styles and this will take some time just to get you the basics.

Thanks to everyone who tuned into my discussion Monday with Auctionwally on BlogTalk Radio. The show was a blast and if you missed it, you can listen to it this week at Auctionwally.com. As soon as we are able, we’ll have a link to it on our site, as well as a posted transcript.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. 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.

Antique Furniture Part II - Arts & Crafts Furniture and Modern Design Furniture

Charles and Ray Eames LCW, red aniline-dyed molded birch plywood chair in excellent condition, signed with foil Herman Miller label, sold for $2,000 at Treadway Galleries, May 4, 2008

Yesterday, I shared about European and Early American chairs, but if I was starting to take an interest in furniture today, it would be in the Arts and Crafts Furniture and the Modern Design pieces. This is where the trend is, and that is where we want to be.

Arts and Crafts is already well into the trend, but I think there is still a lot to go. Names like Stickley, Frank Lloyd Wright and Limbert are going to grace our homes for a long time. The young collectors seem to be drawn to this style, so don't try to fight a trend.

Places to find out more about the Arts and Crafts design era is to view catalogs from Rago Arts and Auction and Treadway Galleries. These two houses seem to be the trendsetters for the Arts and Crafts market. There you will find true values for the chairs and other furniture and objects of art that were produced during this period. They have some of the finest art pottery pieces of this time period, as well. If you get a chance to visit one of their auctions, you’ll get an education that is well worth the time. Buying a few of their back catalogs to use as a source of reference will be a superb addition to your library. Study their websites. They list their sales and even the results of their sales. What a great way to become educated at no cost.

Most of the items that bring the big bucks are made of oak and have a rather straight, minimalistic design, but you can find ones made of mahogany and birdseye maple. These can have a branded mark or cellophane label. Often the cellophane labels are missing, and so unscrupulous people have even reproduced these labels and placed them on items that are nowhere like the items they claim to be.

The area that I am least familiar with is the Modern 20th Century Design Movement. However, when I look at some of the Wright Auction catalogs, I know that it is time for me to step up to the plate and get an education in this area. This market seems to be lead by certain designers and you must know their names and designs. If you do the rewards will be tremendous.

Modern 20th Century Design are those objects of art, lighting, and furniture from about 1920 through the present time, and they continue to be a hot commodity in the collectibles world, especially for the younger generation who grew up during the time period of these great designers.

A lady whose home I went to shared a story about the time she and her husband started house keeping in the 50”s. Today, she was ready to change the way she was living and a friend suggested she call Wright Auctions to get an idea of the values of the items she was tired of. The auction house representative came, and she could see the excitement in their eyes. They hauled off furniture she would have gladly sold for a few thousand dollars. Later, after their auction, she received a check for well over $100,000 from Wright. Now that would be what I consider finding a treasure, even if I had owned it all the time.

Furniture, lighting, and art objects from the top designers of this time have been copied, often rather badly, but it is the designer pieces of this time that are considered works of art, commanding top prices in today’s marketplace. No one has changed the world of Modern Design Furniture and Objects of Art as much as Wright Auction House.

In 2000, founders Richard Wright and his wife, Julie Thoma Wright opened the doors of their auction business, specializing in items from this period. Their business creativity drastically changed the face of business in this area of the market. Julie Thomas Wright, we are sorry to say, has recently passed away, but it was her visionary ideas for this business that propelled this company forward to become today’s standard for Modern Design Collectibles. Today, Wright Auctions is known internationally as the spot to go for the best of these designer items.

This area of Antiques and Collectibles can be the turning point in your career as a buyer and seller. To really make some serious money, spend time studying the Modern movement. Call Wright Auction and ask how to get up to date in your knowledge of this movement. They will be glad to share with you because they want new people to appreciate modern design and this is where they make their money. Call them at 1-312-563-0020, and they might even have a few old catalogs to share with you.

For those who are following my book and have joined the 31 Club, dealing in these more rare and valuable items is the direction we move toward, step-by-step. You might still be working the lower end steps at the moment, but when you stick with it, continuing to complete each step, soon enough you will find yourself in the position to be buying rare and high end items. Knowledge about these designer items will expand the areas in which you can trade.

Most of my readers know, as a rule, I don’t deal in antique furniture. I’m not much interested in dealing with bulky items that require more than myself to transport, nor do I want to keep the kind of storage space furniture requires. But, I must say, in this case, I’m seriously considering making an exception for some of these fine pieces and the prices they can bring in.

Prices for items by well known designers and artists like Vladimir Kagan, George Nakashima, Ponti, and Paul Evans, can bring in amounts of $40,000 to well over $150,000. You might not recognize these names right now, but I hope you will in the future. If you ran across any of these items in a house sale right now, I doubt you would recognize them, and you’d be passing on a find that could make a big difference in your life.

Tomorrow I'll continue to examine the furniture market. This study should take at least the rest of this week, but you should be picking up ideas for future study. One way is to get a great cup of coffee at your local book store and browse their selections on furniture. I promise that you will be engaged in conversation quickly with someone who is doing the same thing.

Find out more about our step-by-step program to enable you to work in the more rare and valuable items in the Antique, Art, & Collectible Markets here.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. 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.

Take a look at our Gallery of Fine Art Paintings by Listed Artists, here.

Today's Links:

Treadway Galleries

Rago Arts & Auction Center

Wright Auction House

Article on Wright and Modern Design from Men's Vogue

Article on Wright from Chicago Magazine

How to Pay for Your Travel with Antiques, Collectibles & Paintings

I traveled to Baltimore yesterday so my wife, Vickie, could attend a business conference, and Joshua and I could visit with my other son, Lawson. In past years, I went out to look for treasures as she participated in the scheduled events and classes. This year started out different, however.

It was a task being ready for the early morning taxi. We allowed plenty of time to arrive early and get through security at O’Hare – that is, of course, if the taxi showed up. Six calls later to the taxi company, each time being told the driver is five minutes away was not the way to start the day. We finally called another company, but by this time it was 9:30. It was not likely we’d make our 10:30 flight. But, the second taxi company made good on their word, and as we were pulling out of the driveway, wouldn’t you know it -- the other taxi appeared. We all smiled and waved goodbye to him as we burned rubber on the way out.

Rushing out of the taxi to check our bags, we were told the plane had already closed its doors, so we spent three hours hanging around the airport before we caught the next flight. Vickie missed the day’s sessions, but we did have a wonderful meal with my older son and his wife once we arrived. I do hope to treasure hunt tomorrow, but I am wondering what could happen next.

When you are visiting another part of the country on a trip, be sure to
look for items that are out of place there. For example, if you are on the East Coast, look for West Coast paintings. By doing this, your chances improve for finding a treasure. Remember, I found the painting by Kentucky artist Harvey Joiner on the East Coast. The market for this painting was in Kentucky. That’s when $240 turned into $3700. That isn’t so bad for a country boy.

On several past trips to Baltimore, I found items that fattened my
wallet quite well. I once purchased a painting from an antique store for $500 that was later sold for $2500. And the store shipped it to me in Chicago. I’ve also found pottery such as Rookwood and Roseville priced to my liking on these trips. I used to have a rule that no matter where I traveled, I could pay for the trip plus turn a fair profit for myself by selling the things I bought on the trip. As your knowledge increases, you should be able to do this, too.

PS : I hope to hear from a lot of you on Monday on the AuctionWally BlogTalkRadio Show at 8PM Eastern Time.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. 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.

Take a look at our Gallery of Fine Art Paintings by Listed Artists, here.

Finding Antique Treasures

“What should I watch for, Daryle?”

That’s the question more and more people ask me everyday. What you should watch for while you’re out treasure hunting is whatever is priced cheap enough for you to double your money or more. When I leave the house, I’m an explorer looking for the chest of gold and jewels. When I find a chest, I won’t know what’s inside it, but I’m hopeful it will be filled with treasures.

Once I open the treasure chest, I might find my treasure comes in the form of an oyster plate, as it did for our member, Marsha. Cecil’s treasure was a painting. You can be assured, as they left the house, they had no idea what treasure was in store for them that day. How many ship wrecks did Mel Fisher search for before he found the Atocha? I understand he was just about broke when he found that ship and all its treasure. Now his story will go down in history, not to mention the great wealth he accumulated. So don’t quit before finding the mother load.

How many 49ers would have struck it rich if they’d only stayed another month? Your journey might be like the young man in Florida I wrote about in my book, whose purchase of a $25 painting changed his life when it sold for over $675,000. Or maybe your journey will be more like mine, where over the years, I’ve had several huge scores, but the accumulation of many average or a little above average finds have proven to be the secret to my success. Even the turtle crossed the finish line, and I have known many of these turtles in the Antique and Collectible field. If you stay the course, your fortune will be made one way or the other.

In the meantime, it’s Friday and have you prepared for the weekend? Do you know the sales you’ll be attending? Are they garage sales, estate sales or auctions? Have you passed out enough cards and spoken to plenty of people each week that you’ve now been called out to the fertile field of someone’s home?

It’ll be coming up upon a year that I’ve been blogging. I haven’t missed a day. You should have a fairly healthy list of items etched into your mind along with some sensible business insight, now, to put to good use when you enter the door of your destination. I hope it will be just like opening that treasure chest. Maybe it will be a piece of Rookwood or Grueby pottery. Maybe a Rene Lalique or a Tiffany. Perhaps a prized western painting, a special baseball card or comic book that hasn’t been touched since the 1950’s. These items could change your life, and I can guarantee you that your chances of finding one them is far greater than winning the lottery.

Please be patient as our site undergoes reconstruction. Cindy, Jeremy, Chris and Clarke are working hard and more dedicated to your success than you can possibly imagine. As the weather warms up and sales spring up everywhere, I’ll be waiting to hear from you about your treasures found.

Stay ahead of the times and get there before the crowd. Join 31 Club today. Can you get FREE MENTORING anywhere else but here?

Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Make high profits and learn to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles with the strategized plan found in my 220 page book,31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles. It's FREE with your membership.

Visit our Main Page Here

Orrefors Glass

7" High Orrefors Vase: Edvin Öhrström's "Graal" with Portraits of a Man & Woman, 1941 is offered at FreeFormUsa.com at $18,500

Have you ever assumed you knew something, only to later discover how mistaken you were? This doesn't happen to me often but it has happened in the last few months. I figured that I was somewhat knowledgeable on most good glass produced in the last hundred years, however, this proved to be false. Orrefors was a name I was familiar with but had always thought it was too contemporary for me. How wrong I was.

The Orrefors Company was founded in 1898 in the province of Samaaland Sweden. It was fortunate to have some of the best glass masters to be found anywhere, and they produced marvelous bowls and vases. Some of the best known artists to work at the Orrefors Company were Edvard Hald, Vicke Lindstrand, and Nils Landberg. There never has been finer glass workers than these artists, and most of the finer pieces are signed “Orrefors” along with the name of the artist or his initials.

I don't have a current book on Orrefors, but after writing this Blog, you can be assured that I will order The Best of Modern Swedish Art Glass: Orrefors and Kosta 1930-1970. This book has a price guide, too.

I did find some information on the company in my book by Victor Arwas, Glass Art Nouveau to Art Deco, and this proved helpful. You must be asking yourself why this particular company caught my eye. The easy and quick answer to this question is the price that Orrefors’ better pieces bring in the market place. This is just the kind of item that we’re searching for. The ones that few people know much about. And, when you find the right piece, the rewards can be quite substantial.

Here are just a few of the prices from Kovels Price Guide to give you a little taste of what's out there. Vicke Lindstrand did a vase featuring a shark killer, depicting a nude man diving, carrying a knife. This 12 ½ inch tall vase could have a value approaching $15,000 or more. Other Orrefors vases, one depicting a Pearl Diver, as well as one of an Oriental Princess both list at over $4,000. This isn't bad considering they both are only 8 inches tall.

Orrefors still produces glass today, and that is where I got confused. The modern pieces bring very little money, usually. These aren’t the pieces we’re searching for. You should definitely do your homework on this fantastic glass.

I learned a very valuable lesson with regard to Orrefors. Never judge all things about a particular subject with the limited knowledge that you’ve gained until you have done a complete study of it. I broke this rule. You see, I have seen hundreds, if not thousands of pieces of Orrefors. Usually it has been extremely inexpensive, so I assumed all Orrefors pieces were inexpensive. Boy, what a mistake I’ve been making. But, for me, the worst thing is considering how much money I might have walked away from. I’ll not be making that mistake again.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. 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.

Visit our Website, here.>

Links for Other Recommended Glass Books:

Orrefors: A Century of Swedish Glassmaking

Miller's 20th-Century Glass: Over 2000 Items - Identified - Valued

Miller's Art Glass: How to Compare & Value

Resale Jewelry - Everything that Sparkles isn't a Diamond

Uncut Diamond, the Sierra Leonean Giant Sefadu, was found in 1970 weighing in at 620 carats. Photo from BBC News

Last week, I had the opportunity to buy some nice resale jewelry, some for trade and a few pieces for my wife. There is wonderful money to be made from buying and selling resale jewelry, but you must have an iron will and a few set rules when buying resale jewelry.

I have never been offered great items at reasonable prices, so there has to be a lot of negotiating before you find a bargain. Since you likely aren’t a gemologist, you will be guessing as to size, color, and quality of the stones mounted in that ring, broach or necklace. Even if the piece comes with an appraisal, be skeptical. These can be easily made.

The content of the metal mounting is one thing that helps to reassure you of quality. If it is 24 carat gold, there is a much better chance the stones are real, and the same can be said about a platinum mounting. Once you get down to 10 carat gold, these pieces might very well have artificial or semi precious stones.

The rule I use goes like this: I know what the gold or platinum is worth, and usually the offer I make is never more than twice the price I can get for the metal in the mounting. This way, I seldom get hurt, and often I end up with a bargain. Jewelry is one area that you should never feel guilty about your offer. To give you an example of what I'm talking about, I was once offered a tennis bracelet by a woman who showed me the receipt from when she bought it. She paid $3,500. Knowing the gold was worth close to $600, I offered her that, and she accepted it. To this day I don’t know what it’s worth, because I gave it to my wife. However, I do feel safe in saying that at today’s metals prices, I could at least double my money should I decide to sell it.

I’ve previously written a Blog about my friend Warner, who purchased a 24K designer gold watch for $200. One of the reasons he was able to do this was because it didn’t say 24K, but instead had a mark from France that indicated this was 24K gold. Today, this watch might bring as much as $10,000.

My grandfather was originally from Cuba, and when he came to this country he worked for the L & N Railroad all his life. Once when he was traveling though Kentucky, he stopped at our house, and before he left, he handed my mother three large stones that looked like common rocks. He told her they were diamonds. My mother stashed these away in a safe place for many years.

After my Grandfather’s death, my Dad suggested they check out whether or not these rocks were really diamonds. Louisville was the only city large enough to get this information, so off they went.

They shared the story with a store manager in Louisville and asked if they would be willing to cut the largest stone they could from one of the rocks. The store manager agreed to do that, so they left the rocks in his possession and returned home.

They soon received a letter stating that the diamond had been cut, so they returned to Louisville to a very suspicious and inquisitive greeting. Two men started to question my parents about the rocks, but after a lengthy period of time informed them that yes, the rocks were indeed diamonds, probably from Arkansas. The rock they were able to cut turned out to be about the size of a nickel, perhaps larger on its crown.

The manager handed them the bill for the work they’d done and told my folks that if they would allow the shop to keep the cuttings from this rock, they wouldn’t have to pay for the work. Being young and not having to pay out any money sounded like a good idea to them, so a deal was struck. They took their stone and other rocks home.
There is a sad chapter to this story, however. Over the many years and numerous moves, the other two rocks were lost. Boy, would I like to speak to my Grandfather and get the full story about where these stones came from and how they ended up in his possession.

The reason that I share this story with you is to state that everything that sparkles may not be a diamond, but everything that doesn’t sparkle may be a diamond in the rough.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. 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.

Visit our Website, here.>

Antique Soda Shop Items Have Stong Values Today

Antique Soda Fountain found at the Bryant House in Weston, Vermont. Photo from roadfood.com

As a young kid, I remember going to the Olde Soda Shop in Lewisport Kentucky with my Uncle Jim. He was my father’s youngest brother, yet only four years older than me. The town of Lewisport had a population of about 500 back then, and everyone, including the adults, seemed to congregate at this shop on the weekends. It was the most popular place in town for feasting on delicious homemade ice cream and sundaes.

Little did I know back then that almost everything in the store would become a real treasure in a few year’s time. One of the biggest tragedies to this little town was when the government closed the ice cream shop stating sanitary reasons. Most people thought that the real reason was because the larger company making ice cream in the city couldn't compete in quality with the homemade kind being made in Lewisport. I have to agree with this assessment.

Let’s take a look at some values of the items found in the Olde Soda Shop, like the ice cream scoop. The Gilchrist No. 34 Banana Split scoop was recently listed at $675.00. There are many that will bring even more than this, and if you’ve ever had a dip of homemade ice cream served from one of these, you’ll say it is worth every penny of that price. How about soda dispensers? Most of these were also advertising pieces of what they dispensed, like Hires Munimaker Syrup. Today, that dispenser would cost you $6,500. Today, a Scott’s Root Beer Barrel shape dispenser can be yours for the small sum of $4,500. These dispensers were in all kinds of soda shops, and you might find one at your next garage sale.

Advertising was what really caught your eye when you entered the shop in Lewisport. Coke Cola, Green River, Cherry Smash, Root Beer, and Grape Crush were just a few of the dispensers that you might see on the other side of the counter. Almost all of these dispensers today will bring over $500 and several will sell in the $5,000 to $10,000 range. Not to be out done are the tin and cardboard signs that were sitting everywhere. This made it virtually impossible not to order something, and if you find one of these, their value will compare with the soda dispensers.

When I close my eyes, I can still catch the aroma of fresh fruit, candy, peanuts and chewing gum that filled the air. And there were dispensers and jars in which these items were contained, too. What stories these shops could share if they still existed today.

Ice Cream Parlor tables and chairs, stools, and benches will still bring a pretty penny today. Who says the old days weren’t worthwhile? Be sure to keep these in mind when you are on your search for treasures from yesteryear.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. 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.

Visit our Website, here.>

Ungraded Silver Coin is Still a Sell

Now is the time to sell ungraded coin. Photo from Fox Valley Coins.

This week, when I took Joshua to a coin store to look around, I couldn't believe my eyes. There must have been six or eight employees working behind the counter plus twenty-five or thirty customers. I asked to speak to the manager. An extremely nice gentleman approached me and asked how he could help. “Is it okay to keep my little dog Bella with me if I hold her,” I asked him. He didn’t have a problem with that, and I was relieved she wouldn’t have to spend the hour in the car while Josh and I looked around. But what I really wanted to know was what all these people were doing here. He told me they were all either buying for their collection or selling their silver or gold. Just to give you an idea of the bedlam in the store, there were three people behind the counter just separating the coins that had no value to collectors and would be sold just for their metal content and then, there was a line waiting for their services.

Let me state this again: This is the time to sell your silver. With oil going through the roof, silver can't break out. It peaked at about $20 plus and now has settled in a trough between $16 and $18. This is when the value of silver should be setting the world on fire, but it isn't. Sell, Sell, Sell ungraded silver. I am betting my reputation on this.

I did gain a different perspective on collectible grade coins while I was there. This movement in the price of metal might have been what the market needed to attract new collectors in the coin market. If this is true, then investment coins may be something worth looking into. Remember that the rare and unusual coins will be the ones that can make you the money, not the coins that aren’t worth grading. Gold coins with low mintage are the coins I would recommend. If you are able to find them ungraded but in fine condition, there might be the opportunity to profit from the grading. This means sending them of to a company that will grade each coin against one that is in mint or proof condition. This is exactly what our member, Cecil, did and it proved to be the treasure that took him several steps in his race to the million dollars. However, you might remember he incurred the theft at the mall where he was displaying some of his coins, and this was a small set back for him. Be safe when you are dealing in rare coins, and it is best if you are a little secretive as well. I know that doesn’t sound like me, but in this case, it is better to be safe than sorry.

On another note, I was thinking back just eight months ago to when we were just beginning to formulate the plans for what is becoming one of the most successful clubs around, and I am astonished. Daily, I am getting calls from all across the country, and people are starting to realize just what being a member of the 31 Club can mean to them.

Today one of our members wanted to know how to sell some Indian Katina's, and while we where talking, he mentioned several other items that he might sell. Hopefully, we can help him and also save him money in the process. Another gentleman wanted to talk about some items that were coming up for bid at auction and about what price would be good to buy them at if he had the opportunity. Another member called wanting to know whether a piece was a print or a painting, and I had the pleasure to explain to her how one could tell the difference.

Your calls bring me great satisfaction. When the idea of the club started, it was about giving back for what God has given me. I believe this is being accomplished, and so does our staff. We are growing, and I am so thankful. It couldn’t have happened without you. Please be patient with the reconstruction of the site, because as I see what Jeremy and Cindy are doing, I know that it is all going to be worth it.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. 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.

Visit our Website, here.>

Napkin Rings to Dream About

Antique Tiffany Co sterling silver childrens napkin ring c1890

is offered at OneOfaKindAntiques.com for $900

Do you know a single napkin ring can bring up to $5,000? But be careful, because there are reproductions. Napkin Rings were fashionable from about 1860 to 1900, and no formal table would have been set without them. Where did the days of the formal table go, now that we are in the disposable age where everything goes into the trash as soon as the meal is completed?

Several years ago at an auction on the far west side of Chicago, I found 25-30 silver plated napkin rings from the late 1800’s. I was new to buying silver then, because my first love had always been pottery, so I was a little reluctant to buy these. But, I did buy half a dozen of them at prices from $75-$100. Soon after this purchase, a man approached me and asked if they were for sale. He was more familiar with silver than I was, so I declined to give him a price, and took them home instead. Then, I listed them on eBay.

My money doubled the first they were listed. You see people back then thought that a snipe was a bird, and they didn’t wait until the last 30 seconds to bid on something they wanted. The best of the bunch closed at over $500, and the rest were not far behind.

You must be sure of what you are looking at because some are still being produced today. The figural rings are usually the most expensive, and in Kovels Price Guide, some of these go up to $4,000. A silver plated 3 ½ “ ring with a Conquistador on top made by the Toronto Silver Plate Co. sold for close to $5,000. I would suggest that any older silver or silver plated napkin ring would fetch at least a hundred or two.

You will find all kinds of of Napkin Rings, and often, they will be round with just a letter engraved on them. Even these simple one can sell for $100 or more. But if you find ones with children, oriental figures, Lads and Lassies, animals or Samurai's, then you have found a treasure. It might seem strange, but it doesn't seem to matter if the napkin rings are sterling or plate and the maker seems to be the most as it pertains to price. And although napkin rings are made in many different materials, only the silver ones shine.

Often you will find napkin rings in box lots. Some of the time you really have to look thoroughly through the entire box to find where people have hidden them during the preview, hoping that no one else would know these valuable ones are there. If you locate a set of these in a house and can negotiate a price for them all, you should come out smelling like a rose when they are sold individually. These may not get you to the million, but they are definitely more than pocket changes.

Some of you wrote about yesterday’s blog, and you are right. Cindy did correct me. There doesn’t seem to be any Key Ring Clubs but she did point out to me that Key Rings and Key Chains are the same and there is a Key Chain Club. However, as I studied it, I found they aren’t offering what I had in mind.

Construction Alert: Yes, we are under reconstruction and you might see some glitches for a few days. But, when we are finished, you will be pleased. Thanks for your patience.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. 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.

Visit our Website, here.>

Carnival Glass part II

We had a good response to the Carnival Glass Blog so today, I will add to it. If you have a real interest in Carnival Glass, you might want to join a Carnival Glass Club or Association. If you search the Internet you’ll find many. The Heart of America Carnival Glass Association is one I’ve recommended in the past. If there is a club local to you, it’s a great way to meet collectors and learn from them as well.

After purchasing The Standard Encyclopedia of Carnival Glass and obtaining the reference information on the latest and best auction price guide on Carnival Glass from Cindy, you will be knowledgeable enough to compete with the pros. Just remember, condition is everything in Carnival Glass. Email Cindy at cindy@31corp.com with “Carnival” in the subject, and she’ll send you the information on this truly excellent price guide.

I’ve bought and sold Carnival Glass all throughout my life, and naturally I have some Carnival Glass Adventure Stories. Most of my stories usually have important information you can extract, and this one is no exception.

I was browsing around town one day when I received a call on my cell from an elderly lady who wanted to know if I’d be interested in some things she owned. She told me she had a lot of knick knacks. I could tell that even if she did have something of value, she probably wouldn’t be able to tell me that. She just plain didn’t know.

I wasn’t doing anything much that day so I figured I’d go check it out. When she told me she lived on the far South Side of Chicago, I found myself hemming and hawing in my mind. Did I really want to bother to go all the way there? After all, I was way up north. Past the City of Chicago by a long shot, out in the Far Northern Suburbs. I was considering whether or not it was worth it to take that long drive through all that city traffic. At this time of day, figured a 2 hour ride was likely, not to mention the ride back. My inner desire to find treasure wrestled with my practical side, however, as you might guess, I gave in to my desire to find treasure.

Battling the stop and go traffic, I was thinking I was wasting my time. After all, she couldn’t tell me a thing about what she had. When I finally arrived, hot and tired, I was greeted at the door by a warm and pleasant lady, who graciously invited me in and set me up with a nice cool drink. I learned that she was a retired school teacher, and we spoke for some time. Then, she lead me into a room where she had some of her items.

Carnival Glass everywhere! A huge oak cabinet was crammed full of some of the finest Carnival Glass I’d ever seen. I didn’t want to seem overly excited, so I continued (biting my tongue) down the hall to another room. Here, the site of art pottery, perfume bottles and many other fabulous items filled my eyes. She had some of the most wonderful items I’d seen in a great while, and I sat her down and told her so. I asked it would be possible for me to buy them all.

“If you’re willing to pay the right amount, of course you can buy them all,” was her response. I spent some time looking at and counting the items. I asked her if she would accept $5,000. I knew I couldn’t say anything else until she responded. Boy was it difficult to wait on that one.

“No, I can't, “ is all I heard before my heart began to drop. “But if you’ll buy my oak cabinet, too I will take your offer.” I knew the cabinet was worth about $750 at the time. I asked her how much she wanted for the oak cabinet and she told me $350. Now, as I rule, I don’t buy furniture. For me, I don’t like to bother with moving it, storing it, and everything else about it. But in this case, I quickly threw that rule out the door. I wrote her out a check as fast as my hand would write it.

I knew there was no way I could take all the items with me that day, and she agreed I could return the next day with a truck. And a deal was made. I drove home on the clouds.

As you probably know, I couldn’t leave without asking here where she got all her things. Her answer surprised me. “I’ve been going to the thrift shops for over twenty-five years,” she told me.

I ended up with about 200 pieces of Carnival Glass, Lalique and Steuben perfume bottles, as well as Roseville, Weller, and Rookwood pottery pieces. Needless to say, I stayed within my 25% rule for purchasing and this lady was very satisfied. There had been others who visited her and offered her far less than I. She wisely turned them down.

I hope you've extracted a thing or two from this story. I shiver when I think about how close I came to missing this opportunity.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. 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.

Visit our Website, here.>

Carnival Glass, Virus Caution & Club Updates

The Standard Encyclopedia of Carnival Glass is a valuable tool to add to your 31 Club Took Kit.

Late last night, I received a call from Cecil R. informing me that a comment posted on yesterday’s Blog was a VIRUS. I immediately deleted it. We will do everything in our power to protect you, but I encourage you to email us about anything suspicious you see someone place on our site at any time. I believe the comment was left by “akinogal” and was about running virus software. Keep your eye out for this one.

Back to the business at hand, Cecil also told me about another great piece of Carnival Glass he found. This time, it is an 11 inch, two flowers electric iridescent bowl. It seems like the better pieces are beginning to surface now. I even received a call early yesterday morning from a member, informing me of several Carnival pieces she was previewing at a local auction. There was a 10” Cherry Ice Cream Bowl and a Sugar Bowl at this particular auction.

Should you come face to face with Carnival Glass on your treasure hunting excursions, here’s a few tips: 1) Damage is deadly. Stay away from pieces, even if they have only a very small flake or chip. 2) Color is everything. Look for the pastels in ice blue, ice green, white, aqua, red, and check the Carnival book for others. 3) Plates usually less than 2” bring great money. These might appear to be “swallow bowls”, and can be 6” to 11” across. 4) Funeral Vases are a collector’s delight. They can be 15-18” high and have a head than can be 8-10” across. 5) Patterns can make the average piece of Carnival Glass command prices in the thousands. Animals on a piece almost always assure it will bring a fair price. If there is advertising on it, the price can double or triple. 6) There are auctions that deal in nothing but Carnival Glass, and if you should purchase a special item, they are more than willing to provide the sales service for you.

I’ve been interested in Carnival Glass for many years. I once purchased a pastel colored plate and sold it to a gentleman from Texas. He was so excited about this find that he drove all the way from his home to personally pick it up, and I was very pleased to accept his $5,000 check. Carnival is one of the items that has treated me well over the years. With a little study, you can become somewhat of an expert on it and cash in on your knowledge. I recommend some time spent with The Standard Encyclopedia of Carnival Glass, by Bill Edwards. Abesbooks has older copies of this book beginning at $1.61 for a 1998 copy and moving up in price from there. Amazon also has many used copies of this book. The April 2008 edition of this book is available in paperback for about $9. We really appreciate those who purchase through the blog. Every little bit helps keep us up, running and able to bring you this information everyday. There’s also an annual book of the top Carnival sales, and if you e-mail Cindy, listing “Carnival” in the subject, she will give you that information. cindy@31corp.com

I’ve been receiving calls from members for assistance while they are at auction previews or estate sales, and nothing pleases me more than to be able to help you in making decisions on pieces you see out there. This is what will help you achieve your goals and help 31 Club grow. Where else can you get questions answered and send you on your ascent up the 31 Steps and win your race to the million dollars? There’s been a missing link in this business for far too long, and 31 Club is that missing link.

Thanks so much to all the responses to our request for listing items in the 31 Marketplace. These listings will start to appear when Jeremy finishes with our website reconstruction. When others discover 31 Club has many of the rare and unusual items listed at fair prices, below retail, our traffic will increase tremendously, and your items will get huge exposure. Why below retail? Remember, we want to quickly turn the items so we can keep our money moving at all times. That means we don’t have to get retail for every item.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members. Turbo charge your treasure hunting skills. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to build a bank account to last a lifetime, buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. 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.

Visit our Website, here.