Value Found in Purses and Handbags

Nowadays, you might see a man with a purse or handbag, but in yesteryear, it was the genteel women who carried these small purses. And for good reason. You might not know why they carried them or what they contained, but often times it was for protection. Remember in the old time Westerns when the lady would have that small derringer hidden in her carrying bag? Many a man was surprised when she pulled it out and had the drop on that rough and tuff cowboy. These small hand bags were also a perfect place to hide that knife just in case it was needed.

I also can envision the women of the evening sneaking that small vial out of her purse, ready to spike the drink of an unsuspecting gentleman. Waking the next morning, he might be minus his jewelry and money. Of course, he usually couldn't report it to the authorities out of fear his wife would discover his indiscretion. Another reason for the young lass to carry that small purse was to have a place to stash a small amount of money, should she find herself in a place she wanted to quickly exit from.

Beautifully crafted handbags were later used to accent evening ware, and often contained a powder compact. Later, a mirror often was included in a new handbag. Many of these handbags were exquisitely crafted and small pieces of art in themselves. They came in as many styles as the imagination could dream up. Metal, tapestry, wood, beads, glass, Bakelite, and many other materials were used in their production. I have even seen purses that were hand painted and would qualify as real works of art

I remember a house sale I attended that I could barely find anything worthwhile, until I found a beautiful beaded purse in the basement. Never having bought a purse before, I had no idea what it was worth, but I had never seen anything like it. I figured it wasn’t very common, so I approached the lady conducting the sale and ask what the price was. She asked me what I’d pay for it. Not wanting to bid too little and have it refused, I offered her $25. She countered with $35 and I said, “Sold.” I couldn’t wait to get home to discover if I had a treasure or not. I didn’t find anything like my bag in any of the price guides, but I felt fairly certain that the purse would prove to be a great find.

I listed it on eBay and got a final price that was a little over $500. Not bad for a $35 investment. I have to admit, I will never be ashamed to say I owned a purse again.

But purses and handbags go back even further in history than what I’ve discussed here. The use of handbags and purses goes probably goes back to before human history was even recorded. A concept of a purse or a handbag comes from the pouches used in tribal societies. Many times pouches were used for carrying things like seeds, herbs for medicine, and amulets. Tribal “witch doctors” and priests carried pouches and often contained the secret items they used in rituals.

The 31 Club uses a wealth building plan that can help you accumulate enough funds to last a lifetime, buying and selling antiques, collectibles, and fine art.

Join the 31 Club. Learn about Art, Antiques & Collectibles. Learn How to Invest in Art, Antiques & Collectibles and build lifetime wealth. The plan is in my book. When you join today, you'll receive my 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, FREE, plus MENTORING from me whenever call me. Or, order 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles and your membership is FREE and you still get mentoring. Either way, you're in. I know it sounds crazy to get all this for about $20, but I assure you, I'm offering this. If you've read this far, why not hop aboard.

A great book for reading more about the history of purses and pouches is called Carried Away: All About Bags.

Other excellent resources are:

The Handbag: An Illustrated History

Miller's: Handbags: A Collector's Guide

Handbag Chic: 200 Years of Designer Fashion

Jack in the Pulpit Art Glass Vases

12" Quezal Jack-in-the-Pulpit Vase
sold for $16,250 at Doyle New York September 2007

If you've ever heard someone refer to a glass vase as a "Jack in the Pulpit" vase, you might have wondered what that is, and where that name comes from. Jack in the Pulpit is a type of American perennial woodland plant, and it's the name art glass collectors all over the world use to describe vases fashioned after this wildflower.

In the early 1900's Louis Comfort Tiffany fashioned his famous iridescent glass, known as "farvile glass", into vases after this wild plant. Versions in blue are among the rarest of these Tiffany vases, followed by gold. Tiffany, however, was not the first to use this shape when he created his wares. Other English glass companies such as Stevens & Williams, Thomas Webb & Sons and Richardson had produced the Jack in the Pulpit shape prior to Tiffany.

This organic shape found its way into many American glass lines as well, including Fenton. Jack in the Pulpit vases can be found in less expensive glass such as Vaseline Glass. It continues to be a shape produced by contemporary glass artists, including glass master Charles Lotton, whose Jack in the Pulpit art glass has become part of many private collections.

David Issitt, a leading expert and writer on British Colored Glass, has researched and written in detail about the history of Jack in the Pulpit vases, and it makes a fascinating read, as well as a good place to view some fine early examples dating back to the 1850's.

Want to learn more about Antiques, Collectibles, and Art? Want to learn to buy and sell for profit? The 31 Club uses a wealth building plan that can help you accumulate enough funds to last a lifetime, buying and selling antiques, collectibles, and fine art. Join the 31 Club. Learn about Art, Antiques & Collectibles. Learn How to Invest in Art, Antiques & Collectibles and build lifetime wealth. The plan is in my book. When you join today, you'll receive my 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, FREE, plus MENTORING from me whenever call me. Or, order 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles and your membership is FREE and you still get mentoring. Either way, you're in. I know it sounds crazy to get all this for about $20, but I assure you, I'm offering this. If you've read this far, why not hop aboard.

"...I spent about 15 years in the antiques and collectible field
and I can tell you this is one of the best books you will ever
read about making money with art, antiques and collectibles."
-Skip McGrath, Auction Seller's Resources & EBay Powerweller

"It has been a great pleasure knowing Daryle for more than
10 years. I share his excitement in releasing this book. He is
a man of his word."
Riley Humler, Cincinnati Art Galleries
Consultant, Antique RoadShow

Want to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article here.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

Go to Our Homepage.

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

Seeing Opportunities Others Miss - Paper Money

How times have changed since I started collecting money as a child. In my book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and Collectibles, I tell about how I would go to the bank and purchase rolls of coins, take them home then, sort them so that I could keep the silver ones and any rare copper pennies for my collection. After doing this, I returned the others to the bank and exchanged them for more rolls. I did this for several years.

When I enrolled in college, I was able to pay for my education by selling off my coin collection. Not only did this make my parents very happy, it also taught me the discipline that has served me well for most of my business career.

Jump ahead about forty-five years, this opportunity to do as I did is no longer available to young collectors, because all the silver coins became clad ones. That means the dimes, quarters and half dollars now are copper coins with a thin silver coating over the top and bottom. Back when I collected, all the coins were solid silver or copper. The clad coins resulted in coins that had little metal value. Additionally, as years passed, the mints began to produce more of each type of coin, so there were very few rare coins to be collected.

Today, if you tried to collect coins as I did, all your work would probably be in vain. But, there still might be a way to use the same principle, only with paper money. Most paper bills have a short life, because they wear out rather quickly, especially one dollar bills. But how about fives, tens, twenties, fifties and hundreds? These bills get less wear because they are larger denominations. Therefore, they last longer, and your chances of finding a rare bill among them will be greater than with the one dollar bills.

I have seen hundred dollar bills selling at action for close to two hundred dollars and tens selling for twenty five dollars or more. If you go to the bank buy several bills and find a rather rare bill, you can pull it out to sell and return the rest to the bank to start the process all over again.

In this business you have to be adaptable and be able to see opportunities that others miss. Today it’s called thinking outside the box. When I was a kid, out in the country I noticed that there were trails from the fields leading to the barn. These were areas where all the grass was worn away. I wondered why? So I sat and watched as the cows came to the barn in the evening. I saw all the cows get in a straight line and took note that the first to the barn got most of the feed. I decided then that I would always set my own course and not let others set it for me. I decided I would not follow any pack. When I arrived where the food was, I wanted to be the first to feast on the first fruits, not the leftovers. Don’t be like the cow in the herd that just follows the leader. I want our members to be leaders, not followers. By providing them the best information possible to obtain anywhere, I think their success will be assured.

Do you need college funds, retirement funds, or want a larger stash of cash for you lifestyle? The 31 Club uses a wealth building plan that can help you accumulate enough funds to last a lifetime, buying and selling antiques, collectibles, and fine art. Join the 31 Club. Learn about Art, Antiques & Collectibles. Learn How to Invest in Art, Antiques & Collectibles and build lifetime wealth. The plan is in my book. When you join today, you'll receive my 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, FREE, plus MENTORING from me whenever call me. Or, order 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles and your membership is FREE and you still get mentoring. Either way, you're in. I know it sounds crazy to get all this for about $20, but I assure you, I'm offering this. If you've read this far, why not hop aboard.

"...I spent about 15 years in the antiques and collectible field
and I can tell you this is one of the best books you will ever
read about making money with art, antiques and collectibles."
-Skip McGrath, Auction Seller's Resources & EBay Powerweller

"It has been a great pleasure knowing Daryle for more than
10 years. I share his excitement in releasing this book. He is
a man of his word."
Riley Humler, Cincinnati Art Galleries
Consultant, Antique RoadShow

Want to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article here.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

Go to Our Homepage.

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

Getting a Leg Up on the Competition at Auctions & Sales

Thank you all for your kind E-mails of condolence. Daryle had this Blog prepared before he left for Kentucky. Keep posted, because even under these circumstances, I know Daryle will keep blogging for you. -- Cindy

Knowledge is King and will enable you to spot the value of paintings, antiques and collectibles. Whether you are attending garage sales, estate sales, auction, participating in online auctions or paying a visit to someone's home to view their items, your ability to spot value will depend on your ever increasing knowledge about items you encounter.

The 31 Club's main function is to help you grow in your knowledge, so you will have the advantage over your competition. We do this in several ways. Our book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is the core of our program, and an essential tool our members use. It serves as our springboard into working this market.

Second, our daily Blog serves as an educational component to our members. This daily Blog is currently open to public view and discusses various topics such as economic trends that shape the marketplace, what's currently in demand, what's fading out, as well as information on the various items one might focus their attention upon and how to identify them. It's jam packed full of negotiating techniques and how one might best operate in order to grow profits into lasting wealth.

Third, in order to grow in knowledge, study and research is essential. Anyone working in this business will find it necessary to begin a library of reference books and build it up over time. Having access and exposure to the information in these books will make all the difference in your level of success.

The books you will need as reference don't need to be new. They can be several years old because they will still give the information that is needed for whatever item you are researching. Online Bookstores that sell used books are a great way to accumulate a substantial library inexpensively. My partner, Cindy, recently purchased a copy of David Rago's American Art Pottery for about $7.50 on Abesbooks. David Rago operates Rago Arts and Auction Center, one of the country's top drawer Auction Houses for 20th Century Pottery, Furnishings, and Post-War and Contemporary Art. (And, by the way, it's an excellent place to further educate yourself by looking around.) Today, there's several of American Art Pottery books on Abe's, starting at $6.95 plus shipping.

Your Personal Library should contain these Basics:

Kovel's Price Guide 2008

Kovel's Dictionary of Marks: 1850-Present

Davenports Art Reference & Price Guide. (This will be one of the more expensive books, but an old one still does the job.)

These are just a few of the books you could start with. These books help tremendously. In fact, I received an E-mail from a member who saved herself from buying a fake at auction because she had a book:

"... I just returned from an auction. For the first time I took your
kit with me. There was a Nippon dish that I was going to bid on. When I
look it up in one of my books I found it was a fake. You just saved me the
price of the book and the kit. Thanks ever so much..."

With the information from these books, you'll start feeling like a wiz. You'll soon be upon your path to financial freedom when you combine this with our plan for accumulating a lifetime of funds with antiques, collectibles, and art.

I hate to keep repeating myself, but Knowledge IS King. You will be crowned when you combine that growing knowledge with action and the solid wealth building plan from the 31 Club.

The 31 Club uses a wealth building plan that can help you accumulate enough funds to last a lifetime, buying and selling antiques, collectibles, and fine art.

Join the 31 Club. Learn about Art, Antiques & Collectibles. Learn How to Invest in Art, Antiques & Collectibles and build lifetime wealth. The plan is in my book. When you join today, you'll receive my 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, FREE, plus MENTORING from me whenever call me. Or, order 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles and your membership is FREE and you still get mentoring. Either way, you're in. I know it sounds crazy to get all this for about $20, but I assure you, I'm offering this. If you've read this far, why not hop aboard.

The Phone Call You Don't Want to Hear

---Notice To My Members and Readers---

I will be in Kentucky for the next few days. My wife's father passed on and has gone to be with God this morning. I know he will be there, in Heaven, waiting for us to join him in one day.

I ask for your prayers for our family as we make the drive to Kentucky and prepare for the funeral. Although this is a celebration, it doesn't mean that it will be easy. Please pray that my son, Joshua, will have understanding.

There are books that need to be shipped, and I hope you will understand if they are a few days late. We hope to get them all out by Friday.

Skiing Collectibles

You can find treasure wherever you are. I’m skiing this weekend, and this means I should be looking for some treasures in this area. Just count the items that might be collected if you are a ski fanatic.

How many different type of skis have there? Trick skis, jumping skis, and trail skis just to mention a few. If you find these special skis signed by a skiing legend it might well be a true treasure. Now let’s look at a few other items of interest. How about clothing worn by someone such as a movie star or President. These could bring a great deal of money.

Examples of the first wares worn by the pioneers of skiing should prove to be quiet rewarding. How about the different trends that have occurred over the years and some of those strange ski outfits that have appeared on the scene over the years. You know they will make a come back.

Ski medals and trophies should be in great demand, if they were won by a person of distinction. Posters and other paper items listing special event in ski history can be added to any collection owned by the avid collector, and their value will be greatly enhanced if signed. Signed photos of the rich and famous, such as Jacqueline Kennedy in a ski outfit signed by her could bring a good price.

You are probably asking what about the Olympics and all the treasures that can be found that pertain to Olympic Skiing. There have been thousands of events and tens of thousands of contestants.

Skiing has a long history and ski's were used for purposes other than pleasure. Vintageskiworld.com has 1958 U.S. Military Ski's selling for $295. Not only might these appeal to collectors of ski memorabilia, but those collecting military memorabilia as well.

By looking at other's interests, you will find that the list of items people collect is larger than your mind can comprehend. The interesting fact about buying items that others might have interest in is that it makes you a much more informed and well rounded individual. One of the greatest results of this is that your bank account will grow while you're learning, and you will be spending your time with some of the greatest and most interesting people in the world.

The 31 Club uses a wealth building plan that can help you accumulate enough funds to last a lifetime, buying and selling antiques, collectibles, and fine art. Join the 31 Club. Learn about Art, Antiques & Collectibles. Learn How to Invest in Art, Antiques & Collectibles and build lifetime wealth. The plan is in my book. When you join today, you'll receive my 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, FREE, plus MENTORING from me whenever call me. Or, order 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles and your membership is FREE and you still get mentoring. Either way, you're in. I know it sounds crazy to get all this for about $20, but I assure you, I'm offering this. If you've read this far, why not hop aboard.

"...I spent about 15 years in the antiques and collectible field
and I can tell you this is one of the best books you will ever
read about making money with art, antiques and collectibles."
-Skip McGrath, Auction Seller's Resources & EBay Powerweller

"It has been a great pleasure knowing Daryle for more than
10 years. I share his excitement in releasing this book. He is
a man of his word."
Riley Humler, Cincinnati Art Galleries
Consultant, Antique RoadShow

Want to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article here.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

Go to Our Homepage.

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

High Profit Day - Adventures in the Antique Business

I am reporting to you from the back-seat of a 2001 Ford Wind star. This is our last ski trip of the season, and we are traveling with three adults and three kids. The last trip like this that I took ended in one of my better days for treasure hunting. Here's what happened:

While everyone else did their own thing, I decided to venture out to see what I could find. Believe it or not, at the first place I stopped, there were some great Royal Doulton figurines from the 1940s. I soon began to bargain with the owner and used the technique that I have taught you in past blogs. I put about twenty figurines in a group and calculated the average price per piece I wanted to pay, then made the offer. At first there was a negative response, but as I started to walk away, the woman ask if I would pay any more than my offer. I explained why that was my best offer. You see asking if I would pay more, she told me that we were very close to closing the deal. Sure enough, after a few minutes she agreed to sell them to me for my original offer.

Putting that many figurines together meant that the total offer was rather substantial. Sometimes that's hard to refuse. Money talks, and the higher the amount of money offered, the harder it is for the seller to turn it down. If I had tried to bargain on the figurines one at a time, I would have probably left the shop empty handed.

Since I had spent over $5000 with the woman, she knew that I was a serious buyer. So, when I reached for the door she asked if I was interested in any other figurines. I thought that she was probably talking about Hummels or Lladros, but still I said “sure." The rule is not to ever stop a person from telling you of other things they have for sale, even if you have a doubt that there will be any interest.

The next thing that I knew she was locking up her shop, and we were headed to her home. Arriving at a rather modest home, I have to admit I wasn’t too excited. Walking through her living room, I did see some Early American furniture, but nothing that really caught my eye. Then we entered the family room and my eyes almost popped out of my head. There in front of me was one of the largest collections of Meissen figurines I had ever seen. I was looking at a good $100,000 worth of Meissen. I had to get a hold of myself because I didn't want to show the excitement I was feeling inside.

Looking over the collection and trying to conceal my unbelievable desire to purchase each every one of the pieces, I ask how many of the figurines were for sale. Her answer almost knocked me down. "All of them for the right price." I was like a child in a candy shop, but I had to control myself. I proceeded to pick the pieces that interested me most. I knew without a doubt I had selected over $20,000 worth of figurines at the price that I was willing to pay. I made the offer, and this time, without hesitation, she said that seems fair to me. You see, I had established credibility with her on the first trade. Now she accepted me as the expert.

I treated her fairly and purchase the pieces at a price that fit my standard rule for buying, so you know that this was one profitable day for me. There are many great lessons to be gleaned from this experience, but perhaps the greatest is that you must always keep your emotions under control when you are trying to make a purchase. Also, you must appear as the person who has all the facts at his fingertips.

Do you need college funds, retirement funds, or want a larger stash of cash for you lifestyle? The 31 Club uses a wealth building plan that can help you accumulate enough funds to last a lifetime, buying and selling antiques, collectibles, and fine art. Join the 31 Club. Learn about Art, Antiques & Collectibles. Learn How to Invest in Art, Antiques & Collectibles and build lifetime wealth. The plan is in my book. When you join today, you'll receive my 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, FREE, plus MENTORING from me whenever call me. Or, order 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles and your membership is FREE and you still get mentoring. Either way, you're in. I know it sounds crazy to get all this for about $20, but I assure you, I'm offering this. If you've read this far, why not hop aboard.

"...I spent about 15 years in the antiques and collectible field
and I can tell you this is one of the best books you will ever
read about making money with art, antiques and collectibles."
-Skip McGrath, Auction Seller's Resources & EBay Powerweller

"It has been a great pleasure knowing Daryle for more than
10 years. I share his excitement in releasing this book. He is
a man of his word."
Riley Humler, Cincinnati Art Galleries
Consultant, Antique RoadShow

Want to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article here.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

Go to Our Homepage.

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