Flow Blue China - The Error that Made Money

Flow Blue Porcelain China Teapot with Lid sold recently on eBay for $516.00

I had a special request to do a blog about Flow Blue from Joann Woodall of the Wagon Wheel Antiques Co. Joann is one of the people from whom I purchased the wonderful pottery at the Arlington Park Antique Show. I am always looking for items of interest to write about, so in the future, please email any requests you might have.

The porcelain that is known as Flow Blue was first produced about 1830. Those companies producing this porcelain were mainly located in England, however several others in France, Germany, Holland, and America also produced this fine porcelain. By 1940, Flow Blue was the rage in America because it was relatively inexpensive compared to fine china.

The creation of Flow Blue came about by accident. The story goes that a company was experimenting with a cheap form of dinnerware when some mixed chemicals were accidentally spilled on some of the wares that were waiting to be fired. This went unnoticed because the type of china awaiting firing was known as Transferware, and the pieces were covered with a blue pattern. After the firing, it became apparent that the transfer had bled onto the white porcelain. At first, the employees were horrified, however upon close examination, they noticed this mistake covered imperfections in the china. Isn’t it amazing how many worthwhile things come about by accident?

There are three periods in Flow Blue. About 1830, the Victorian period started, and patterns were used in Flow Blue from Chinese Imports. About 1860, the second Victorian period began, and these patterns consisted of mainly floral patterns. The late Victorian period started about 1880, and went back again to the oriental patterns.

Anything that could be produced from china was made in Flow Blue, like tureens, serving platters, dishes, chamber pots, vases, and even smoking accessories. Prices were reasonable, and that was the appeal.

There were so many companies producing Flow Blue China that I won't try to list them all, but you can find most of them by going to eBay and doing a search for Flow Blue in the completed listings section. As much as I have written about how unfair I believe eBay has been to their customers, I do have to commend them for the research information they provide. You will also find price guides for Flow Blue, but be careful because the prices in some of these are outdated.

Currently, eBay is showing a German Flow Blue Vase sold for $4,826.76. Two Vases with Blue Babies brought $1,350, and believe it or not, a Flow Blue Toilet sold for $749. There are 1,874 completed items listed under “Flow Blue” with most items bringing over $100.

While attending an auction here in Chicago, a large Flow Blue Tray came up for bid. It had a pattern of a very large bull in a primitive decoration that showed there was some serious age. I was bidding against someone I knew quite well, but when it got to be over $500, I stopped bidding. So, my bidding opponent purchased it for around $600. I later found out that this tray’s value ran as high as $3,500. Over the years, I have purchased many pieces of Flow Blue, most of which have been large platters averaging about $500 when I sold them.

This is one collectible that always seems to hold the collectors’ attention and at most Antique Shows you will find at least one booth that features nothing but Flow Blue. Reasonable purchases of these items can bring money to your pocket, so keep your eye out for Flow Blue.

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.

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.

Collectible Knives - Big Boy Toys

7-1/4" Randall 40's Vintage Hunting & Fighting Knife and HH Heiser Sheath sold recently on eBay for $6,607

Mumblepeg was a game played with a knife that I played when I was a little boy of nine or ten. Knives in hand, two boys faced each other and took turns throwing the knife, aiming to land its point in the ground close to his opponent’s foot. The opponent would then move his foot to touch the knife. The object was to stretch your friend until he couldn’t reach the knife. When you stretched your opponent further than he could stretch, you won. As the winner you got to take a stick, the size of a match stick, pound it into the ground with five blows of the knife and then watch your opponent dig it out of the ground with his teeth. There are several versions of the game, but that’s how we played it.

Why did my mind take me back to these wonderful days? I was looking at some knives the other day, and I began to wonder what value my childhood knives would have today. In my day, no little boy would’ve been caught dead with out his pocket knife. How would he have whittled or dug things out of the ground, or fought the bears like Daniel Boone?

I had a Hopalong Cassidy knife, and my friends had Superman, Roy Rogers, Dick Tracey and many others styles and types of knives. I'm so glad to have grown up in the times I did. Today, I wonder if a father could even start a knife collection for his son and avoid ending up staring into the face of a judge after the authorities received an anonymous tip from a well intentioned neighbor.

But, big boys can still have their toys, and if you find any of these knives from yesteryear, you’ve found something of value to many collectors. And that means money to add to your growing stash of cash.

A search on eBay completed knife listings might just cause you to gasp when you see the results. You’ll find single items selling for thousands of dollars. It looks like the knife collectors are a hardy bunch and take their knife collecting quite seriously. I hadn’t realized there were so many famous makes of knives like Randall.

It will do you well to recognize some of the better knife makers, ( hint, hint) as these often turn up in box lots at local auctions. And, if you remember from a previous blog where I discussed box lots, you’ll know that it’s usually best to buy the whole box. There might be some great surprises in it and you’ll have purchased what you want a lot cheaper than if you purchased items individually.

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.

Buying and Selling Skillfully in Today's Antique, Collectible & Art Markets

Cecil's Carnival Horse Medallion Bowl currently available on eBay. It previously had 23 bids but did not reach the reserve price.

Timing is everything, and right now the time is right to be buying at bargain prices. At times like these, when people are stricken with fear, we'll be able to make our best purchases. Barry Bond’s last home run ball just sold for under $400,000. What a bargain, considering the record setting ball brought over $1,000,000. The one who bought Bond’s ball in this cautious market will be smiling all the way to the bank in a very short period of time.

Our 31 Club Member, Cecil, listed a Carnival Glass Bowl and it did not meet its reserve although it was a rare pattern with horse heads. It should have found a buyer. He also has a Weller vase listed presently for $2,700 which might be worth $4,000 to $5,000. This is the time to make money by knowing what is worth the money and what isn’t.

When negotiating on price with a seller, you can back down on price now by saying the market is soft, knowing that the best is still the best and will bring top dollar regardless of the times. Yes, the market is fluctuating, but that is what we need to be successful. A constant market eventually works against us. If the market is stagnant, the seller will want too much and the buyers will want to wait for a better price.

Over the next few months, you should be able to complete several steps in your race to the millions, because out of fear, people will likely to be selling their better items. You’ll be able to buy at prices that can make you fat and sassy. Buy where there is little interest, and then sell in the right selling venue.

In my book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, I spoke about taking time to consider where to sell each item. In our marketplace today, this will be a very important decision to make. Remember, where you sell your items can likely make the difference in the level of profit you’ll see. Sell at places that specialize in what you are offering. Rookwood might bring a huge price at the Cincinnati Art Galleries Auction, but you might find it priced reasonably during these times in Texas. California Art might be bringing record prices in California, but what kind of prices would it get in Kentucky? So, keep your eyes out for items that seem out of place. You might be able to cash in on this. The 31 Gang did this very thing when we spent $240 to purchase a Harvey Joiner painting that hadn’t sold at auction from an east coast auction house. We later sold it at an Indiana auction house close to the Kentucky border for about $3,700. Why there? Harvey Joiner is one of the most collected artists in Kentucky.

Ebay might not be the best place to sell at the present time. The problem with eBay is that it is very impersonal, while an auction house can have the feel of being a part of the family. In hard times, that is often what we search for. Early’s Auction is an auction house that doesn’t do online auctions. They had their spring art glass sale this past weekend, and I understand prices were very firm. Considering that almost all plane traffic to Cincinnati was cancelled, they still had excellent results. Now when you consider they don’t do online auctions, this makes their sales success even that much greater.

This is the time to know your markets, act on them, and carefully consider the selling platform that might get you the biggest bang. When you do that the big money will come your way. Remember, collectors are a special breed, and they often won't buy a piece from a shop at almost any price. But let them get involved in bidding at an auction who represents what they collect, and it often seems the sky’s the limit. In the Antique Trader, Antique Weekly and The Maine Antique Digest, you will find a list of specialty auctions. If you have items that fit theircategorizes, do yourself a favor and list them there.

Buy, Buy, Buy. This may be the chance that won't come along for the next ten years. In these markets is when the easy money is made. Jjust be sure you have the knowledge to take advantage of it.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members. Turbo charge your treasure hunting. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to build a bank account 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.

Automobile Collectibles and Memorabilia is a Hot Market

René Lalique Mascot / Hood Ornament, "Spirit of the Wind" #1147 recently sold on eBay for $1,625.

While you are out there finding all those great license plates I talked about in our blog the other day, be sure to keep your antenna up for other collectible automobile items. There isn’t a larger group of collectors than the car enthusiasts, with the exception of sports collectors.

My neighbor,”Miss Susan,” as my son Joshua calls her, has been writing about this very subject for many years. In fact, she has a website called Women With Wheels, and I hope she will be a frequent guest writer on our blog in the future. The 31 Club may be involved with her in a joint venture in the near future, and I hope you will be hearing more about that. Listening to her has taught me that the number of items collected by the car enthusiast is almost unlimited.

I have known about the special hood ornaments sought after by collectors for a long time, and the value of these can be tens of thousands of dollars. If you go to eBay’s Complete Sales list and do a search, you will find Lalique ornaments of a nude sold for over $$2200, and one in the shape of an Indian face for $2000.

Let’s look at some other items to keep your eye out for. Tin Signs from the car factories, especially automobiles that are no longer manufactured are prized, as well as hub caps, gasoline station tin signs, and pieces from famous race cars such as fenders grilles and hoods are also collected. Oil and gas cans, replacement parts for older cars and auto industry paper collectibles also have a place on this list. Antique gas pumps are a great collector item, and the glass globes from these antique gas pumps are collectible. This is only a partial list, and truthfully, it would take many blogs to cover them all.

Paper collectibles has been something that Miss Susan has been selling for years. Some of the most collectible items are the owners manuals for special models. These can bring in some fancy money if they are for the right car. Also, dealer signs and advertisements often catch the collectors fancy. Magazine ads are also serious collectibles.

I have been a car enthusiast since I was a teenager, and while still in high school, can remember meeting a man at an auto show in Indiana who had driven his Cord to the show from Kansas City wanting to sell it. It was the model with the huge supercharger pipes and retractable head lights. He was asking only $1,800 for it, and I almost died when I had to tell him I just didn’t have the money for it.
My love of the automobile has continued even till this date. I have owned a MG-TD, supercharged Corvette and several Mercedes, however my favorites have always been what I call my “junkers.” I’m still searching for a 1953 Super 88 Oldsmobile. If you want to make a true friend for life, just tell me where I can find one of these. This is the car I drove in high school, and most people wouldn’t believe the stories it could tell.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members. Turbo charge your treasure hunting. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to build a bank account 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.

Daryle Lambert Blog: Valuable & Collectible Paper-Mache

Did you ever make paper-mache while you were a young school kid? I don't know about you, but this was always a favorite of mine. I liked it so much because I had absolutely no artistic talent, but with paper and glue it didn't matter. If you're like most parents, you might have paper-mache items at home that your children have made with great pride. I know I do.

But did you ever think that pieces like these could have value? This never occurred to me until I found a section in one of the guide books on paper-mache, and I couldn't believe my eyes. Most of this work is unmarked, but from what I have read, some fabulous artists used this medium to express themselves. The surprising thing about pricing paper-mache is that like most folk art, its beauty and value lies in the eye of the beholder.

It seems that this form of art came into its own in the 1800”s and was likely brought back into the country by soldiers and sailors. The best of these items usually combine other elements in their construction. This might give you a clue when you are in the field searching for these treasures. Pieces will often be decorated with mother of pearl, brass inlay and bamboo. The corners can be metal, and many of the most valuable pieces are lacquered inside and out. Many pieces have Victorian scenes or religious themes.

Boxes are much sought after by collectors, and a 13 inch box featuring three horses racing in carts is listed for $1,035. But this is just a start. A 6 inch 1880 egg, with one side showing the resurrection and the other side a view of the Kremlin might well bring you over $2,500. But I left the best for last. A tray stand, Regency, with black lacquer and Chinoiserie figures within a landscape is listed for $10,350.

This almost makes me want to pull out the old newspaper and glue and get busy. But seriously, I think that you'll agree that not many people will be out there looking for these pieces, but from what I can tell, there certainly is a ready market if the piece is exceptional.

If you'll go to a museum or antique show and examine this type of work and then examine the many Asian imports that have little value, you'll soon be able to distinguish between the valuable and the less expensive items.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members. Turbo charge your treasure hunting. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to build a bank account 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.

Daryle Lambert: 31 Club Newbie Scores Big with Art Market Find

31 Club Member discovered a painting by Texas Artist, Jim Rabby at an estate sale.

Yesterday I was deeply entrenched in thought about how to improve our club when the phone rang. A young man on the other end told me he was new to our 31 Club and was on his way to an estate sale. He wondered if I could give him some advise.

I tried all the standard words of wisdom I could gather up. He thanked me, and told me he’d call later. A short time later, the phone rang and it was the same young man. He was at the sale and told me that there was so much stuff there that it was overwhelming. He asked about a G. Harvey print for $2,000 and I said “I don't think so.“ Next he mentioned a small oil by Jim Rabby but he couldn't find anything about this artist. I turned to my computer, and it didn’t take long for me to locate the information I needed.

Jim Rabby is a contemporary Artist from Houston, Texas. I couldn't find him in Ask Art but as you are going to see that doesn't matter much. Every artist of value won't be found in the guides books or online resources such as Ask Art. I did find him by searching further on the internet. He has an interesting story I’ll give you a link to so you can sit back and enjoy his life as much as I did. Don’t be surprised if you shed a tear or two.

But back to the story. I then ask if he had purchased the painting and he told me he hadn’t, but at $45, he thought it was cheap. I told him to run back to the house. Not to walk, but run, and say a prayer that it will still be there. He called me again shortly after his run, to announce that the purchase was made, and the painting wasn’t quite as small as he originally thought. It seemed to be about 20 by 24 inches. This put it in the range of about $2,500 to $3,500 for one of Rabby’s works.

I wish all my students could start off with a first purchase like this one. Maybe that’s not possible, but it does show you that with support from the 31 Club, all the information you need is at your fingertips. Just give us a call and we’ll try our best to see that purchases like this will be yours. I can still hear him say how overwhelmed he was, yet his find was probably the golden ring at this sale.

Time and time again, I'll say that when you just get out there, fabulous things will happen. Believe it. Isn't it amazing that a new young member and avid reader of the 31 Club blog might just have completed the first four steps in his race to the million dollars by spotting this painting, while all the pros who went through that house passed by this great find. I’ve promised to help him place his painting in the proper venue and will keep you updated on the results.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members. Turbo charge your treasure hunting. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to build a bank account 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.

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Jim Rabby