Antique Clothing Chests - and Other Inside Tips

This Connecticut Chest on Chest, circa 1790, sold for $18,000 at Hood Auction.

We are all very individual in our tastes when it comes to decorating our homes. Some like formal, some like casual, and there is a chest for anyone’s taste. For most of my life, I preferred Queen Anne style but now, I'm more into early America. Regardless of style, the one thing that most catches my eye is quality. Beautiful wood, crafted by a true artist, certainly gets my attention.

We talked about blanket chests, sugar chests and today we’ll continue with clothes chests, which we’re most familiar with. These beauties can be very valuable under certain circumstances. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about:

A gentleman brought a chest to the Antique Road Show inquiring of its value. He told the director that when he purchased the piece, it had been painted in an ugly red paint, but he had it stripped and refinished. When the director asked him if he wanted the good news or bad news first, he opted for the good news first, and the news was that his piece was worth about $35,000. The owner was thrilled. He asked how there could be bad news. But, there was. And the bad news? By stripping the original red paint finish, he had washed away $100,000.

This is a lesson we must not forget. It’s best to buy each piece as it is, at the value it is in the condition it is in presently. Never stray from this rule. Yes, you might be able to make a piece prettier, but in doing so, you risk reducing the true collector value. Always let your new buyer make the decisions on what he want to do to improve what you’ve sold him.

There are many styles of chests you can run across. The federal style, with its straight lines, appeals to me. Your taste might be more toward Chippendale or Empire style. The true antiques in these styles can be very expensive. You might be expected to pay from $10,000 to $500,000 for a bow front mahogany or a birds eye maple chest. If you’re not familiar with styles in chests or furniture, nor the appeal of various woods, I believe the best way to learn about furniture and its styles is by first studying books. There are many books to choose from, and you might even spend some time in the library studying. Then, find a shop that carries a variety of high quality antique furniture and take a look at these items close up. You’ll find the shop owner will probably be more than happy to answer questions and help with your education.

I once bought a very nice three drawer walnut chest for $500. It had all the original hardware and had a patina that was true to its age. I got a little excited, and priced the chest at a little over $2,000. It sold immediately. This was another time I wish I had waited and allowed myself more time to research before selling. I would’ve made a lot more money. So, please take some time to research your piece as best as you can, and don’t be shy about calling in an expert or two or three. I am sure you can tell that what I share with you has been learned by making some of the very mistakes I warn you of.

Hepplewhite, Queen Anne, Sheraton are also styles that will add beauty to any room. When you are on the hunt, never be distracted by price. If the price asked seems too rich for your blood, that’s the moment go and do your research. Yes, you might lose the piece, but being safe rather than sorry is always the right decision. If you return, and it is gone, it probably wasn’t meant to be at this time. Remember, the best decisions we make are based on knowledge.

If you find a piece of furniture that fits all the rules, buy the piece and have the sales person put a “sold” tag on it immediately and continue your hunt. If you stop to secure the piece or take it to your car, the other fabulous treasure waiting for you in the next room might be missed.

There is a pot of gold waiting for you, if the right chest comes your way. But, remember, it will more than likely require waiting for several months for it to be sold at the proper auction. For special pieces, the wait will be well worth it.

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.

Buying Fine Art and Antiques from Auctions & Estate Sales - Four Presumptions Not to Make

What a great radio show I had with Auctionwally. I have been answering the phone ever since. In this increasingly more difficult economy, people are beginning to listen more closely to what we are saying, and discovering it makes great sense and might be a solution for their financial dilemmas.

Our Member, William called the show, and I was so glad to hear from him. He is eager to be the winner of the 31 Club race to the million dollars. We speak with one another often on the phone or by e-mail, and he is learning at a very quick pace. Being a newcomer to this industry, he wasn’t sure how long it would take to master the skills for success. But, he simply went out, on perhaps, his first treasure hunting venture and promptly purchased a painting for $40. We’ve discovered it has a retail value of $3,500. Not bad for a newbie.

This is exactly why I make every effort to preview the paintings before I go to an auction or even a house sale if I am able. I can learn more about it and make an offer or bid based on knowledge. I truly believe that it is in the area of paintings that you can find the one treasure that can change the way you are living. So often, I’ve found that sellers do not have the resources to truly evaluate a painting. This can apply to individual sellers or auction houses. If they don’t subscribe to an art service, but only depend on book guides like “Davenports”, they may come no where near the true value of the painting they’re trying to sell.

Let’s go to the call I got yesterday from our member, Cecil R. and use this as an example to see how this kind of thing plays out. A friend of Cecil’s, who knew he had an interest in paintings, called him to tell him about two Charles Partridge Adams paintings up for sale through an auction house in Owensboro, Kentucky. In the Davenport’s guide, Adams is listed, but the price for his works are moderate. When we went to a service like Ask Art, we found that within the last month or so, a small oil on canvas of his sold for $12,000.

So, now you’ve got two paintings by Charles Partridge Adams listed in the local paper, and I’m fairly certain they were listed in the Antique Trader as well. Wouldn’t it seem like everyone, including their aunt and uncle, would know these were being sold and would surely show up and outbid a newbie? Well, everyone must’ve stayed away thinking that these fine paintings would surely sell for more money than they were willing to spend, especially with the market for paintings being so strong. Yes, indeed, everybody stayed home, and this opened the door for Cecil, to snatch those two paintings for (drumroll………………………) $700 apiece!!! Cecil might just have made himself about $18,500 -- conservatively.

With that example, let me stress a couple of things. First, Don’t presume that just because a painting is listed in an estate sale ad or an auction ad, that it’s priced just right.

Second, consider that the name of the artist, alone, might keep many buyers away. Buyers will often stay away when they’ve had a “rational” conversation with themselves that goes something like this: “Since it was listed in the ad, everyone and their uncle will now know it’s for sale. So, they’ll be plenty of interested and capable buyers lined up to buy. They will all bid the painting up beyond my reach, so I’ll just stay home and not waste my time. In that way, I’ll save on gasoline and be able to sit on the couch and watch TV today, since it’s raining anyway.

Third, never presume that you know what is going to happen at a sale, whether auction or estate sale or house sale. You might be right, but – what if you’re not? What if you’re completely wrong, and you never even bothered to step foot out of the house?

Fourth, before you decide not to go at all, take my experience into your mind before you decide. You see, I have found that even when I’ve gone for a particular piece and it’s been bid up or priced higher than I’m willing to pay, I have usually stumbled upon other treasures that I would have missed, had I decided to stay home.

Your success will be based upon the number of items you have the opportunity to buy. So if you don't get out of the house to buy, your chances of success are very limited. Get out of that house. Your treasures are awaiting you.

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

Antique Furniture - Not For Me, Maybe For You

American country bamboo Windsor arm chair c1800. Offered at One of A Kind Antiques for $385

***Remember to Tune In to
DARYLE
on Auctionwally's
BLOGTALK RADIO TONIGHT 8PM EST***

Call In With Your Questions

I have intentionally not written on furniture, because my general rule is that if it is larger than a bread box it is to large for me. You see at 66, I don't think that I still have the desire to break my back hauling large pieces of furniture. However this isn't fair to you, if you’re interested in furniture, and so because of this, I’ll do a series on furniture anyway.

The best way to approach these items is by breaking them out into groups. So knowing this I think that I will start with Chairs. It would take weeks to share with you all that is needed to become the expert on this subject but I will try to give you the preliminary facts to get you started.

First, it is a matter of knowing what the true collector is looking for in chairs. Does he collect Modern, Arts and Crafts, Early American or 18th and 19th century European pieces? The material for each of these can give you a start as to their value. Then the workmanship, the designer and the company can place a huge premium on the items you find.

You will usually find that the older European chairs you find will exhibit wonderful carvings and detail. These need to be authenticated by an expert, because any restoration or replacement of piece can change the value tremendously. The dovetailing and the shape of the legs can define what period a chair is from. Before taking on these chairs, be sure to study as many books on their construction and shape as you can. Don't be fooled by reproductions and this is where depending on the experts comes into play.

Early American is where you can really increase your profits, if you are knowledgeable enough to spot the true antique pieces. The real value comes if there is a tag or mark on the chair that you find so that it can be identified as a pieces produced by a certain craftsman. These can usually be found on the bottom of the chair seat. The experts can tell where a chair was produced by the materials used in their construction because most furniture was product with native lumber. So if the chair was made with wood that wasn't grown naturally in that area, it is more than likely that it wasn't made there.

Like the European chairs, the Early American ones must be in untouched condition, nothing added or nothing taken away. Early American chairs have been written about the most. People like to use them in their homes and collectors have a high interest in them. But, know that most of the Early American chairs have also been reproduced.

A short time ago, a chair was sold here in Chicago at an auction house that originally estimated it to go between $4,000-$6,000. It amazed everyone when it was hammered at $22,000. Shortly thereafter, the buyer sold it again in New York. Are you ready for this? He sold it for over two million dollars. Many early examples sell for $100,000 - $500,000.

There is a lot to say about chairs, and I will continue tomorrow on other types.

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.

Civil War Collectibles Part II

Yesterday I was in Gettysburg, and looking at all the examples of the best of the Civil War memorabilia made me thirsty to get back in the antique treasure hunting race. Taking a little time off made my competitive passions even greater and truly opened my eyes.

Being as vision oriented as I am, standing on the high ground in Gettysburg looking over the valleys below, my mind could actually visualize the troops coming up the hills. I could actually feel the presence of the spirits of the battlefield. The only other time I've felt this was at the Battleship Arizona in Hawaii.

Most of the troops who participated in the Battle at Gettysburg lost 50% or more of their members, and more than 640,000 lost their lives in this war. To consider it another way, you could say that 2% of this country's population was lost during those four years. Now, I truly understand why so many books have been written about the Civil War, and why so many Collectors want to own a part of this history.

You may assume that my eyes were opened to only the physical side of collecting the weapons of war, but you would be so wrong. How about the items pertaining to slavery? There are many paper items that remain from the days of slavery. There are bills of sale for slaves, reward posters for runaway slaves and even auction bulletins where people were sold as common belongings.

The mid 1800's was also one of the greatest political eras of this countries history. Campaign buttons and flags were everywhere during the elections of those years. Banners were strung from every building. There were bandannas, photographs, ribbons and many more things that would fetch large sums of money today. Newspapers from those years are very collectible today.

Where can these items be found? It isn't in Gettysburg, but in Texas, California, Wyoming and most of the states that really weren't involved in the Civil War. Why am I so sure? If you were to start out looking in the likely places, you'd find they've already been found and their values are known. But, as families moved, and items were passed down to family members and families spread out into other states, these items were soon forgotten. As I've told you before, it's very difficult for me to find a great painting by a Kentucky Artist in Kentucky, but I've found them in California, Connecticut and Florida. The same reason applies here.

I could give you the prices for some of the Civil War items, but it's best to do your own research, and then see where it leads you. It will create an excitement and thirst for knowledge within you. My senses for collecting have been heightened by this short break, and now I'm ready to throw myself into finding those treasures that are out there waiting for me. It won't be nearly as hard now to scan the house sales ads and auction bulletins as it was before this trip.

This may well be a good lesson for all of us. If there are times that you feel just a little burned out, find somewhere you can see the best of the best of an area of Antiques, Collectibles or Fine Art, and go visit that place. I can assure you, my fire has been re-ignited, and you will too.

REMEMBER TO HONOR YOUR MOTHER AND WIFE ON THIS MOTHER'S DAY. WISHING YOU A BLESSED AND JOYFUL MOTHER'S DAY. -- Daryle

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.

Civil War Collectibles/Memorabilia

Civil War Era Lyon & Healy Snare Drum is offered for $1,195 at Shotwell Antiques

It’s been a fabulous few days in Baltimore. We visited three ships and a submarine in the harbor. But, the highlight of the day was when a Mexican sailing ship pulled into dock with all the sailors in their white military uniforms. The officers had chests full of medals and you could see their national pride. A formal presentation welcoming the captain to Baltimore by some dignitaries followed.

This put me in a "pride of country mood," so tomorrow we are going to Gettysburg, the one place often cited as the turning point of the Civil War. I have been reminded of my faith in God and Country by this trip and of how thankful I am to be a citizen of the United States of America. Where else could we have had the opportunity to start the 31 Club, a club that is helping so many people?

The Civil War has produced some of the most collectible items that the world has ever known. This is a field of collecting that can be started for very little money, while the better items can command prices we probably never would have dreamed of. A collection can be started with a single bullet from the war era for a dollar or two.

If you find items used in the war, the are plenty of collectors out there and the rewards will astonish you. Confederate and Union swords can bring tens of thousands in the market place today. A single drum at auction might top $10,000 or more. A uniform could top $100,000 if it belonged to the right person, and weapons have no upper limit. I have seen a single button from a uniform bring thousands of dollars. If the items have records to connect them to a soldier, this will double or triple its value.

The exciting news for you is that Civil War memorabilia is plentiful, and there are many books written on the values of these today. This is one of the areas that our members should familiarize themselves with. Price Guides always come in handy like Warman's Civil War Collectibles Identification And Price Guide and Illustrated Catalog of Civil War Military Goods: Union Weapons, Insignia, Uniform Accessories and Other Equipment

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.