Buying Collectibles In Quantities Makes Sense – Marsha’s Story

31 Club Member struck gold with this Minton Oyster Plate and learned the value of buying in quantity.

A few weeks back, I wrote about a 31 Club member, Marsha, who I helped make decisions on buying a large McCoy Pottery collection she located from a local newspaper ad. The collection had about 100 pieces plus a few throw in items consisting of several Shawnee pieces, and one oyster plate.

The owner had not asked us anything about his collection and had decided to offer it to anyone who was interested at a price we could both be satisfied with. His goal was to get it out of his house as soon as he could.

Although the asking price for the lot was extremely reasonable at $500, we still asked if there was any room for a better price. (We followed the rules, anyway.) Since there had been no other interest, (we were the only response he got to his ad) he was receptive to reducing the price to $400.

Once we left this man’s house, I had asked Marsha how she thought we did. She didn’t really know, but hoped we did okay. Once we got into the car and drove off, I told Marsha that I believed there was just one piece we purchased in the lot that would pay for all of the pieces, and might even give her a profit above and beyond what she paid out. At first she looked at me like I was a nut case, then she asked, “Which one?”

“It’s not any of the McCoy pieces or even the Shawnee. But, that one oyster plate will probably bring you over $500,” I told her. Now, I didn’t have my book with me, but since I was almost certain this oyster plate was a Minton, I took a guess at the price. I could tell by her eyes that she wasn’t quite sure she trusted me on that. She got rather quite and I suspected she might be wondering what she just got herself into.

Marsha struggled a bit beginning with this program. While she has a great eye for quality, cashing in on her great buys was another story. If you recall from my previous Blog about Marsha, she had some basic office set up tasks to take care of before she could sell her found treasures, and this was holding her up. She needed a digital camera and had to learn how to use it. She needed to buy a new computer in order to even have the capacity to use the camera. Her computer was from the stone age. She’d never used eBay before, but, being the excellent student she is, it didn’t take long for her to catch on and soon listed her Minton Oyster Plate.

A bid of $250 for the plate finally gave her some hope. Soon someone bid $350, but then the listing sat with no activity up until close to the end of the auction. The real action started in the last 30 seconds, when it was bid up to $572. (Most of the bids on eBay today come within the last minute of the offering.) When you figure her cost was under $4, this selling price made for a pretty fair return on investment, wouldn't you say? I don’t know about you, but I’m sure going to keep my eyes open for oyster plates.

I believe if Marsha had previously used eBay and already had a good feedback history, this plate could’ve brought even more money. You see, people are fearful of new listers who haven’t done business on eBay before, and will often not bid as high as they might for a lister with an established eBay record. Trust needs to be earned.

She has already begun selling her McCoy items, and several of them have brought over $20. And it’s all profit from here on down the line. I suspect those 100 plus McCoy items will keep Marsha very busy.

If you haven’t already taken a look into the expanded 31 Gallery & Marketplace, please do so. It will serve you well as an educational tool and a guide.


Stay tuned for more 31 Club Member’s Great Finds, How they Bought Them, How and Where they Sold Them.

Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today. Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Get FREE MENTORING. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets that help you increase your profits. Continue to Grow Your Money Buying and Selling Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers who are making more money than they thought possible.

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Gold, Silver, Copper and Bronze

Art Metals continue to bring in good prices. Learn more about Roycroft, Jarvie, Heintz and other 20th Century valuable art pieces.


Alert! Alert! Gold and Silver are falling.

Even the weight of a bad stock market can’t keep the value of these industrial metals up. In the best environment these metals could have, they are hanging on by their teeth. Sell, Sell, Sell, and then check back with me in six months. I think you will want to buy me dinner.

This is the third time I have put out the alert To sell gold and silver, and because of the time lag from the first call to sell, I believe this decline will even be steeper than I originally imagined. Trade your gold and silver for wonderful and fantastic items produce from the common metals. I personally believe this is where the money is to be made in the short run.

Even though I am very negative on gold and silver, I think differently about choice antique & collectible pieces made from copper and bronze. If you have followed the metal markets, all the touters are pushing investments in gold and silver very heavily. This is usually a signal that a top has been reached in the market for those commodities. This can't be said for copper and bronze however.

Fine art pieces from the Art and Crafts movement will continue to bring high prices for items produced by such companies as Roycroft, Jarvie, Heintz, Gustav Stickley and Dirk Van Erp.

The real Arts and Crafts look will be hammered, and this hammering will be wonderfully crafted. Most of these copper pieces were meant to be displayed with furniture of that style and era, namely Stickley, Limbeth and others.

When you become familiar with their marks and learn about items from these companies, you’ll be paid handsomely in the future. Right now, the 31 Club is discussing the possibility of buying a large collection of Roycroft through our Associates Program. I have my fingers crossed on this one. What a great buy this will be for both the club and the member who called for our help.

Bronze has been used for producing figures, jewelery, sculptures and different types of lamps from almost the beginning of civilized man. It is easily worked and develops a wonderful patina over time. Items made from these metals bring huge prices in today’s markets. Rare bronze sculptures can easily bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars with ease, but the more common pieces you’ll find can fetch from $5,000 to $25,000. Considering most dealers can't tell the originals from the reproductions, they pass on all of them. This knowledge served one dealer I have previously written about when he purchased a Jarvie Candelabra for about $80 and sold it for around $7,000 or $8,000 if my memory serves me correctly. You will clean up big time if you have the knowledge in this area.


Our Marketplace has been expanded. If you haven't visited recently, take a look at our new additions. And don't forget, we will always have room for your items.

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. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers.

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Collectible Bookends

These Scottie Dog Bookends sold on eBay yesterday for $361

I sat down at the computer knowing I needed to post today's blog, but found myself struggling a bit. You see, my mind was preoccupied. You see, yesterday was the last time I will see my Pastor at the church I attend. Even though I knew this day was coming, I guess I wasn't as prepared for it as I thought I was. So, with this in mind, I'm asking some of you to keep me, my family and my Pastor in your prayers.

While my mind was wrestling with myself and wondering what would be a good blog topic today, I went into my library and began looking through some of my books. It's usually very easy for me to have a topic at the forefront of my mind, but, today, I was having some difficulty. I left the library and returned several times, each time moving the bookends to take out a few selected books. Then, it came to me. Bookends.

Bookends Can Prove to be Great Finds, so Don’t Overlook the Opportunity to Cash in.

Many pairs of Rookwood bookends were represented this past weekend in the Cincinnati Art Galleries auction, including the wise old owl standing on a book and about six pairs that represented “The Rook”, which was a symbol for Rookwood pottery. There was even a Buddha pair I’d never seen before. Others were the horse heads, Kingfishers, elephants, water lilies, lions, the sphinx, and even dogs. I am sure this is just a short list of what the company produced, and these bookends can bring from a few hundred dollars to several thousands depending on their rarity and color. Each will be marked with the Rookwood mark, however, some have been reproduced. But, Rookwood should be just one type of bookend that should catch your eye.

Companies producing bookends from the Arts & Crafts movement can bring you serious money in the thousands of dollars. These are companies such as Jarvie, Heintz Koppercraft, Tiffany and Roycroft. All of the different companies marked their items, so be sure to watch for those marks. You can often find these at house sales, and garage sales marked for just a few dollars. Your local auction houses can even be a good place to find valuable bookends if you are knowledgeable.

There are 2,025 sets of bookends being offered on eBay today, with the most expensive ones being Lalique and Baccarat, both listing for well over a thousand dollars. Bookends are a much sought after collectible, and I haven’t even touched the variety of items in this are you’ll likely come across.

There was a period of time in my life when anything that had a dog on it, had to be mine. My house was over run with dogs, but I never had to walk these dogs or take them to the vet. It was during this time, I purchased a set of Scottie Dog bookends for about $2.50. I didn't know much about them and figured they might bring $25 if I listed them on eBay. I listed them. The first day, they were over $100. (Yes, there was a time when people on eBay bid on the first day.) By the end of the auction, those Scottie dogs brought in over $500.

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. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers.

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The Value of Modern Pottery Teaches an Old Dog New Tricks

Frank Boyden Pot, available retail at Red Lodge Clay Center

I have often been told I might be a little behind the times in certain areas of my life, but I've fought that idea for years. However, as we expand into different areas of Art, Pottery and Glass, I am beginning to think that I might just need to go back to school – for pottery!

I came to this conclusion as I was skimming though the Cincinnati Art Galleries catalog and came upon the name, Frank Boyden. A few of his pottery pieces were for sale with high estimates on them. I had never heard of Frank Boyden and when I saw the estimates on his pieces as high as $3,000, quite frankly, I was wondering where I’ve been. It will be interesting to note what these pieces sell for this weekend, and if the past is any example, they could easily pass these estimates. Boyden worked in pottery during the 1970's and 80's before returning to printmaking.

Brief Frank Boyden Bio from the Laura Russo Gallery:

“Frank Boyden's artistry moves easily from sculpture to ceramics to printmaking. In this exhibition Boyden focuses on ceramic vessels that are wood fired, a technique he became interested in in the mid 1980s. These vessels start as a thrown pot made out of French or Italian porcelain. The artist then works animal and skeletal imagery into the surface pushing and pulling, giving each piece an organic and dimensional quality. They are not glazed but utilize the high firing of the anagama kiln to create color and texture. Boyden works the materials to his own advantage, accepting only a select few for their exceptional and arcane presence. A native Oregonian, Frank Boyden graduated from Yale in painting in 1968. He taught at the University of New Mexico in the late 60s where he became hooked on ceramics. He returned to the Oregon coast to live and founded the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology: a school for environmental studies. An internationally known artist, Boyden has exhibited his work in museums and galleries throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe.”

Educate Yourself by Studying Current Top Auction House Catalogs and Sales Results

Now that Frank Boyden pottery had caught my eye, I decided to examine some of the other modern pottery on the Cincinnati Art Gallery’s list. Next in line was Don Reitz, another name I hadn’t heard of. Just about now, I was beginning to really feel I’ve been living under a rock, because estimates on his vases were even higher than Boyden’s. One piece had an estimate of $6,000. Isn’t it amazing how much you can learn by studying the items from top drawer auction houses? I’m willing to bet there are many more pottery artists I don't know of from the 1960’s through the 1980's whose work is quite valuable.

In my many excursions looking for treasure, I have seen many of these salt glazed pottery pieces with the incised name of the artist on them, but usually I figured they would have very little value. Not now. Today, I can guarantee that if we should bump into one another at the same sale, it’ll be a race to the table with these modern day pottery treasures.

I’m suggesting you go to the live auctions on eBay, look at the items for sale at auction houses like Cincinnati Art Gallery, Rago Auction and Arts, & Treadway Galleries – auction houses that specialize in pottery and examine the photos and information there.

Add Modern Pottery by Noteworthy Artists to Your List of Items to Keep Your Eyes Open For.

First it was the modern furniture and accessories that I didn't know much about, now it’s the modern pottery. I can tell you this – I am one old dog that is learning a few new tricks. And, they will be in the areas of modern design; the younger generation is demanding items from this period of time. And if that’s what they want, I’m going to find it for them. This fertile field is yet another area to help us reach our financial goals using the 31 Steps.

If you have any special knowledge of modern pottery artists whose work is sought after, please contact me or send me something I can post. This can be a powerful tool for members of the 31 Club.

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. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers.

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http://www.redlodgeclaycenter.com/lists.php?aid=91&type=artist

Fine Art Paintings Located by 31 Club Member and Purchased Using our Associates Program

If you like Bluebonnet Paintings by Porfirio Salinas, but the going price is out of your range, fellow artist William A. Slaughter's Bluebonnet paintings are a great alternative and a good buy. This Slaughter piece is offered at 31 Gallery.

31 Club Member, William, struck again. Yesterday, he called asking about several paintings he was going to see at a local house sale in the Houston area. The first one was a Texas Porfirio Salinas painting, an artist I am very familiar with. It was one of his bluebonnet paintings; a very small one. Since the painting was in Texas, and that’s where Salinas is most popular, I was fairly certain the price would be out of our range. This proved true when we discovered the asking price was $15,000. There was no need to even try to bargain on this painting, so we moved on to the next offerings, and the interesting part of the story was yet to come.

William Fisher was the next artist on our list, an artist from New York. Out of place for Houston, right? After doing research, I suggested offering $200 apiece for three of Fisher’s paintings. We negotiated over the course of the afternoon, but we were unable to come to an agreement on the price, so we passed on these, even though there might have been a little profit there. Remember, we aren’t looking for a little profit.

The last painting was a very modern painting offered for $800. While the artist is listed, there have been only a few of his paintings sold at auction, but I saw that they were all sold for higher than the high estimate. That was about the best news we could have hoped for, and perhaps we could be on to something here. We discovered that there was no other interest in the painting, and after several calls back and forth, we finally settled on a price that satisfied us all -- $600. My educated guess is that at a Modern Design Auction or Sale, this painting has the potential to bring in $5,000 or more. Bingo. We made a hit. The painting was purchased through the Associates Program.

Let’s review the behind the scenes steps that brought us to the point that we bought this painting. First, while researching auction prices for this artist, I saw that his prices had climbed recently. Second, when they did sell, they brought more that the high estimated price. Third, the painting was in an area where this type of work was not especially appreciated, generally. This created an almost perfect game plan for us. It took patience to secure this purchase at the price we wanted, and I’m certain it will pay off.

I’d like to tell you who the artist is, but that will come after it’s sold, and I’ve selected two places that we could best sell this piece. Some of you might be industrious enough to figure it out, but, I promise I’ll tell the rest of you later. Depending upon which company we decide to sell it through, the sale will be either in September or November.

The Associates Program through the 31 Club is making it possible for anyone who makes a good find to prosper buying and selling fine art paintings, antiques and collectibles. The Associates Program is in high gear now, and we’re waiting for you to ride shotgun with us.

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. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers.

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Antique Season in Full Bloom. What's Turning Up?

Jim Rabby, "Sunflowers," discovered at a House Sale by a 31 Club Member, is Offered at $3,500 in the 31 Gallery.

The weather finally warmed up in Chicago in its typical fashion – from 40 degrees one day to over to 90 degrees the next, and thankfully, the antique season blew in along with the warm breeze. But, how can these warm summer breezes make us money, and what might be the perfect treasure to look for?

Summer generally sees the number of sales being conducted, and I’ve noticed the number of sales in my area in unusually high. I’m guessing that people are scraping up extra money as economic times become a little more difficult. This presents a greater opportunity to find treasures.

The number of auctions increase in the summertime, as well, and this will give you many opportunities to consign your purchases and watch your account grow. With school out for most of us, you might be able to incorporate trips into business trips as well, as long as you spend some time locating and purchasing treasure for your inventory. What a great summer this might prove to be.

Paintings and Drawings Will Always Have Good Value

What will we be looking, for in the way of treasure this summer? I like to search for things that are harder for most people to evaluate. Painting and Drawings will always have good value, even if you can’t identify the artist, and these can qualify for being harder for most people to evaluate.
A good painting is a good painting regardless of who did it. While these may not bring as much as Andy Warhol’s 73 million dollar painting, if you only paid $40 to $100 for it and you’ve made a profit of ten times your investment, then what’s wrong with that? Often I’ve seen a $500 frame with an original painting sell for under $100. This is truly what we are looking for while we’re awaiting that special treasure to come our way.

If you begin to take notice of the artwork at each sale you attend, you might be surprised at what can happen. I’ll give you an idea by sharing William’s story. William is new 31 Club member and a newbie to this industry. His first purchase of a Jim Rabby painting for $40 is now listed in the 31 Club Marketplace for $3,500 (a fair price for this artist.) His next purchase of a 1904 M. Van Buren painting of cattle resting in a stream is a very popular subject matter in fine art paintings, and this artist has painted it superbly. I just sold one a similar themed painting in Evansville, Indiana for over $2500 and, believe me, it wasn't as well painted as this one and was much smaller.

When William first sent me photos of the painting, I figured it would be priced at $5,000 considering its size and excellent workmanship. The people selling this were asking $400, already a bargain, but when it was still there the last day of the sale, I instructed William to offer $100. To his amazement, they accepted his offer. It’s now listed with us at $1,000. Personally, I think it’s way too cheap, but William wants to make his first sale. It shouldn’t stay listed long at that price.

After all this, you probably won’t believe this next one, but William just sent me another photo of a painting that had been in the same family since the early 1940’s. I personally fell in love with this piece and he hadn’t purchased it at the sale, so I sent him scurrying back to purchase it. It was so nice I found myself holding my breath, fearing it might be sold, before I finally heard back from William. Although the painting is unsigned, the family had a record of when it was painted, along with the scene and location of the subject matter. I think William is stuck on the $40 figure, because that’s what he got it for.

This latest painting is a fine painting, but what will the public pay for it? Perhaps $1,000 or $2,500? I’ll have to let him make that decision. The way I figure it, he invested a total of $180 for three paintings with the potential selling price of $5,500 or more. Not bad for a man who told me he didn’t know anything about this business.

I have shared with you what I think is the number one item to keep your eyes out for, but I would love to hear what you will be looking for as we come out of our winter hibernation.

Visit the expanded 31 Marketplace & Gallery


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. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers.

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


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Toy Car Collectibles

As auto companies lay off employees and reduce the models they produce, and the price of gas has us wondering if that van or SUV was worth buying, we might begin to ponder where the auto industry is headed. It seems like fuel efficiency will be the priority in modern car design. With that in mind, it’s likely the design features that made us say “Wow” like likely large fins, bugged lights, and retractable tops will fade away, only to remain in the corners of our memories. But, there are some snazzy cars that already have all the design bells and whistles on them, and they won’t cost a penny in gas. In fact, they’ll put money right into your pocket. I’m talking toy cars. Like the Hot Wheels brand. These collectible treasures can become your best friends.

I believe that toy model cars will become even greater collectibles than they are today. You see, as designs of yesteryear disappear, these toy models will keep the exciting features of these older cars alive and fresh in our memories. Young people today will never be able to drive in a Cadillac that’s as long as a train, or ride in a Gull-winged Mercedes Benz. In fact, I doubt they’ll ever know they’ve missed something special, and what a shame that is.

Collectible toy and model cars keep climbing in price every day. I’ve written about this before and at that time, I mentioned a toy VW Bus that sold for over $18,000. It seemed to me that this was the exception, until I looked on eBay and found a toy car that sold for $7,200, as well as many others that brought in over $4,000.

Many companies made these toy cars such as Wyandotte, Hubley, and Dinkey Toys. Tooties and the more modern line, Hot Wheels and Matchbox Cars can substantially fatten your wallet. Plus, when you add in the valuable and collectible tin toys made in Japan, you’ll have an unlimited supply to find. If you find one along with the original box, it’s even more valuable. Often, the box is worth as much as the toy. Condition is very important, and the closer it is to mint condition, the higher the price.

There are plastic cars from the 50’s and 60’s that are collectible, tin toys from Japan, German tinplate cars, diecast models, and many more. If you’re a 31 Club Member and you’d like a listing of over 1000 Toy Car Brands E-mail Cindy with your Member Password in the Subject at cindy@31corp.com. She’ll send it by e-mail to you.
If this is an area in the Antique & Collectible world that holds great interest to you and you’d like to focus in this area, there are many collector clubs. These collectors clubs are a great place to sell your items, so you might want to add them to your list and start making contacts. And who knows, you might even meet collectors who are looking to sell their collections. As I’ve said before, forming relationships in this business is essential.

I still have a cast iron racer my Uncle Warren Dee brought for me soon after returning home from serving two terms as a tank commander in the Pacific during the war. He died in a motorcycle accident shortly after his return, so I’m not likely to part with it. It keeps his memory alive for me, but I imagine is has great value today for collectors.

There are several good books and price guides out there, and it wouldn’t hurt to have some of these handy when you come across something and want to know if its something valuable to collectors. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/002-1566008-8404025?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=toy+car+collectibles&x=15&y=20
Toy cars are where its at, no upkeep or gas required just pleasant memories and money in your pocket. You can't beat that no matter how hard you try.

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. Our Members are 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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