Kay Finch Collectibles

“Go West Young Man.” I’ve heard this expression all my life, but it takes on a new meaning when looking for antique and collectible treasures that seem “out of place.” Items made in California but found at an estate sale in Vermont would be considered “out of place,” and these out of place items stand a very good chance of being bought right and sold for a decent profit to a West Coast collector.

Kay Finch pottery is a good example of this. To me, these look as if they were made by a child out of common ceramics material, but to the collector, they are fabulous works of art. Finch started making her humors animals in the 1930's and opened her studio in the 1940's. Her work was considered so unique at the time, there was a ready market for anything she produced. After World War II, cheap foreign imports caused a lack of interest in the more expensive pieces she produced in her studio, and soon after her husband’s death in 1961, she closed her studio. Over 700 designs were produced from her studio, and when it closed, she continued to work for many more years for other companies.

Although she is best know for her animal ceramics, many of which were modeled after her own animals, nothing was beyond her range, including people. Collectors today are willing to pay almost anything for her one-of-a-kind pieces, and you can find over twenty different marks she used. After sharing a few prices on the early items Finch produced, you’ll probably be on the lookout for items bearing her name. You might even find her items very cheap at a garage sale because they don’t appear to be very valuable. Many of her pieces are “NPA”, which means no price available, or priceless.

Take a look at some of these prices: Best in show Afghan no. 5490 - $3000; Petey the Donkey no. 4776 - $3000; Chinese Princess $6000 (and she is only 3 inches tall) and Grail the Shepherd no. 478 $1500. This is real money for these simple figurines. And, as unattractive as I find them, I must confess, they do make me smile. So, when you’re out looking, remember that it’s so important to be able to see things through other’s eyes. And just because it doesn’t appeal to me, it appeals to someone else, and that’s all that matters.

There is a wonderful book out about Kay and her life called Kay Finch: Biography-Identification-Values by Devin Frick, Jean Frick and Richard Martinez. This book can come in handy. As always, try to locate a second hand copy to be budget conscious.

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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Identifying Paperweights for Value

This Baccarat Paperweight sold in 2001 on eBay for $10,566 to a private collector.

“I found a wonderful art glass vase at a house sale, but I left behind some pottery and a paperweight and now it's weighing heavy on my mind.”

Lou Ann, a 31 Club Member who often finds wonderful items at fantastic prices, said that to me last week. I can honestly say that after 40 years in the business, I still ask myself what I might have left behind at a sale. The voice in my head says to me, “That piece of pottery might have been better than you thought, and that painting could’ve turned out to be a real winner, Daryle. Why didn’t you buy it.” I even find myself churning these thoughts in my mind months after the sale. Although I try not to think about what I might’ve missed, I’m only human.

I don't know if the pottery Lou Ann left behind was special, but at a low enough price, I would have taken the chance since I was already there. However, the real story might have been the paperweight.

Most people know very little about paperweights, so having the knowledge can give us a big leg up on finding that special one.

Paperweights only have had two great periods in their development, first from 1840 to 1860 and then starting in 1952 and continuing today.The most famous companies producing paperweights during their heyday in the first period were the St. Louis Company, Baccarat, Clichy, Bacchus and Whitefriars. Soon after this period, the art of making paperweights landed in America with companies such as The New England Glass Company, Gillinder, Mt. Washington and later Millville.

Try to get a look at some of these early pieces because they are just fantastic, produced with amazing quality. I could spend the next ten pages just describing them, but this would do you very little good, and I highly recommend you buy a few good books on paperweights. Second hand books are just fine. In fact, we’d sure appreciate it if you used our site if you order books from Amazon, because it helps us keep this site up and running. Take a look at this good guide for starters: Collectors' Paperweights: Price Guide and Catalog

The second period of paperweights starting in 1952 with companies like Lundberg, Orient and Flume, Perthshire, Stankard, Ysart and a name I’m sure you’re already familiar with – Lotton. Lotton’s pieces are going up in value as we speak. Baccarat is producing weights that challenge the early the early ones for beauty. Each of these companies have made outstanding paperweights for the collectors.

Early pieces can bring over $100,000 and it isn't unusual to find ones priced from $10,000 to $25,000. In fact, it is very hard to find a great example that doesn't bring over $500. Like almost everything else, when the paperweight market got hot, the fakes and reproductions spilled out into the market place, but most of them are so bad, my nine-year-old can tell the difference.

How do we know what paperweights are worth, and how can they be identified?

Here’s a little secret. Most people pick up a paperweight and look on the bottom, finding nothing and put it back down. But, most paperweights are identified by marks within the weight itself. Baccarat has figures within the canes that even give you the date they were made. Often the maker’s initials are marked within the design of the weight, and you will have to look very carefully to find them. Take time to study every paperweight you see, because just one might put several thousand dollars in your pocket.

Get those books and study them. They will more likely only set you back a few dollars, but owning them could prove invaluable.

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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Antiques & Collectibles: Learn What to Avoid or Buy Extremely Low

I’ve received many calls lately from people wanting to know my opinion on contemporary collectibles. I’ve taken the general view that these aren’t worth the time needed to sell them, however, there are always exceptions – like at what price I can get them for.

Frederick Hart is a wonderful artist that worked in Lucite and Bronze. However, to give you an idea why I avoid this type of merchandise unless I can purchase it at a price that seems almost idiotic, let me share a couple of stories.

I’d been working with a couple on their art collection for several weeks when they sprang a surprise on me. They had acquired several Frederick Hart pieces and asked if I was interested in them. They showed me a small bronze. I offered $1,000 for it, and they accepted. I soon sold it for $2,500. But, then they ask me if I would be interested in a major piece of Hart’s work called “Fidelia.” I was reluctant to even give the owner a bid, but since I had purchased so much from them, I did. $2,500. Again, I was startled when they accepted, because I had no idea what I would do with it. There was, however, one lady that had purchased the small bronze from me, and she was willing to take a look. Thankfully, she bought that one as well, for $5,000, allowing me to make some money on the piece. Today, “Fidelia” is in a gallery, offered at over $25,000. I wish the gallery luck getting the price.

Can you imagine taking a 90% licking on something you purchased? I was able to double my money but that wasn't a guarantee. I could have had some real trouble selling these pieces. Don't hesitate to offer what you may think is a totally unreasonable price for items that could be potentially difficult to re-sell. Even original Erte bronzes can be difficult to sell, unless you can buy them extremely reasonably. I’ve purchased two Erte bronzes and was able to double my money on both, but only because I was able to purchase them at less than 25% of their retail value.

Perhaps the strangest piece I’ve purchased was a bronze of two Leopards with a nude on top. This piece was about 2/3 life size and extremely heavy. It listed for about $55,000 and I purchased it for $5,000. I tried and tried to sell it with no success, but finally a dealer in Florida took it off my hands for $7,500. Believe me, even though the dealer paid the shipping, it wasn't worth the headaches to get it shipped. At last check, the dealer still had the piece after almost two years. I wish him luck because he bailed me out.

It’s has been my experience that if you don't have some idea of where to move the merchandise, it’s better left for someone else. It totally amazes me how people can buy these types of items with so little regard for their money. “I just loved it and wanted to own the piece for my home” is the reason most people buy these items, spending more money than they could ever resell it for.

Other items that fall into this category are Franklin Mint, Collector Plates, Thomas Kincaid, and any other Collectible you’re told will become very expensive in the future. Remember the Beanie Babies? How about the Dolls that you could adopt, what happened to them? With items such as these, please be safe rather than sorry.

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.

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

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Special Father's Day Sporting Collectibles

Today, I'm attending the Nascar Race in Brooklyn, Michigan. This is my Father’s Day surprise from my wife, Vickie, and my son, Joshua. I hope each of you will have a wonderful Father’s Day and not forget the Father of us all on this day.

I want to connect this Blog to things that bring back memories of our fathers. Since I knew mine best, I will share a few things that remind me of him.

He was on the Kentucky racing commission, and I remember the lapel pin that he was given. It allowed him to enter any race track in the world free. He was so proud of this pin. I would give almost anything for it, but one of my siblings ended up with it. They called my father, “Big Stan” and aside from his family, he loved nothing more than the racing of thoroughbred horses. This is where I got my interest in the Kentucky Derby glasses and other racing memorabilia. Big Brown didn’t win the Triple Crown this year, but you can bet that items belonging to him will become great collectibles. There are unlimited items to collect that are connected to racing, and as I have put together a small collection of racing programs, glasses, silks and other items, it has allowed me to keep my father close to me.

His next passion was gol,f and I have written a Blog on golf collectibles before, but let’s just revisit them. With Tiger Woods being the greatest golfer that’s ever lived, this has reawakend the interest in collecting golf memorabilia. I visited the home of one of our 31 Club Members, Ray, and on his wall was a large frame that contained one of the flags from the Augusta Golf course. This is where the US Open is played. The flag was signed by all the All-Stars of that day. To complete this great piece, there were several photos signed by the golfers who played in that tournament. Golf collectors have a wide variety of items to collect. There are ball, clubs, signatures, bags, shoes, photos and many other things that I could mention. Maybe your dad was a golfer, and these things would bring back memories of when you played a few rounds with him.

As a small child I remember my father taking me hunting and how I begged to shoot his shotgun. Finally giving in, he picked a milk apple, a large green round ball that grows on this type of tree, as my target. I aimed the gun but was afraid of the recoil so I kept it off my shoulder. I fired the gun and ended upon my backside and received a large bruise on my arm. I will never remember that moment without thinking of my dad. I can still see the 16 gauge Ithaca pump shot gun he owned. It meant so much to me to go hunting with it after his death. People can collect guns, shells, advertising, paintings and a variety of other items related to hunting, and you will find they are more than generous with their money when it comes to buying them.

I am sure that your fathers had things that would mean more to you than money could buy, and this is how collectibles get started. As we go about our business of buying and selling, don’t forget that these things have special meaning to the ones that buy them from us. They will be glad you located a special item for them.

In the future, I’m hoping that when Joshua sees the racing program from the race we’re at this weekend, he’ll feel the special feeling that can only be felt when you are remembering.

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.

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

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Working the Trends in the Antique and Fine Art Markets

Lotton Glass Lava & Cypriot Vases. Photo from Lotton Glass Club.

It’s come up upon the first year anniversary since I published my book and launched the 31 Club, and naturally, I’ve been thinking about the past year. I’ve shared a lot of my expertise with blooming enthusiasts, and it does my heart good to see many of you doing things you never thought you could do. It’s always helpful to visit the past for a brief time and examine what’s occurred, so let's do that.

When 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles was released, others were stating that the Antique, Collectible, and Fine Art Markets were doomed. I completely disagreed with the barrage of negative articles that came out about this topic, so we decided to go on a crusade to show that these markets, were in fact, healthier than ever. So we wrote about it and sent our articles all over. A look at the market today shows that there are record prices realized in almost every category of the industry, and while I don’t get to read everything around, I haven’t seen negative articles about our industry in a long time. But where is the market headed now? Remember the trend is your friend so let’s check out a few markets.

The American Art Market is still on fire. Paintings that were bringing in only a thousand dollars or two dollars may produce figures today that I'm startled by. I’ll start with some of the markets that I am most familiar with.

Paintings by Kentucky artists have reached heights that most who collect them never thought possible. Harvey Joiner’s paintings, just a few years ago, could be purchased for $400 to $500 dollars. The market trended upward, and the prices escalated to the $800 range. But, over the last 24 months, his paintings may now demand $10,000 to $15,000 and even the smallest 5 to 8 inch paintings can fetch $4,500 at auction.

I have probably sold 30 of Joiner’s paintings over the last 5 years, and I’ll say I wish that I had them back at the prices I sold them for, but that isn't the way we work in the 31 Club program, is it. We take our profits and move on with our money, and keep it turning. That's the only way the compounding effect we are looking for will ever be achieved.

Regional Art

The same that we said about prices on Harvey Joiner can also be said about artists such as Carl Brenner and Patty Thum. Collectors are standing in line to purchase works by these artists that are not even their best. The trend in Regional Art is going straight up, so you might want to look into your local market and see if it's following the trend. If it is, don’t you think it might be worth your while to find some of it?

Art Glass

My friend, Warner, introduced me to Lotton Glass less than five years ago. At that time, we were able to purchase examples of Charles Lotton’s best work for under $500 for small and medium pieces, but what about today?

I pulled out some old auction catalogs from back then to see if there was perhaps a single piece of Lotton represented in the sales. I don’t think I found more than two pieces in any one sale. And there weren’t buyers lined up for these pieces. Flash forward to today and you find that both Early’s Auction and Cincinnati Art Gallery just completed sales with about 40 pieces of Lotton represented in each sale.

Usually when this many pieces of anything are sold at one auction, the prices are reduced, but not in this case. Most of the Lotton offerings brought close to retail. So, where’s the trend here? We can still look to make a wonderful profit on this glass if we can buy it right. Most good pieces of Lotton Glass are bringing in over $1,500 and as much as $7,000 or $8,000. I believe this same trend is being followed by most good Art Glass today.

Know What The Trend is and Follow It.

Know what’s in demand today and look to buy these items as you ascend the 31 Steps of our plan. Follow the trend and buy, buy, buy – according to the plan developed in 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antique & Collectibles. When you do, you’ll find you’ll complete these steps in this upward market faster than you could ever have imagined. See you in the winner’s circle.

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.

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

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Recognizing Value in Fine Art Paintings: Signatures, Initials, Monograms and Unsigned Paintings

We purchased this signed painting, but the artist's signature has not yet been identified. It will soon be available in 31 Club Gallery.

Taking some of the mystery out of recognizing value in Fine Art Paintings is a topic I get many e-mails on. Members e-mail me about wonderful paintings they'd like to buy, but the artist can’t be identified. Maybe there are only initials, a signature that can’t be read, or just simply a monogram with a figure on the painting. Perhaps the signature can be read, but the artist is not in the guides on paintings. People have often said to me, “I liked the painting, but I didn’t purchase it because I couldn’t identify it.” This could be a huge mistake.

If you judge a painting to be worth $400 because of the frame, the content, and quality of the work, and you can purchase it for about $100, then your decision is made. Even if the painting is not signed, you might not want to hesitate to purchase it. I have seen paintings in beautiful frames sell for $100, and after a little research, it was discovered that the frame was a Newcomb-Macklin frame worth up to $1,000. And this might be a real shocker: Some vintage frames have been known to bring over $100,000. And, unsigned paintings can still sell for thousands, as William shared with me when he saw an unsigned painting sell for over $5,000.

I have seen signatures appear after the painting had been cleaned and have found signatures hidden behind a frame. So, if you buy a painting for a few dollars and know that it’s worth more than four times what you paid for it, then it has met our rule for buying. Anything from there that enhances its value is only a plus.

I’ve accumulated many secrets over the past 45 years in this business and I've shared many of them them in my book. Today, I'll share one of those secrets with you.

Did you know that, like authors who’ve written under pen names, artists also painted under alternate names? Did you know Leon Gaspard also painted under the name Leon Schulman and John Edward Castagno used the name Czako? Artists painted under alternate names, and they are listed in the back of American Signatures and Monograms by John Castagno. In the back of this book on signatures and monograms, you will also find the initials used by some of the greatest artists to ever decorate a canvas. If you find a painting signed with only initials, the identity of that artist might be discovered right here in this book. If you’re serious about finding valuable paintings, there might be a true treasure waiting for you because others didn’t have this information, but you did. Castagno’s books are very expensive, but if your interest lies in this area, his books will prove to be key tools for you.

At a house I was called to about several items, I stumbled across a painting of an Indian Chief that looked to be unsigned. I asked what they were asking for it. The answer came quickly: $250. I thought that was a good price, but I asked if I could take it out of the frame. They agreed, and lo and behold, there was a signature behind the frame I didn’t recognize. I had just made a very serious mistake.

You see, the owner quickly asked if I would mind if they waited another day before they sold the painting. We had already settled on several other items I was purchasing, and I didn’t want to miss out on those items as well, but I said, “Sure” anyway.

That evening I quickly researched the painting and found that it was worth about $10,000. I called back the next day but they told me that their daughter really liked the painting, so they’ve decided it should stay in the family. You see, they had done their research after I left, also. So, remember this story, and keep this in mind: If you come to the conclusion that something should be purchased, stop trying to convince yourself further and simply buy it.

You may find that this approach will produce several paintings that will only return you a small profit, but by taking a risk, you might end up with a piece that will make your whole year or even more.

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.

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

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Condition of Antique/Collectible Items: Pricing, Repairing, Restoring

I have a rule I abide by whenever I evaluate an item for pricing. I base it on how close to mint condition it is. If it has some damage, then, I deduct the appropriate percentage of my purchase price for that damage. Here’s an example: If a piece is heavily damaged, I might deduct 90% of what its mint value would be to come up with my offer. If there is very little damage, the deduction might only be 50% of its mint value. I always buy based on the item’s present value – not what the value could be after it’s repaired. I have found that it’s best to let your buyer pay to have a piece repaired, if they choose to. If I’ve bought well, I will still make the profit I intended. Buy and sell as is, always.

Here’s an example of why this is important. Yesterday, Ann, one of our most active members e-mailed me very excited about a rug she purchased for $8 at a house sale. She told me she’d taken the rug to a dealer who told her the rug could sell for $8,000 if she had it repaired. He could repair it for her at a cost of $1,600.

While selling an $8 item for $8,000 might sound like an excellent scenario, I told her not to repair the rug, but instead, offer to consign the rug, "as is," to that dealer to sell, and when it’s sold, she’ll accept just $5,000 and the buyer can pay for repair if they want to. Sounds like a good deal, huh? The dealer didn’t take the offer.

Then, I told her to take it a couple of other merchants to see what they have to say about the rug. She went to two more merchants and discovered that even repaired, the rug wouldn’t bring anywhere near the $8,000 she was quoted. Is it any wonder the first dealer, who offered to do the repair for her, wouldn’t accept her consignment offer?

You must be on guard against these types of schemes. They get your money, and at that point they’ve got their profit and could give a hoot whether or not you can ever sell it at a profit or break even with it. Every business has unscrupulous people trying to pick your pockets, and the antique business has not been miraculously spared of them. Don’t let them do this to you. The 31 Club is your best insurance policy against these types of people.

Ann has learned that selling her item in its present condition will make her far more profit than if she had repaired it. She can now see that repairing it would’ve proved to be a big loser for her. If she is able to sell this rug for $1,500 or more, “as is,” it will prove to be a very wise use of $8.

Even with the disappointment of not making about $6,000 profit on this $8 investment, Ann can buy for me any day. Her great eye can spot those special items others miss, and I’m fairly certain she can haggle on price very well. With your increasing knowledge base and continual practice, you can do this, too.

Don’t Buy Based on What You Think it Can Be. Buy it For What It Is.

Read this Blog a second time, or as many times as it takes you to understand the principles in it. Understanding this will save you huge amounts of time, money and a gray hair or two.

Please send in your stories so we can all learn from them. Sharing these stories with others will prevent us from making a lot of mistakes. Being a member of the 31 Club can guide you to becoming one of the most informed people out there in the field.

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.

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

WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT! You can sign in "Anonymous."