Rare Antiques, Collectibles and Memorabilia

Collecting World War II Glider Memorabilia

2011-01-16T07:21:00.000-08:00

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Since helicopters were not used in World War II, the U.S. Army used gliders to carry troops and weapons into enemy territory.

In theory, gliders could land quickly and silently and that the troops could begin fighting within minutes of landing.

The U.S. Army used two kinds of gliders. The American made Waco and the British-made Horsa.

Another interesting aspect of the World War II gliders was the men who flew them. I mean. what kind of men wanted to fly in unarmed,engine-less,canvas-covered gliders into the most heavily defended part of Europe against the most highly mechanized army in the history of the world?

"Flying Coffins" were often referred to the World War II gliders because of it's destructability. Gliders were made of either plywood or of metal and canvas. A far cry to the sleek,aerodynamic models flown for sport today.

Although glider missions were instrumental in the success of D-Day operation,many glidermen did not survive. The flimsy aircraft had no navigational or landing equipment, relying mostly on luck to land.

The World War II gliders were used with great success in the D-Day mission. The plan of invasion Of Normandy relied upon glider operations landing in Central France to distract German Forces as the Allied Seaborne troops came to shore.

Gliders have not been used in war since then. Gliders were not given the same sort of attention that all other aspects of the war were given.

So to experience a new kind of appreciation to these simple but historically significant aircraft and the heroic men who flew them...begin collecting original war photos,stamps,army medals and bits and pieces of the gliders itself like the control panel for instance. Or anything that reminds you of the important contribution of the World War II gliders and the brave men who flew them.

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Collecting Badges

2011-01-16T07:15:00.000-08:00

Collecting Badges

Welcome To Rare Antiques,Collectibles And Memorabilia

Wyatt Earp. Bat Masterson. Pat Garrett. Great lawmen of the Old West. You can own a piece of history by collecting their badges. Badges stand for courage and integrity by these western lawmen.

You can hunt down and collect their badges based on extremely rare originals. Many of which have been perceived as vanished until an intensive search was undertaken to recover them.

Whether these badges are minted in solid sterling silver or in 24 karat gold electroplate on sterling silver...own these badges that made these men great legends.Seo Tricks.

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Collecting And Identifying Antique Marbles

2010-06-11T07:59:00.001-07:00

Welcome To Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia

What is the fascination of collecting and identifying antique marbles?Antique Marbles are considered miniature works of art. A lot of artistry and technical skills are required to produced one.People with an eye for aesthetics usually collects them.

A seasoned antique marble collector suggests reading up and researching about the subject if you want to take up the hobby.Then there is always the internet and surf the super highway of information at your fingertips.You can join the forums and groups of antique marble collectors and share ideas and tips on collecting and identifying antique marbles. And of course there is Ebay.

If you are really serious about collecting and identifying antique marbles you must be familiar with marble nicknames such as peppermints, ribbons, gooseberries, toothpastes, turtles, glimmers, bloods, bird’s eggs, clouds, lemonades, comics, bumblebees, jennys, cub scouts, fluorescents, micas, corkscrews etc.

Know the different types of style and designs like Latticinos, Lutzes (various types), Onionskins (various types), Joseph's Coat, solid core swirls, open core swirls, ribbon core swirls, submarines, clouds, sulphides (with small ceramic figures inside), mists, butterscotch swirls, Indians, six-ribboned open core swirls, peppermints, gooseberries, clambroths, banded clears, banded opaques,oxbloods, cat's eyes, rainbows, transparent swirls, shooter swirls, bloodies, corals, ades, Popeye corkscrews, shooter specials, "prize names," and regular corkscrews.

Also be familiar with the different companies that manufactured them.Akro Agate, Alley Agate, Bogard, Champion Agate, Christensen Agate, Heaton Agate (agates are very popular!), Jackson Marble Company, Master Marble/Master Glass, Marble King, M.F. Christenseen and Son, Peltier Glass, Ravenswood Novelty, Vitro Agate, and Navarre Glass. And some contemporary companies that make machine made marbles like Jodi Fine, Ray Laubs, China Handmade, Eddie Seese, Josh Simpson, Winlock Marbles, and Davis Marbles. Jabo Vitro, Inc. and Vacor de Mexico .

One nice thing about the hobby of collecting and identifying antique marbles is that it has entry points for people with bulging pockets and kids who are on a budget.

Among the most desirable and sought after marbles are the ones made by Christensen Agate like the striped opaques, guineas or swirls. They fetched thousand of dollars. Because they are rare and very seldom up in the market.

Seen in the picture is the Golden Rebel. It is also one of the most collectible marbles. The Golden Rebel is identified by the yellow base glass, red and black ribbons usually flecked with shimmering adventurine.

Marbles are timeless,universal and spanning culture, generation, language and class...such is the allure of collecting and identifying antique marbles.

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Collecting Harley Davidson Motorcycles Part Two

2010-01-24T17:27:00.000-08:00

Harley Davidson Sportster

Harley Davidson Sportster has two engines sizes:
Sportster 883
Sportster 1200

These particular Harley bikes have smaller engine,narrower frame and the lightest bikes offered by Harley Davidson. The retail price of Harley Davidson Sportster is half the cost of the big-twin Harley's. It's affordable and perfect Harley Davidson motorcycle for beginners.

Harley Davidson Sportster was introduced in 1957 with the intention of making it a motorbike for racing. The Sporsters were used in dirt track courses from the 1960's to the 1970's and was highly successful.

Thus the Harley Davidson Sportsters became the original gung-ho motorcycle. The Sportster's small in stature and yet decidedly more sporty has become the choice for riders that craves an agile and nimble but aggressive motorcycle. These highly popular product line is undoubtedly one of the best range of Harley Davidson motorbikes available today.

The Harley Davidson Sportster series has the same signature 45 degree v-twin engine employed by the rest of the Harley Davidson line-up. It comes in four models:

Sportster Roadster
Sportster Low
Sporster Custom
Sportster Nightster

The Sporster was redesigned in 2004 with a new frame that allow for a rubber-mounted engine. This caused the bike to be heavier and reduced the available lean angle and eliminated the vibration from the frame to the rider thus making the rides smoother.

In 2004 electronic fuel injection was incorporated to the Sporster family and the Harley Davidson Nightster was introduced in mid-year 2009. As the newest in the Dark Custom series the Iron883 was added to the line-up of Harley Davidson Sportster.

Harley Davidson Vrsc/Harley Davidson V rod

The Harley Davidson Vrod (Vrsc) was unveiled in 2001 for the sole intention of competing against the rising popularity of muscle bikes manufactured by Japanese and other American motorcycle companies. To target and appeal a different market Harley Davidson came up with a bike model that is patterned after a sports or racing bike melding aggressive and sporty looks with raw performance.

Thus, the Harley Davidson Vrod (Vrsc) was born. In joint venture with Porsche, the Vrsc series employs a ground-breaking liquid-cooled 60-degrees v-twin motor that broke away the Harley's traditional set up.

Even though the Harley Davidson Vrod(vrsc) series has the style of a sports bike, it retains the stretched-out forward controls that are uniquely Harley and the torque and accelerator as its asset.

The Harley Davidson Vrod Vrsc features low rise and wider handlebars, customized,minimalist rear shocks,vinyl seats,5.0 gallon and fuel tank and dual exhaust pipes. Throughout Harley Davidson history this is the first bike that has fuel injection and water-cooled engine.

The Harley Davidson Night Rod special are some of the models that continually evolves with the Harley Davidson Vrod Vrsc platform.

Harley Davidson Buell

The Harley Davidson Buell bike isn't exactly a Harley Buell sport bikes are manufactured and sold through Harley Davidson Motorcycle Company. Erik Buell a former Harley engineer was requisitioned by Harley Davidson Motor Co. to build a motorcycle that is easy to learn and at the same time looks hip and fun to attract more new riders into the sport of motorcycling.

Buell focused on developing a hard-edged sport motorcycles. Buell ranked itself a serious contender in the market place with innovations such as the exhaust system was mounted under the engine to lower the center of gravity and using the frame as a fuel tank.

Although the Harley Davidson Buell bikes don't have the classic cruiser style looks of motorcycles made by its parent company Buell motorcycle are a great all-around bike fit for shorter raod trips and daily riding. Harley Davidson Buell motorcycles are a favorite choice of beginner to seasoned riders.

In an attempt to attract raw customers Buell focused solely on building motorcycles that are low-cost and low-maintenance motorcycle. They believed that low-maintenance is the key to enticing first time riders. Low-maintenance is about less worrying on mechanical details and more time riding.

They reasoned that the ultimate way to go about this would be to make a light-single cylinder powered bike that's easy to ride with confidence with big bike styling and sound.

In 2009 the company officially issued a statement about the discontinuing of production of the Harley Davidson Buell line.

Collecting Harley Davidson Motorcycles

2010-01-23T03:11:00.001-08:00

Collecting Harley Davidson motorcycles is for people with deep pockets. But don't get discouraged, we can always opt for used Harley Davidson motorcycles or secure financing options from a dealer.

There is always a way to get around acquiring Harley Davidson motorcycles if your true passion is riding and owning them. Here are your basic types of Harley bikes and check which ones you like and is compatible with your riding experience,size,ability and budget.FS6AZWYJFHAR

Softails, Touring, Dyna, Sportster,Buell, V-rod:

Harley Davidson Softail

The Harley Davidson Softail motorcycle models are as popular as ever and will always be the main part of the Harley Davidson line-up. Since the 1970's therm softail has been associated with the Harley Davidson brand.

Softail refers to a kind of suspension system that is installed in such a position that is located along the axis of the motorcycle for the purpose of giving the rider a smooth ride.

The shock absorbers are relocated beneath the transmission thereby intentionally concealing it from view and absorbing the shocks so the motorbike wouldn't vibrate as much when it hit bumps and potholes on the road.

Harley Davidson Softail is the preferred choice of riders who wants to cruise on a daily basis. And who wants their Harley Davidson softail custom-designed.

When it comes to stature the Harley Davidson is smaller and lighter than touring bikes. It uses a version of the twin-cam engine that is counter-balanced because these particular design does not have a rubber-mounted unlike the touring or Harley Davidson Dyna models.

The Harley Davidson Softail Models are:

Softail Custom
Springer softail
Heritage Softail
Heritage Springer
Night Train
Deuce
Fat Boy
Dark Custom Crossbones

The Harley Davidson softail have the looks reminiscent of the classic rigid tail motorcycle that were popular, that hailed back to Harley choppers of the 1940's and 1950's. The one line-up that will always be considered perpetually evolving is the Harley Davidson softail.

Harley Davidson Road King/Harley Davidson Electra Glide-touring bikes

The Harley Davidson Road King and Harley Davidson Electra Glide are two basic models of the Harley Davidson touring bikes line-up. If taking long road trips is your cup of tea then these are the Harley for you. They are designed for long-distance travel.

Back in the 1940's, touring cross-country by motorcycle was the major fad and Harley Davidson just had the type of motorcycle to suit the growing market. These touring bikes are popularly known as full dressers and can weigh up to 800 pounds if fully loaded.

These are large-framed bikes. So this touring bike model is not suitable for beginners. These touring bikes are powered by large displacement motors. IT features amenities like hard-shell trunks on either side of the fenders, removable windscreens, full fairings such as in-dash audio equipment, two way radios,cd players,GPS and a dashboard.

Touring bikes are also distinguishable because they come with high rounded back with arm rest,comfortable plush seats, rear coil-over air suspension and large diameter telescopic front forks for comfy long road trips.

The Harley Davidson Road king pays homage to the 1940's touring bikes featuring large headlights with windshield and saddlebags. Harley Davidson Road King have a classic retro-looking cruise peripherals and are reminiscent of big twin models from the 1940's and 50's.

The Harley Davidson Electra Glide can be identified by their full front fairings. They sport a fork-mounted fairings called batwing with its recognizable shape. They have large space between saddlebags.

These Harley touring bikes have been a favorite with some local and state police agencies.

There are major modifications that took place in 1997 with the bike's frame to allow for a larger battery under the seat and to lower its seat height level.

In 2007 Harley also introduced the 96 cubic inch motor as well as 6 speed transmission for better speeds on the highway.

These touring models features a redesigned frame and chassis to improve handling while high performance Brembo brakes provide exceptional stopping power.

Considered the backbone of Harley Davidson's reputation for gobbling up long stretches of the open road are the Harley Davidson Road King and Harley Davidson Electra Glide.

Harley Davidson Dyna Glide

The Harley Davidson Dyna Glide has four types:
Super Glide
Wide Glide
Street Bob
Low Rider

The Harley Davidson Dyna Glide series was introduced in 1971 as a connecting force between Harley Davidson small and big v-twin models of the time.

In other words, The Harley Davidson Dyna Glide series combines a smaller, more agile frame with the power of a big v-twin. The transmission is mounted by rubber support system to eliminate engine vibration.

It has larger engine than the HArley Davidson Sportster and a front end like the Harley Davidson Softail and sportster models. The Harley Davidson dyna glide have dual shock rear suspension like the Harley Davidson Road King.

These motorcycles are not the same with the popular Softails due to these coil-over suspension which connects the frame and the swingarm together.

The combination of style reminiscent of the earlier models and strength are the excellent qualities of a Harley Davidson Dyna Glide.

Stay tuned for part two of Collecting Harley Davidson Motorcycles.

Collecting Harley Davidson Collectibles

2010-01-20T21:05:00.000-08:00

Harley Davidson is a household name. This American iconic brand is synonymous with toughness, reliability and style. The Harley Davidson Motorcycle Company has set a legacy throughout the decades. It has the majority of global market share when it comes to motorcycle manufacturing. Owning and riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle is a prestigious status symbol whether you are a baby boomer or you are in your twenties.

Collecting Harley Davidson collectibles is owning a piece of nostalgia. There are many items to choose from, like Harley Davidson leather jackets, helmets, gloves, bandannas, mugs,t-shirts to something whimsical like clocks, a mini refrigerator with a famous Harley Davidson bar and shield logo.

It is a known fact, that the late Malcolm Forbes (founder of Forbes Magazine and philanthropist) collected as many as fifty Harley Davidson motorcycles when he started riding them in his forties. He is also known for giving Harley Davidson collectibles as gifts. He gave a purple passion Harley Davidson motorcycle to Elizabeth Taylor to match her equally world-famous violet eyes.

This post is the first installment of the Harley Davidson collectibles series.

Collecting Butterfly

2008-12-13T00:27:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques, Collectibles and Memorabilia.

The most popular kind of insect collecting, is butterfly collecting. If you like butterflies but not too sure you want to go in depth into collecting, pinning and preserving it, it's advised that you start off taking pictures of butterflies And appreciate the beauty of these wonderful creatures.

If your interest in butterflies takes you a little further than just taking pictures of it, then collecting butterflies we go. Here are some tips:

1. Get a permit for collecting butterflies. It is illegal to collect in national parks without a permit. And please don't damage the flowers, shrubs, trees etc.

2. Have your butterfly collecting equipments ready such as nets, killing jars, plastic containers, notebooks and pen for data, spreading boards, pinning blocks, special pins (not the commons pins) number three is ideal, storage boxes like the glass covered wood boxes and chemicals like ethyl acetate, Lysol or chlorox to prevent mold.

3. Have a handy guide for different species of butterflies. Check out websites in how to properly pin, mount, preserve and display your butterfly collection. Ask help and guidance of the entomology department in a university nearest you.

4 .Butterflies eyes are capable of 180 degree vision, so wear brown or green not brightly coloured clothes and sneak up from behind when trying to catch it with the net.

5. Squeeze lightly the butterfly’s thorax for a few seconds before putting it in a killing jar. This process, stuns the butterfly so it won't keep flapping its wings once inside the jar to not cause damage to its wings.

Like any collectibles, condition of the butterfly is of utmost importance. Butterflies with broken antennae, legs or wings will not be highly graded. Several highly prized butterfly collections are sold in auctions or private dealers.

Most sought after collectible butterflies are the ones that make for fantastic displays mostly hybrids of particular species like the Heliconious or Euphaedra butterflies. Two or three different butterfly species interbreed in a blend zone (where two or more valleys meet). And they are pinned and displayed in a special way to show off their best parts like the underside etc.

Butterfly collections in museums are mostly hundred years old and look all the same for the uninitiated. That's why labeling of your prized catch is of paramount importance. Labels include accurate data of the order name of the insect, the time and place captured, plants on which they were found, name of the collector.

Plants and animal species once together in the same biological ecosystems are now probably endangered, altered or are already gone. That's why precise documentation of your butterfly collection is very important.

Remember to always visit again Rare Antiques,Collectibles and Memorabilia if you are looking for collecting ideas.

Collecting Carnival Chalkware

2008-12-13T00:23:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques
Collectibles and Memorabilia.

If your style is shabby and chic, then i bet you decorate your place with pieces of carnival chalkware.

These are figurines, wall plaques, statues, piggy banks etc. made of inexpensive plaster of paris. Carnival chalkware became popular during the 1920's to 1950's as carnival or state fair give away prizes.

This was replaced by stuffed animals beginning 1960's because it can be mass produced and not breakable.

Desirable and collectible carnival chalkware are made from Miller studios. Because carnival chalkware are breakable, only a few survive throughout the years in mint condition, mostly these figurines have chips and breaks. Some carnival chalkware were hand painted and some were airbrushed.

You can easily acquire these pieces at flea markets, garage sales or Ebay.

Decorating tip:

Have a theme or motif in every area in your house. Example: Farm theme for your kitchen, so you display different flowers, animals like pigs, roosters, cows, vegetables chalk figurines scattered around your kitchen.

Marina theme in your bathroom, so you gather mermaids, different fishes and shells chalkware in there.

Remember for all your collecting ideas drop by Rare Antiques Collectibles and
Memorabilia.

Collecting Teapot

2008-12-13T00:18:00.000-08:00

Welcome To Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.
If a teapot is well made and produced in small quantity, that would make it rare. And consequently make it more in demand, therefore desirable and collectible.

Take for instance a teapot called Bunnygirl made by Foxfield, the production was instantly halted because Playboy claimed copyright, thus making it a rare piece indeed.

In the world of collectors, teapots are amongst the most favored. Teapot connotes aristocracy ( back in the 17th century tea drinking was indulge only by the upper class society).

Just making the teapots is challenging enough for the potter.

The technical difficulty of making the spout, body, lid , handle in perfect proportion while at the same time making it artfully pleasing to the eye presents complex feat for the maker. Teapots is where art meets craftmanship.

There are many areas in which to start collecting teapots:

1. Collect to a theme that’s the second cardinal rule of collecting. Think porcelain, glass, ceramic, bone china, Brown Betty, silver, Tetsubin and Yixing..

2. You may want to collect antique, folk art, commercially produced teapots.

3. Collect teapots from a certain artists e.g. Clarice Cliff, Suzie Copper etc.

4. Teapots in whimsical designs or shapes like pineapples, houses, dragons, birds, cars, airplanes etc.

5. Collect different sizes of teapots. Like "teapot for one", a teapot that can brew enough tea for only one individual.

"The thrill is in the hunt" so many collectors say. You would find that as you engage in your hobby of collecting teapots, you may come across a teapot which surprises, fascinates and which you didn't know existed. The ultimate teapot may be sought but never found. Leslie Ferrin said that.

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Collecting Music box

2008-12-13T00:13:00.000-08:00

Welcome To Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.
Imagine the music box right in the middle of the living room in everyone's home. Yes sir, the music box was the home entertainment center of the 18th century.

Music boxes played the popular songs of the time, songs from the opera and church hymns.

Skilled artisans in Europe first made the music boxes and because of their intricate craftsmanship music boxes are great collectibles then and now.

When it comes to collecting music boxes, there are several types of music boxes in which to consider buying;

1. In laid music boxes.

2. Musical jewelry boxes.

3 Ballerina music boxes.

4. Musical snuff boxes.

5. Carousel music boxes.

6. Music boxes made of wood, gold, silver, brass, horn, tortoiseshell.

7. Music boxes of different sizes miniature, handheld, tabletop or even larger.

8. Music boxes with varied movement and notes like 28 to144 note music boxes as opposed to only 12 to 18 note music box.

Conservation is much more important than restoration when it comes to music box. Pay attention to first signs of rust, high or low humidity, light, insects like moth and beetles.

Music boxes are not to be stored in small confined spaces. It will create heat therefore will cause damage to the music boxes. Wood may be faded, and impacts varnish and polish if exposed directly to natural or even artificial light.

So there you have it. Set a budget and take into account your unique taste in collecting music boxes. Educate yourself about the hobby by research and hobnobbing with likeminded people.

Connect with restorers who will do the maintenance of your music box collection.

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Collecting Frisbee

2008-12-13T00:08:00.000-08:00

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Frisbee is the only toy that was tossed off The Great Wall of China from outer space.

Today, frisbee discs are sold more than basketballs, baseballs and footballs combined. Over 300 million frisbee discs manufactured by one hundred companies have been produced since 1948.

There are many different kinds of frisbee to buy if you want to start a collection. Frisbees that are signed by famous personalities (presidential candidates or famous Hollywood stars), with advertisement of food and beverages, themeparks, with logos of sports teams, to promote concerts( frisbee with a decorated tongue at a Rolling Stones concert) or frisbee that was use to commemorate an historical event .

You can buy frisbees from other countries like Japan, Russia etc. Frisbees with light emitting diodes, that whistle, glow in the dark, inflate, with articulated tails, come with parachutes, that is launch from a catapult, gas propelled or frisbees that are folded up to pocket size.

You can store your collection by putting them in zip lock plastic bags individually. Not stack up against or on top of each other. You may want to avoid scuffmarks or buckling the sides on your prized collection.

As your collection grows, you may want to list everything from manufacturer, weigh to the nearest gram, model number, description and link the information list on a computer database.

There has been many offshoot sports that evolved from the simply tossing of Frisbie Baking Company tin pie pans by Ivy League students from the early days. Sports like ultimate frisbee, disc golf, disc dog and ultimate pick up. Various frisbee tournaments have been organized throughout United States and all over the world.

But the question remains… who threw the first flying discs the ancient Greeks or the Yale University students?

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Collecting Beatles Memorabilia

2008-12-07T03:22:00.000-08:00

Welcome To Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

Picture yourself in a boat on a river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies.
Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly the girl with kaleidoscope eyes.

I bet you catch yourself singing that magical lyrics of the Beatles. Specifically, the Lennon-McCartney songwriting tandem is just pure genius.

In 1964 The Beatles simultaneously had the number 1, 2 ,3, 4 and 6 hit songs in the Top 100 list. It's just amazing phenomenon isn't it? No band in the U.K. or anywhere else in the world had done that.

Today, and in fact, even after the group disbanded and stopped touring, The Beatles sold over one billion units both solo records and albums. The widespread acceptance and popularity of their music is just astounding. Their musical influence extended into the social and cultural revolutions. The Beatles expressed the zeitgeist of the sixties.

You may want to start collecting their records 45s or albums, picture sleeves, autographs, toys and whole other Beatles memorabilia. One 45 record of the very same song may have different labels such as Decca, Swan, Vj, Tollie, Capitol, RCA, Parlophone etc. There was such a huge demand at that time they had to release records very fast and in large quantities, and they did it by producing in different record companies.

Interesting items that avid Beatles collectors wish would be up for auction:

1. The 78 record of the songs That'll be the day/ Inspite of all the danger, written by Paul and George in 1958 by The Quarrymen. Now valued at $170,000 +.

2. John Lennon's Rickenbacker.

3. Sgt. Pepper suits.

These items belong and still own by The Beatles respective families.

Beatles collectors are not much driven solely for investment, because obviously the prices of these pieces can be very volatile. High priced one week, and down on the floor the next.

What drives these collectors are the passion and thrill of ownership because a very ordinary thing can turn into something magical just by the powerfully strong association with The Beatles.

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Collecting Animation Cels

2008-12-07T03:16:00.000-08:00

Welcome To Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

Animation cels, short for cellulose acetate or cellulose nitrate. It's a clear plastic sheet that original drawings were made.

Collecting animation cels started when the full length animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became so popular. Disney studio at the time began to recognize the value of the animators' works.

Today animation art is prized by collectors. Especially with the advent of computer generated graphics cels are no longer used for animation. That's why they are rare and collectible. Little Mermaid in 1989 was the last movie, that cels were used.

Hardcore collectors only collect what they call production art, original animation cels that were used in a movie or a popular series. For animation cels collectors, their collections reminded them of a fantastic moment in films or evoke particular memories from their childhood. Their passion runs deep, they must own a piece of a memorable movie.

The areas in animation cels collecting are varied.

1. Collecting animation cels from one single studio. e.g. Disney, Hanna-Barbera etc.

2. The characters pose whether they using the phone, standing up etc.

3. If the animation cels come with the original background or with matching sketch.

4. If you are only interested in collecting production art( original cels), reproduction art, limited editions or sericels.

Extremely rare and sought after animation cels like the top quality Earle background for Sleeping Beauty would fetch five figure top dollar.

I loved my daily afternoon cartoons when i was a kid....Moby Dick, Mightor, Road Runner, Wacky Races.

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Collecting Playing Cards

2008-12-07T03:09:00.000-08:00

Welcome To Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

Aside from being used as a gaming device in parlor games, playing cards were also use as a practical platform for representing life's rudimentary facts, a memory aid, teaching and research tool for condensing knowledge.

Playing cards can served as records of social history, depicting how political figures, cultural touchstones and historical events were regarded in their time. As in the admiring caricatures of the Kennedy clan in the Kennedy Kards distributed in 1963.

Playing cards also served as advertising for a particular product or services, fortunetelling tool, erotica and souvenirs. Lately it has been used by prison inmates in the hopes of getting tips to solve cold case crimes.

Many countries and cultures around the world have a major or minor hand in the evolution of the playing cards today:

1. As early as 10th century in China a domino like paper form emerged

2. Italians handpainted playing cards with utmost details and superb artistic skills.

3. Germans learned how to engraved the cards for mass production and reduction of the costs.

4. The French incorporated the Queen in the previously all male court cards. Also they changed the suits from coins ,cups, staves and swords to red color diamonds and hearts and black spades and clubs. Obviously the French suit system is what we use today globally.

5. The Americans incorporated the Joker originally called The Best Bower in 1870.

These are some of the themes or areas you might be interested in collecting playing cards.

1. Collect from one single manufacturer of playing cards e.g. Bee, Bicycle etc.

2. Advertising decks especially if the business it advertised was off the market a long time ago.

3. Magician cards, these are specially designed cards to help the performer stage an optical illusion.

4. Playing cards that are cross-collectibles e.g Disney, Coca Cola, Star wars, American-Indian Memorabilia as in a deck called " Indians of the Southwest" sold at auction for $500.

5. Playing Cards of different sizes and shapes.

6. Playing cards with artistically and intricately designed backs.

7. Transformation decks, which have suit symbols in elaborate designs, like concealing a heart in a face or club in the shape of a bonnet.

8. Collecting only Jokers from varieties of decks.

Collect what pleases you. That's the cardinal rule of collecting.

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Collecting Snowglobes

2008-11-26T17:52:00.000-08:00

Welcome To Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

The most popular kind of snow globes ( also know as snow domes or snow shakers) that people collect are the Disney Snow globes.

They have a wide selection of snow globes devoted to Disney characters like Snowhite, Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the beast, the Lion king, Pirates of the Caribbean etc.

Before most snowglobes are of average size. Nowadays snow globes have this huge display on the outside and the little globe is put in the middle and come with musical boxes and figurines. See the picture above.

The precursor of the snowglobes were glass paperweights.

Snowglobes were first made and sold in France to tourists in the 1880's containing a model of Eiffel Tower commemorating a significant event in French History. Soon after, these tiny water filled globes were so popular in Europe made its way to America in the 1920's. Snowglobes were also served as advertising giveaways in the 1940's.The first plastic snowglobes were manufactured in the fifties.

Snowglobes were particularly sold in roadside attraction, famous landmarks, museums, old homes of famous people.

Vintage snowglobes that are considered rare and collectible usually depicted scenes representing remote, abandoned or no longer existed.

Snowglobes aren't just Christmas related. There are many sports team that have a snowglobe collectible for their loyal fans. There are snowglobes for NFL and Nascar fans or even containing replicas of famous sports stadiums.

It was believed that upper class Victorian families who had a thing for the kitsch bought and collected snowglobes made of glass.

When it comes to snowglobe collecting, one should keep in mind the temperature and space you have in your house. As your collection grows space would surely be running out.

When it gets too hot or too cold glass snowglobes may break if the liquid inside freezes or boils. Always remember, the liquid inside snowglobes will evaporate as time goes by.

The fascination of snowglobes and why people love to collect these things is because when we look into the snowglobe is like looking into another world that is continously winter. Shake it and its impossible to resist the silent peaceful magic unlike a real snowfall its get slushy and needs to be shoveled. You can't resist watching that drifting snow, totally drawn into the scene and feel the rest of the world recede us.

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Collecting Jigsaw Puzzles

2008-11-22T00:27:00.000-08:00

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One of the world's largest jigsaw puzzles is composed of 18,000 pieces.If you are what they called a die hard puzzler, do you think you are up to the challenge?

The many appeals of jigsaw puzzles are that it is inexpensive form of entertainment. Forget shopping, going out to restaurants, movies,clubs or bars just to beat boredom when you don't have the dough.

Jigsaw puzzles is the solution. It can be both solitary or group activity. Once you have completed the puzzle you can mess it up again, and pass it on to another family member or friend for him or her to enjoy.See? its really cheap.

You feel a sense of accomplishment once you complete the puzzle. Its a great way to unwind and de-stress. Or be lost in thought, experience a flow and just be oblivious to your surroundings. Mind you, not many activities get you into that particular state of mind. Albeit, you can but it can be very expensive, illegal, immoral or fattening. Let me digress.

What jigsaw puzzles can do for you nowadays is a far cry from what it was originally intended hundrerd years ago. To learn geography, from large wooden cut out pieces of glued on world maps is nice, but later innovations made it smaller pieces on die cast cardboard and made it more adult friendly.

You can collect vintage wooden puzzles, card board jigsaw puzzles, interlocking or not ( easily broken up when you move the puzzle) or you may want to collect jigsaw puzzles from a certain maker, or the degree of difficulty ( irregular pieces wherein you can't start from the edge) it's all up to you. You go where your interests lie.

Study some price guides on the subject. With knowledge at your arsenal, you can confidently scour yard sales, flea markets, games, toys and ephemera shows or you can sit and click on ebay. This two pronged approach to collect jigsaw puzzles is always the best way to do it.

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Collecting Clarice Cliff Pottery

2008-11-20T16:35:00.000-08:00

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Clarice Cliff the Stoke on Trent born art deco designer, revolutionised British pottery. It was the 1920's the decade of the Depression, when Cliff created of what was to become the unmistakably famous of all her designs called Bizarre.

The odd shaped defective wares that went with the newly acquired Newport Pottery factory,presented an interesting challenge for Cliff. She covered the imperfections of the vast stock of wares with vividly rich coloured hand paintings and boldly innovated it with geometric triangles with on glaze enamels that made the pieces even more brightly coloured.

She said "color seems to radiate happiness and the spirit of modern life". And that was what she created with her pottery. A sense of joy and limitless possibilities. According to her the British wives deserved a bit more gaiety in their lives.

If you have an eye for the collectable you wouldn't want to miss a Clarice Cliff made sugar sifters, biscuit barrels, sauce boats, conical shaped coffee pots, jampots, vases, bowls,statuettes, toby and lotus jugs, plates and tea sets.If the piece has a back stamp that says Clarice Cliff Newport Pottery England or Royal Staffordshire Ceramic/Dinnerware by Clarice Cliff then you have a collectible.

Cliff made roughly 700 designs in her lifetime. Her range of patterns like Applique, Inspiration, Fantasque, Crocus and of course Bizarre are among her most commercially successful.

A lot of design pundits in those days considered Cliff an aberration. For them, Cliff's artistic merits were arguable. Even Queen Mary dismissed Cliff's unconventional work "awful". Oh well, Cliff's creations may not look very refined to royalty but heck, Clarice was a free spirit.

She instructed her team of hand paintresses ( Bizarre girls) to make the paint thick and make the upward brushstrokes very obvious(which was at the time going against the rules). The Bizarre shop produced seemingly hand done wares for they never did the same thing twice.

More than eighty years since the heydays of Clarice Cliff, her ceramic pieces nowadays may fetch from $100 to $20,000. Cliff definitely captured the zeitgeist of her times. What's so amazing about this gifted woman is that.... to this day her work remains very collectible.

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Collecting Marilyn Monroe Memorabilia

2008-11-09T17:33:00.000-08:00

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Who would have thought that after over four decades since Marilyn Monroe's death, she's as huge as ever and i might add, richer. Marilyn Monroe, the Blonde bombshell, the icon, still is Miss American Pie. Her immortality is sealed.

There are lots of ways you can collect Marilyn Monroe.

Tie it up with things that interest you ( books, magazines, posters, plates, Marilyn Monroe personal items that she actually wore and touched.) You do this, so you won't be bored collecting in the long haul and shelling out big cash for Marilyn Monroe's collectibles fetch a hefty price.

Authenticity is a big deal when you want to start collecting Marilyn Monroe collectibles. There are a lot of fake items on the market.

You will know the pieces are genuine because some items are part of the past Monroe auctions and if you see the items actually pictured with Marilyn. Like, the gowns she wore to movie premieres. You have to do a lot of legwork and research though. But what the heck, if it's your passion, go hog wild (on the research, i mean).

There is a huge demand for Marilyn Monroe.

Her platinum blond hair.....voluptuous body....that breathless voice..... The legend of Marilyn Monroe lives on.

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Collecting Classic Boardgames

2008-11-09T17:28:00.000-08:00

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Monopoly, snakes and ladders, scrabble, chinese checkers, trivial pursuit etc. we all have our share of playing these wildly popular boardgames. But if you want to play more classic board games, it's time to hunt and rummage thru garage sales, thrift stores, antiques shops and online auctions.

First off we have to have a master plan. What do we want to buy or collect? Boardgames that are based on television shows? a comic strip? movies? radio shows? ( like Dick Tracy, Gilligan's Island, James Bond board games just to mention a few )

Do you want to collect boardgames from a particular period?( 40's, 50's, 60's,70's, 80's, Victorian, pre WWll) from a single company? Or Board games that we only actually like to play? The themes and choices are endless.

Mint condition board games mean the corners of the box are still sturdy and all the pieces are still complete. It will really drive up the boardgame's value, if ever you want to sell your board game collection down the road.

Boardgame value also depends on current events. Like when Snoopy creator George Schultz passed away, it boosted the popularity of the Snoopy board game.
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Collecting Antique Fishing Lures

2008-11-09T17:23:00.000-08:00

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Why do people have a fascination over antique fishing lures that they want to collect them? Well, there's nothing greater than the adrenaline rush one feels when casting a lure into the water except of course catching a fish with it.

For some collectors there is an emotional connection to their past when growing up with whom they associated with fishing.

You will know that you have advanced into this hobby of collecting antique fishing lures when you feel fulfilled and satisfied that you bought and went home with one very good and expensive lure than with many but cheap lures. This usually happens as all collecting fields mature.

The box a lure came in, is also collectible.

Make sure there are no repaints on the fishing lures for it will devalue the item. Touched up is a big no- no. It should be advisable to buy the best condition fishing lures you can, should you decide to sell or trade them down the road.

To avoid costly mistakes and appreciate your passion for collecting antique fishing lures, it's wise to read good reference books and magazine reviews about the hobby.

Attend tackle/lure shows and get to interact with fellow collectors. What you can glean from this interaction is first hand information about what quality antique fishing lures collection composed of.

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Collecting Wind Up Toys

2008-10-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

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If you're a kid in the 1940's, 1950's or 60's, i'm pretty sure you have fond memories of your childhood toys especially the wind up toys.

The action provided by the spring driven tinplate wind up toys whether hopping, nodding, walking or rolling were so cute and novel (at that time) that it attracted a loyal following and appealed to people of all ages.

As we got older and earned more discretionary income, we have that nostalgic urge to recapture those childhood days long gone and at least tangibly owned those wind up toys we loved as a kid.

The Europeans started the craze of commercially producing the wind up toys as early as 19th century, the Americans followed suit, only to be followed by the Japanese toy makers( post WWll period) as they were attuned to the lifestyle and culture of the American market.

As plastics were incorporated to the toy making industry and the advent of the battery operated toys, the wind up toys took a backseat especially after World War ll.

Highly collectible and sought after wind up toys were made from the 1930's to 1950's and from toy manufacturers such as Lehmann and Martin, Marx, Unique Art and TPS (Japanese) and many others.

Scarcity, condition ( no scratches and missing toy parts) and popular character name ( e.g. Popeye, Buck Rogers) would be the best guide to the wind up toy's value.

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Collecting Postcards

2008-10-17T22:39:00.000-07:00

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Sending Postcards was a means of communications when telephone wasn't invented yet. Postcards were convenient because it cost half the price of paper and envelope. Very convenient indeed, especially for travelers.

Postcards made postage cheaper and mail lighter.

Postcards make collectible items because people love correspondence and are intensely interested in visual arts. We buy postcards as personal records of our travels.

But the message in the back of the postcard and recalling the circumstances in which they were written makes it even more memorable.

Collectors of postcards usually narrow down their focus on a single theme. Like, they collect only, vintage postcards, photo postcards, museum art postcards, color postcards, black and white postcards, linen postcards, white border postcards, multi-views (postcards with more than one pictures in them), postally used or unused postcards, postcards illustrated by a single artist, from the same publishing company, humurous or comic postcards, patriotic postcards, etc.

You can as well choose to collect postcards on a single subject such as writers, events, cities, universities, castles, roller coasters, lighthouses, dinosaurs, aviation, American Indians, cathedrals, advertising, movie stars, nudes, signed artist, African American, fairies, railways, British royalty, shipping, boating lakes, yacht racing, diners/cafes/drive-ins, gas stations, fireworks, bridges, stadiums, Olympics, hot air baloons, volcanoes, folklore creatures like unicorns, Greek/Roam gods etc.

Basically, you buy postcard that catches your eye. Forget value.

The most collectible and highly sought after postcards are Halloween postcards by illustrator Ellen Clapsaddle.

Shop around hotels, airports,post offices,yard sales,antique shops,coin and stamp shops to get a feel for the going rate of your chosen subject, artist, period or areas. In Ebay, if you find postcards you particularly like, bid aggressively. You might not see it again.

These are the variety of factors that can skyrocket the value of a postcard :

1. Vintage postcards from pre 1918 in the category of holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick's day, Halloween,Fourth of July, Valentine's day and Easter.

2. If the subject is a town no one has heard of.

3. If the subject is a famous sports figure.

4. Postally used postcards. The stamps absolutely certify the age of a given postcard. As it not only dates the postcard, the stamps with postage cancellation marks have their own collection value as well.

5. If the subject is heritage material such as, famous shops no longer exist, or shops that have been passed down from generation to generation.

6. If the postcard contained the depiction of lifestyles and events which are vanishing or no longer exist.

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Collecting Comic books

2008-10-17T22:34:00.000-07:00

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Egghead. Bookworm. Do these names ring a bell? They are the less popular enemies of our favorite Cape Crusader Batman. Expect Hollywood to be digging deep into their cornocupia of characters and working on silver screen adaptations of comic book superheroes and anti-heroes.

Big movie producers may not be avid comic book collectors but they can smell astronomical revenues at the box office. Think of X-men,Superman, Iron Man, Spiderman movie installments.

Imagine the hundreds of millions of dollars, these comic book superheroes based movies, raked in on opening day alone. Naturally, the domino effect of this phenomenon would be, the comic book industry is a big business in itself.

Afterall, this whole new revolution will surely increase the value of our collection of vintage comic books.

Comic books collecting range from accumulating these wonderful packets of art of the Golden Age (1930's to 1950's) to the Silver Age (late 50's to 60's), Bronze Age (early 1970's to early 1980's), Copper Age ( early 1980's to early 1990's) and Mid 1990's to present called Modern Age. Now you know, which particular age your comic book collection mainly comes from.

If your are an investment comic book collector and plans to resell your collection at a later date, usually, its the # 1 issues of a certain character who first appeared in a comic book that command a substantial amount and are highly sought after.

But of course it also depends on the condition of the comic book, the volatility of the market and most important of all is, if someone is willing to pay for your asking price. As cliche as it may sound though, the truest measure of your comic book's value is what it means to you and the pleasure you get from owning these babies.

The basics of storytelling comprise of a beginning, middle and an end. In comic books, when a particular storyline starts and ends, it's called a story arc. So whether you started as an Archie, Richie Rich then graduated to Superman fan, the best place to start collecting is a new story arc.

So i suggest you go buy back issues of your favorite comic books at least a year prior to the present. So you will be able to determine the direction when there's a change in the storyline.

Comic books , like any other ephemera are paper. Acids, finger oils, ultra violet light, dust and extreme change in room temperature all destroy paper. Wash hands before handling these tiny little masterpieces.

Put it in comic- sized plastic bag with backing boards to protect the spine. Place them in storage boxes and make sure the room temperature is constant to make your collection in best possible condition.

If you want to step up in being a more serious comic book collector (with ROI in mind) you may want to :

1. Buy comic books in multiple copies.

2. Shell out cash to have them graded professionally.

3. Do research in which areas and time to sell comic books by buying reliable comic book price guide like Overstreet Price Guide or Wizard Magazine.

4. Go to where comic book conventions are.

Collecting comic books are fun. Reading them stimulate the mind and imagination to conjure up worlds of adventure. Beyond your love for the stories, comics also improve your diction (the dialogues and lines are smart). Most of all the rewarding friendships that have resulted from collecting comic books.

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COLLECTING TAROT CARDS

2008-10-17T22:25:00.000-07:00

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Exactly when, where and how tarot cards came to be, is one of history's unsolved mysteries.

Forecasting probably started with people who lived long enough to learn that everything in life changes in cycles.

There's a time to plant and harvest. There are births and burials, seasons come and go, the wind's direction swings from north to east.

By observing the natural cycle of life, the older generations knew that all setbacks, failures or otherwise success are all temporary. "Everything changes with time." They always advised their children.

From there, it is natural to realize that life cycles could be charted, stars could be watched, calendars consulted, cards read.

The whole entire tarot deck make up one of the tools of encouragement and empowerment that have emerge throughout the centuries.

After you acquired or received your first tarot deck ( presumably Rider-Waite deck) you are now ready to learn and purchase more kinds of tarot decks. The wide variety of choices of tarot decks to choose from seem endless.

You can choose tarot decks such as Celtic, Wiccan, fairy, Arthurian legends, Thoth, Russian tarot, Zen, Gilded, Hanson-Roberts, shaman wisdom, goddess, Aquarian, dragon, Marseilles, animal themed, Angelic tarot decks, mythological even something offbeat and contemporary like baseball tarot, Silicon Valley tarot decks, Lord of the Rings inspired tarot decks.

Before purchasing tarot decks to add to your collection, check out the entire individual 78 cards if you can, and check if you have a “feel” for them. Reflect and let your energy permeate through the entire tarot deck.

Choose and buy the one that speaks to you. That you feel connected with. That’s in tune with your energy. Choose tarot cards that will also stir curiosity from your clients, so they can be readily responsive to the prediction of the card spread.

As a professional tarot reader myself, sometimes I would like to use two different tarot decks in a single reading session. This would add variety to your readings so I definitely need a collection of interesting tarot decks. That for me should be visually appealing and stimulating to the imagination.

I always keep my tarot decks wrapped in silk cloth and placed in a wooden box. That way I can keep the positive energy in and negative vibes out. Realize that each kind of tarot decks has its own feel to it.

Visit tarotgarden.com, your source of unusual and hard to find collectible tarot decks.

Go to google.com click images, and type in the name of the tarot deck you wish to see.

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Collecting Masks

2008-10-08T03:44:00.000-07:00

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In ancient Greek times, masks were used in theatres. Because masks represent different characters. Different emotions. Masks also represent archetypes.

Masks were used mainly in religious festivals and rites of passage in different cultures. Like shaman masks were used to appease the gods and ancestors for fertility, healing, hunting for food, initiation and crossing over to the spiritual world.

As in the case of Venetian masks and Masquerade ball masks, the purposes of wearing it is to conceal one's true identity in order to have the freedom to flirt and dance with anybody, to negotiate clandestine deals.

Those masks enabled the poor to hobnob with the rich. Ironically, masks are a way into the very nature of our own being.

Mask collectors hunt and accumulate these sculptures because it would lend a three dimensional aspect in their collections. Collectors tend to focus on only one single theme such as Balinese mask s, Noh masks from Japan, opera and rituals masks from China, original movie monster masks, Venetian masks, Masquerade Ball masks, half masks, full masks, head masks, stick masks and Mexican masks that were used to cover corpses as these were put in a canoe and sent out to sea.

Masks can either be hung on the wall or let stand on a base. Undoubtedly, they are outstanding conversational pieces.

Like any other collectibles, masks that are of good quality, in excellent condition and most of all rare, would command a high price value on them. Better still, if the piece is published in books or catalogues, would be worth more.

If it came from prestigious dealers and auctioneers like Sotheby's or Christie's would certainly escalate the price all the more.

You don't have to collect every masks of every tribe in Africa (if African art is your thing). Just concentrate and focus only on one like Gelede masks from the Yoruba of Nigeria or comparable masks from Zaire. It's all up to you.

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Collecting Retro Modern Furniture

2008-10-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

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A fashion designer once said that clothing styles orbit in two cycles, seven years and a classic twenty five year cycle. With furniture ,architecture and industrial design the periods are longer.

So while models are trotting the runway with seventies fashion, fifties and sixties interiors has recently made a comeback.

Great fifties and sixties stuff generically known as modern furniture or retro modern furniture.

Retro modern furniture designs were well made, inexpensive, distinctly bright colored with pale woods. It filled young couples' brand new houses during the Eisenhower years.

Fifty or more years later, retro modern furniture expressed the power of American verve and postwar enthusiasm and optimism. Modern furniture designs by Charles and Ray Eames, Nelson George, Noguchi Isamu, Wright Russel etc. made their mark after World War ll.

It's possible now to recapture the best of the fifties and sixties. One of the appeals of the retro modern furniture is that a lot of the wonderful pieces are still being made. Some companies licensed reissues of chairs, sofas, coffeetables etc. to the precise specs of the originals.

Although some materials are already endangered and more expensive (i.e rosewood and goosedown).

Modern furniture stores like Heywood-Wakefield ( i think it's currently under a new name) produced much of the furniture fueling the revival of fifties style. You can also buy modern furniture at auction sites such as ebay or yahoo. Old Hollywood studios still have huge stashes of fifties/sixties pieces mostly used as movie props.

Experts recommend mixing retro modern furniture pieces with new products. You don't have to blow your money on entire vintage pieces. A few really good genuine retro modern furniture can give authenticity to everything.

Buyers and collectors of retro modern furniture who want one of a kind stuff will prefer the hunt that build their collections more slowly, otherwise if you are in a hurry to find the look of the period buy modern furniture in current versions of the classics or reissues.

I remember when i was around five or six years old playing around my grandmother's house surrounded with what is now known as retro modern furniture. I still hear faint bossa nova beat in the background. It feels surreal. I couldn't believe i'll even say this: If only i had all those furniture today.

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Collecting Baseball Cards

2008-10-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

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Baseball cards aficionados don't even buy baseball cards that come with bubble gum anymore. And those were innocent times, when buying baseball cards reflected a love for the sport.

Today, buying, selling and trading baseball cards are a big business and i mean huge.

To make your collection more profitable someday, you can focus solely on a single basic theme. Like you might just want to collect rookie cards or serially numbered cards, memorabilia cards, the basic sets, graded baseball cards, star cards or vintage baseball cards etc.

There are a lot of factors that affect the cards' book value such as the player's popularity, the condition of the card (gone are the days of putting them in the spoke of your bike wheels, shoeboxes or binding the baseball cards with rubber band).

Buy baseball cards from manufacturers which are licensed by the leagues. This would assure authenticity. There are indicators such as stickers and holograms to avoid counterfeiting.

Baseball Card Price Guides

Part of the fun and thrill of collecting baseball cards is to flip pages of price guides and check how much your baseball cards worth. The popular ones are the monthly and plus guides from Beckett, Tuffstuff Magazine or go to their respective official websites. Check out as well cardprices.com, vintagecardprices.com and sportslizard.com Don't forget ebay and yahoo auction sites.

Some people have made a living out of buying hundreds of thousands of cards in complete sets and then "breaking out" the players that might be famous someday.

You just have to have the knack, the sixth sense or whatever you might want to call it, to identify or intelligently guess which players at the start of their careers will be future hall of famers. And try to accumulate hundreds of those cards now and hold them until they appreciate.

A decent ROI nothwithstanding, the other reason people collect baseball cards is that they bring them back to a time when they had no worries and when they thought there was no reason why they couldn't be in the big leagues. When they hold those cards in their hands, they reunite them with a part of themselves. How they felt about the players.

I know they are only little cardboard pictures, but they're mighty tangible reminders of every boys' dreams of heroism.

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COLLECTING PINBALL MACHINES

2008-09-22T23:17:00.000-07:00

Pinball is loud, tacky and fun. Pinball is as authentic a slice of true Americana. When videogames became popular the pinball machine was relegated to the background.

Some fututrist would have predicted that pinball machines saw it's last days. Just like what people said television would kill the movies. But the stratopheric returns at the box office nowadays make the movies here to stay.

Pinball Games

Vintage pinball game like the coin operated pinball was born in 1931. Classic pinball games such as Whiffle Board, Baffleball, Dutch Pool, Jostle and El Bumpo were popular in the thirties.

Pinball mavens today may think The Simpsons, Dr. Dude and Funhouse are fine pinball games but they say they lack the feel of such classics as Slick Chick or Magic City

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Pinball Reborn

Pinball Machines were banned during the late thirties up to the early forties especially in large cities. At the time,pinball were considered the way, candy store owners ripped off the kids out of their lunch money.

The movie Tommy was Hollywood's vehicle for the comeback of pinball machines. For a time pinball was enjoying a renaissance. Such classic games as Wizard, Eight Ball, Space Mission and Evel Knievel were also popular.

Pinball was pushed out of the limelight in the eighties when videogames like Space Invaders and Pac Man were such huge hits( I can very well remember that time). Pinball has a tendency to fall into the background when something new comes along.

Most Collectible Pinball Machine

The '72 Bally Pinball in good condition can rack up to almost five figures but a classic pinball machine is inexpensive to acquire for as little few hundred dollars.

Highly prized pinball paraphernalia like vintage pinball parts, catalogues and schematic drawings of pinball circuitry are also desirably collectible.

Why Pinball Games?

Today a pinball game seems like so much trouble when you have satellite dishes, dvd players and high speed internet. But what is it, that has sustained pinball's popularity over the years? Some people say it's an escape. Its exciting. Each ball plays differently from the last ball. It's not like videogames where you know what's going to happen.

As you may all know, pinball is wacky and spirited. A lot of fun to be around but a little embarassing to be seen with, for it has no sophistication yet it has no pretensions. It has no French terminology or obscene etiquette. Pinball is all about tactile and visceral pleasures.

Pinball designers purposely give players an average of forty eight seconds of play per ball. So people with short attention span , go play pinball !

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COLLECTING FOUNTAIN PENS

2008-09-22T23:07:00.000-07:00

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I became aware of the beauty of the fountain pen at such an early age when i saw my mother owned and used one. It was black in color with green stripes. I knew how the fountain pen was refilled with ink. My mother's fountain pen was probably not collectible vintage fountain pen but for me, it was. Because it enhanced my mother's beautiful handwriting.

In this day and age of email, laser printers, text messages etc. you would probably think why would anyone use a fountain pen, ink, much less stationery and stamps? The old reliable fountain pen might run dry and leak or worst yet it doesn't have spell check.

Moreover when France's Bic led the ballpoint pen revolution the fountain pen's existence was doomed. True, ball point pen costs almost nothing compared to fountain pens. But ballpoint pens are low in style.

Although a dedicated elite collectors kept using fountain pens. They kept browsing flea markets and antique stores. Consequently, the love affair with collectible vintage fountain pen was "consummated" so to speak. Ultimately creating a hot market for collectors and investors.

The silver and black resin de Medici originally priced at $1,600 was introdued by Montblanc in 1972. It is the first of the 4810 limited edition pens. Thus systematic collecting of these rare and collectible fountain pens started.

You know as well as i do that, serious collectors are capable of irrational exuberance and extravagance, making the demand for these fountain pens higher than the supply. A steady rise in value of these fountain pens are likely.

A Parker fountain pen called the "Big Red Doufold" was made in the '20s originally priced at $5.00. Eighty years later, the Parker fountain pen in good condition would bring $500 or more.

There are also limited edtiion fountain pens that replicate the actual pen used by legendary figures at significant moment in history such as Douglas MacArthur model issued by Parker. It replicated the fountain pen the General used to sign the Japanese surrender documents at the end of World War ll. This originally sold by Parker in 1995 for $850.

Montblanc also introduced a series of pens named after popular writers like Ernest Hemingway, Agatha Christie and Charles Dickens. Each has a distinctive design and are enviably solid investments.

Fountain Pen Collecting Tips

If you contemplate on collecting vintage fountain pens, advise by the experts would be: Don't start going after pens that are hardest to fiind. Instead buy new issues of limited editions at reasonable prices. Wait and watch as your investments will surely proved profitable in due time.

Displaying Your Collection

You can display your collection of fountain pens in a wooden box or leather case. You can also keep them shrink wrapped for years to pass on to your heir or you can use them for the pleasure they bring. It' all up to you.

Mint condition fountain pens will be worth a little more in the end. But a pen you write with, if well cared for, may have a little more romance about it. Maybe it's been used to write a love letter, an intimate diary or signing a mortgage.

A good fountain pen is an essential part of anyone's wardrobe. When you whip out an impressive fountain pen like a Montblanc Diplomat out of your jacket pocket, people pay attention. It is an illustration of what the idea of quintessence is all about.

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Collecting Vintage Men's Neckties

2008-08-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

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Countess Mara once said "Tell a man you like his necktie and you will see his personality unfold like a flower." There are many men among us whose tie racks boast more than fifty men's neckties. No, not your run of the mill men's ties with boring stripes, eye glazing paisleys or dull florals. I'm talking about collecting vintage men's neckties that are handpainted, air brushed or dry brushed.

Some of these men's ties are silk ties that were designed, stitched and sold during the creative burst of the baby boom.

These classic men's neckties reflected the robust enthusiasm, tremendous optimism of American exuberance and verve right around the time after the World War 2 ended.

Everyone at that time had a splashy number for a tie. They insisted on

fantastic even eccentric men's ties. These ties were considered works of art not visual wallpaper.

Why? Because, how many men's neckties do you think were designed by world renowned artists like Salvador Dali? Yes legendary surrealist Dali did designs for several tie companies in the late forties. In the middle to late forties, Americans dictated the fashion not overseas.

There were of Art Deco designs, geometric patterns, equestrian,hunting and aquatic scenes.

Some particularly hunted for men's ties with designs of nude women, mermaids,pin-up girls,palm trees, maple leaves, handsome monograms,birds,dogs,horses,marlin, trout,belly dancers,boats,cowboys etc.

If you want to start collecting vintage men's neckties you can start looking in your own(grandparents) attic, storage rooms or antique chests, flea markets,vintage clothing stores,tie shops or in every city you plan to visit.

Or at the click of a mouse in Ebay.

It's not surprising serious collectors discuss neckties the way oenophiles debate vintages. Albeit, one's passion and obsession for collecting rare,classic and collectible men's neckties are not forced on others.

Some men do insist that magical things happen when you wear these vintage men's ties like received stares in elevators, gasps in hallways, bright smiles on sidewalks and approving nods from older and nostalgic people.

Collectors are in pursuit of these vintage men's neckties cause strangely, they evoke anothe time, another place.

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Collecting Antique Trunks

2007-08-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

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Any shrink can tell what kind of a man you are, by the baggage you keep. But the kind of baggage I’m referring to is the luggage any bellman knows like the back of his hand.

Collecting antique trunks is interesting. You remember an era where families send off their kids to boarding schools and had them take antique trunks with them. Stuffed with books, sweaters etc.

Antique trunks have different styles namely; flat top trunks(steamer trunks are also known as flat top trunks), dome top trunks(also known as camel back trunks or humpback trunks), half or hat trunks, Jenny Lind trunks(peep into the keyhole and see a figure”8” or hourglass shape),oak slat trunks(considered the most rare trunks today),doll trunks ,specialty trunks(for musical instruments ,costumes and make up),pyramidal trunks, wardrobe trunks( characteristically has drawers on one end and a hanging space on the other end) and wall trunks.

If you can spot initials “LV” anywhere in your vintage trunk, then you can be sure you have a treasure in your hands. Louis Vuitton vintage trunks fetch in top dollars. If you have the original keys, tags or label all the more the prices go up.

It is known that a wide selection of vintage trunks can be seen at flea markets in London and Paris such as vintage Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Goyard antique trunks from the 1920s to 1950s.

Especially authentic steamer trunks, you can see and feel they are marvels of craftsmanship. They are engineered to be portable homes. From an outside view antique steamer trunks could be seen as nothing more than beautiful boxes.

Open them up however and a different world reappears. Its features, ran from a foldout ironing board(complete with an iron and built in laundry bag and a shoe case. You can even customize it to fit your laptop, tv, Bose speakers even you vintage martini shaker.

Nobody packs for the journey anymore, now we pack for the trip. If you want to wax nostalgic collecting antique trunks is it.

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Collecting Vintage Drums

2007-08-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

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Collecting vintage drums have gain more and more popularity among the drumming community and collectors alike.

Percussion enthusiasts only know how fun it is to beat to the rhythm of your favorite music. But I can’t say the same for the next door neighbor of drummer Dave and bongo Bob.

For a vintage drum to be collectible it doesn’t have to be rare( albeit an important factor). Black Beauties are rare also a collectible, but Radio Kings are not rare but it is also a collectible.

It depends on your interests if you want to collect a whole vintage drums set or separately buy the parts like vintage ride cymbals, vintage crash cymbals, vintage hi-hat cymbals, vintage drum stands, vintage drum thrones, vintage drum pedals , vintage drum rims, vintage drum mounts, single vintage snare drums, vintage bass drums and vintage toms.

Before buying vintage drum set check if there are scratches, hairline cracks, scuffs, patch up jobs, gouges stains, dings, dents, defacements, rust, pitting, spongy, caved in and bulged out areas or any other peripheral signs of wear and tear.

Check if there’s any signs of modification and make sure all parts are original. Originality in condition increases the value of the vintage drum set if you considering reselling it in the future.

Determine the overall tone quality of the vintage drums, make sure it resonate properly. Check out forums and talk to musicians and vintage drum collectors if you want to increase your knowledge about the subject.

Drums manufactured between the 1920’s to 1960’s such as Gretsch, Pearl, Slingerland vintage drums are the most sought after.Rarity, historic significance (like the Ludwig drum set Ringgo Starr used when The Beatles made their first appearance to the American audience in the Ed Sullivan show), preservation of originality and of course the marketplace trends makes a vintage drum set collectible.

It’s always the that market drives the values. Again it all goes back to the supply and demand theory of economics. It’s also true of collecting vintage drum set as with any other collection.

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Collecting Wine

2007-06-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

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Once upon a time the typical wine collector is the British aristocrat but those days are gone. The current economic boom in America and its socioeconomic breadth have produced a new batch of men and women who acquire and enjoy fine wine.

People collect everything under the sun, thus this blog is what it’s all about. People collect coins to motorcycles, baseball cards to comic books, The wine collector, however stands alone. He is the only one who destroys his treasures in order to enjoy them.

Wine collecting can be as much a lifestyle as it is a hobby. What a better way to indulge your passion than by retrieving a well-aged bottle from your cellar and sharing it with your loved ones. Having wine on hand also precludes having to dash to the corner liquor store every time someone drops by unexpectedly for dinner or drink.

Yet, a well-stocked cellar enables you to transform an ordinary evening into an instant celebration simply by opening a special bottle.

A beginning wine collector should be aware of purchasing options, importance of proper storage, methods of growing, protecting and managing your cellar. He must have the patience, willingness to learn and enough money to fill his cellar. As your knowledge of wine grows and tastes develop, your collection will expand accordingly.

You can have the option of collecting only Bordeaux, it’s called vertical cellar, regional cellar which focuses only in Burgundy, global cellar- a selection from many of the world’s major wine regions and of course collecting only investment-grade wine which will appreciate in value as time goes by.

When looking to store your collection, whether it’s beginner’s stake of 250 bottles or thousand bottles, there are two standard refrigeration units: A free- standing refrigeration unit or a built-in cellar. The choice you make will depend on your financial resources, the space you have available and your goal as collector.

The fascination of wine and wine collecting is never ending. There is simply too much to know. What makes a good wine, the components that go into it, the types of soil, the different types of grapes, the aging of the wine so on and so forth. You can never really get completely on top of it. No one can know everything. Everyday there is something new to learn.

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Collecting War Relics

2007-06-10T01:30:00.000-07:00

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Collecting War Relics

If you count on how many war films have been made you can tell that war fascinates people. And where there is interest, there’s money to be made out of collecting.

You can focus on a specific war like the American Civil war or the two World Wars.

Collectors in this field tend to concentrate on narrow subject areas like military weapons or gas masks.

The first thing to do is to know your subject. Read all you can about history thoroughly.

War is mainly about weapons like shell cases, grenade shells- could be collected. But there is a civilian side to war.

Newspapers of the time are an excellent buy and will probably help with your research as well. You might want to collect letters written to or by soldiers, as well as postcards.

Don’t forget civilian ration books and identity cards, government pamphlets and war posters. War posters were popular especially during the first World War. Through posters the citizenry of the U.S. were reached unlike the second World War, media such as radio and television were predominantly used to recruit aspiring soldiers than mere posters.

The idea is to build up a balanced history of any war you are interested in and collect items base on your research.

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Collecting Beer and Wine Labels

2007-06-10T01:26:00.000-07:00

Collecting Beer And Wine Labels

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Label collecting is as attractive as stamp collecting. The information provided by labels is an excellent way of recording certain aspects of commercial life in times gone by.

For wine labels, you could spend a considerable time collecting only ninety-odd chateau labels of the 1855 Bordeaux official classification. And even that would be difficult because some chateaux change their labels designs periodically.

Like for example, Chateau-Mouton-Rotchschild commissions a different label artist to design a new label every vintage year. But that would be a worthwhile investment.

Beer labels whether from the U.S.A. and Britain in particular command better prices. The first nationally popular beer in Britain was ‘porter’. This was a brew that was to gain even greater fame when developed into Guinness.

Then there’s the classic British brew called pale ale. There’s also light ale, oatmeal stout, strong ale, barley wine.

Collecting American beer labels is fascinating because of its diversity. The cosmopolitan nature of the country is a primary reason for a wide variety of beers produced.

Some American beers are no longer made in their country of origin. For instance, porter can no longer be found in Britain, but it still is brewed in the U.S.A. In fact, most American beers owe their origin to brews from abroad, apart from steam beer which is only the really original American beer.

In many ways, wine and beer labels are a superior form of stamp collecting.

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Collecting Vintage Acoustic Guitars

2007-05-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

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At one time or another in our lives we fancy being a professional musician. We are proud to play riffs of Led Zeppelin’s Stairway To Heaven even if we can’t finish the whole song.

We love playing our guitars and for some reason we like to collect them as well.. Acoustic guitar collection is still in its early stage but it has been already been heralded as a work of fine art.

Guitars made before World War 2 are considered the most desirable and collectible and goes without saying, fetch in very high prices. Guitars made from various manufacturers such Martin, Gibson, Lyn and Healy and Larson Brothers are the most sought after.

Martin’s flat top steel string guitars are superb in craftsmanship and sound. The earliest models were made during 1840’s to 1920’s. But the most collectible are the 12 and 14 fret steel string models made from the middle of 1920’s to 1944. The playability, sound and workmanship are very excellent.

What is considered the golden era of the flat top Martin guitars are the larger size, 14 fret 000 and "D" sizes from the 1930’s. In fact, The Martin D-45 which was custom made for Gene Autry commands very stratospheric price.

The most desirable when it comes to Martin body size is the 000, OM and D sizes. If you have a Martin guitar check the serial number inside and just above it the style and body size number. Make sure the original parts are still intact and no modifications on the bridge, tuners and frets. These factors affect the value of the guitar.

When it comes to the brand Gibson, archtops are the most collectible. Well they invented the archtop guitar so why wouldn’t they lead the pack? The most desirable and collectible are the larger models made from the early 1930’s to 1959 namely The Lloyd Roar signed L-5’s, the pre war Super 400, Advanced L-5 archtops and the Cut away archtop models from the 1946 to 1959.

Unlike paintings, guitars are usable collections. You don’t have to be CEO of a Fortune 500 company to be able to start collecting vintage acoustic guitars. And while you’re at it, it doesn’t hurt if you could strum and hum puff the magic dragon….

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Collecting Crate Labels

2007-05-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

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The hobby of collecting crate labels started in the sixties. People directly involved with the packing plants started the craze. Maybe because they just don’t want to see unused labels thrown away or just rut inside the label storage room.

The crate labels were mostly found on warehouses, packing plants, patent offices and the printing houses itself because they usually kept a copy of their work as a sample. Today, you can get it from mostly and conveniently on the internet like ebay, or other collectors.

The beauty of this small vintage art just look so beautiful with all the bright colors and vividly depicting any kind of themes such as sports, birds, romantic and nostalgic sceneries, the pets and children of the farm owners who custom made their labels when family farms were prevalent at that time.

Since the advent of the corrugated cardboard boxes and packing plants mushroomed just about everywhere, the use of wooden crates for fruits and family farm labels declined.

The crate labels of yore all had different kinds of colors, shades and hues. No two brands of crate labels looked alike.

They made their own ink, which supposed to be a trade secret. The sizes of their crate labels also varies depending of course the sizes of the crates. Like cherries only need a small crate so, they used smaller crate labels as supposed to oranges that needed bigger crates. It did not even have so much text on it.

If you want to start collecting these beauties start with what you like. I think that would be self- explanatory. I mean you wouldn’t want to be surrounded by things you don’t like do you? You can shell out a small amount of money for what is considered a vintage art.

The hobby doesn’t need that much investment. That’s one nice about this pursuit. You can also branch out to collecting can labels, cigar box labels or even vintage advertisement.

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Collecting Yo-yos

2007-05-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

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My first encounter with a foreign yo-yo demonstrator was way back in high school. This was in the late seventies. Coca Cola sponsored the event. The demonstrator was Mexican and I remember quite vividly after he performed the usual tricks like around the world, walking the dog and rocking the baby, he showed his very own tricks.

He called it the "spaghetti" he tangled up the strings like a spaghetti, and kind of made a slurping motion with his mouth and there went the string untangled and the yoyo still spinning went right back to his hand.

For his finale, he did a couple of throws, up in the air and then swiftly and skillfully slipped the string knot off his finger and let the yo-yo on perfect cue, amazingly dropped into his left breast pocket. I was totally blown away. His expertise with the yo-yo, such a mundane toy but considered a cultural icon, enabled him to travel around the globe.

Of course the yo-yos of today are not the kind we knew back then. Transaxle ball bearing yo-yos are the crème de la crème, the top of the heap when it comes to yo-yo performance. The "sleep" time (spinning freely) is longer thus you will be able to perform tricks easily as opposed to the traditional fixed axle yo-yos.

Examples of these are Turbo Bumblebee, the Viper and Cold Fusion. They fetch in higher prices naturally but you will be surely the envy of the gang if you own one of these babies.

Yo-yo contests attract enthusiasts and collectors alike. There is a growing demand for collectible yo-yos and other yo-yo related memorabilia such as string packages, award patches, old contest fliers, manufacturer sales catalogs, old trick books and limited edition yo-yos. Yo-yos are also highly cross-collectable.

There are yo-yos with cereal, cartoon character, advertising such as coke and souvenir designs on it.

The highest price ever paid for a single yo-yo was the Pres. Richard Nixon signed yoyo for $16,029.00. And the first flown yo-yo into outer space is the yellow plastic Duncan Imperial this happened in April 12, 1983.

Companies that produced excellent yo-yos are Duncan, Russell, Spintastics, Superyo, Tom Kuhn, Yomega. Bird In Hand, Chico, Hi-ker. Most desirable and collectible yo-yos are usually from the 50’s and 60’s with such names like Litening, Rainbow, Chief, Suede, Day-Glo and Satellite.

Yo-yo is definitely a toy that has survived time and it will be absolutely continue to be played in years to come.

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Collecting Cameos

2007-05-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

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Cameos are like miniature sculptures but only carve on the front side called relief. The first known cameos were used as ceremonial clothing by emperors, used as seals, as adornment in helmets, breastplates, swords and some were used by members of the clergy.

The carvings usually depicted profiles of beautiful women, (this is the most popular motif) mythological and biblical themes, and heroes and rulers of a particular period. Cameos usually have contrast in colors, like darker background and lighter foreground.

Cameos are carve in hardstones which a term for gemstone or semi precious stones like amethyst, emerald, ruby, opal, opaque stones such as agate, carnelian , onyx etc. and some are carve in conch shells and corals. Out of 100,000 species of sea shells only about six species are perfectly suited for cameos.

The popularity of cameos surged in early nineteenth century when cameos are mounted on gold, silver or other metals and became fashionable pieces of jewelry such as brooches, necklaces, tiaras, bracelets and earrings.

The more colors a certain shell or hardstone may project the more valuable the cameo is. If the cameos depicted two carvings from one single stone, the more valuable it is. As opposed to two carvings but made from two different stones and you see evident of glue in between then the carvings are definitely a poor attempt at faking it.

Using a magnifying glass, look for chips and cracks on the cameos for it will lessen the value of it. Make sure the cameos are mounted on the original settings or frame. If the demand outstrip the supply, expect fakes and forgeries all over. Asia is now a hub for manufacturing cheaper cameos made of plastic and resin, because it has a shell-like feel to it. Do a hot needle test, if it melts then it plastic.

Cameos carved in hardstones requires more skill and adeptness, they are more durable compared to shells and corals. They are most likely the type of cameos that can be pass on to the next generations therefore hardstone carved cameos are more expensive.
Famous collectors of cameos are Pope Paul ll and Napoleon Bonaparte.

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Collecting Teddy Bears

2007-05-11T18:09:00.000-07:00

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The appeal of the teddy bear is universal. That is why both young and old collect them. Teddy Bear signifies unconditional love and acceptance.

The teddy bear dates back 1902 when President Theodore Roosevelt went to Mississippi to settle a border dispute between Mississippi and Louisiana, the host offered the president to shoot the tired little bear tied to a tree. President Roosevelt refused to shoot the bear considered it to be unsportsmanlike.

That good deed towards the bear drew national attention, especially when the Washington Post pblished a cartoon by Clifford Berryman depicting the President and the bear.

An enterprising couple by the name of Morris and Rose Michtom banked on the national interest and made the first stuffed bear and called it Teddy’s Bear with the permission of Pres. Teddy Roosevelt of course and displayed it in their stationery store. The teddy bears sold like hot cakes, thus the first manufacturing company called Ideal Novelty and Toy Company was born.

Some unexplainable synchronicities occurred in the other continent, a German fellow designed and made his first teddy bear. But Europeans were not as crazy for teddy bears as Americans did at that time.

During a fair in Europe an American businessman bought 3,000 teddy bears and brought them to America and sold out the whole stocks. It was the start of European market for teddy bears.

American made teddy bears are slimmer, more spindly. The stitches are looser. While the European made are stockier, the snout longer, and the stitches are tighter thus command higher prices. In today’s world it is customary for companies to outsource their production in Asia because the labor cost is cheaper, so many toys like teddy bears are now manufactured in Asia and very much less costly.

Artist-made teddy bears are totally the "in" thing when it comes to teddy bears. They are handmade, designed and made by the industry’s finest artists, the fur is expensive like mohair and eyes and buttons made of gems. The price for these bears are also expensive.

Look for bears that came from Gund, Knickerbocker, Steiff, Bing and Farnell. Make sure you research and talk with a reputable toy dealer before embarking on buying vintage teddy bears. Let investment be the last of your criteria when buying, the first is you must have genuine like for your teddy bear collection.

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Collecting Glass Bottles

2007-05-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

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Collecting glass bottles has a vast scope. As always you need to collect thematically or to just plainly specialized.

One interesting glass bottle collectible is the Codd glass bottle sometimes know as pinchneck which designed and patented by Hiram Codd in 1872.

Another interesting glass bottle collectible is the bitters bottles. They came in wide variety of shapes and sizes and dated back 18th century in Great Britain and mid 19th century in the U.S.A.

Bitters are originally a form of medicine for indigestion. It consisted of angostura and citrus peel infused in alcohol and flavored with cinnamon, juniper and cloves.

The popularity of the bitters in both Britain and U.S can only be summed up in one word : alcohol. All the while enjoying the intoxicating effect people in those days thought they were doing it for medicinal purposes.

Bitters bottles came in variety of shapes like barrels, lighthouses, cannons and several other shapes. The bottles were in amber, clear and mostly greens and the more rare ones are in blue, amethyst and puce.

Another worthwhile collectibles are medicine bottles in the Victorian-Edwardian era. And some other medicine bottles had labels that are exotic, showing oriental scenes ornate or bizarre designs

Ink bottles are also collectible, although they were made for practical purposes not just merely ornamental.

The picture above is a bitters bottle.

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Collecting Cigarette Cards

2007-05-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

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Cigarette cards evolve form an earlier tradition of trade cards. Trade card was a sort of a business card back in the old days. It consisted of the names, addresses and advertisements of commercial companies.

Cigarette cards were used to stiffen the American paper cigarette packets.

The popularity of cigarette cards took off right around the 1880’s when chromolithography was applied to pictures.

But the production of cigarette cards peaked during 1920-40. Collecting investors no doubt would hunt for cigarette cards in this era. The most expensive sets would come from this particular period.

The reason being, there were many, many smaller cigarette companies as oppose to today’s tobacco giant companies, thus each of these smaller companies produced their own garden variety of cigarette cards.

The most expensive sets are from the smallest companies.

You can pick up incomplete sets for less prices but you just going to have to do individual hunt for the missing pieces to complete your set.

During the end of the first world war, several large tobacco consortiums were formed consequently putting the smaller companies out of business, thus the production of the cigarette cards began to decline.

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" Give Pez A Chance”

2007-05-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

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Trivia: Ebay was founded because the founder Peirre Omidyar’s partner needed a venue to buy and sell her collection of pez dispensers.

Pez comes from the German word for pfefferminz which means peppermint. Pez candy dates back in 1927. They were first marketed as adult mints for people trying to quit smoking. In the today’s world of Altoids and Tic Tac, pez got there first.

Pez were originally sold in small tin boxes. But right around 1950’s the pez dispenser were invented. They were created originally for truck drivers so they could easily pop a candy into their mouths while driving.

After the second World War pez dispensers came out with character heads, this time to specifically target their market: children. The first character heads for pez dispensers was Mickey Mouse in all different versions. Then came out later many other designs for heads like Zorro, Captain Hook, Santa Claus etc.

Baby boomers are also buying pez dispensers because of nostalgic factors. They want to collect something from their memories of happy childhood.

Most expensive pez dispenser ever held in an auction was The Astronaut B pez with white helmet and green stem which had a winning bid for $32,205.00. There are two of them in fact, the other one has blue helmet with blue stem.

They were made as prototypes for supposedly a joint venture deal but the negotiation didn’t’ came through, so there were no mass production that occurred. So that makes the Astronaut B pez dispenser rare.

Another rare pez dispenser was the do-it-yourself that comes in different parts(eyes, nose, ears etc. ) to make your own face, but the manufacturer thought it was dangerous for children under 12 so they discontinued the production.

The do-it-yourself

Pez dispensers are sold as much as $5,000 a piece.

A lot of pez dispensers that didn’t sell were taken off the market back in those days. They were originally sold for a quarter now commands a two to three thousand dollar price tag like the Mary Poppins pez dispensers.

Today lots of people collect the battery operated dispensers, the value would even more appreciate if they keep the boxes that they come in.
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Collecting Cowboy Kitsch

2007-04-23T17:59:00.000-07:00

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Honestly? My idea of cowboys is definitely what I have seen on movies and television. The television series "Wild, Wild West," John Wayne movie "High Noon" and the ad for a popular cigarette brand said it all for me when it comes to cowboys.

Hollywood depicted cowboys as a bunch of men who were gun toting, skillful horse riders, bar room brawlers and usually were the ladies objects of affection. But in reality, they were laborers, who were overworked, underpaid and very much under appreciated, who spent more time with their horses than with the ladies.

The history of cowboys dated back after the Civil War ended. The ranch owners hired these homeless soldiers for some ranch work in the west, thus the beginning of the way of the cowboys.

Their main tasks were herding the cattle from one watering place to the next, guard against predators, watch out for straying cattle and stampedes at night. Once they reached the central location, they branded newborn calves, castrated and de-horned older cattle and chose cattle to be taken to the market.

Much of the cowboy’s equipments, attire and skills for cattle ranching were very much influence by the vaqueros of Mexico, who originally got their influence from Old Spain dating as far back as the 1500’s.

The need for cowboys or ranch hands declined when the barbed wire was invented (meaning the cattle were fenced in with private landholdings) and the growth of railroads (which is a faster option for transporting the cattle).

About 3.5 million cattle were driven in herds from Southern Texas to towns in Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming. This event is considered the first gold to come from the west not from the Gold rush.

The era of the old-fashioned cowboy was brief but incredible, spanning only about thirty years but the central folklore, the true grit, admirable character and free spirit of the cowboy still lives on.

Today, rodeo shows and events are held every year for the ranching industry and cowboys at heart. The events showcase the cattle handling skills of these ranchmen, such as lasso and roping, tying steers and bull riding.

Approximately forty thousand people flock to these events annually to participate in rodeo and go shopping for cowboy and ranching related items such as saddles, Stetson hats, Rocketbuster boots, sterling in laid spurs and silver, gold carved belt buckles. Not to mention the attendance of cowboy auction shows. The cowboy industry definitely is bucking for revenues.

Western art has now become a prestigious sector of the American Art. Some western oil paintings fetched in up to seven figures in sales. Then there’s western music industry, which is a multi-million dollar business today.

I’m sure you have your own personal favorite country singers Anything related to famous cowboys whether true-to-life or not like Wyatt Earp, Jesse James, Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy etc. would indeed be collectible.

The cowboy lifestyle is more than just the wide brimming hat, the levi’s jeans, the chuck wagon, the gun slinging etc. Despite the intrigue and notoriety, the cowboy is an icon. He represents hard work, trust and standing up for what’s right.

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Collecting Duck Decoys

2007-04-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

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For over hundreds of years both professional and amateur duck hunters used duck decoys to lure ducks to land on field or water within shotgun range. Archeologists discovered antiquated duck decoys believed to be first made and used by the native Americans.

Aside from its original purpose, duck decoys have also an art appeal. In fact, duck decoys are considered the consummate American art form.

There are different kinds of duck decoys such as flying decoys, they simulate ducks joining the main flock, half-body feeder decoys they simulate a duck tipping to feed, motion decoys such as swimmers and shakers.

They have a battery –powered motor. Swimmers move in circles and shakers make ripples. Another kind is the sleeper decoys, they are set on shore or mixed with other floating decoys to send a message to ducks flying that everything’s normal. Confidence decoys, they mimic herons and other waterfowls seen around with other duck decoys to give the spread a real impression.

The full-body floating decoys which are weighted so they won’t keel over and they have anchor and strings so they won’t float too far. Field decoys come in full body, shell and silhouette models.

Duck decoys come in standard size measures 15 inches to 16 inches and magnum size measures 18 to 20 inches. There are companies who manufactures super magnums which measure 21 inches or longer. Some decoys are made of wood, cork, molded plastic and foam.

Decoys must be set in the right spread where ducks can see them. With skillful duck calls hunters can be sure their hunt would be fruitful. Just make sure the decoys aren’t too glossy with frost, they have to be in their natural color just like real ducks.

When it comes to collecting, the age old question of authenticity always comes up. Flawless duck decoys make buyers suspicious but decoys that have too many chips and scratches won’t make them attractive enough either.

It’s always a healthy balance of condition and rarity that make duck decoys collectible. Or any other collectibles for that matter.

To collect duck decoys really depends on your budget and tastes. If appearance or aesthetics is important to you or a certain duck species or decoys made by known carvers like Elmer Crowell and Charles Perdue then by all means collect them. The most important factor is you collect thematically.

The highest price paid for a single duck decoy is approximately $800,000 plus at a certain auction.

Always check out Duck decoy catalogs or Ebay to constantly keep abreast of the prices, sales and items.

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African Americana / Black Memorabilia Collecting

2007-04-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

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African Americana or what is popularly known as Black memorabilia is a huge slice in a collecting community pie.

There had been a notable upsurge in the demand and market for these collectibles in the later part of the seventies. "Roots" the popular book and television series written by Alex Haley made people especially African Americans curious about their heritage. And collecting black ephemera is a crucial format to learn about their culture and history.

The scope of African American History is very wide. It dated back when the first voyage of the human cargo shipped the first batch of slaves from Africa to America.

There are many artifacts remnant of the slavery period. Among these are slave tags, slave chains , braided whips, shackles, neck collars, plantation ledgers, branding irons, certificates of freedom, bills of sale, slave auction papers etc. These relics command prices of stratospheric level.

There was one pottery item made by a slave and signed "x" (the "x" signature means it was made by a slave) created during the 1800’s and were sold for a whooping $30,000.

Another collectibles are from pre-civil rights era, the Harlem renaissance, the Jim Crow era. Collectibles like Mammy, Sambo , Aunt Jemima, Uncle Moses dolls or figurines, salt and pepper shakers or anything that feature Black characters which has caricatured characteristics like oversized lips, wide eyes etc.

The collectibles in this particular era stereotyped African Americans in a derogatory way.

Segregation signs like "Whites Only," KKK robes and hoods, KKK membership pass cards are also popular. Sheet music of Gospel songs, travel guides that listed "colored only" hotels, resorts and restaurants and anything related to popular African American figures like letters and programs of speaking engagements of Dr. Martin Luther King are very much in demand. If you have a literary bent and interests books by Maya Angelou and James Baldwin are also desirable.

Some collectors of Black memorabilia likes to collect to appreciate and value and preserve history, some collectors buy these items to destroy them and some collect to profit from their collections.

How you associate the Black memorabilia items, is the important factor in buying them. If the objects makes you feel uncomfortable and sensitive then don’t collect these items.

If the objects make you feel good, because they remind you of the hardships of your ancestors but survive all the atrocities of prejudice and made sure it will never happen again by all means accumulate these collectibles.

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Collecting Antique Maps

2007-04-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

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Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you come across a two hundred year old map of the exact town you were born or a city you now live in? That’s the unequal pleasure and enchantment that antique maps hold.

To collect antique maps all really depends on where your interests lie. If you are fascinated by the maps which great explorers like Ferdinand Magellan, Captain James Cook, Christopher Columbus and Hernan Cortes got their hands on then all the better. These kinds of maps command astronomical prices but they can surely be profitable investments.

You may want to collect antique maps because of your geographical interests or for some related global events or industries. Some have fascinations for maps of smaller islands that are top vacation destinations like the West Indies, Bermuda and Malta. Some follow the works of a certain cartographer, among the famous ones are Ortelius,
Blaeu, Bowen, Tallis and Homann.

Some like world maps which make them highly decorative for they are larger than usual and colored which make it favorable for framing, and maps that have some certain mistakes in it like the known California as an island map. Deciding on which maps to collect really depends on the individual tastes and budget.

You shouldn’t have to worry about fakes in antique maps for they are very expensive to make but one should be wary of photo reproductions of old maps. Run your fingers on the paper and feel the texture, if it’s smooth then its not genuine.

Check if there are no evident plate marks around the perimeter, if the margins are trimmed not wide, if there are legends or notations on the borders with dates and the names of printing houses .

Use a high powered magnifying glass called loop and zoom in, if you see matrix of small dots arranged geometrically that make up an image well that’s a true blue reproduction.

These are just the tell tale signs of a photo reproduction of a map. If you want expert opinion you can consult reputable antique map dealers they will always be happy to serve you.

Factors in maps like creases or folds, staining, molds and soils, browning of the whole paper, if the map is glued or pasted on cardboard or pressboard, tears and rips, if the margins are wide or trimmed, if the color is faded, if the map have highly interesting features like cartouches, sea monsters and ships etc. All these factors have an effect on the value of the map.

It when comes to color of the maps, some maps were issued colorless. Sophisticated and knowledgeable collectors avoid colored maps because the coloring only obscures the beauty of any engraved map that’s one of their profound beliefs.

Storage of these wonderful historic prints are to be taken much into consideration. Like any other works of historic art, they should not be exposed to direct sunlight.

The use of UV filtering glass or Plexiglas is highly recommended to avoid fading. The storage place should have ideal temperature of preferably 70 degrees F and humidity about 50% and should be kept constant, major fluctuations is a big no no.

Although pre 17th paper are not acid free, we should preserve it in an acid free surroundings like rematting or reframing of maps to aid these artworks for longevity. There is this new product that comes in various forms that absorb and de-sorb moisture to protect the artwork.

Are you ready to buy one or two maps that you find interesting? Here’s a tip, road and subway maps maybe the collectibles for the future.

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Collecting Space Memorabilia

2007-04-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

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"That’s one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind." Those are the immortal words spoken by Neil Armstrong as he stepped into the sea of moon sand for the time in history on July 20, !969 exactly four days after Apollo 11 took off from Kennedy Space Center and landed safely on the moon.

Ever since that historic moon walk, anything related to that event is collectible. There is a huge appetite for those items that it had become a commodity what with all the increasing value put on those space flown artifacts.

Posters, medallions, stamps, covers, photographs, space art paintings, emblems, flags, space suits, helmets, gloves, charts, maps, logbooks ,astronaut autographs, patches and actual space flown hardware such as parts of the spacecraft itself and most of all the moon dust, pebbles, sand and rocks.

Every collector opts to specialize in one item only. Like building a mission patch collection or astronauts autographs etc. Purchase items from reputable dealers. It is recommended that the item sold should have proper documentation. To guarantee that the item is properly released and authenticated.

Without the documentation, the item sold or bought, is by default property of U.S. government. It is illegal to own these collectibles without the papers.

Among the popular space collectibles are from the Soviet manned missions, Mercury, Gemini and Apollo eras, specifically Apollo11, the first landing and Apollo 8 the first manned orbit of the moon. And due to the popular Hollywood blockbuster movie Apollo 13 related items are quite collectible too.

Owning these items meant it’s the closest you ever get to the moon. Not to mention you own a piece of American space history. Baby boomers are among the largest group to collect these collectibles because they grew up in the 1960’s space race and feel quite nostalgic about the bygone years and it’s a popular notion that they have a lot of cash to burn as well.

A black and white lunar chart created by NASA in 1970 and signed by a member of each Apollo mission that landed on the moon-Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Edgar Mitchell, Dave Scott, Charles Duke and Gene Cernan was sold for a whooping 16,000 U.S. dollars back in the late nineties.

When people look back let’s say three hundred years from now, the defining moment of the twentieth century will be the moon walks.

There hasn’t been a manned launch to the moon since 1972.

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Spy Memorabilia Collecting

2007-03-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

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You may be wondering what is the purpose of intelligence or counter-intelligence services. Do their spies just kill other spies? Well, for those un-initiated the primary tasks of an intelligence agent are recruiting moles and mainly acquiring information and passing it on to the handler.

The job of the handler is to pass it to the analysts who will convert billions of bits of data into useful intelligence product. The finished intelligence products are classified information needed by military and political leaders to make better decisions and consequently shape international foreign policies.

The purpose of their work is to prevent war or any military surprises. Through their brave and patriotic work we have avoided going over the threshold of a hot war.

The staple of the spy trade is tradecraft. Tradecraft is the term use for the methods, devices and techniques applied by the spy in clandestine intelligence operations. These devices are mainly concealment devices, objects used to hide top secret documents. These are the most sought after collectibles in the spy memorabilia collecting.

Specifically the espionage artifacts before and during the Cold War are the best ones. Like the Steineck wristwatch camera used by the U.S. Air Force intelligence officers in the 1950’s, The World War ll tool kit which includes a sabateur’s fountain pen which conceals igniters for detonating explosives, Stasi pens which hides a microdot viewer, eyeglass case, cigarette lighter and pack that conceal cameras and ashtray, globe and phone that serve as listening devices.

These are really interesting and intriguing collectibles because it made used of human ingenuity but at the same time limited by human frailties.

These are real world spy artifacts. On the other hand the fictional spy characters James Bond, Maxwell Smart and Austin Powers collectibles have also a wide following but these are just, you know fictional.

There are a garden variety of espionage board games between 1930’s and 1970’s you can collect. Or you might want to start collecting memorabilia of your favorite real world spy like Kim Philby, John Walker and the notorious Alrich Ames.

There are lots of books on the subject and plenty of spy museums to visit. You can do extensive research because you have to get an understanding of how spies operate in order to understand and know what spy equipments look like for they were used secretly at that time.

The great seal above is actually a bugging device.
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Collecting Hawaiin And Surfer Surfing Posters

2007-03-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

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Surf movie poster were a way to advertise a certain movie about surfing in the 1950’s and 60’s. The promoters pasted or tacked them on telephone poles, school auditoriums, and car windows. The kids took these posters off and bring it home and display on their bedroom walls. Thus the hobby of collecting surf movie poster was born.

Bud Browne started it all and filmed a movie documentary about surfing. They would filmed it on 16mm and filled it with footages of people surfing and scouting places with perfect waves to ride on. Soon after other filmmakers followed suit with variations as filming not only documentary but beach party movies as well. The movie ‘Gidget’ clearly depicted the surfing lifestyles with campy entertainment scenes.

The surf movie posters are relics of that era. They came in various sizes 8"x 11", 9"x 12" and 11"x 14" unlike the monolithic generic movie posters in those days which measured 27" x 41".
The value of surf movie posters are determined by factors of rarity, condition and demand.

They are graded mint, near mint, very good, good , fair and poor just like the way they grade comic books and baseball cards. If you are serious in collecting posters for fun and investment purpose(like thinking of selling you collection in ten years) you should carefully take care of your items like not folding ,marking or exposing it to light or even UV lighting. It’s common sense how you take care of your goods.

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Aloha Shirt

2007-03-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

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Still on the series of collecting Hawaiin kitsch. Aloha shirts or Hawaiin shirts as the rest of the world term this piece of clothing made of exotic, colorful fabrics. The shirts first appeared in the 1930’s.

When Hawaii became a state in 1959 aloha shirts became even more popular along with long flowing muumuus.

Local artists created styles and designs that depicted the lifestyles, experiences and of course the environment of the South Pacific Islands such as the warm balmy breeze, white sandy beaches, crystal blue waters, palm trees and golden sunsets.

Aloha shirts which are manufactured for local use are considered formal, actually wearing them is a cross between formal and informal for you can wear them on the streets on ordinary day and you can as well wear aloha shirts on official business meetings, during weddings or any other important occasions. It is socially accepted norm of dressing whatever the occasion.

Ellery Chun trademarked the name aloha shirts after it become a bestseller. He made the shirts out of unsold fabrics in his store. Soon after, local residents, surfers and tourists came bustling into his store to buy his creations. It was such a big hit especially when celebrities like Elvis Presley and Harry Truman wore the shirts.

Vintage prints and textile from the 1930’s and 40’s are extremely collectable today. They fetch in prices as much as thousands of dollars a piece.

Aloha shirt is as symbolic as any Hawaiin treasure.

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Collecting Hawaiina Gifts Collectible Keepsakes

2007-03-15T18:24:00.000-07:00

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With the modern commercial air travel in the 1950’s somebody who was ‘somebody’, Hawaii was the place to be. Since more and more tourists came to the tropical islands the need for more souvenirs was clear.

Tourists like to take a piece of tropical paradise with them when they went back home.

Savvy business minded folks capitalize on the great market and soon after, the souvenir industry was booming.

The craze caught on and they termed it Hawaiina. To collect Hawaiina gifts collectible keepsakes is a sort of labor of love. There are many to choose from, like the popular hula girls lamps that was first made as carnival prize give away but the demand was high.

The hula girl lamps were now sold exclusively from stores . Before the prices of hula girl lamps would fetch at five dollars a piece. Today an authentic piece would fetch at three thousand dollars.

Then there’s the hula girl nodder or what is popularly known as the dashboard hula dolls. They were imported from Japan and they too became so popular .

Really there is one item for everyone in the family. For dad, there’s a tiki mug, for mom there’s a wooden calabash platter, for sister there’s a whole array of colorful sarongs, ukuleles for your musical friends and for big brother a wooden vintage hawaiin surfboard and hula grass skirt costume for little baby sister.

Just go to your favorite hawaiin site or store and indulge and get the feel of fun and excitement of the tropical island paradise.

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Collecting Tiki

2007-03-15T18:21:00.000-07:00

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Tiki is a representation of ancient hawaiin gods that is skillfully carved in stone or wood. Sometimes too tiny to be worn as an amulet or too large that it could tower over a human being.

There is that familiar grimace and big elliptical snarling mouth that is believed to drive away evil. They were mostly seen scattered around the temples at that time.

During the cruise ship era in the 1930’s when people began visiting Hawaii, they brought souvenirs from their trip in the tropical islands and tikis were one of them. Tikis became popular in mainland U.S. thus creating a popular culture or suburban art movement called Polynesian Pop.

Soon after, tiki themed bars, motels and bowling alleys spread like wildfire across the America. For the people, it represented a frame of mind that is laid back, relaxed, fun and all the taste of the tropics. It was sort of escapism from the harsh realities of life.

But until in the 1970’s the trend fizzled out. Tiki bars and restaurants closed down. There were a multitude of things related to tiki that is sold like tiki matchbooks, mugs napkins, unkillable palm fronds etc.

Lately the second wave of popularity of the tiki is once again here. There’s a certain nostalgia of that time which is dubbed as the lounge and swizzle sticks era. So if there’s a need for certain things there are consequently a market for it.

There are abundant supplies for tikis and all its related memorabilia that are sold whether original or reproduction. Tikinews.com and tikifarm.com provide a place for ‘tikiphiles’ to hangout and browse about their collection.

There are certain conventions as well for tikiphiles where they can don their garish hawaiin shirts, exchange recipes of their favorite tropical drinks and dance the hula all night long and just feel the ‘ambience’ of the tropics and just soak it up.

If you want to start tiki collecting make sure the mugs do have sharp details and collect from the bars and restaurants that are no longer in business and look at the manufacturer legend at the bottom of the mugs.

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Collecting Vintage Kou Milo Ukeleles Uke

2007-03-15T18:11:00.000-07:00

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Hawaii contributed slack key guitar, steel string guitar and the dimunitive ukulele to the family of musical string instruments. The ukulele catches the world’s attention because of its tone and size.

Although the first ukulele was first made in Braga, Portugal that’s why it was called barginha before it got in the hands of the natives in Hawaii by way of Portuguese migration to the Hawaiin islands in !777.

Joao Fernandes was the first ever public performance playing the ukulele. The Hawaiin Royal family at that time like it so much that, local manufacturers made its foray in mass production of the instrument.

The world was first introduced to the hawaiin music and the ukulele was in 1915 during the celebration of the completed Panama Canal. Seventeen million people experienced the whole hawaiin musical genre that it became very popular considering the world population at that time. The music and the ukulele went well with the fashion at that time too.

Carrying the ukulele while wearing straw hat, raccoon coat and striped blazer was very vogue at that time. The ukulele is light and portable, playing it, sure made everyone you around smile.

The ukulele went through a musical roller coaster. Popular one time and in the closet the next. There were many factors , the great depression in the 1920’s, rock and roll, Vietnam.

Authentic vintage kou milo ukeleles are pretty much hawaiin made, had a legend ‘tabu’ on every ukulele made at that time. Hawaii had triumphantly gained a patent on the instrument. Although the rest of the world make ukuleles but the hawaiins can proudly call it their very own.

Depending on the preference of the collectors, one thing they would consider is the manufacturer. Companies like Martin, Gibson , Lyon etc. are considered of the best quality. The most popular ones are made by C.F. Martin Company of Pa.

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Collecting Hawaiin Surf Surfing Collectible Boards

2007-03-15T18:08:00.000-07:00

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Let’s face it, the hawaiin experience is where it all started. Early hawaiins rode the waves using half logs just to test their manhood.

Hawaii being the ‘Mecca’ of the surf world , means owning anything hawaiin as far as surfing is concern would be the most coveted.

Did you know that in early times the folks in Hawaii before cutting a tree to make surfboards, would first bury a fish underneath the tree? Yes it’s a form of ritual, an offering to the gods. They applied various forms of incantations and consecration as part of their ritual.

Surboards were made from different kinds of trees using bone and stone tools to shape it. Balsa was the most widely used wood because it’s lighter. But modern surfboards are now made in polyurethane encased in fiberglass and polyester to make it even lighter but sturdier. There are also surfboards that are made in aluminum or carbon fiber.

When it comes to hydrodynamics, some makers apply fins on their creations.

There are now variety of surfboards to choose from starting with hawaiin made balsa wood, longboards, shortboards, hybrids, retros, eggs, bigboys, midrange and guns.

The craze of collecting surfboards and its memorabilia like surf books, magazines and posters are today bigger than ever. Collectors say the thrill is in the hunt and validation of the find.

You don’t have to connect yourself to a body of water to really savor and enjoy your surfboards, although you can. But surfboards nowadays are also the focal points of any residential or commercial establishments as their main theme or décor.

The monetary values of surfboards are subjective. There are no surefire measure. One key is just to collect the kinds you really like. You could place ads in a physical newspaper or advertise online if you want to buy, trade or sell your surfboards.

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Collecting Hawaiin Kitsch

2007-03-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

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Collectibles and Memorabilia.

Hawaiina or collecting all things hawaiin are sought after collectors for years or even decades.

For hawainna collectors owning a piece of tangible artifacts brings back a time when you are in a tropical paradise, away from all the cares of the reality of the world.

It brought a taste of the tropics that promise fun and excitement.

Hawaii being one of the top tourist destinations of the world provided visitors a lot of gifts and keepsakes from their exotic island travels, thus the souvenir industry in Hawaii today, is big business.

Little odd and ends, like hula girl lamps, hula doll nodders or popularly known as dashboard hula dolls, surfboards, aloha shirts, ukuleles, hawainn vintage posters, and tikis are among the things collectors would like to own.

Hawaiina’s heyday were in the fifties until seventies. They even dubbed it as Polynesian Pop and America just naturally embraced it. James Michener’s best selling novel The Tales of the South Pacific and the broadway musical hit South Pacific were all proofs that hawaiin influence were marked in the American cultural landscape.

Although Polynesian Pop waned in the seventies, it made a huge comeback brought on by scenesters in their twenties and a generation younger than baby boomers .

And from the rate I’ts going Hawaiina or Polynesian Pop or whatever you would call it, is here to stay.

So let this introduction be the first of its series on hawaiin kitsch collecting.
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Memorabilia.

Collecting Art Noveau

2007-02-27T17:13:00.000-08:00

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Collectibles and Memorabilia.

Towards the end of the nineteenth century many of the more progressive artists grew tired of the heavy, ornate architecture, decoration and design of the time, which still contained the obvious influence of Classical, Baroque, Renaissance, Rococo and other styles.

Then there was a reaction called a revolt. It took the form of a return to simplicity, craftsmanship and a flowing line. The result was Art Noveau.

Today, Art Noveau pieces are quite expensive and from an investment point of view they would seem to be oversubscribed just like the stock market. This is because of two major points: first, the period of this style was relatively short(around twenty years) and secondly , much of it was hand –made.

Combine those two facts together its fairly obvious that the quantity of Art Noveau are limited. The law of supply and demand is driving prices up and the same law should ensure that those prices rise even higher.

Although Art Noveau is now sought after and the prices are generally beyond most pockets bear in mind that this style penetrated all aspects of life and many household articles can be found that won’t make a large hole in your pocket.

Ceramic tiles are one example. Thousands of fireplaces , bathrooms surrounds and hallways in old houses are decorated with Art Noveau tiles and firms demolishing such houses are usually careful when removing them.

If you decide to collect tiles, your investment will increase at a greater rate if you collect in sets. That would be sufficient to cover a small coffee table or what have you.

Like most things, Art Noveau furniture often reaches a stage of deterioration where it is either thrown away or sold cheaply. If you have the opportunity obtain such pieces, scrutinize them carefully because it might have furniture fittings that are distinctive and collectable.

If you have an interest in books, keep an eye for illustrated books of this period. A title that a bookseller might consider unimportant because of the lack of popularity of the author might well be worth buying for the illustrations or the design on the cover.

Finally, don’t forget the everyday objects that are easily overlooked. Examples that spring to mind are picture frames and cheese dishes.

Such items can still be picked up relatively cheaply and compiling a collection of either would constitute an excellent investment.

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Memorabilia.

Collecting Matchboxes

2007-02-27T17:07:00.000-08:00

Collecting Matchboxes and Match Booklets

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Collectibles and Memorabilia.

The first friction match was invented by Dr. Charles Sauria in France in 1831. The fact is that the collecting of matchboxes, booklets and containers is already well established and can show a good profit if you really get to know your subject.

There are three main areas for collecting-specially made match containers, original matchboxes and match booklets.

The most decorative and possibly the most profitable are containers that were specially made to hold matches.

Some of the best examples of special matchboxes are in gold or silver, made by master craftsmen. Others were decorated with enamel and sometimes studded with precious stones. There are also containers made in pewter, pinchbeck, brass , electroplate, etc.

The collecting of original matchboxes is a little more difficult because at that time nobody thought they would ever be collected.

Before the introduction of phosphorous, early matches produced such a firework display of sparks and a cloud of toxic gas that the manufacturers were compelled to spell out the danger on their matchboxes like "Matches can damage your health" long before cigarettes.

Match booklets since their introduction in America around 1890, have been collected in albums just like postage stamps. And of course when there’s interest and demand, there’s money.

The main reason for match booklets becoming collectable is because from the start they were used as an advertising medium and so had a lot of attractive diversity, and they can easily be mounted in an album.

So depending on your interest and budget you can collect specially made match containers, matchboxes or match booklets.

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Memorabilia.

Collecting Banknotes/ Paper Money

2007-01-18T02:15:00.000-08:00

This came into common usage in Europe in the latter part of the seventeenth century, in the form of bills, drafts and promissory notes used by bankers and merchants.

But the history of paper money goes back beyond that time, and is genrally accepted as having originated in china around a.d.700.

It took the form of paper drafts and developed into paper money redeemable in coin around a.d. 1000

It is interesting to note that these early banknotes were issued in great number with little or no regard for the economy.

The result was raging inflation and the downfall of the government in this case a dynasty. Nearly two thousand years later we still have the same trouble. Will we never learn?

Apart from the traditional old paper money there is a great potential in the banknotes of new or emerging countries.

Quite often a coup will overturn a government and the new leader immediately orders the elimination or withdrawal of that country’s currency so that he can get his own portrait on the new issue. This sort of situation could well lead to a shortage of a particular note.

One collector of banknotes framed his collection in a glass with a black velvet cloth as a background. His collection has also increased substantially in value and as decorative scheme , the effect is absolutely stunning.

Art Deco

2006-11-05T17:58:00.000-08:00

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Art Deco refers to all decorative designs between world war one and two. The investing collector have a wide array of items to choose from because Art Deco extends to a long period of time.

Art Deco connotes to a period rather than a style. this is the era of the flapper, the charleston and the wallstreet crash. It penetrated all aspects of life from clothing to buildings, from egg cups to office furniture. the collector has a vast field from which to select.

Ceramic vases,porcelain figures,bone china,porcelain tea and coffee sets of the art deco era are rapidly rising in prices.

Since the opening of tutankhamen's tomb in 1923 egyptian designs and motiffs started to appear in everything like clocks were designed with scarab wing sides and dining chairs with stepped pyramid like backs.

Art Deco hold the most promise for the enthusiatic who wishes to consider his collection as an investment.

Collecting Vintage Watches

2006-10-16T22:18:00.000-07:00

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One of the achievements of early man is the invention of time. back in the olden days we measured the day through sun's daily motion and and placement of the moon of a certain amount of cycle. That's how we enabled to keep the time.

We decided that the year is composed of 365 days and the day is composed of 24 hours. Since then we were able to keep appointments to be at a given place and at a given time.

Early man used sundial to waterclock and much later years to spring driven clock which eventually led to the miniaturization to the pocket watch then ultimately to the wrist watch.

Now how do we know that a certain vintage watch is valuable? well factor in availabilty, craftmanship, history and desirability. If certain timepieces were made in a batch of millions compared to only 300 pieces made. Then the latter fetch a more hefty price.

Condition is more important than the brand. Check out the movement and the inside of the casing . iIf there's discoloration, dings, scratches, blotches, flecks of rust be wary of all of these signs for it meant abusive wear and tear and watch parts swapping.

If a watch is part of a major turning point in history of mankind then consider the watch prestigious. The Longines hour angle watch worn by Charles Lindbergh when he made his solo flight the first ever over the Atlantic.

The explorer by rolex which is known for its triangle on the 12 on the dial both for roman and arabic numbers worn both by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay when they summited Nt. Everest for the first time in history and of course lastly but certainly not the least the omega speedmaster worn by Neil Armstrong when he first landed on the moon. The slogan still lives on" Omega Speedmaster the first watch on the moon".

Collecting vintage watches while fun can be easily become an obsession. It's easy to be addicted to acquiring these timeless time keeping artifacts. depending on your personal taste and budget you might want to collect pocketwatches, wristwatches-chronographs, led and lcd watches etc.

Back in the early nineties swatch company made collecting watches more affordable with all these psychedelic colorful designs on plastic.

Which by the way i have a sizable colection. now i'm hoping to get my hands on some led watches where in you just push a little button and light would emit displaying what time it is.

I think it's vogue to sport these watches because not too many people are wearing it nowadays. and also it brings back a lot of memories especially the disco dancing, mirrorball, white suit and john travolta of the 70's.

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Collecting Vintage Photographs

2006-10-06T21:48:00.000-07:00

ia cameron,

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles Memorabilia.

The majority of us can't afford a picasso that's why collecting vintage photographs is the second choice. Personally, if my pockets were deeper collecting vintage photographs would be my passion.

There are many factors that makes a vintage photographs collectible and valuable.

1. Prints made before the advent of the negative even if just one or two years prior. and especially oversized american photographs like twelve inches by eighteen and up because this also predates the enlarger.

2. The condition of the print whether paper, silver or albumin (paper washed with egg white to fix the chemicals) must be flawless without tear, stains or other flaws. It will surely appreciate in value.

3. Estate print. This is a print made by someone else after the photographer has died. Though this is less expensive than vintage prints.

4. Editioning. Some photographers number their prints and limit how many they make in order to create rarity. If a great photographer does this its called canny marketing, if a lesser known photographer does this its called hubris.

You can go for whatever theme you want to pursue in collecting vintage photographs. one way is to accumulate a whole album of pictures taken in th early years.

Acquiring one old photograph may not mean much but a whole album of old pictures would prove to be more valuable and in the long run profitable. you can also use the "then and now" approach.

If you happen to stumble upon aphotograph of a certain place, just wait for the right time to take another picture of the exact same place, taken at the same angle. You can display it in frames opposite from the other. isn't that interesting?

Next is to find a vintage photograph with lots of people in it , like the one above. then trace the history of each person in the picture, make a complete dossier of all the people in the picture.

Or you could only accumulate photographs thematically like, collecting only sports pictures, fashion pictures, people wearing hats, or pictures that have cigarettes in it.

Photographs taken by great photographers especially in the early years like Juila Cameron, Ansel Adams, Herb Ritts, David Lachapelle, Irving Penn and Robert Frank just to name a few would fetch in five thousand to a hundred grand and even appreciate more in value in years to come.

In this era, digital technology made taking pictures inexpensive but if you want to be the first digital photograph collector go ahead,who knows digital may soon become the thing of the past.

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collecting vintage photographs
vintage photographs
ansel adams
herb ritts
david lachapelle
julia cameron
iriving penn
robert frank

Collecting Sewing Machines

2006-09-28T02:07:00.000-07:00

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If you want to collect sewing machines you have to have a lot of space in your house because it would really be futile to collect these machines if you live in a cramped situation. one catalogue of singer sewing machines and its accessories alone would weigh 12 pounds.

Sewing machines are considered an industrial archeaology the old ones that is. In fact Mahatma gGndhi said that "sewing machines are one of the few useful things ever invented."

Numerous men claimed to have invented the sewing machines but in the early years it was destroyed because seamstresses are threatened of their livelihood. It wasn't until Isaac Merrit Singer an American built his first machine in boston in 1850. He was granted patents and started to mass produced his machines.

Sewing machines like in the picture above were elegant in shape, black decorated with gold. many of these machines are still in working condition even after fifty years of use.

If you want to collect sewing machines you have to look out for companies that produced fewer machines than singer or maybe imported ones. Portable machines fetch better prices in account of rarity and economy of storage space.

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collecting sewing machines
singer sewing machines"

Collecting Plates

2006-09-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles Memorabilia.

Collecting plates are more popular than any other pieces of a dinner set because it is easy to display. you just hang it on the wall or put it on the shelf just like a picture.

In the middle of the nineteenth century many british firms were manufacturing china ware. dinner sets that composed of a hundred pieces. a lot of thses sets were broken up thus plates of these sets were mostly collected, unlike cups or tureen dishes.

Many of these plates from broken collections were extremely fine and became more and more scarce. surely plates from these broken sets will appreciate in value.

Another popular item is the green-glaze ware.this is earthen ware in the form of leaves or embossed on the surface. i think one popular example of this is the recently reported majolica plates that were auction at estimated $75 to $250 in retail at an antique shop.Majolica plates are best known for its transparent glaze, limited color palette and most of its designs are ferns, leaves and butterflies .

Or you can decide to collect perforated plates. these have perforated pattern punched out around the rim. many were produced as souvenirs or cake dishes.

You might start browsing around thrift stores, who knows you might discover thrash or hopefully treasure.

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collecting plates
china ware
dinner sets

Railway Bric A Brac

2006-09-15T20:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques
Collectibles and Memorabilia.

People obviously have this obsessional interest in railways. Why? because it all lies in the bric a brac that railways accumulated. there are signs, buttons, uniforms, equipment and much more. In short, railways have more collectibles.

Of course such popularity means that prices will be bouyant, but that's good if you can locate a reasonable source of supply to build up a comprehensive collection.

And as usual to make more impact invesment wise you should collect thematically. station name signs are a popular theme. Uniform badges, buttons or even complete uniforms are also collected- badges in particular because they not only provide information but can be stored easily.

Train nameplates are the cream of the railyway bric a brac, along with the ornate company crests.then there are tickets, handbills, posters, guard's whistles,lamps ,transport tokens, ticket dispensers, waiting room clock and so on. The range of collectable themes in railway bric a brac is bewildering thus its fascinating.

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Memorabilia.
Railway Bric a Brac
Collection
Collectibles

Trade Tokens

2006-09-12T17:20:00.001-07:00

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Collectibles and Memorabilia.

Trade tokens come in different forms such as pressed tin, in round, oval and square shapes. the other are lightweight brass coloured metal.

Trade tokens are the predecessor of the trading stamp.sometimes governments have been unwilling or unable to provide the population with sufficient small change, and the shopkeepers and traders have made good the shortage with token coins. Sometimes they have been produced illegally, but most have been accepted by the community out of necessity.

And even when there were no coin shortages, it was often in practice, in the past for traders and private banks to issue such coinage. In fact, the procedure was only suppressed early in the nineteenth century.

Strangely, the practice did not survive. Some firms manufactured tokens specially for collectors and other tokens were struck by collectors for their fellow collectors. These were made in very small quantities and are consequently rather scarce.

Another fascinating aspect of trade tokens is the variety of false tokens. there are counterfeits which are imitations or forgeries of genuine trade tokens; special tokens which have an original design but which copy a commercial one in order to deceive collectors: and mules-tokens in which the obverse of one token is combined with the reverse of another, in order to make a third.

You need to know a lot or do a lot of research if you consider investing and collecting trade tokens.they have been collected for so many years and that there's plenty of opportunity for someone who really knows what he's doing.

There are plenty of variety of tokens in the first half of the 20th century but then trade tokens of the current century could prove to be a sound investment.

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Memorabilia.

Trade Tokens

Kitchen Ware

2006-09-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

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You don't usually hang paintings in the kitchen and the dining table rarely sees works of srt other than perhaps some real repositories for a vast range of collectibles.

The sliced loaf virtually rendered the breadboard extinct. on the other hand collectors are most apt to think that the breadboards can be extremely attractive and collectable.

The main interest centers on their decoration, which is often extremely ornate and sometimes a tribute to the woodcarver's art. you can pick up breadboards with coats of arms, flowers, animals or intricate designs round the edges. Shape too, is varied-they were mostly round, but squares, rectangles and ovals are unusual.

Unlike breadboards, caddy spoons have not been overlooked by the collector's market. these are small spoons used for measuring tea out of the caddy. With their short,stubby handle and large, shallow spoon bowl, they are extremely distinctive. Early caddy spoons, particularly silver ones, are now quite expensive. electroplated spoons of the 1840-1900 should fetch in very good prices.

The kitchen is really a place for cooking, so what better theme for kitchen ware than cooking utensils? in particular you could collect those utensils which were innovative in their time, for examples, many saucepans or accessories which have been designed to prevent milk boiling over. from an aesthetic point of view well-polished copper pans provide a spectacular display, particularly if they have brass fittings.

Then there are items such as fish kettles, tea urns, coffemakers, kettles and even electric toasters. in fact, they have invariably been made with both efficiency and eye appeal in mind, a collection of toasters, from their days until today should prove both attractive and profitable.

Have you ever stopped to think about how much paraphernalia has been attached to the egg over the years? first of all, there's the common egg-cup. silver, ceramic, cooper, electroplate, wood, plastic and of course the double and even triple egg cup.

Egg boilers which had a tiny bell that rang when the eggs are ready.then there are egg-timers, egg poachers and so on.

Graters and mincers have always played an important part in the kitchen, particularly in the pre-electric blender and mixer era.

The humble cheese and general purpose grater has been made in a wide number of shapes and a collection would be quite interesting.

Mincers could fare a little better, but the trouble is that the original design was obviously so efficient that to this day thay are virtually unchanged.

In early days, people used to carry these tiny nutmeg graters in their pockets. They were used to add spice to their food and drink. They were considered indispensable by many.

Most nutmeg graters were wholly or partly made of silver and they are fetching extremely good prices even more so in the future.

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Nauticals

2006-08-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

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Nauticals or maritime objects are hardly a single subject more like a dozen or so. take bosuns' pipes for example.

these were especially designed high pitch whistle that could be heard above the roar of a raging sea. they were developed somewhere around 1650 and were usually made of brass, copper varnished or painted to prevent salt-water corrosion.

some later ones were fashioned in pure silver. bosuns' pipes are not particularly cheap, but you can build up a collection at reasonable prices if you go for 1900-1920 electro plated models.

crested crockery- is another worthwhile collectable. most shipping lines and large liners had and still have crested crockery and this is enthusiastically collected.

If you haven't have the space or inclination for complete sets of crockery, you can still build up a worthwhile collection of plates or mugs.

You might prefer maritime ephemera. This is a fascinating branch of nauticals which includes travel tickets, bills of lading, menus, posters etc.

Collectibles with a particular nautical flavor are navigation instruments. these include sextants, parallel rulers ,compasses etc.

iIdon't think you'll find many bargain basement sextants because they are not only coveted by collectors many people with money to burn buy the brass variety as decorative items. I remember in high school i used to hang out at my classmates's house, her father was captain of a local shipping liner, there hung on the wall a very prominent ship's navigating wheel serve as the focal point of decoration in their living room.

And i used to marvel at the idea that the decoration of their living room had something to do with the owner's occupation.

If you want to build up such a collection at a reasonable price go for the basic chartwork navigation instruments. This include roller parallel, extending leg rulers, dividers, station pointers, chart magnifiers and navigational set squares. these "tools of the trade" are often overlooked among more exotic goods, but the very essence of navigation will be more sought after in the near future.

One of the most fascinating nautical collectibles is scrimshaw also known as scrimshouting, scrimshandy or just plain scrim- the sailor's art. basically, it consists of engraved or carved materials such as whalebone, walrus, tusk, shell etc. fashioned by sailors with the point of a knife, nail or other sharp instrument.

Finally there are the real prize pieces for collectors-the ship's helm and bell. you certainly won't find any bargains in this direction for they are wildly sought after.

However if divers find a wreck, they keep an eye out for the helm and bell. after a long submersion the helm is normally pretty grotty because the wood has rotted, but the bell usually made from marine brass can often be brought back to as new condition.

The hydrographic department of the admiralty has lists of something like 60,000 wrecks that have sunk around britain alone the last century. i don't suppose divers have visited more than one per cent of those wrecks just think about how many helms and bells that are awaiting collection.

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tags:
helm and bell , antique sextants, antique compass

Camera Lenses

2006-08-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

Pictures show different types of early camera lenses .

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles Memorabilia.

The earliest camera lenses are particularly attractive with highly polished brass mounts and impressive waterhouse stops or rotating diaphragms.They are also extremely practical because with the aid of bellows attachment or extension tubes, they can be used on almost any modern single lens reflex camera.

Camera enthusiasts are of course always on the lookout for such goodies which can still be found under a pile of bric-a-brac in many junk shops.

Sometimes you will come across an old camera that has been damaged beyond repair. don't ignore it- the lens might be in perfect condition. If you ever come across such a specimen and find the lens easily detachable, whatever you do don't throw the camera away, no matter how damaged because the body can tell the historian much about the lens, period etc.

Very early lenses comprised a single meniscus lens, such as the one developed by W.H. Woolaston around 1812. However this was just before the invention of photography and was used in examples of the camera obscura.

One of the pioneers of phtography was daguerre and the first photographs he took used a doublet lens made by c.l. chavalier in 1830.This particualr design was improved by thomas grubb.

The first lens to be calculated by a mathematician was a portrait lens designed by j.petzval in 1840. this was improved upon by h.zincke in 1870.the petzval portrait lens is worth looking out for, because it was frequently set in large, cumbersome mount and for this reason is often overlooked.

The next major development was the rectilinear lens. but none of this lenses could be improved very much because of the constrictions imposed by the limitations of the glass of the day.

However in the latter part of the nineteenth century new types of glass were devloped and this led to P. Rudolph to design the fisrt anastigmat.these were called protars. the anastigmat can fairly be called the fisrt photographic lens of the modern type.

Apart from those i mentioned above, lenses woth looking out for are Steinheil's Periscope , H.W.Lee's optic merte's biotar and there are many more.

A basic lens will invariably have an aperture. This may be fixed as in the earliest lenses; waterhouse stops; arotating diaphragm( perforated discs); or the now universal iris diaphragm. You could specialize in lenses with specific apertures.

On the other hand, there's a lot of investment mileage in lens shutters. at one time there were literally dozens of types of shutter, ranging from simple spring and leaf to complicated pneumatic tubes and plungers. all of them are increasing interest to collectors.

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tag:
camera lenses

Cameras

2006-08-26T01:12:00.000-07:00

pictures show a bellow camera model and an old eastman kodak model.

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles Memorabilia.

Old cameras are some of the most attractive scientific instruments, fashioned from mahogany and other exotic woods, with detailed joints and exquisite brass fittings. Some people just get a sheer joy of waxing and polishing the brasswork.

Early camers used glass plates for negatives and these plates required plate holders. If you get the chance to buy an old plate camera, ask about the plate holders. A plate camera with plate holder is much more valuable than the camera on its own.

The earliest camera were large and cumbersome and were without bellows. they usually consisted of two wooden boxes one sliding into the other. Dating from before 1840 such specimens could cost you you a years' salary today, if in good condition.

Bellow cameras came later but these are still expensive. Although early bellow camers were made in several sizes, negative or plate format, the smaller camera fetch pproportionately better prices but this is only relative virtually all early cameras are now quite expensive.

You need lines of research although there are books on the subject of old cameras they are rarely comprehensive. By far the best source of information is old photgraphic magazines - a case of advertising documenting history.

You might fancy collecting eastman kodak cameras from the earliest models right up to today's.

Between the wars cameras offer plenty of scope.

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Model car

2006-08-26T00:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

One type of model that has definitely attained more collectable status in recent years is the model car.

Not the large scale hand crafted models although there is a market for them but the mass produced variety which is the equivalent of the lead soldier.

I'm not talking about the rc (radio controlled) model car either.Although we'll delve into that area in future posts.

Several manufacturers around the world produce such cars, but we can get a better idea of the procedure if we study just one of those firms-in this case the matchbox model cars manufactured by Lesney products of england.

Lesney produced several series including superfast adventure 2000 and models of yesteryear and it is the latter that is most highly sought after by collectors.

These matchbox models come in their own little boxes hence the name. There is a matchbox only diecast club which needless to say is focused on the diecast model car and an official model car magazine that describes various models provides a means of communication and includes advertisements. And such is the enthusiasm of collectors that good money is offered even for old catalogues.

Collecting diecast model cars only may seem fairly simple procedure, but if youre going to do it properly(which is where the investment potential is) then you need to know all about your product.

If you know what you are looking for you might find that missing modified version for your set of whitlock winkum, dumpers, jeeps, lagondas or model T fords. And the demand of old models exceeds supply as can be seen by the classified ads of the matchbox magazine.

And it is much considered that your item is collectible and in mint condition especially if it still comes in their original boxes like this one in the picture. It is advisable that you have a decent model car display case for your collections.

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tags:
model car, diecast model car, model car magazines ,rc model car, model car display case,Matchbox

Model Soldiers

2006-08-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

There's a wide scope of collectibles in this field like the artilleries, battle ships and tanks, the whole diorama. But let's stick with model soldiers for this post.

When it comes to model toy soldiers there are lot of categories to choose from like medieval knights, ancient romans, the samurais, highlanders, the celts and the gauls, civil war and the two world wars. The picture shows a model soldier from the Napoleonic war.

One advantage of collecting model soldiers is that although an individual soldier might have a rather limited value, sets of soldiers, in dress uniforms or particular military settings command high prices.

So it's possible to build up collections that become more and more valuable with each addition. Famous sets such as the Royal Engineer's baloon and Winchwagon or the household cavalry at the trooping of the colour are now greatly sought after by avid collectors.

Britain has in the past been a major manufacturer of model soldiers, and now ranks as the world's largest producer. This means that there is a greater likelihood of finding early examples in Britain than anywhere else in the world.

The earliest model soldiers produced in the 16th century were two dimensional flats made from pure tin and mounted on small stands. The 30mm Nuremberg scale was not adopted until 1848.

In the late 1890's William britain of london developed the process of casting hollow three-dimensional figures. This led to marked changes in the manufacture of model soldiers. Britain's soldiers were not only more realistic and detailed than the German ones, but their hollow structure meant that they required far less metal and were consequently cheaper as a result.

The early British model soldiers can be distinguished by their round bases; square bases came in later. Plastic took the place of lead alloy in 1966.

The fact that lead soldiers are no longer being made, coupled with the world wide demand from collectors and the continued enthusiasm for war games, means that there is an increasing scarcity. So if you gradually build up good sets of soldiers you will probably get a very favourable roi.

Fyi, the publishing icon Malcolm Forbes also collected model toy soldiers.

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Radios

2006-08-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

I can still vividly recall when i was just about 5 years old ,i used to listen music and local soap opera to our big wooden boxed radio. I had many good times with that radio.

I can still remember when i took off the back covering of the radio, there were protruding glass tubes.Yes those were the years when the microchip wasn't invented yet and nano-technology was just a figment of someone's imagination.

Now there's that nagging question as whatever happened to my beloved radio? It would really seem nice just to have one of those antique radios around the house. Antiques radios are great conversation pieces and the nostalgia that it would have brought will be greatly welcome.

Unlike modern transistor radios, old radios were designed not only to receive radio waves, but also to be attractive pieces of furniture.

In Britain broadcasting began around 1920 so there were commercial models before this time. But of course the principles have been practised since the turn of a century ago. It was the invention of the radio valve by fleming in 1904 that paved the way to broadcasting.

The earliest models were little more than plain wooden boxes but in no time the radio housing became the focal point for designers and cabinetmakers who produced furnitures which while dated, is still a marvel of workmanship in mahogany, teak,lacquer and other finishes.

In addition this was the era of early plastics, including bakelite which is a collecting subject in its own right.

if we take as a guideline the assumption that antique radios are only of those of the valve era then our collecting period ends just after 1948 when the transistor was invented.

Most mechanical collectibles like typewriters, sewing machines, clocks and radios are better investment collection if they are still working.

So it is much better preferred that you have the knowhow to fix your own "machine". And if you have any interest in the repair and construction side of radios there are other areas that could open up for you.

I can only predict that there will be an increasing demand for radios as collectibles, but a demand for people who can service them as well.

In conjunction with the collecting of radios, keep an eye for literature on the subject. Pre war books in particular are available if you are creative and resourceful enough to find them.

Find the ones with circuit diagrams, for the price will swiftly rise as old radios become more popular.

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Clocks

2006-08-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

Antique grandfather clocks are invariably expensive and therefore outside the scope of this post. also out of our price range are the beautiful and much more collectible early time pieces known as the carriage clocks.

Clock repairing is a worth mentioning skill if your are to be a successful investor in clock collecting. But that doesn't sound so overwhelming due to the fact that antique clocks have quite a simple mechanism. If you have a knack at repairing antique clocks and veneer repairs then you're in! The fact is, there are many excellent clocks that are sold next to nothing, because of the cost of repairs.

American square clock were being mass-produced in America in 1830's to meet the demand for timepieces. The Americans proved to be powerful and more succesful that British made clocks imports were prohibited.

Mantel clocks are timepieces that have become virtual fixtures in many households, were so numerous that you have a wide choice of themes within that category.

The Victorians and Edwardians loved heavy, ornamental mantel clocks with inlaid woods, and they also had a preference for those dark marble edifices that remind one of a mausoleum. The heavy slate German mantel pieces are similarly cheap, but the French gilded mantel clocks are prettier, more expensive and elusive unless you can do your own repairs.

Another form of clock is the brass and gilt clock under a glass dome. You can see the insides of the clock through the dome.They are popular until today, because they are very attractive and so they don't come cheap.

Going back to clocks in general, there's also a scope for the investing collector in all kind of art deco clocks .Then there's the electric clock. You could bring technology right up to date by collecting only battery operated clocks.

In the area of time keeping field watch pads or watch paper are noteworthy. These were small discs of paper, cotton or even silk which fitted snugly inside the backs of watches mainly to keep dust from getting inside. A collection of watch papers, mounted like a stamp album is sure to interest all watch and clock lovers and will appreciate in price accordingly.

Another watch accessory is the watch stand. It is meant to hold the pocket watch when not carried on the person.These were made in ceramic,wooden and porcelain.

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tags:
antique clocks,grandfather clocks,antique mantel clocks,clock repairing

Pipes

2006-08-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

It may well be true that smoking can damage your health, but if you collect pipes instead your health and your wallet could prosper.

The smoking pipe has, of course been with us for centuries. the american indians used it first and early forms of such pipes, carved from various stones that can be found in museums.

The principle and basic design of the pipe is so simple that it hardly seems possible for any wide variation, but in fact the pipe collector is well advised to specialize, because of the diversity available.

Meerschaum pipe smoking and Briar pipe smoking are among of the many variations of antique pipe smoking types. The clay smoking pipe and the intricately designed procelain German made smoking pipe are also among the popular ones.

Early smokers were discouraged by high taxes so the clay pipe bowl were smaller no more than 9.5mm less than half an inch in diameter. It is also angled forward more than the modern pipes, but over the years ,the bowl was made more upright until it was set at the right angle to the stem.

The very cheapest clay pipes were plain but most of the collectables are those with bowls made into shapes such as faces of humans or animals.

If you get to see a collection of clay pipes, you may notice that it consists of a bowl only. it is because the stems were brittle and break easily. Most clay pipes were dug or excavated so the remaining components are the bowls only. Stemless clay smoking pipe that is.

Ever since the pipes were first used they have been plagued with so many faults like wet bowls, in which the bottom part of the tobacco become soaked and the smoker gurgles when he takes a drag. Overdry bowls, when the dry smoke is so hot it burns the tongue or the wind causing the tobacco to burn much too quickly.

In an effort to eliminate these"faults" a whole army of inventores applied their expertise to produced literally hundreds of smoking pipes that were designed to take special filters, said to eliminate soggy bottom and a variety of "storm" guards to allow the tobacco to burn evenly.

You may be interested to know that innovations claiming to cure these faults are still being produced, leaving more examples for future collectors.

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Paperweights

2006-08-23T17:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

Paperweights are collected by millionaires, who pay enormous sums for selected French Baccarat, Clichy and St.Louis examples or you can rummage around many a bargain basement for some of the less expensive, but still attractive, chinese and advertising items.

The best known type of paperweights is the domed "Millefiore" variety that was first made by the glassworkers on the island of mMrano, near Venice using techniques adapted from Egyptian glassmakers.

The Murano paperweights originated early in the 19th century and were made until around 1850. Leading exponents of these early types include Bigaglia and Franchini.

The French became interested in the Millefiore paperweights and the three factories started producing superb paperweights that now fetch the highest prices, for a period of fifteen years.they were not at all Millefiore, the French produced dazzling flowers, fruit, mushroom and insects.

England produced good quality paperweights through Bacchus, Whitefriars and others, while at the same time the best ever American paperweights were being made by Mount Washington, New England glass, Gillinder and others .The American paperweights in particular or rather some of them are now the second most expensive after the French.

The history of paperweights does not end there .Green bottle weights were produced by Kilner of Wakefield, Nailsea until the end of the 2nd world war.

So the question remains what paperweights will make a good investment? many modern paperweights will soon rival the high quality the French made from centuries ago. So the newer approach is to buy paperweights with more character and less price.

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Tin Boxes

2006-08-23T17:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

Although at first it may seem strange that packaging items should become collectibles. The whole idea becomes more understandable when you consider that packaging is invariably designed to attract to have mass appeal.

The earliest tins that are available are hand made dating from the middle of the 19th century. They had intricately decorated papaer covers and were hardly ever found in good condition, yet they still fetch good prices.

The real price for the tin box collector is a genuine "Huntley and Palmer' this company is best known for its biscuits, but it was Thomas Huntley who really started the ball rolling. The west country stagecoach used to pass his reading shop, and he conceived the bright idea of selling his biscuits in air-tight tins made by his brother joseph. Gradually the designs become more and more elaborated.

The prices of tin boxes are continually rising. beacuse prices are high, it's obviously not a good idea to purchase from shops or stalls. There must simply millions of such boxes lying around in homes and old junk shops. Sometimes they surface at jumble sales or flea markets.

The first shaped tins were produced towards the end of the 19th century. While the really intricate shapes do not date back much further than 1600. But the real heyday of the tin box, for my money, is the period between the wars, when the most unusual shapes were develop.

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Barometers

2006-08-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

Weather forecasting has always held a certain fascination, and collecting forecasting instruments such as weather vanes or barometers is an international pursuit.

The barometer is scientific instrument in which the basic principle has remained virtually unaltered through centuries. Its packaging has undergone changes over the years. These alterations in style quite often reflect develpoments in cabinet making and the popularity of certain period designs.

The barometer works on the principle of measuring atmospheric pressure by a column of mercury or a metal drum. it was invented by the italian Evangelista Torricelli(1698-1747) who was a pupil of Galileo.

Early models were called stick barometers. These are long columns or strips of wood housing the mercury tube, with a graduated card behind the tube. several kinds of wood were popular for making stick barometers, but the earliest examples were in walnut.

There's the wheel barometer who was invented by Robert Hooke(1635-1703). Then there's the modern aneroid barometer and several variations came after that.

Barometers that were made from the periods of art nouveau and art deco are recommended. Also collectibles with an advertising motiff or legend on the dial.

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Medals

2006-08-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

When a dubious salesman is trying to sell you a well worn out medal. I'll bet he's going to say that there are two collectible types of medals. One that is in mint condition and one that has frayed ribbon and such.

It is advisable that if you collect medals, it should be in pristine condition.

Medals were issued first to certain officers for distinguished services during the civil war, but the first general issue of medals to British forces was the 1816 Waterloo medals.

Because medal collecting is quite popular, it is also riddled with fake copies. like for instance a medal with many bars, which on the aesthetic point of view is desirable but you have to know , do the bars belong to that particular decoration?

The name or the number of the recipient might be substituted. so it is really essential that you go buy and read a book about medal collecting, subscribe to medal collecting magazine, join an organization and get yourself acquainted to military history, before you start collecting.

Most of the British war and campaign medals, up to the second world war, bear the name, number, rank and the regiment or unit of the receiver.With the assistance of the public record office, regimental units and museums you can build up a dossier of the holder of a particular medal .

This way you can make a medal appreciate in value. If you are all bent in such research you can beaver away on several medals at the same time, creating individual files for each.

The depth of your research depends on you. It could be anything from a record of the action in which the medal was won to a comprehensive life story of the holder.

Experienced medal collectors advocate on specializing on a particular period, specific regiment or medal type and concentrate on these.

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Personalities

2006-08-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

If you have a thing about a well know personality, why not turn it into a collectible theme? Such as Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles or a fabricated one such as Mickey Mouse or Popeye.

If you follow your fancy, you might be able to collect really something interesting.

This form of collecting will involve you in a historical research. such as tracing copies of your subject's birth certificate(or in case of a fabricated personality) it's point of invention and its inventor.

This type of collection is also similar to that of period collecting because of the much important use of the library. Check out the archives of newspaper in microfilms and make copious research about the highlights of your hero's career.

You'll have to obtain pictures of the birthplace or if applicable where he died. You will have to encapsulate a lifetime in your collection. it's a tall order but it could pay dividends.

If you dig deeper, you'll be able to produce something far superior to the records and photographs that masquerade as an average personality collection.

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Decanter

2006-08-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

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Decanters have their own problems and this often provide you with a bargain.there's a decanter with an odd glass stopper, or no stopper at all.

Stoppers are prone to get lost or broken and it's quite possible to obtain spare ones. You might have to browse around before you can fine a decent match. But an odd or missing stopper enables you to beat the seller down to a bargain price.

Another potential bargain is the antique decanter whose stopper is stuck. cracked and chipped decanters should be avoided but if you find one that's heavily stained buy it if its dirt cheap. This one can be usually alleviated with an acid treatment.

Jim Beam collectible decanters have been around a long time. They have been the most popular ones for the quality of design and workmanship.

Decanters are sometimes made of fine china, glass , crystal and porcelain.The value of secanters are determined by age, scarcity and subject.

Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, Ezra Brooks, Wild Turkey, Lionstone, Kontinental,Mc cormick, Michter's ,Mount hope, Old commonwealth and Ski country are the distilliries that makes the biggest supply of decorative collectible decanters.

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Records

2006-08-20T23:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

Records are one of the collectibles that can be enjoyed in their original manner. in my previous post i touched on the subject of gramophones, and today it is only appropriate that we discuss records for they go hand in hand.

The earliest records were Thomas Edison's tinfoil cylinder and which was replaced by waxy material until 1910.

The first circular records were vulcanised rubber discs with their galvano-plastic coating, which were patented along with beliner's gramophone in 1887.

What should you collect? well as with most things, it is really best to specialize. if you select something from the period of 1920 onwards, it would prove to be a valuable collection. specifically the swing records of the year between world wars.

If you like modern jazz you might like to collect records of Ella fitzgerald, Dizzie Gillespie, Stan Getz and the like. They are a must from the forties.

Then there are the crooners such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Dean Martin, Vic Damone, Perry Como. Their records must surely appreciate in value.

How about records of Mario Lanza? The early rock n roll years. If you can discover a pile of early rock and roll records, i'll bet you can make your pile.

Although, re -recording is now so common and the sound quality of these copies are so good( and not to mention cd, ipod that music is easily available), that the age of the record, i mean the record itself is now of interest only to the true collector and this reduces the possibilities of records as an investment.

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Gramophones (The Record Player)

2006-08-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

This type of collectibles are for people with deep pockets because gramophones ( british ) or phonographs( american ) don't come cheap.

It is generally accepted that thomas edison was first when he patented his first phonograph using a tinfoil later a wax cylinder in 1877. In 1887, emile berliner patented a gramophone that used disc shaped records.

In the early 1900 to 1930's superb models of gramophones were american made, next british and then the rest continental europe specifically France, Germany and Italy.

Other people collect the "hornless" version of the gramophone. It wasn't really hornless, for the horn was inverted and placed inside the body. When closed down, it made a compact portable case.

There are even models that were housed in wooden cabinets. If you happen to come across any with jazzy art deco designs don't let it slip by , snap it up. Any gramophone whether humongous in size as long as it is mechanically sound and really have a nice woodwork will surely be a collector's item.

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Period Collecting

2006-08-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

Does this seem familiar to you? Grateful dead albums, tie dye t-shirts, macrame belts, puka beads, Peter, Paul and Mary's puff the magic dragon and Carole King's "tapestry" album.

Yes they are all a part of the sixties. I'm talking about about collecting anything and everything in a specific era or period in history. It might be the 40's,50's,60's or the swinging 20's or let's say the edwardian era.

If you want to build up a collection that will really keep u busy and immerse in a particular period in history try delving into period collecting.

There are many ways to go about this. one, go to a newspaper library and get access to their stack of microfilms. Scroll down headlines and any specific items of note in a particular decade like style and fashion, music, films, the bestseller book of the day or any specific events like the mods versus rockers clashes in the sixties.

When it comes to music, sheet music and records are both collectable items.. They must be of course, tunes that were popular in that period of time. How about maintenance manuals for cars introduced at that time. The picture above shows the mod fashion in the sixties...take note of the mini-skirt.

You can probably think of many more collectibles just as long you remain to select your favorite period.

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Buttons

2006-08-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

Collecting buttons have been a big business.There are numerous organizations and several magazines published about button collecting.

If you read up all you can about the subject, you will know that there are still plenty of scope to explore. You can join an organization and specialize in a fairly narrow field, so that you will know exactly what to buy and what to sell.

Buying buttons from specialist shops is a rather costly procedure. If you are resourceful enough you will be surprise an interesting button may come up like in an old box of odds and ends, or on old clothes in a jumble sale or flea market.Or you could use the buy and swap method with other collectors as well.

It is advisable to specialize like say for example, collecting only pewter buttons(like the ones in the picture).But what should you collect? here are a few examples to choose from.

Pewter buttons- are flat faced and engraved and the convex shape developed later.it is often coloured with lacquer or gilding.

Livery buttons- are one of the great collectible subjects. these were worn by the employees of great households and were embossed with a coat of arms.These are virtually all in metal.

Uniform buttons-worn on the uniforms of the forces, police, fire brigade, postal workers, etc. You could cover the entire field or just specialize in one area like the police.

Sporting buttons-these are engraved or marked with sporting events.

Wooden buttons-in the 19th century many buttons were made from wood including apple, beech, ebony, rosewood, walnut even irish bog oak.

Ceramic buttons-these can be very beautiful. they were made in earthenware, porcelain or china.

If i were to start collecting buttons i would choose to collect political campaign buttons. It is interesting to accumulate something that is also a part of history of a certain country.

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Ephemera

2006-08-18T18:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

The word ephemera is a collector's jargon covers a wide range of subject matter including items that never meant to be collected in the first place.Here are the basic examples:

Bills- an invoice or statement of charges.from an aesthetic point of view, bill headings can be very attractive.

In the early 1900's bill headings were considered exotic,showing steel engravings combined with copperplate handwriting.

Virtually every businessman or tradesman in those days had an engraving of some sort for his trade on his bill headings. very early bills are mostly handwritten. one , in the british museum, details the payment for workers on one of the pyramids.

Apart from the embellishments,such bills are interesting is that it can give you the idea into the costs and services in different parts of the world.

Calendars-the collection of calendars reached its popularity beginning with marilyn monroe sprawled in red satin in the 1950's. different types of calendars like circular dials,calendar medallions or calendars on a glazed ceramic plates are also collected.

Menus- in similar ways to bills and invoices. They tell us what people ate and what it cost them and it was quite conveniently dated.

Menus from the last century were interesting because in the background they embellished it with topical compositions like in the times of war, it was common that menu headings pictured battle scenes.

Other ephemera items are travel, sports,concert tickets. and of course posters...such as shown here. Its a cloth poster of an early airline ad.

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Collecting Cigarette Lighters

2006-08-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

We can only guess how cavemen made thier fires, methods of making light date back to antiquity. Some people collect all forms of lighting such as matches and candles. Let's delve more on collecting cigarette lighters after all they been around since the 1900's. Collectors are not all over themselves just to acquire the items. They are all over the place, jumble sales, flea markets everywhere.

To make the collection more interesting is to accumulate lighters showing the development from birth. If not, you could collect to a theme. For example you could only collect unusual or odd designs.

You could collect petrol, butane or modern electronic lighters. Other themes might include commemoratives, lighters that are marked for coronations, jubilees or specific designs such as art deco or art noveau.

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Storage and Display

2006-08-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

To make the greatest impact your collection should be stored and displayed in an approriate and creative manner. If you collect buttons, it's nice if you will sew them in a white or black wool cloth not the thinner sheets so that it won't crease easily and then hang it on the wall. Cigarette cards, music labels, photorgraphs and share certificates are best displayed under a glass and framed.

For big bulky items such as gramaphones, iron stands, typewriters and sewing machines you'll need plenty of room, but if you are really an avid collector of these you dont mind to be sleeping in a mat, just to make room if your prized collections

Chinaware, jelly moulds could be shown in an open shelved unit but for more expensive ware a glassed cabinet preferably with locking doors is a must.

Display your collection in the context of your surroundings, like if you collect shakers and decanters of course you display it in your homebar, jelly moulds,baking pans,salt and pepper shakers(just to name a few) in the kitchen etc.

Finally if you have very precious collection like jewelries that you don't want it to be handled too much, why don't you just take photographs and display these on an album?

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storage and display of collection

What makes a collection interesting?

2006-08-09T00:09:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

Whatever knicknacks you decided to collect make sure that you collect to a theme. For example if you like to collect books, it would be more interesting if you collect works by the same author, or books of the same subjects. It's even more interesting if you can tie it up with another hobby of yours. Let's say if your into photography, you could collect books about photography. or gardening or even cooking.

Another example is if you collect autographs. Your collection will be more valuable(if you are collecting as an investment)if you collect autographs of players of the same team. Or autographs of players of different teams but they are all goalies or perhaps quarterbacks. Interesting right? just collect thematically.

When i was in my teens i collected stamps of the same color, if not i collected stamps from the same country, or subjects like sports , vintage cars and birds. At that point it was all very interesting to me. Though i didn't get to attend auctions. It would have been more gratifying as far as experience is concern.

My most prized collection is a set of paperback books by lawrence sanders. It took me nine years to accumulate it. Imagine, nine years of free afternoons and evenings hunting down secondhand bookstores, I finally completed all the works of lawrence sanders.My collection of his books finally concluded when my favorite writer left this planet.As cliche as it may sound, but the enjoyment is in the hunting.

So if you have already started your collection or thinking of starting, just do it with a subject or motiff or theme in mind.

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The Psychology Behind The Hobby Of Collecting

2006-06-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Rare Antiques Collectibles and Memorabilia.

This is where i write about the hobby of collecting.Why do people collect things? What's the enjoyment that u derive from the act of collecting? Is it the satisfaction of accumulation? The interest of the specific object or for investment?

let's explore.....