Showing posts with label Vintage Collecting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vintage Collecting. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Where to Shop for Antique Cameras

Collecting antique and vintage cameras is a form of passion for collectors. Finding the right place to shop for antique cameras seems to be hard these days, because of the scarcity of authentic classic antique cameras.

If you are internet savvy and you've just found a new hobby of collecting antique cameras, the internet isn't the best venue to shop. Though there are legitimate sellers on eBay and other online shops, it is still best to look for land-based establishments. You never know the authenticity of the item until you have it, so it is advisable to go and look for the antique camera personally.

Monday, February 01, 2010

Useful Tips On How To Determine What To Pay For A Collectible

Determining the value of an antique item isn't easy to do. There are many factors that affect the price of a collectible, including the personal value of the item to both the buyer and the seller. A buyer who needs the item being sold to complete a set may be more than willing to pay more than another who is just starting to build his or her collection. Therefore, you really rely one hundred per cent on the price guides available on the Net or in books, or on web-based auctions.

Many new collectors end up paying more for items that are of little value because they tend to get excited about the first few objects in their collection. Many of those who got defrauded on their first few antique acquisitions get discouraged to continue their collection.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Where to Buy Antique Quilts

Antique Quilts are attractive to the eye because of the intricate stitches and the colorful fabrics. These qualities capture onlooker’s attention, some of them are even collectors. Therefore, it only makes sense that there are places where one can buy antique quilts.

By combining ancient traditions of patchwork and quilting, antique quilts have become quite popular to the modern day consumer. Some get one and reserve it in their family treasure, giving it as an heirloom to their children. Because of these, stores selling antique quilts are given the assurance that they will always have customers who can enjoy their products.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Finding an Appraiser for Antique Jewelry

If you collect antique jewelry, you must know about jewelry appraisals, how it is conducted and why it must be done. You might be wondering why you would need to appraise antique jewelry, but soon, you will find out that it is really needed.

Antique jewelry is personal property but that doesn't make the materials exempt from risks. As valuable property, you must make sure your antique jewelry will be secure and safe whatever happens.

The best way to ensure the safety of your antique jewelry is to take out an insurance policy. If you insure your antique jewelry, you can make sure your rights will be protected whether there is a theft, fire or any untoward incident. In such occurrences, your antique jewelry can be lost, but you won't lose its value.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Surefire Tips to Collecting Antiques

Many people today have developed a penchant for collecting antique accessories. It is truly exciting as your collection gets bigger. Being able to acquire unique and older pieces seems to be the icing on the cake. It's like falling in love everytime a new piece is introduced into the collection.

It could be a daunting task. Finding a priceless antique is quite difficult. Here are some tips to help you gather those priceless accessories.

Many women fancy antique dolls. Most antique dolls still have intact bodies but worn out clothes. If you know how to sew, you could design your very own collection of original dresses. Sometimes, it will be necessary to replace eyes, wigs, shoes… and they can get very expensive.

If you are willing to spend, it would be good to look at the face paintings, the more intricate, the more priceless. You will be able to see if the face has been hurriedly painted, its artistry will determine its worth. If you want to save, buying rare dolls that are slightly-damaged will save you a lot of money. Most of the time, the damages are hardly noticeable.

Collecting and maintaining antique furniture is another thing. You have to maintain its beauty by applying constant touch-ups every now and then. Dry cotton cloth is best for dusting. Wipe off spills immediately to avoid stains with a dry cloth. Apply beeswax like Lakeone or Dugay along the grain with a small rag in even strokes. Allow to dry for around two hours then buff with a shoe brush. White spots are simply rewaxed to bring back the old shine.

Clocks are wonderful things to collect. It is important for a collector that each of his clocks be in tip-top shape. Here are some tips. Keep your clocks away from extreme temperatures. Don't overwind to keep the key snuggly-fit and wind at the same time daily. Leveling pendulum clocks is important to assure a balanced swing.

When your clock stops working, it may have accumulated dust so keep it clean at all times. A horologist may help you in cleaning and oiling them every couple of years or so. The wood cases should be dusted and waxed regularly.

Collecting antiques will call for experience on your part. It is necessary for you to see as many collections as possible to ensure the authenticity as well as quality in the items you purchase. You could browse through books, the internet or get in touch with other collectors so you can view theirs. Collectors may also give you invaluable tips.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Find Collectibles, Antiques, Heirlooms and Art - Online Auctions or Offline

Every one of us has that special something that has been in the family for as long as we can remember. It could be an antique jar, a vase, or whatever. As far as we know they have been handed down from generation to generation waiting there patiently for the day that an auction decides how much it’s really worth.

Valuable items such as collectibles, antiques, and rare objects like heirlooms are a part of a country’s culture. They tell us what kind of people a certain place has and what kind lifestyle they had. These valuables are often times overlooked because of the influx of technology.

But one thing remains certain, they are constantly being sought after by people who understand and value these items. People who look at it as a very important part of the story a certain family has to tell and the lifestyle they are projecting. Most of these items are locked away in a cold and dark corner waiting for the day they can once again be part of a family's heritage.
The good thing about having a lot of these rare collectibles is that they tend to get more and more expensive as the years pass, because they aren’t just good to look at. They are part of history and the part of the culture. And the good thing about it is if these items are kept in mint condition, they can benefit the people taking care of them with monetary rewards. One good place to know just how much value there is in taking care of things of the old, are events like an auction.

In an auction, people who really understand and have a deep appreciation for valuable and rare things come together to translate into monetary considerations the effort of people taking good care of things of the past and other memorabilia of the past generations. In an auction people that know what they want put up a very fierce contention for things they are sure to cost them a lifetime to get. Paintings and art pieces of master artists are sold for millions and millions because the people bidding for it know that after the auction, it will be priceless. And priceless is a word that can easily be negotiated.

There are a lot of benefits that can be derived from an auction, and both the person with the rare item and the treasure hunter of sorts can see it, especially when the stakes are getting higher at every bid. Owners that bring their rare collectibles and antiques to an auction are rewarded for their diligence in taking care of the items.

An auction can be very good to a person that knows how to take care of his paintings of great contemporary artists because these are the top sellers in any auction. People who bring in previously hard to find items are rewarded by the auctioneers with persistence and lots of money.

Meanwhile, people who seek to complete their collections of Van Gogh paintings flock to an auction in the hopes that his own collection would be complete and they themselvescan put up an auction and try to sell their hard work to other people. These treasure hunters are the modern day Indiana Jones that seek to recover the works of an almost forgotten time. The completion of a collection is like their lifetime achievement.

David Arnold Livingston is an entrepreneur with many years of successful business experience. For tips on finding the ideal auction resources, he recommends: Fast Moving Auction

Collectible Dolls - How Rare?

In this article we're going to discuss exactly what determines how rare a collectible doll is and how its value is determined.

Collectible dolls are a strange paradox. The reason that dolls are collectible is because back when they were new, they weren't.

How many times have you heard a friend say something like, "I had one of the very first Barbie Dolls. If I had kept it I'd be rich right now". Well, the truth of the matter is, if every girl who bought a Barbie Doll back in 1959 when they first came out had kept it in its box and never played with it then none of these dolls would be worth anything. The reason Barbie is worth so much money is because back then little girls bought the dolls, took the dolls out of their boxes, played with the dolls and ultimately tossed the dolls in the garbage or gave them away either when they became too old to play with them or the dolls themselves simply just fell apart from use.

So an early doll that has become as popular as Barbie has become, if found in its original box and unopened, which is pretty unlikely, would get a lot of money at an auction. How much money? Last figures for an early Barbie doll are estimated at about $2,500. This is actually down quite a bit from the heyday of collectible selling when you could get close to $10,000 for a series 1 Barbie Doll from 1959. We have since come back down to reality.

But is this reality? The early Barbie Dolls sold for a few dollars. How can something that sold for a few dollars be worth thousands today? Well, it all comes down to supply and demand. If something is low on the supply side and enough people want it then the price is going to skyrocket. And for whatever reason, people love old things, the same old things that they used to throw away.

But it isn't just old popular dolls that are worth money. They may be rare because there aren't a lot of them left around. But some dolls are rare and worth a lot of money because there were never very many of them to begin with. While maybe not as many people would be interested in these dolls because they weren't that popular to begin with, the die hard collectors still go crazy over these items. So a collectible doll like 1967's Mike Hazard, Double Agent, will still bring in about $1,500 in an auction if unopened in the original box. Why? Because finding one of these is as unlikely as finding life on Mars.

Of course not every old doll brings in thousand dollar price tags. If the doll was in great supply but for some reason never caught on at all then most likely the doll won't be worth much today. In the case of Mike Hazard there just weren't many made to begin with.

There are those who will argue that this whole collectible craze is just that, crazy. And then there are those who's lives wouldn't be the same without this stuff as many people actually have built businesses around buying and selling collectibles. As they say, one man's peanut butter is another man's lobster tail.

Michael RussellYour Independent guide to Collectible Dolls

Start A Collection

A couple of years ago, I was just at the point of exploding. I had been taking care of everyone but me, and one Saturday afternoon when I couldn’t take it anymore, I laid the kids down for naps and woke my husband up from his, and told him I would be back in a couple of hours and asked him to keep the laundry going if you wanted clothes to wear to work on Monday. I jumped in the car and off I went.

I got about two blocks before I pulled over and turned off the car. I looked at myself in the rearview mirror and said, “Where are you going?” I had no idea what I wanted to do. I hadn’t done anything just for pleasure in so long, I couldn’t remember what I really enjoyed. As I sat there thinking, I remembered all the time my mother spent cleaning and rearranging her antique dishes collection. She loved those dishes, and whenever she needed her space you would find her with them or out scouring for more.

I started my car and headed for the nearest flea market. As I was driving, I thought about different things that I might like to collect. Now, just a couple of years later, I have quite a few collections of my own, including antique dishes, and I have my own peace and happiness from something I created just for me.

Choosing What You Want To Collect
To begin your collection, thing about some of the things that interest you. Decide if you want to collect items just for the enjoyment of collecting or if you would be more interested in collecting items that may become valuable investments.

For example, if you are doing it strictly for your enjoyment, you may think about a specific animal you like. I have a very large cow collection taking over my kitchen. My sister redecorated a room in her house in the trendy fruit motifs, and she now has quite a collection of fruit décor items.

Other ideas are teapots, hats, movie memorabilia, buttons, pens, angels, fairies, t-shirts, or candles. Anything that captures your fancy can get you started. My husband has a matchbook collection that he takes great enjoyment from. He just gets a kick out of unusual matchbooks from different locations.

If you would prefer something that will increase in value, you may be more inclined to collect items such as antique dishes, comic books, Disney memorabilia, stamps, coins, or any of the collectible lines that are available today, for example, Boyd’s Bears, Precious Moments, SnowBabies or Dea Capodimonte of Naples, Italy.

Chasing Down Great Deals
Once you have decided what to collect, the joy of the hunt begins. My favorite places to go for my treasures are always the places where I can find the ultimate deals. Yard sales, flea markets, consignment shops and thrift stores are always my first stops. It is amazing what wonderful things you can find for next to nothing.

In recent years, collectors have had the joy of a whole new market opening up to them via the Internet. With the Internet, you have access to the entire world rather than just your local area. Online auctions are an incredible resource for finding items to add to your collection – and getting some great deals.

Researching Your Collectibles
There are quite a few good collectibles shows on television, such as “Flea Market Finds” on HGTV, “The Incurable Collector” on A&E, and of course, “The Antiques Roadshow”. If your hobby becomes a passion, you will want to invest in a good price guide. There are specialized guides for specific items and general guides that cover a wide range of objects. It is important to look for a guide that gives you product background, company information and a history of the item. I always look for the price guides that provide detailed pictures and information about markings, number produced and year of production. Also, make sure to buy the most current guide available. Browse some guides at your local library first, to get a feel for what you’re looking for before you choose which one to buy.

Lisa Lambson is a married, mother of four that recently left the workforce to freelance.
"I made this choice to show my children that there are ways to support your family independently and maintain your family presence the way that you choose. I want my children to understand that they do not have to be caught in a job they don't like waiting to be downsized. I choose to use my passion for writing to teach them to never give up on their passions."

Lisa has been published in print in a magazine named Balance that, unfortunately, is no longer published and in a newspaper for work at home moms called Connecting At Home. She also has numerous articles published and circulating on the internet on hundreds of websites. She can write about any topic and there is nothing she loves more than to learn something new or meet someone new to get to know. Her work stands for itself as she works carefully, quickly and pays great attention to detail. http://216.147.57.116/index.shtml

Antique and Vintage Items of Our Past

Have you ever wondered why you are attracted to antique items of the past? Or maybe it's an entire era. Have you ever touched and antique and imagined what it would be like to have use this object? It is my opinion and belief that we are attracted to antiques because we have used the item in a past life or have lived in that era. For me I am attracted to and love the rennesaince age . Ask yourself what era attracts you in a nostalgic way? The same way we feel about objects of our childhood in this current life time can also attract us to objects and era's of past lifetimes. For me , I love the rennesaince age and the art and craftmanship of handmade items.
Blacksmithing , knife making handmade pottery , wood carvings, paintings and just the over all playfulness and creativity of this age bring back memories and even inspire me to create in this lifetime.

When I attend estate auctions , I can actually feel the presence of the past owner and get a sense of who they were and what they were like , just by looking and touching the many household contents, from buttons to niknaks. There is also a certain respect I feel about the objects I buy from thier estate. The feeling is a bit different about antiques I collect for myself and the objects I buy from estate sales to include in my store. Still I am honored to offer these items to others who collect them or who can make use of them. To me it carries on the spirit of the previous owners and keeps that era and technology alive in the hearts of many. What we collect , says allot about us as a person. It can reveal life issues we need to resolve as well as past lives we have lived. Exploring the antique world can be very enlightening.

Blessings
Donna Scales
Donna Scales/ Psychic CounselorOwner operater of :Http://http://www.Sleepythoughts.com and http://stores.ebay.com/Bruces-Blades
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