Moving? Check for Damage
If you are having your antiques moved in a van to a new home, watch out for damage. Check the antiques as they are unloaded. Sweep the inside of the moving van and save any small pieces of veneer or...
View ArticleWooden Kitchenware Handles
Caution! We bought an old potato masher with a bright green painted wood handle. We put it in the dishwasher. Result: a clean masher with a pale blue painted handle. Never wash kitchenware with painted...
View ArticleKeeping Up with the Age of Advertising
Collecting advertising? Many products have packaging that often changes slightly to look current. Logos are modernized, hair-dos and clothes are updated, pictured cars resemble the latest models,...
View ArticleSigned Baseballs
If you have a signed baseball with a signature that has faded do not try to restore it. A traced-over autograph destroys the value for collectors. Unfortunately in the years before sports memorabilia...
View ArticleWhy Not Collect Sand?
Seen in a decorating magazine, “Glass jars filled with sand collected from beaches all over the world are displayed on a console.” We wrote about a nurse who saved dirt in jars years ago. A great...
View ArticleBone China
The words “bone china” were first used as a mark on dishes about 1915. It is a special type of porcelain that has bone ash added to the clay. This makes a stronger, whiter porcelain.
View ArticleIf You Loan to a Museum
If you ever loan anything to a museum or historical society, be sure to check on insurance coverage and the value placed on your piece. We loaned a county fair sign for a centennial celebration and it...
View ArticleDon't Snip the Dust Jacket
Don’t cut the price off a book’s dust jacket. It will affect the value.
View ArticleTighten Up the Garage
Cover the windows in your garage so no one can tell if you are on a trip and left your house unattended. Always keep your garage door shut and the door from the garage into the house locked.
View ArticleNew Tiki Huts
Some garages house car collections, and other garages are being turned into Tiki Huts, contemporary versions of the 1940’s and ’50’s fad. Collectors are seeking old Tiki mugs to use in the room with...
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