Archive for Collectables
5 antique sewing collectables
Posted by: | CommentsAntique sewing tools are popular with collectors especially amongst those who love to sew themselves. One of my earliest antiques purchases were some antique crochet hooks and lace bobbins which I bought as a present for my mother when I was still at school It is still possible to buy many sewing related collectables at pocket money prices ( Think buttons) although you will need a small fortune to buy some of the best .
Sewing related collectables include buttons, scissors, sewing boxes, thimbles, crocket hooks, lace making equipment needles cases and tape measures. Examples of actually sewn work are also collected, handmade lace, samplers and tapestry pictures. Here is my guide to the top 5 antique sewing collectables in no particular order. These have been chosen for their easy of collectablity in todays market.
art nouveau button
1. Buttons Starting with buttons as this is probably the easiest collectable of all. Vintage buttons can be found very cheaply and if you want a bright and colourful collection quickly this is the place to start. Naturally there are rare and sought after antique buttons which can fetch very high prices hundreds of pounds each. Due to the sheer volume of buttons available it is perhaps best to theme a button collection. How about art nuvo silver buttons or art deco bakelite buttons. Animal shaped buttons or ones by named makers.
2. Thimbles and Thimble Cases
Whilst thimbles had the practical purpose of protecting fingers many were also made quite decorative too. Thimbles have been made in vast quantities recently especially for the collector as they display well however I suggest that any real colletor would do better to search out more unique items. Look out for silver thimbles made by Charles Horner or steel core ones made by Dorcas both can be found from about £20. Good names in ceramic thimbles are Wedgwood, Royal Crown Derby and Royal Worcester. If you have a bigger budget how about a Victorian gold thimble? Especially desirable are thimbles in their original cases.
Buying a metal thimble? Check its condition by holding it up to the light. Can you see any holes? If so either pass this time or if it is a rare example you really want for your collection make sure you pay a small fraction of its perfect price.
wedgwood thimbles
3. Scissors
Look out for hallmarked silver scissors this way you can tell the date they were made on. A fancy handle makes a pair of scissors desirable, scissors inthe shape of a bird for example. As with thimbles a pair of scissors in its original case is nice to find. When buying scissors do check to see how they open and close. Over the years many pairs have become loose or the blades worn – buyer beware.
4. Needles
Needles, Needles case, Bodkins and Bodkin cases can be very decorative and make a fascinating colection on their own. Needles and their larger cousin the bodkin were originally made from wood and bone, later they were made from silver, steel or even gold. Needle and bodkin cases were often highly decorative, you can find examples of battersea enamel cases, carved bone or decorative silver. Have you seen the paper cases that steel needles were sold in from thoughout the Victorian era to the middle of the last century? Many are very pretty with multi-coloured designs printed on them.
5. Pin cushions and half dolls
I have grouped these together as half dolls were often used as the decorative part of a pin cushion in the 1920s and 1930s. Silver pin cushions from the early 1900s in the shape of animals are delightful but getting to be quite pricy now for a rare example in good condition.
Vintage accessories, collectable extras
Posted by: | CommentsVintage Accessories have been very collectable for some years now but recently there seems to have been an explosion of interest. Lets take a look at a few vintage accessories and try and answer a few questions about them too. What are vintage accessories? where can I buy vintage accessories and how can I tell they are genuine vintage rather than new copies?
antique buttons
When we talk about Vintage Accessories we are generally referring to smaller add ons to your main clothing . So a dress is not an accessory but a belt is an accessory. Here are a few types of the many types vintage accessories for women you can find:
What are Vintage accessories?
Jewellery, A whole topic in its self but vintage jewellery has to be the main form of accessory for collecting and wearing
Buttons, Belts and buckles, Looking for a budget area to start a collection? Although vintage buttons and buckles can cost a small fortune you can also find lots to choose from starting from a very low cost
hat pin
Hats and Hat pins. A lady was not considered to be properly dresses if she left the home without her hat adn every hat needed a hat pin or two to keep it in place
Bags, Purses and Compacts.
Fans, Chatelains, Vestas, Card Cases – mostly accessories from the past and not used today.
Dressing Table accessories: Perfume bottles, hatpin stands, Trinket boxes – these all make excellent gifts for the collector of vintage accessories. The dressing table is now used quite as it used to be in the Victorian and Edwardian era. Our lotionsand potions are used directly form the packaging they are bough it. The Victorian lady would decant her perfume into an atomiser and keep trinket boxes to place pins, clips and even to tidy her hair into.
Where can I buy Vintage Accessories?
Like most vintage collectables you can buy accessories at most antiques fairs and auctions. These days most people like to buy their accessories on-line as there is a far wider choice and it is easy to compare the offerings from different websites. Have you looked on eBay? With a bit of care you can hunt down the occasional bargain ( see the next paragraph about finding the genuine vintage article). Of course I am going to recommend you take a look on www.antiquesavenue.co.uk which specialises in many vintage accessories including Jewellery, trinket pots, Hat pins, buttons and buckles.
enamel compact
How can I tell its genuine Vintage?
Learn about your chosen collectable, a little knowledge can help out a lot ( see where to find out more) and if in doubt ask the seller. The problem is that often the seller does not know how old the items is. Here are a few pointers to start.
- Is the button made of silver or gold? Look for hallmarks and learn how to date an item from its hallmark
- Does the buckle have a country of origin? If the country is present does it just say ” England ” or “Made in England”? You will find that “Made in ” dates from post circa 1920 . Anything marked as “Foreign” is vintage as would be “Made in Great Britain”.
- What materials is your accessory made from. If there is a care label on a scarf which indicates that it is machine washable then you do not have a Victorian or original art deco piece. A buckle made from cut steel is likely to be Victorian or earlier a stainless steel piece later 20th century. If you know what materials were available when you can start to date your vintage accessory
- What style is your accessory? This just gives a clue. An art deco compact could be original 1920s / 1930s or could it be 1 1980s revival of art deco or a brand new copy
Where can I find more ?
This website has lots of information about vintage jewellerywith more about vintage accessories planned for the near future. Ask your favourite dealer questions. Here is a book list you may find useful:
Powder Compacts a collectors Guide pub Millers
Scent Bottles pub Shire
Hat Pins pub Shire
Button Button pub Schiffer
There are loads of introductory Jewellery books available .
Some Links to AntiquesAvenue’s vintage accessories for sale:
Collecting antique and vintage owls
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art pottery owls
The collection includes a magnificent tuderic pewter owl jug by Archibald Knox:
Antique owls
owl fob
owl charm
Do you have a collection you would like featured here? Please get in touch – Anne x
Victorian pictorial paperweights – souveniers from the past
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victorian pictorial paperweight
I have had a couple of enquiries recently from readers wanting to know about their Victorian Pictorial paperweights. There is not a lot of information about these around. Here is my understanding:
Originally these paperweights were cheap souvenirs, just like the holiday souvenirs you can buy today. They were made by attaching a picture ( originally a lithograph) to the base of the glass weight and then sealing this with a layer of paper. Later the Lithograph was replaced by a photograph or a print . Occasionally you might come across a hand painted example but this would be quite rare.
How can you tell the age of these souvenier paperweights?
I like to look at the scene its self. What are the people wearing? Are there any cars in the picture? If there is a famous landmark in the picture you can consider the date the landmark was built. A colour photograph will be 20th century as will any souvenir paperweight made of resin rather than glass.
What are these souvenir paperweights worth?
These currently do not fetch a lot of money from £5 upwards to about £25. The value will depend on factors such as : age ( Victorian worth more than 20th century if all other factors are equal), Shape of the paperweight ( round is usual less common shapes may be worth a little more, rarity and desirability of the scene) Very importantly the condition of the picture – many of these have wear to the picture which can greatly reduce the price.
Care of your Pictorial Paperweight
Do not use water on these are you will ruin the picture. If necessary a wipe over the glass with a soft cloth taking great care with the base or the picture will come off!
Victorian pictorial paperweights are interesting pieces of social history and would make a great collection. How about trying to find ones of places you have visited? My opinion is that these are worth collecting for the future as they are currenly undervalued.
pictorial paperweight on serpentine base
Tobacciana – collecting smoking accessories
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omega lighter
Many such as the Vesta Case have dissapeared from everyday life today but there remains a large collectors market for antique and vintage smoking related items. Read More→
How come my sports collection is not worth more?
Posted by: | CommentsAs with all things collectable sports memorabilia can be worth a small fortune – the problem is finding the one Holy Grail that all collectors want. There is currently a single baseball card up for sale over at Memory Lane Inc which at the time of writing has a bid of over $26,000 with several days left on the auction. This 1869 Peck & Snyder Cincinnati Red Stockings card is just what the collectors want. So is your sports collection worth that much? Here is a piece written by Michael Osacky who is a keen collector and fan himself. The pictures are of Michael with two of his sporting heros.
How come my sports collection is not worth more?
Possessing a vintage baseball card or sports collection doesn’t entitle somebody to significant amounts of money. Listed below are 10 top reasons why your baseball cards and/or sports memorabilia collection might not be worth top dollar.
1. The baseball cards you have are all of “common” players and not the Stars (Mantle, DiMaggio, etc.) The “stars” and “Hall of Fame members” command a much higher price tag.
2. Your baseball cards look like they have sharp corners, but upon measuring each card, it becomes clear that the cards were trimmed (A process used to make trading cards have sharp corners). This is tampering. Buyers don’t like to purchase restored/trimmed cards. They want to buy cards that have the same dimensions as when they left the factory a number of years ago.
3. Personalized autographs command less value than non-personalized autographs. A personalized autograph is less valuable when it comes time to resell the item. A baseball signed by Mickey Mantle personalized to “Bart Smithers” might carry a very high sentimental value to you because you met Mr. Mantle and he signed it for you. To meet an athlete in person, let alone a guy in the Hall of Fame like Mickey Mantle is an experience you will never forget. This is a memory that you will share with your friends and grandchildren forever.
Porcelain miniatures, trinket boxes and enamel boxes
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wedgwood basalt miniatures
AntiquesAvenue shop has had a bit of a change around to help you find the vintage miniatures I have available to buy. The enamel boxes and trinket boxes have now joined with porcelain miniatures into the new Miniatures areas. This work has been done in advance of a great new selection of pieces I have to put in here. I hope you enjoy looking
Collecting preserve pots, jam pots and honey pots
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shorter floral jam pot
Jam pots, preserve pots and honey pots were all made to hold your favourite spreads on the table. Some were meant for the jam jar to fit inside others are for the preserve to be put straight into. Some have spoon shaped cut outs in the lids and others do not.
There is a huge range of these collectable pots available and as they are small and stand easily on their own they are easy to collect and display well. A collection would certainly make a good converstaion piece in the kitchen or dinning room.
Antique preserve pots from the victorian era and vintage preserve pots through to the 1950s and beyond were made by all the major staffordshire potters. They come in all shapes and colours. Some collectors specialise in preserve pots fron a particular era or manufacturer whilst some just collect say Honey pots with bee’s for finials. Starting at just a few pounds these are a collectable for those with limmited funds as a collection can be built without spending a fortune.
The two pots pictured are currenly available from antiquesavenue on ebay
anynsley floral jam pot
