Antiques and Collectibles Price Charts and Value Guides
The saying goes; ‘One person’s trash is another’s treasure‘, and in the case of some of the million dollar antique items that were given up for less than a penny or two made their new owners nothing less than millionaires. In this article we will take a look at a number of antique items that have sold for over a million dollars in the last couple of decades.
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During the early days of Walt Disney Studio’s productions. It was discovered, that by releasing picture books along side some of their films. They were able to capitalize on the popularity of a movie and garnish additional revenue long after the films have stopped screening.
Before the innovation of the home theater releases that we have today, be it Netflix or BlueRay. People who wanted to re-experience the films, would relive the magic by reading these books. These books would often retell a movie scene by scene, and use the same style of art work. [Read more…]
Crocks, earth-ware pots or jars have been made for centuries, hand crafted in multiple countries around the world. It is thought crocks originated in France, although it wasn’t until the 1900’s that these stone kitchenware items were found in every American household. Crocks have many uses and continue to be used in modern day society. During the early 1900’s women would often store hand made butter or pickles in crocks. Today, many choose to use crocks as pot plants or to hold decorative items. The many timeless uses of crocks have made them increasingly popular amongst antique collectors.
For the majority of us, these guns will never be sold within our price limit. Not only are some of the most expensive guns antique pieces but many of these have historic value as well. How expensive is expensive though? Many of the guns spoken about in this article have been listed or sold for more than the cost of a brand new sparkly car, with a rare few selling for the cost of a house.
Following the end of World War II, collecting firearms has become increasingly popular. The popularity of antique and vintage guns has led to a price spike and a sellers market. Some collectors are on the hunt for specific makes and models, while others seek to collect guns from certain time periods. [Read more…]
Bone China simply refers to a white porcelain that contains bone ash. The bone ash in this particular porcelain allows thin but strong plates and saucers to be created. ‘Royal Albert’, a sister company to ‘Royal Doulton’, is one of the most well known Bone China companies in the world. Their ‘Old Country Roses’ and ‘New Country Roses’ collections are two well known dinnerware sets that sit within many collector’s cupboards. Although Royal Albert is more commonly known for beautiful bone China dinner sets, Royal Doulton has an extensive list of their own.
Bone China has been made in Britain since the early 1800’s and the Royal Doulton company began creating their own pieces soon after in 1815. The Royal Doulton company use a soft-paste porcelain that contains more than 35% tricalcium orthophosphate. Their china pieces are comprised of a strong porcelain making them hard, durable and water repellent. The china produced by the Royal Doulton company is amongst the strongest know in the porcelain industry. [Read more…]
The Lladro (Lladró) story began in 1953 when three brothers used their bare hands to create the beginning of a now large scale Spanish porcelain company. Brothers; Juan, Jose, and Vicente Lladro had a passion for art and were first inspired by European manufacturers of Meissen. This inspiration led them to create plates, vases and ceramic figurines. Situated in Almácera, Spain the brothers worked on their handcrafted creations for almost seven years before opening their first shop in Valencia.
In today’s society, Lladro pieces are highly sought after by collectors. Amongst the most valuable are ‘biblical scenes’, the ‘Don Quixote’ series and ‘wedding related’ ornaments to name just a few. [Read more…]
Antique canes and walking sticks are about so much more than you can imagine. The golden era of canes is from 1550 to 1930. Most people think that canes and walking sticks were used for the purpose of supporting people; however that couldn’t be further from the truth. Canes were a reflection of the culture and a lady and gentleman never went anywhere without one. Canes were made of ivory, porcelain, enamel, gold, silver, hand carved wood, glass, narwhal tusk, Bakelite, whale bone, rhino horn, ebony, snake wood, Wedgwood, gemstones just to name a few. There were 1500 patents for gadget canes in America alone. There are gadget gun canes, sword canes, musical, political, Doctor, compact, perfume, flask, picnic, microscope, fishing pole, scientific instrument, pipe, cigarette holder, vinaigrette, barometer, undertaker, and horse measure. Name an occupation and there is probably a walking stick to represent it.
Joseph-Gabriel Rousseau, born in a small village outside of Chartres to a farming family. In 1913 he married Marianne Argyriadès, a highly cultured woman of Greek descent who fueled Rousseau’s interest in Greek and Classical art. After his marriage Rousseau added the first four letters of his wife’s maiden name “a-r-g-y” in homage to her cultural, emotional, and domestic support, signing his name “Argy-Rousseau” for the remainder of his artistic career.
The Tiffany lamp is one of the most coveted antiques. From its hand crafted origins, the Tiffany lamp has become rare and unique. The technique of artists who made these beautiful pieces is highly admired. But don’t think all Tiffany lamps are table lamps. They can be floor lamps, hanging lamps, wall sconces, desk lamps, or even some variation of chandeliers! They can also have smooth or irregular shade borders. Since so many Tiffany lamps are different in color, height, and overall design, and with so many reproductions, it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish the real thing from an imitation.
Cookie jars are utilitarian or decorative ceramic or glass jars often found in American and Canadian kitchens. In the United Kingdom, they are known as biscuit barrels or biscuit jars. If they are made out tin, they are called biscuit tins. While used to store actual cookies or biscuits, they are sometimes employed to store other edible items like candy or dog treats, or non-edible items like currency (in the manner of a piggy bank).
