Market Report — Enamels Are Hot

Artistic enameled objects were made for the aristocracy and the church in the Middle Ages, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that enamel was a popular medium used by artists. A Treadway auction offered antique and vintage enameled bowls, boxes and plaques made by the “Boston School” artists, who were among the first to […]

How to Buy & Sell — Barbed Wire

The first barbed wire was patented by Lucien Smith of Kent, Ohio, in 1867. More than 1,500 different varieties of barbed wire are known. Collectors prefer pieces that are eighteen inches in length. A group of pieces would be mounted on a board with the history. Barbed wire was easy to find before the 1960s […]

Market Report — Curtis Jeré Wall Hangings

From shag carpet to light fixtures, home décor of the 1960s is rising again in popularity, possible because of nostalgia by baby boomers. The low-priced metal wall hangings of Curtis Jeré, popular between 1963 and 1972, are part of that trend. In recent years, the metal sculptures of birds, trees, bridges and sunbursts (to name […]

Market Report — Silver Flatware

Grandmother’s sterling silver flatware may look nice on her dinner table but if you’re like most millennials, what has been nicknamed the “good silver” isn’t necessarily something that matches your casual style. What will become of Granny’s forks, knives and spoons when nobody wants it? Selling sterling flatware at auction is an option some choose. […]

How to Buy or Sell — Silver And Silver Plate

An old sterling silver teaspoon is never worth less than its meltdown value, which is the weight of the spoon multiplied by the going price of silver bullion. The number is reported online and in daily newspapers on the stock quotation pages. If a coin is old enough to be made of a silver alloy, […]

How to Buy or Sell — Metals and Cloisonne

Eighteenth- and nineteenth-century iron, brass, tin, toleware, pewter, and copper utensils have long been popular collectibles and are easily sold to dealers, decorators, and collectors. The fashion for the “country look” has added to the popularity, and any old tool, trivet, or kitchen utensil that can be put on a shelf or hung on a […]

How to Buy or Sell — Fireplace Equipment

An old fireplace had many pieces of equipment: a set of tools that included a poker, shovel, tongs, broom, and a fireback, andirons, a basket to hold logs or coal, a coal bucket kept near the fireplace, fender, screen and such aids as bellows or match holders a stand to hold the tools and a […]