Pressed Glass Patterns

Pressed glass, or pattern glass, was first made in the United States about 1825. It was at the height of its popularity in the late 1880s and 1890s. It became popular again in the 1930s and many reproductions were made. Thousands of pressed glass patterns have been made. Not all were patented, and some were […]

Protect Wooden Floors

Protect your wooden floors by keeping dirt out of the house. Use floor mats inside and outside the doors. 

Grueby Moth Jar is Pottery Perfection

Perfection in pottery. Few pieces of pottery sell for nearly $140,000, but it’s not surprising this Grueby Moth jar did at a recent Rago auction of early 20th-century design. Produced by the American Grueby Faience Company between 1898 and 1910, the rare work is emblematic of the company’s roots in the Arts & Crafts movement. […]

Daniel Boone’s Compass Sells at Auction

Daniel Boone’s gift. Daniel Boone (1734-1820) was America’s legendary frontiersman and pioneer, but even he needed a compass. One of Boone’s personal compasses went on sale at Heritage Auctions earlier this year and brought $109,375. According to two late 1930s newspaper articles among the accompanying provenance, Boone had given the compass to a 12-year-old boy […]

Sculptural Chandelier is a Work of Art

Giacometti chandelier lights up auction. In the 1960s, painter John Craxton saw an interesting-looking bronze chandelier at an antiques store in London. Its six arms were paired like long, straight branches with spiked ends, and a hollow sphere with large, round cutouts dangled underneath. Craxton immediately recognized it as a piece commissioned in the 1940s […]

Union Porcelain Works Pitcher

Q: Can you tell me the history and value of this pitcher? It’s embossed with pictures of a king holding a stein of beer, a goat and Uncle Sam on one side and two men fighting on the other side. It has a walrus head spout and a polar bear on the handle. It’s marked […]

Market Report — Lego Still One of the Hottest Collectibles

Most of us are familiar with Lego, whether it’s from building sets ourselves, buying them for kids—or recognizing them as one of today’s hottest collectibles. There is an estimate that seven Lego sets are sold by retailers every second. The market for vintage and used sets is impressive, too. Recent research focused on online sales […]

Carving Out a Place in History

Wood art often doesn’t sell for prices as high as those of similar notable pieces made in glass, metal or pottery, unless it is made into useful furniture.   But hand-carved wooden sculptures, plaques, busts and figures can tell a story. A recent auction by Bonhams Skinner in Massachusetts included nearly 400 lots of carved wood […]

Not Just for Teeth Anymore

Use a cheap electric toothbrush to get at stubborn grime in hard-to-reach places. The electric vibrations will save you some scouring. 

Check Jewelry for Marks

A mark on a piece of jewelry adds 30 percent to the value. Look at the pin shank, pinback and catch for the mark.