How to Sell for Best Results

Rules of the road: There are many ways to sell your antiques and collectibles. They all require work. But the more you work, the more money you will make. Each of these methods is successful only if you learn the rules and secrets of others who sell antiques and collectibles. You get your cash immediately […]

Downsizing Guide

The closets are full. Cabinet drawers are overflowing with small treasures. Display shelves are groaning from too much weight. Now that the kids are in college, the yearning for a smaller, more-easily-maintained home has raised its head. But in addition to years of regular accumulation of “stuff,” you are also a collector with a house […]

How to Buy or Sell — Bottles and Go-Withs

Bottles can be divided into two separate selling markets. Modern figural bottles like Jim Beam, Ezra Brooks, and Avon have been collected for the past 50 years. They became very popular collectibles, almost a fad, with dozens of companies making special bottles to appeal to customers with all sorts of interests. Some were copies of […]

How to Buy or Sell — Kitchen Paraphernalia

Anything that was ever used in a kitchen, from a wrought-iron kettle holder of the 1700s to a Mr. Coffee machine of the 1970s, or a Depression glass reamer to a midcentury chrome toaster has a sale value. Most buyers want something nostalgic and decorative to put in a modern kitchen. Any unusual object will […]

How to Buy or Sell — Stoves

Antique cooking and heating stoves have gained popularity in recent years and all types are sold to be used or displayed. The problem is they are large and heavy. Try to sell them through an online ad. There are two basic types of stoves: those that are used for cooking and those that are used […]

How to Buy or Sell — Lamps and Lighting Devices

All types of lamps and lighting devices, including candlesticks, rushlight holders, and railroad lanterns, can be sold. Buyers purchase electric lamps to give light and to be decorative. Earlier forms of lighting are purchased either as part of a historic collection or as decorative pieces. To sell rushlights, old candlesticks, or even flashlights, you must […]

How to Buy or Sell — Musical Instruments, Player Pianos and Music Boxes

Everyone has heard of the Stradivarius violin that sold for over $16 million. Unfortunately, very few people know that 99.99 percent of the violins labeled Stradivarius are nineteenth- or twentieth-century versions and are worth very little even if labeled inside. Some old musical instruments have great value, but most of them should be priced as […]

How to Buy or Sell — Ivory

Ivory does not only come from elephant tusks. Ivory can also be from other animals, such as walruses, hippopotamuses, or whales. There is also “vegetable ivory.” Some vegetable materials have a similar texture and density and look like ivory, but it is possible to see growth rings on a large piece of an elephant’s tusk. […]

How to Buy or Sell — Leather

CARE AND REPAIR Leather requires special care. Use only accepted leather cleaners and preservatives. Never use general-purpose waxes and polishes. Most department, furniture, and hardware stores sell suitable leather cleaners. Products such as neat’s-foot oil and mink oil, sold in shoe stores, leather shops, and shoe repair shops, are made especially for use on leather. […]

How to Buy or Sell — Marble

Marble (See TOYS for toy marbles) Marble carvings sell like any other sculpture; the better the artist, the higher the price. Size is also a factor. Busts and small figures sell for hundreds of dollars. Busts became more popular and more expensive about 2015. Decorators liked the aura of early Greek and Roman statues in […]