How to Buy or Sell — Prints, Woodcuts, Posters and Calendar Art

Perhaps you own a picture of a clipper ship, a balloon ascension, or an early baseball game. Any picture of an unusual or historic event is the dream of some collector, so if you aren’t eager to own it, someone else will be. If the picture or print features a subject that interests you, it […]

How to Buy or Sell — Stamps and Related Material

There have been stamp collectors since 1840, when the first postage stamp was introduced by Sir Rowland Hill of England. It is a very specialized field. Stamps should be examined by a dealer in stamps or an auction house that knows that market. A large, serious collection requires an expert. Condition, rarity, and demand determine […]

How to Buy or Sell — Stocks and Bonds

It seems that everyone who survived the stock market crash of 1929 had some stocks or bonds that, although worthless, were saved. Today there are two possible values for these old stocks. A few might have value due to a company merger or acquisition. The worthless company or mines may have merged, been sold, found […]

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 […]

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 — Carousels, Carousel Figures and Amusement Park Collectibles

There was a difference between a carousel and a merry-go-round in the past. A merry-go-round had a variety of carved animals; a carousel had only horses. Today, people use either name for the amusement park ride. The hand-carved, wooden charging horse or prancing pig that was part of the amusement park merry-go-round is now classed […]

How to Buy or Sell — Coin-Operated Machines, Jukeboxes and Slot Machines

There is a corollary to the joke among antiques dealers that anything that moves or makes noise has a value. They say that there is even more value to anything with a money slot. This includes most types of music-making machines, from nineteenth-century Swiss boxes to 1950s jukeboxes. Slot machines, gum-ball machines, and the myriad […]

How to Buy or Sell — Insulators

Telephone and telegraph insulators, as well as other types of insulators, have been collected since the 1960s by serious collectors. Glass, especially colored glass, and pottery was used. Beginners usually just want any insulator. Serious collectors learn the makers, use, and patent histories of the insulators. Be sure to keep a record of the price […]

How to Buy or Sell — Medical and Scientific Collectibles

Antique microscopes, telescopes, medical apparatus, and much more are included in scientific collectibles. Of special interest are quack medical machines. These all require specialists to do restoration and repair. Sometimes a local expert who works with modern microscopes or telescopes can help. (SCALES are listed in their own section.) The best customers for medical and […]

How to Buy or Sell — Telephone Collectibles

If you have anything old that has the word “telephone” or the familiar “Bell” symbol, it can be sold. Everything from telephones to telephone booths to telephone insulators are collected. The highest-priced phones are those that look old, unusual, or decorative because of the color of the case. A telephone made after 1940 can be […]