Toy Advertising Car for Moxie

Antique toys, especially those that move and make noise, are popular with both young and old and many are very expensive. Advertising toys bring back special memories and are wanted by those who collect advertising and those who want toys. This car with “Moxie” on the side is in mint to good condition. It is […]

Hooked Rugs

No one is sure who made the first hooked rugs, but most historians think it was the Vikings. We do know that in the early 19th century, floormats were made in the United States from 9-inch-long pieces of yarn left over from machines that made rugs. The first rugs to interest United States collectors were […]

Redware Slip Cup

A strange redware pottery item was listed in a recent auction as a cup. But it looked more like a squat 2-inch vase with a large opening on one side. The auction catalog called it a “19th century glazed redware slip cup,” estimated at $200 to $400. But even with a picture we were baffled. […]

Coca-Cola Sign

A tin sign picturing an attractive girl sold for $12,390, which is an impressive price for a portrait of a young woman from the 1910s!  But if you look closer, you’ll see that the woman is holding a glass marked “Coca-Cola,” and the Coca-Cola logo is visible on the bottom of the frame. It’s not […]

Louis XV-Style Andirons

Qu’est-ce que c’est un chenet? Part of collecting antiques is always learning—whether you’re going deeper into history, discovering a new-to-you artist, or learning a term in another language. “Chenet” is the French word for “andiron,” the iron brackets that held logs in a fireplace. The andirons kept the burning logs off the floor, allowing air […]

Lalanne Egg Cup

You’ve heard of philately (stamp collecting) and numismatics (collecting currency and medals), but what about pocillovy? Derived from the Latin words for “little cup” and “egg,” “pocillovy” is the word for collecting egg cups. Egg cups are said to have originated in France. King Louis XV (1715-1774) made them popular. Later, they made their way […]

Butcher Trade Sign

Advertising signs are most popular when they include a well-known brand name or recognizable mascot. Sometimes, a sign doesn’t have a name or brand attached, but there’s no mistaking what it’s for. This three-dimensional pig’s head made of carved and painted wood with glass eyes was made for a butcher’s shop. It sold at Cowan’s […]

Gustav Stickley Desk

Gustav Stickley has created icons of American design. Inspired by John Ruskin and William Morris of the English Arts and Crafts movement, Stickley started the Craftsman workshop in 1900. He originated what was later called Mission furniture, with its simple, sturdy shapes, iron and hammered copper hardware, and emphasis on skilled craftsmanship and practicality instead […]

Roseville Cornucopia Vase

This strange piece of art pottery is a cornucopia vase, popular in the 1930s. It was made by the Roseville Pottery Company. The pattern name is White Rose. Roseville Pottery Company started in Roseville, Ohio, in 1890. A second plant was opened in Zanesville, Ohio, in 1898. White Rose pattern was introduced in the 1940s. […]

Tandem Bicycling Poster

This 1894 poster could have been made for an Olympic event in the early 1900s or well into the 20th century. Tandem bicycling was a Summer Olympics event in 1908 and then again from 1920 to 1972. Two-rider teams raced for 2,000 meters on tandem bicycles. In 1908, 34 riders from seven countries took part. […]