Hidden Features in Collectibles

Collectibles were sometimes made to fool people. A tiny teddy bear could hide a perfume bottle. Pincushions hide beneath the fabric skirts of half-dolls, ceramic figures stitched to the skirt. Some collectible canes hid thin flasks that held forbidden whiskey to drink secretly while on a walk. And bronze statues sometimes could open to reveal […]

Antique Beds

Can an antique bed be used in a modern home without difficulties? Yes and no. The beds used before about 1900 are shorter and narrower than the standard sizes used today. That means to use the beds, the fitted sheets, blankets, box springs and mattresses may have to be custom made. It might be possible […]

Blackball Voting Box

As early as the seventeenth century in America, members of fraternal clubs often voted at their meetings without paper ballots. Many decisions had to be almost unanimous; just one “no” vote would defeat a project. So, they used a blackball box instead of paper ballots. Each person was given a random number of black and […]

Mitchell & Rammelsberg Furniture

If you never lived in Ohio you probably never heard or Mitchell & Rammelsberg furniture. They were the largest furniture manufacturers of their time and they were in the Midwest, but not in Grand Rapids, where most of the furniture was made. (Lots of lumber and goods are transported from the Great Lakes to the […]

Dating an Advertising Sign

Advertising signs with bold colored graphics, interesting product names, and pictures of Uncle Sam and other patriotic designs sell for high prices. They sell best in the size sometimes called “a sofa picture,” since it can hang between the ceiling and the top of the sofa. Many collectors want advertising for the historic content and […]

Salt and Pepper Shakers

Looking for an inexpensive, amusing collection for a small display area in your house? Or perhaps to encourage your children to be collectors and go to antiques shows with you? They can learn a lot about prices, money, history and fun without a cell phone. Salt and pepper shakers come in all sizes and prices, […]

Phrenology Heads

Medicine has come a long way since the early 1800s when phrenology was an accepted theory of diagnosis. It was said that each bump on your head covered a part of the brain that controlled a personality trait like self-esteem, a destructive tendency or religious interest. The bumps might show a criminal tendency, but rewards […]

Antique Whirligigs

What is a whirligig? Some move on a windy day like pinwheels. Some are moving toys showing a man chopping wood. Many are moving garden pieces showing people chopping wood or waving a flag. The experts say there four types of whirligigs. The first were made as early as 500 B.C. by American Indians. These […]

On the Road – Design Miami 2018

Every December, Miami comes alive with art fairs. Local museums open new shows, more than 15 art fairs sprout up, galleries show new work – all to entice the approximately 75,000 visitors who come to Miami to buy art and design works. It’s a great time to catch up with old and new design trends […]

Antique Furniture Names

It is sometimes difficult to know the proper name of a piece of antique furniture because the names are sometimes changed. A commode can be a chest of drawers, a cabinet like a sideboard, or a small bedroom dressing table usually with a drawer for soap, combs, brushes and cosmetics and a small shelf behind […]