President Lincoln in Folk Art

President Lincoln has been memorialized in many ways since his death in 1860, but there are things that few people remember today. 1) The President and his wife, Mary Todd, had four sons. Three died young. “Eddie” (Edward Baker) Lincoln, born in 1846, died at three years old in 1850. “Willie” (William Wallace) was born […]

History of Valentine’s Day Cards

Valentine’s Day is an old holiday that started with a Christian martyr, St Valentine, about 500 A.D or a Roman fertility fest. In the 1760s, insulting comic valentines called “penny dreadfuls” were sold. A few commercial cards were made by the 1870s from homemade paper, lace and ribbons. By late Victorian times, there were “mechanical” […]

Benefits of Bottle Collecting

Why not start a collection this year? It’s fun and encourages healthy exercise and family outings. It creates new friendships and sometimes a lucky find brings money. Bottles can be found in stores, house sales and even dug up on old dumps. There are thousands of bottle collectors who go to shows, meetings and even […]

On the Road – New York City

By:  Kim Kovel You never know what you will learn when you explore flea markets, sales and shows. We went to the Salon Art + Design fair in New York City. It’s an annual fair held each fall with top design galleries from around the U.S. and Europe, exhibiting historical, modern and contemporary furniture, groundbreaking […]

Tin Toys Imitate the Adult World

Children have always liked toys that can move and make noise and look like something from the adult world. Victor Bonnet was a French toymaker working after 1919 that specialized in tin, and later steel, toy trucks, motorcycles, carts, buggies, as well as clowns, women doing housework, musicians playing instruments and birds. His toys were […]

Clobbered Porcelain Isn’t Damaged

The English word “clobbered” has been used since at least the 1600s, but its meaning has changed. It still means “beaten up,” badly injured or damaged. But the word had a very different meaning in the 1700s. It describes porcelain dishes or ornaments with blue and white underglaze decoration that were altered. And in an […]

Canadian vs. American Slat-Back Chairs

Ever see an old chair that seems different – the parts are a little more curved, the stretchers between the legs have more shape and the seat seems a little low? The informal slat-back chairs made in Canada and what would become the United States in the 17th and early 18th centuries are often very […]

Identifying Early American Blown Glass

It is very difficult to identify early blown glassware from the early 18th century because talented modern glass blowers can make good copies in the earlier styles and colors. Today chemical analysis of the glass along with other modern methods can identify the source of the sand (silica) used in glass. It was discovered that […]

Architectural Collectibles Are Pieces of History

A recent sale of architectural elements from Chicago’s historic landmarks gave collectors an opportunity to own a piece of the city’s history. The sale by Leslie Hindman Auctioneers of Illinois featured rare and unique items, including an oak-and-iron staircase panel, 1880s, from the Potter Palmer mansion, which sold for $1,125. The Lake Shore Drive mansion […]

January 2019 Prices

ADVERTISING Jigsaw puzzle, Chevrolet School Buses, 2-sided, school bus & song lyrics, reverse side has diagram of bus & features, box, Compliments of Your Chevrolet Dealer, 1932, 8 x 13 3/4 in., $85 Pail, Toyland Peanut Butter, circus parade, marching band, animals, children, tin lithograph, Pond Co., 1 lb., 3 3/4 x 3 1/2 in., […]