What Pleasure Is There In Buying Antique Junk?

Eye roll, please.

Can you believe an acquaintance of mine actually asked me this question? Disrupted a perfectly polite, engaging conversation. You see, I was relating the adventures of my latest antiqueing excursion where I uncovered a Windsor chair that was admittedly, in a sad state. And for the life of her, my friend couldn't understand why I didn't just galavant to the closest Thomasville Gallery and buy myself a brand new one. Why on earth would I want a Windsor antique that would require a delicate balancing act while perched - simply to remain in an upright position?

But I wanted it badly. Never mind the rickety legs and marred finished. It's curving back, the slender hickory spokes and saddle-shaped seat blinded me to the obvious flaws. I do believe there has never been an ungraceful Windsor chair. Besides, I figured it was my patriotic duty to lovingly restore this gem to it's former glory. For Heaven's sake, Jefferson sat in a Windsor when he wrote the Declaration of Independence! Honestly, need I say more?

Then my dear friend said to me she would prefer a reproduction to antique junk. Bless her heart. She just doesn't get it, does she?

Well, there certainly would be little pleasure in buying antiques if they were to remain as "junk". Some junk is apparent, and some requires a bit of faith. You must look beyond the obvious and see what once was. Many a broken or hard-used piece of funiture can be pristinely restored to it's former strength.

Besides, reproductions are lacking a crucial ingredient in my humble opinion. And that's the infinite personal care of the past. Back then, furniture was designed with thoughts of your children and your children's children in mind. Also lacking is the tender or stately charm of association with history. Association with gentler times.

Try as we might, we can't truly reproduce a moment passed.

No, I didn't buy the chair that day. But I never worry about the pieces I leave behind. Someone, somewhere has a place in their present yearning to be filled with a momento from the past. Something solid and true that has withstood changing, turbulent times.

Maybe that's why antiques continue to fascinate and comfort a modern world.

Collecting Antique Limoges Porcelain Boxes

Uh,oh, I see you.

You've been staring at your computer screen, your chin cupped in your hand, fingers absently drumming away at your cheek...contemplating another elusive antique to add to your collection.

Well, maybe I have a suggestion for you.

Now, it's a dainty kind of thing, so if you're into antique tools or tractor parts, this may not be your cup of tea. But if you enjoy the whimsical, the romantic, or elegance in miniature, then Limoges porcelain boxes may be your new obsession.

Here's a little history for you...

Limoge porcelain has been around since the 18th century when kaolin clay was discovered in the Limoge section of France. From the clay, tiny porcelain boxes were created and then hand painted by local artisans. The detail in each delicate box is exquisite. When I handle a Limoges, I actually feel pulled you into the design, searching for some hidden delight with each delicate brush stroke.

In the 17th century, these tiny little boxes were used to store or carry a variety of things - like snuff, pills, even secret notes. Ah, some intrique... and isn't that part of the delight of antiques?

You can expect to pay several hundred dollars for these delicate little boxes. And you'll need to get acquainted the different companies that manufactored them. Unfortuately, they're some unsavory reproductions out there so, as true with all antiques, you must know what you're looking for.

Go ahead and see for yourself. You'll find all kind of resources on the web for Limoges.

Hope you find something you like!

Antiques go Heavy Metal!

"I beg your pardon?!"

Now, I know what you're thinking. No, not "heavy metal" as in the music. My word, do you honestly think I would blaspheme in such a manner?

So, for those of you still in mid-swoon, relax. I'm talking about heavy metal as in black metal as in... cast iron skillets!

Don't know what the fuss is about? Sugar, you're not from the south are you? I don't mean to imply that only southerners revere their skillets. But if you're on the right side of the Mason-Dixon line, then I suspect you may be daydreaming about a pan of biscuits baked in Grandma's old, black cast iron skillet. Honey, hush. Golden brown and crisp on the bottom, the inside warm and tender as a mother's love . A little butter and muscadine jam, and they're good enough to serve at high tea.

Oops...forgive me from swaying from the topic. Back to the antique feature of cast iron... To tell the truth, I've never given much thought to cast iron antiques for the kitchen. But I was reading a interesting article today by Pamela Wiggins, one of my favorite antiques experts. And she mentioned that many consider Griswold Cast Iron a big collectors item. Griswold began production of cast iron around 1865, so if you find one of these, you better grab it quick. Some pieces sell for well into the hundreds of dollars. If you're wondering where to find your own antique Griswold skillet, you might want to plunder through Grandma's kitchen cabinets.

I wouldn't want to speculate that she'd let you have it. But, she probably loves you enough to let you borrow it for awhile.

Finding Antique Collectibles

Maybe it's just me, but when it comes to antiques, part of the thrill is in the hunt. And I like to do it the old fashioned way. In other words, I put on some lipstick, walk out my door, wave to my neighbor, get in my car, and take a leisurely drive to some perfectly delightful antique shops. Shoot, sometimes I make a day out of it. Have lunch at the town square, stroll through the park, and then visit every little hole-in-the-wall antique store in town - it's a fine way to spend the day!

Now, I know not everyone thinks like I do. And I quess that's all right. Thank goodness, there are other options for those who like to do their shopping in cyber space. There's not a bit of shame in that. I suppose some things just must be sacrificed for convenience sake. But I like to give several of my senses a little cause for celebration when I hunt for antiques or collectibles.

For instance, holding an antique teacup in my hand takes me back to Victorian tea parties with genteel ladies in pretty gowns. I can't pick up an old book without bringing it to my nose and inhaling the scent. It smells so...old.

I quess maybe it's an acquired smell.

If you have a mind to start you're own collection - and it can be anything that suits your fancy - here's some ideas to get you going.

Enjoy!



How to Find Antique Collectibles

By Monique Hawkins

Are you an antique collector? Are you a serious collector that is looking for a specific antique such as a certain piece of furniture, a unique car, or perhaps a specific antique painting that suits your taste? If so, then you know it is not always an easy task to find the items you are looking for, especially if you don't know where to look.

Maybe you just love to shop for different antiques on a smaller scale. This could include collectible items such as toys and figurines. There are many different types of antique art that can be purchased and even a wide variety of antique books may be found. The key is to know where to find all of the great items that are out there.

Finding your antiques

So the question that many collectors have is just where to find the good stuff anyway? The thing that makes being an antique collector different is that you can't just go to the store and buy the item you want, no matter how much money you have. It can literally be an Easter egg hunt to try to find the treasures you seek.

When you are shopping for antique collectibles but do not have a specific item in mind or if you do not plan to spend a large amount of money, then a flea market is a great place to shop. However, if it is a specific item you are looking for, then many sites on the Internet can provide you with the location of these items. For instance, if you are looking for an automatic musical instrument, then MBSI is an organization that can provide you with many of these antiques. Several of these musical instruments may be viewed, bought or traded by its members at the conventions that are held. There are also many advertisements on the organization?s site that list antiques that people sell all over the country.

Another great organization that can supply you with automatic musical instruments is AMICA. This site can stun its visitors with their elegant antique player pianos. Organizations such as these can provide you with information on dealers both locally and from around the world. There are also many organizations that let you subscribe to lists that will tell you when they have sales and auctions for antiques.

Looking Online

There are many places online where you can look for antiques. The great thing about the internet is that it brings a much larger world straight to you. GoAntiques.com is a site that can help you locate a specific item by pinpointing precisely where you should look. If the item is being sold in more than one place, they can give you this information, allowing you the opportunity to find the best price available for the antique of your choice.

Anteq.com is another useful site. This company caters to antique collectors, antique dealers, and antique malls of the world. Anteq.com is committed to meeting the needs of the antiques & collectibles community by providing professional software and support.

eBay is yet another popular place to look online for antique collectibles. There are people from all over the world buying, selling, and trading collectibles and antiques on eBay. Some of the best deals out there can be found on eBay. Another great thing about finding your collectibles online is the wonderful and wider selection than you would find at a local show or sale. If you do not have a specific item in mind but are looking in certain categories such as, books, paintings, or coins, online sites such as eBay is a terrific place to look for these types of antiques. Antique jewelry and dishes are also a big hit with collectors and can be found on this site. It is one of the fastest and easiest ways to shop for collectibles.

Joining Clubs and Groups

You might also want to check to see if your local town or city has an antique collector's club or group that you can join. This would be a way for you to meet other people who share your passion and who can guide you to some of the best places to find what you are looking for. If none can be found in your town, why not start one yourself?

Antique collecting is a passion for many people. Finding the right collectibles may not always be easy. However, with perseverance and patience, you will be sure to find that perfect antique collectible you have been seeking.

Copyright 2005 Monique Hawkins

Monique Hawkins is the owner of the online music box store, "Monique's Music Box" located at http://www.my-music-box.com. She also posts a "What You Never Knew About Music" blog at http://whatyouneverknewaboutmusic.blogspot.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Monique_Hawkins

Antiques and Collectibles

Today I spent some quality time in my basement. Now, that wasn't my intention at all. I just wanted to see about one of my favorite antique tables I have resting down there for a bit. You see, my teenage daughter has declared squatter's rights to the area and bless her heart, sometimes she just doesn't take the proper care with her housekeeping. Renegade soda cans find their way to every solid surface - including my antiques. Worries me to death sometimes. Thank goodness, my pretty little table was just fine.

Well, you know how it is. I started poking around and wandered into the storage area, shaking my head, tsking at all the boxes piled from floor to ceiling. How on earth did we ever accumulate so much stuff?

It's my husband's fault. He has this raging collector's gene that's come to full glory in my children. Because packed away in those boxes I found sweet testaments of their childhood. And as I peeked inside each one, memories so vivid I could reach out and hug them glued me to the spot. Almost trance-like, I shuffled though baseball cards, posed the X-men figures, called the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by name, snuggled the Beenie Babies, and dressed the Barbie Dolls (Don't you love her shoes?). I remembered the Christmas my husband bought all the limited editions of favorite figurines and Barbies he could find and tortured the kids with "Now, you can't open this one - it might be worth something one day." I remembered getting up at the crack of dawn on Saturday mornings to stand in line at my daughters favorite kid boutique to find the latest Beanie Baby. We'd come out with bags full.

Today was the best afternoon I've had in awhile.

I'm still amazed at all the boxes. And, okay, maybe I'm the pot calling the kettle black. I'm a collector, too - I collect antiques. But being a collector doesn't mean you collect "collectibles". And collectibles aren't antiques, even though people certainly collect antiques.

Confusing? Well, just keep reading. I'll try to make a little sense out of it for you.

A collectible is something that hasn't quite reached the antique mile stone - it's less than 100 years old. And as witnessed by the contents in my basement boxes, it doesn't have to have a lot of artistic merit. But collectibles are desired, even cherished, so they have value. As a rule, collectibles don't have a utilitarian purpose, but are prized for their ornamental or sentimental value instead.

That's a nice way of saying they're not good for anything practical, but they're pretty or fun or worth some money. For example, Beatles fans or Elvis enthusiasts clamor for anything once owned by their idols. Now, say what you will, that's a legitimate collector's item.

I've spent some time pondering this matter. And I've decided this. The very best collectibles, I think, aren't the ones you search for in flea markets, fancy shops or auctions.

Priceless collectibles can be found in a cardboard box, packed away with innocent dreams... still warm from the time spent in the heart of a child.

Antique Reproductions

Like most antique lovers, I proudly display my treasures wherever I can find a spot for them. Doesn't matter where, as long as they're safe, and of course, look pretty, right?

However, if my Smith and Ford porcelain pitcher had a say in the matter, I suspect she would be a little indignant about her perch amidst the shelves of my entertainment center. The very idea... a regal antique pitcher keeping company with a plasma TV!

Then there's the situation in my living room. My children call it the "old room" because that's where I have my nicer antiques. But I have a confession to make about the contents of my living room.

Not everything that looks old is.

I'm not going to tell all my secrets, but a few pieces of furniture are actually reproductions. Now, if someone is actually brazen enough to question me about the authenticity, of course I tell the truth. But the reproductions are of such high quality, and they are so at home among the rest of the furniture, no one as much as raises an eyebrow.

As a matter of fact, sometimes a reproduction may be a better buy than the real deal. I found an interesting article that may answer some questions you have about the two.

Read on to find out more!

Antiques and Reproductions: Can You Tell the Difference?

By Martin Swinton

Can you tell the difference between an antique and a reproduction? Does it really even matter?

There’s nothing wrong with good quality reproductions. You just want to make sure that you know that’s what you are getting. Here are some tips to help you tell them apart.

Wood. Antiques tend to not be made using one type of wood. Why? It simply didn’t make economic sense to use expensive wood such as mahogany in areas where no one would ever see it. That’s why the bottoms of drawers and joints of antiques might have lesser quality woods such as pine, maple. Reproductions tend to be made top-to-bottom from one wood and can be heavily stained to hide a poor quality wood. Check the underside, if the wood seems the same throughout the piece, it may be new.

Upholstery stuffing. Up until late early 20th century, horsehair and hay were used to stuff upholstered furniture. Synthetics such as foam were introduced around 1920s. Keep in mind that the horsehair or hay may have been replaced in an antique during an earlier reupholstering. It’s not necessarily bad, it’s just no longer in original condition.

Signs of wear. Do the signs of wear make sense? An antique chair will show increased signs of wear at the end of the arms where the hands would naturally rest more so than underneath the arm. If the wear is consistent through the piece, it’s likely a reproduction that has been distressed to appear old.

Signs of age. Look for signs of cracks caused by shrinkage. They indicate that the wood has expanded and contracted over time. This is normal for an antique.

Antique marble. To find out if the marble is original to an antique, check the back of the piece. If the cut line at the back is jagged, the marble is likely original to the piece. In the 18th century, the tools to cut marble straight were not yet available. If the marble is smoothly cut, it’s likely post 18th century.

Hand carving. Run your finger along the carving. Is it bumpy or smooth? Hand carving is uneven and asymmetrical. Machine carving is smooth and symmetrical.

Dovetailing. Handmade 18th century dovetails are large and uneven. Machine-made dovetails are thin and even.

Construction. Phillips screws, staples and fiberboard are all tip-offs to reproductions. On antiques with large surfaces (tables, trunks, armoires), furniture makers used wide boards with an uneven width. Reproductions use narrow boards with an even width.

Gluing. On older pieces, cabinetmakers would reinforce glued joints with dowels, mortise and tenon etc. to ensure that they were good and sturdy. Poor quality reproductions will often only be glued which down the road will lead to them falling apart. Slip a piece of paper between the joints to see if it is reinforced.

Hardware. Vintage hardware has patina. It doesn’t have a lacquer finish to protect it from tarnishing and it isn’t shiny and new looking.

Rebuilt/refurbished/reproductions. Rebuilt furniture has some new elements added to it such as new shelves, backs on an armoire. It’s common in a lot of French country furniture around today. Refurbished furniture has been restored. Either the wood has been refinished or the upholstery, caning, rushing replaced. Reproductions have no old aspects. They are completely new. Whether something is rebuilt, refurbished or a reproduction is not necessarily a negative, just as long as you are know that you’re not buying an antique in original condition.

Insert caning versus hand caning. Inset caning (post 1900) has a spine bordering the caning. Hand caning (pre-1900) doesn’t have a border. Every now and then, hand-caned pieces were converted to inset caning when a hand-caner was not to be found. Check the underside of the piece to see if it’s been converted. The underside will reveal a series of holes that were used for the hand caning.

Buying reproductions. Buying good quality reproductions eliminates the frustration of hunting for the right piece. Having something custom made ensures you get exactly what you want. For example, the narrow dimensions of antique armoires 15 to 17 inches don’t suit today’s electronic equipment. Some dealers, including myself, do offer custom reproductions to overcome this predicament.

Buying antiques. The good news about antiques is they can be less expensive than reproductions because you’re not paying for materials and labor costs at today’s prices. Plus, each antique has a history. The patina, nicks and bangs on antiques reveal a full life of use just as the wrinkles on the face of an elderly person reveal a life that has been fully lived.

Martin Swinton lives in Toronto, Canada and owns Take-A-Boo Emporium, a popular local antique shop. He has appeared on a variety of television programs and teaches courses on antiques. Contact him at www.takeaboo.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_Swinton

What Kind of Antique Collector Are You?

What keeps you up at night, thinking about the thrill of your next antique hunt?

Hmm...good question, right?

Well, just the other night I was having a similar conversation with Mr. Antique Diva (my long-suffering husband who's cheerfully waded through countless flea markets and little hole-in-the wall antique stores) and it appears we have differing philosophies.

It's okay. He's not perfect... but I declare, he gets closer every day!

You see, when it comes to collecting, he's the investor type. He loves to do his research on values, market trends...academic dribble that makes my eyes glaze over. I just have to ask him, "Honey, where's the love?"

Now, I, on the other hand...I'm a sentimental,nostalgic,historic kind of gal. Mama's old ceramic coffe pot given to her as a gift from my daddy birthed the antique collector in me. You should see this coffe pot. If you remember Gun Smoke, it looks just like the one on the opening scenes of the show. I'm a tad embarrassed to admit I have no idea of the market value. But I don't care. To me, it's priceless.

Many folks collect for historic authenticity. As a matter of fact, my Granddaddy collected antique Civil War artifacts. I think it reminded of his roots, gave him some comfort by remembering his lineage. Though not a highly educated man, he could put the best of historians to shame with his Antebellum wisdom.

And, hey, some of us just love pretties! I love to go antiquing with Aunt Maxine. (For those of you who've been following my blog, that's Aunt Dot's sister.) Once she spots an antique secretary, an old china plate, crystal goblet, whatever...I swear, she gets this close to going into a trance. And the endearing thing to me is this... she knows exactly the perfect place for it. In my house! You should hear her art of persuasion. I'm practically shamed into a purchase!

But, whatever the reason, we collect because we're driven...by sentiment, history, childhood memories, personal passions, or investments. Antique collecting is at our core. The desire is part of who we are.

All in all, we're a special lot.

Don't you agree?