If you are a keen crystal ornament collector, you cannot go past Swarovski and in particular, their yearly Moo cows known as a 'Mo'. Each year the popular crystal company releases a number of different 'Mo' cows, each in different colors, sizes, and with their own unique personalities. … [Read more...]
Today’s Collectibles are Tomorrow’s Antiques
This article is a modern day collectible guide to tomorrow's antiques. Many of today's collectible items will become tomorrows sort after antiques. They will be just as sought after as many of today's popular antiques. Here are a few examples of popular antiques today: Phonographs Books Furniture Records Music Boxes Railroad Items Maritime Items such as compass, navigation tools and ship parts And anything else that is a sought after antique Here are some … [Read more...]
How to Find the Age of Your Royal Doulton
The history of the Royal Doulton brand is a long and complex one. That consists of subsidiaries, mergers, collaborations and limited releases. This can make finding the age of a Royal Doulton piece difficult to determine. In this article we will be providing you with some helpful tips for working out the age of your Royal Doulton piece, by comparing the Royal Doulton marks, trademarks, base marks, and pattern codes. … [Read more...]
The Hummel Manufacturing Process
M.I. Hummel figurines have been handcrafted in the same Rödental factory since 1935. The process they use, not only provides us with the gorgeous figurines that we see today. It is also the reason for why they are able to provide the high standards of quality and craftsmanship, that they have come to be known for. The Hummel manufacturing process - or Hummel Manufaktur as it is known in Germany - has not changed much over the decades. The same techniques and methods that were first used back … [Read more...]
Hummel Christmas Ornaments
Most people are familiar with Hummel's range of collectible figurines, plates and plaques. But did you know that Hummel also has a range of decorative collectibles as well? Christmas is a prime example of this, as Hummel has its own unique products that have been made specifically for decorating the household at this time of year. To help give you some ideas for decorating your Christmas Tree this year. This article, will be covering some of the different types of Hummel Ornaments and … [Read more...]
The History of Hummel
Ever since the production of the very first Hummel figurine. Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel has remained the driving influence behind the design and art style of every Hummel ever produced. As part of the history of Hummel, we will be taking a look at the life of Sister Maria Innocentia, and the how Goebel came to be the worlds leading manufacture of collectible figurines. … [Read more...]
Antique Joints and Joinery Techniques
Ever since we first started to build structures and objects out of multiple pieces of wood, we have had to find innovative ways of binding the pieces together. Enter joinery - various joining methods that utilize shapes, wedges, and bindings to apply enough force/pressure to hold two or more different pieces of wood together. Skilled carpenters of old were able to craft beautiful structures and objects all by hand. Many of these carpenters were skilled enough to even be able to create works of … [Read more...]
Antique Cedar Chests
Finding a gorgeous handcrafted cider chest that was made before the 20th century, would be a lucky find indeed. Anyone fortunate enough to come across such a rare piece, could easily expect it to fetch a price tag that's in the thousands of dollars. Most cedar chests on the market however, were made no earlier than the 20th century, and were not handmade but were instead machine produced in a factory. … [Read more...]
Wedgwood Markings
Josiah Wedgwood was a famous manufacturer of porcelain and earthenware. While many of his earlier works prior to 1781 may be unmarked, Josiah was the first potter of note to mark his wares with his own name, at a time when other potters were using easily forged marks such as the Sevres double L mark, the Meissen crossed swords mark, or the Chelsea Potteries anchor Mark. The Wedgwood marks have gone through several iterations over the years, as the company struck up partnership deals, … [Read more...]
7 Common Mistakes First Time Collectors Make
When collecting there are some important things that you always need to remember no matter if you are a first time collector or a well seasoned collector. I will cover these things in this article. Common Mistakes a First Time Collector Makes 1: Your Not Prepared - Being prepared is one of the most important things you need to do as a collector. The following is a quick list of ways to prepare before you start collecting. Do some research on the items you are going to collect. Doing some … [Read more...]
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