Family Photos

Every once in a while I’ll get an email asking me why I never post a picture of AD. Well here ya’ go. He’s the one in the center with the sour look on his face.

The past few days I have been in Tuna celebrating Aunt Jean’s birthday and hanging out with AD’s people.

While I was there I took about 800 pictures. I love living in the age of digital photography and having the freedom to take as many pictures as I want.

About 500 of the pictures I took were actually pictures of pictures. The other 300 were of Sean being cute and irresistible.

Like most people, my mother-in-law has boxes of old photographs that I would love to have, so I went through the box and took digital pictures of the pictures I wanted. I know that sounds lame but it works - it’s cheap and easy and far less laborious than using a scanner, which I don’t have.

If you want to try this, here are some key things to keep in mind to get better results.

- Find some good light, bright but indirect sunlight is best.

- Turn off the flash to avoid a big white spot - you may need a tripod if your light isn’t great.

- Stand directly above the photograph when taking the picture to avoid skewing the perspective.

- Use a piece of white foamcore board (any craft store) and a few straight pins to anchor a photo that is curling on the edges.

- Keep a list of picture notes which correlate to the .jpg number. For example, number 2 on the list would relate to 002.jpg and you might have a note that says who is in the picture, when and where it was taken and anything that was written on the back.

Here’s another picture of AD that was taken that same day. The unexplained white gloved hand on the left and the inconsolable baby makes for a weird composition, so weird it makes me laugh. I have entitled this picture “It’s Too Level” — a story about AD that I will share with you maybe tomorrow. Feel free to leave your own funny caption in comments.

Here’s a more recent picture of AD.

Back to spring break and editing photos!

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Early Reticella Needlework/Needlelace

Early Reticella Needlework/Needlelace

I was chatting to a customer about really early textiles, he had bought some French Toile de Bordeaux (c1790) from me, and was chatting about his long quest for 15th and 16th century silk and tapestry fragments. It reminded me to have a look at my very small but beautiful collection of early lace, dating from the late 16th century through to the beginning of the 18th. I am still very new to the complexities of lace identification, but find it endlessly fascinating. I shall start to show you some of my favourite bits and bobs!

These 2 pieces are quite interesting, the top a piece of Reticella needlework on linen, dating to about 1590-1600, it is the earliest and simplest type of needlepoint lace, complex cutwork that extended into lace with clever use of buttonhole stitch across the gaps. The lace below is braid based Reticella, a little later at around 1620-1650, a needlepoint lace in linen thread.

I never cease to be amazed at the simple beauty of such ancient textiles, made with such care, so many years ago. It is worth looking out for such pieces when you see batches of lace, as you can occaisionally find really old pieces like this, as not many poeple are interested in this type of lace! I found both of these pieces by rummaging through large bundles for sale at our local car bot sale! Reticella was revived in the 19th and 20th centuries so is quite easy to find, but you can usually recognise this as being clumsier, with a coarser thread than in the early examples, or overly pernickerty as was often the case with Victorian laces.

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Antique and Vintage Button Jewelry: Don't You Hurt That Button....

Don't You Hurt That Button....

Posted by Alterity on 6:19 AM

Before I start today's post, I want to start with a disclaimer: I am in no way trying to insult makers of button jewelry that harm their buttons, nor trying to sabotage their business. I am simply trying to get the point out about the detrimental recourse of harming buttons for the sake of jewelry! I'm just a bleeding heart for buttons and want to educate the masses of the depletion of value when buttons are damaged!

Antique buttons are like miniature works of art, time capsules of history, beautiful little gems to run your fingers through. As I mentioned yesterday, you wouldn't drill a hole through a Hummel, would you? The same for buttons. Here is an example. Several months ago, I saw a button necklace for sale on the internet. The button was worth about $35 all by itself, judging from the front of the button. The jewelry designer had drilled a hole in the top of the button, passed a bail through it, put it on a chain. This necklace was priced around $50, the description stated that the button was antique which made the piece that much more valuable. The sad thing is that the button is now worthless with the damage....worth only the scrap metal it is made from. At this point, the necklace is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. It is no longer valuable just because it has an antique button on it as the button is now valued at $0, when it once was valued at least $35.

I see it all the time. Bracelets made by cutting the shanks off buttons and gluing the buttons to a bracelets. Those buttons were once worth about $5 a piece, now they are worth nothing. And the $40 price tag? The price does not reflect the value of the buttons, because they are not worth anything anymore. Pity, as there are usually at least 6 small picture buttons on each bracelet. Figure that out at $5 a piece. They are only worth something to the consumer who doesn't know better. Hairpins. Bookmarks. The tragedy goes on....

One important clientele that these people are missing? The Button Collectors. I know..."People actually collect those things?" Believe it or not, but button collectors come in all age ranges, from 8 to 80. I have been collecting collectible buttons for over 10 years. Remember what I said yesterday that these kinds of buttons are not usually found in old button boxes. These buttons are either found on ebay, button shows, individual websites that sell them and auctions. But I will tell you one thing: Button Collectors would be horrified to own a piece of button jewelry where the button was damaged to create the piece. Plain old shirt buttons are different, but collectible buttons, this is where the concern comes in.

Stay tuned tomorrow when I continue this series......and I hope I didn't ruffle too many feathers. No harm was intended....my only goal is education.

(above picture courtesy of www.buttonbuttononie.com, a member of the National Button Society who sells antique and collectible buttons.)

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Antiques & Collectibles National Association Announces New Orleans Convention Dates for 2010

Davidson, NC, March 19, 2009 -- The Antiques & Collectibles National Association owners Mike and Angie Becker have announced the scheduling of the Associations’ first national convention since 2006. The Association will meet in New Orleans on January 10-13, 2010 using the Hotel Monteleone in the heart of the French Quarter as home base.

The three day Monday through Wednesday meeting schedule, based on the theme “Help Your Future – Buy Your Past,” will be packed with educational classes, networking opportunities, a trade show and a shopping trip to Magazine Street, the core of the New Orleans antiques district. Scheduled speakers and topics for the classes include Kyle Husfloen, keynote address; Fred and Gail Taylor – Antique Furniture; Randy and Debbie Coe – Glass; DiAnna Tindell – Art Restoration; Connie Swaim – Recognizing Fakes; Barbara Mauzy – Kitchenware and Beth Walker – Silver.

The ACNA was formed in 1991 as the Antiques & Collectibles Dealer Association and has evolved to the ACNA to provide personalized services for shop owners, mall owners, show promoters and private collectors as well as all levels of dealers. The Association offers an array of services to its members including property and liability insurance coverage for shop owners, mall owners, mall dealers, show dealers, show promoters and collectors, seminars, a quarterly newsletter, a discount on a home study program through Ashford Institute of Antiques, credit card processing and an online sales platform through GoAntiques.com as well as discounts on trade advertising, shipping, travel, dealer supplies and security concerns.

Registration forms for the Convention and cost details as well as membership benefits and details are available on the Association website or from the ACNA office, (800) 287-7127 (where the phone is always answered by a live person). Both Association members and non-members are welcome. Early registration is encouraged since discounts are given prior to June 1, 2009.

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Where to Find Antique Toy Trains?

Written by anderseriksson

This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding Toytrains. A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about Toytrains.

Toy trains often become family heirlooms, handed down from one generation to the next. This is an especially nice tradition because the nature of toy trains is such that each generation can add something to the toy train, whether it is something for the train, like a new car, or something for the layout like new landscaping. Toy trains are something the family can build on.

Sometimes family members want to keep the entire layout looking like it is all from the same era. If the train has been around for a long time that might mean that the family will have to look for antique toy trains.

There are a number of ways you can go about looking for an antique toy train. Some people comb estate sales. While some great deals are found here it is not the easiest way to look for an antique toy train. It can be difficult to confirm the age and condition of the train before the estate sale begins. It is not always possible to determine if the train is in good working order until after you have finished bidding on it.

It is not uncommon to find a nice antique train set at an antique store. Even if the store doesn’t have the antique toy train that you are looking for it doesn’t hurt to talk to the proprietor. They might be able to find the train you are looking for. Leave your contact information with them, and write down exactly what you are looking for.

Some antique toy train collectors comb the flea markets. While some collectors do stumble upon the rare diamond in the rough, most of the trains that show up at the flea markets are in really rough shape.

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of Toytrains is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about Toytrains.

Lots of toy train collectors go to auctions. Lots of times auctioneers will wait until they have several toy trains and then hold a special toy train auction. Hoping to generate publicity, auctioneers generally mail postcards or post notices, listing the various types of trains they have available. For extremely rare, expensive trains, large corporations hold high end auctions.

The Internet is an incredibly useful tool for locating and purchasing antique toy trains. There are loads of toy train dealers who have websites that list the types, and kinds, and prices of toy trains that they have available for purchase. Many of these same dealers also have toy train stores listed on EBay. Buying trains through dealers that specialize in toy trains is a good way to ensure that the toy train will arrive in exactly the condition that was promised. Dealers that are members of the Train Collectors Association (TCA) have a reputation of taking pride in the toy trains they sell.

Before you purchase an antique toy train know exactly what you want it for.

If you are looking for a train that is just for display then you will want to make sure that it looks like it is in pristine condition, that the paint is scratched or chipped, that there aren’t any dents in the casing, if its a wooden toy train make sure that wood hasn’t splintered or warped. If you are purchasing the train on-line ask to see several pictures of the toy train from several different angles. If possible try to get the dealer to guarantee the condition of the antique toy train.

If you are planning to add the train to an already working layout, make sure the antique toy train you are about to purchase is in good working order. If the antique toy train includes a transformer make sure the transformer works.

If you are still having trouble finding an antique toy train consider joining a collectors club, or attending swap meets.

It never hurts to be well-informed with the latest on Toytrains. Compare what you’ve learned here to future articles so that you can stay alert to changes in the area of Toytrains.

Claremont Rug Company Catalog Offers Rug Connoisseurs Glimpse at Art Level Collections

Contains Images, Information about Connoisseur Quality Antique Oriental Rugs, Including "Three-Fold Collection"

Jan David Winitz, internationally recognized rug connoisseur and president of Claremont Rug Company, today announced the availability of a 32-page brochure highlighting some of his gallery's latest acquisitions of significant art-level 19th century Oriental carpets.

For more than a quarter-century, Claremont Rug Company's catalogs have offered one of the very few opportunities retail customers have to study extraordinary examples of this art form. "The catalog consistently receives considerable praise from clients and collectors alike," Winitz said. "Actually, rare book dealers seek out and sell our older catalogs, a further affirmation of the serious global interest in major antique Oriental rugs."

Among the highlights of the current edition are rugs from three notable collections that Winitz recently acquired and is featuring in a special event called "The Threefold Collections." These include "an absolutely drop-dead" 150-year-old Persian Kermanshah on the cover that he calls "the crown jewel of a long-established collection from Charlottesville, VA." Rugs in these collections range in value from $20,000 into six figures.

"This gratifying response from rug lovers underlines what I have been stressing for some time," said Winitz. "For generations, the best art-level rugs have remained in private hands. In today's market, they are extremely seldom available for viewing. We have been fortunate to have attained a stature that when substantial private collections becomes available, they are offered to us exclusively."

The catalogs, produced semi-annually, contain photos and descriptions of rare carpets from Claremont's inventory. "We are incredibly meticulous in how we produce our images," said Winitz, noting that the Company maintains its own full-time art photographer, Michael Irwin; two color-specialists, and an archivist. The Fall 2008 catalog contains photographs of 34 rugs.

Irwin recently explained his photographic process: "Our photos require significant effort to produce because of the rugs' amazing amount of detail and myriad subtleties of color. It is much more challenging to render an antique carpet than other art forms because it is hand-woven using literally millions of individually hued knots." He emphasized that capturing the patina the wool takes on has been "our crowning achievement."

By having his own team of specialists of rug photography, Winitz is assured those clients who purchase directly from his catalog or website are seeing the carpets "as they are." He said, "This commitment has paid off, as the number of satisfied clients who purchase from our images grows every year.

"Oriental rugs at the highest levels are a phenomenal artistic medium. Our clients include many serious art collectors who tell me their antique carpets are their most beloved art form." Winitz is known for building family collections for clients with several estate-level homes, including 30 members Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans.

"Our clients find that fine antique carpets substantially accentuate the beauty of their architecture and furnishings, and add great warmth and livability to large living spaces. This is art on such a grand scale that literally envelops the viewer."

Anecdotally, Winitz reports that clients are "stockpiling" rare rugs. In a recent lecture, he said, "They are an excellent depository of wealth. Historically, they always been used as a buffer against the erosion of wealth in uncertain economic times."

The catalog, says Winitz, is eagerly anticipated by his clients, adding that it is shipped by overnight courier to many of his collector-level connoisseurs. "From our last catalog, we placed seven rugs within 48 hours after our private clients received it," he said.

The catalog can be obtained by calling Claremont Rug Company at 1-800-441-1332 or registering at the Gallery's website ( www.claremontrug.com). The price is $25.

An Antique Item For Christmas?- Not A Bad Idea

Trying to get your Christmas shopping list ready? Maybe you know someone who wants a certain antique item. The Internet is making it easier and affordable than ever to buy antiques on-line. You could end up giving them the ultimate holiday gift.

Antiques are some of the best things that you can purchase when looking to adding to a collection, or looking to add to your home. Antiques come in many shapes, sizes, and years. There are large pieces and small pieces, as well as incredibly old antiques, and newly antiqued pieces. Either way, trying to find antiques can be hard. While there are always antique stores nearby, they can only hold so many antiques. It is impossible to see every antique available, as they are unique to every individual store. If you look toward the Internet for antiques, you will find multiple benefits.

Loads of Antiques

The major benefit of shopping on-line for antiques has already been somewhat mentioned; the Internet holds the largest amount of antiques to ever be found in one place. Because there are multiple websites, there are an incredible amount of antiques available. Every website has the capability to hold more antiques than any usual store, which make it easier to find whatever you are looking for. Even if you do not have something incredibly specific that you are looking for, you can easily browse around the largest collection of antiques available. Without the Internet, this simply would not be possible.

Ability to Auction

Auctions have always been an incredibly important part of antiques. The auctions allow people to sell the antiques that they have, and allow people to bid for what they want. Sometimes, this leads to lower prices. Sometimes, this leads to a high cost for an incredibly interesting or rare piece. Fortunately, the Internet has allowed for this type of auctioning for antiques. This makes it incredibly easy to find antiques for auction, which again is better than the usual ability for antiques. Without the Internet, these large, worldwide auctions would simply not be possible.

Shipping

Those who are use to picking up large pieces at auction will have found two things; some items are easy to bring home, while others are not. Sometimes, the seller offers to pay for the shipping, while other cases require you to get the antique home on your own. If you are picking up a large antique piece on-line, you can know that it will be shipped directly to you. If not, that will be listed, and will make it easy for you to ignore. The Internet makes it easy to know what you are getting into, and gives you the ability to have the large item shipped directly to your door.

While there are multiple benefits to purchasing antiques on-line, the major benefit is obvious; the Internet allows for the largest buying and selling of antiques ever. By using the Internet, you can find antique mega stores that carry more than you have ever seen in one area. Instead of having to go antique shopping from store to store, you can simply find all of your antiques in one spot.