All About Antiques Guide

Antique Dishes

admin — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:29:55 +0000

Nothing is more utilitarian than a dish. It serves the meal, holds your food, and fills the
kitchen sink with its peers after the meal is over. Prosaic, practical, down to
earth. That is, unless the dish is an antique, a collectible, a family heirloom. A
piece of eye candy, that causes the observer to take a second look, breathe deeply
and smile. Plates on a plate rail, a set of Wedgwood dishes on a prominent shelf. A
chafing dish artlessly gracing a countertop. The sole purpose of these dishes is to
please. To remind the viewer of gentler (or tougher?) days gone by. To bring back
memories of loved ones as some antique dishes have been handed down from generation
to generation within a family, or a group of friends, or a community. This is the
unmatched beauty of antique dishes. What is cheerier than a fistful of daffodils in
a Blue Calico pitcher? Why not plant your geranium in an Ironstone urn painted with
enamelled daisies? A series of round-faced grinning Royal Doulton Toby mugs hanging
about your mantel lighten even the heaviest mood. A mismatched smattering of
flowered teacups and saucers say “welcome!” to visitors who might be
enticed to stay for tea. A Sylvan wash bowl and pitcher set might sit on your
bathroom counter, or a dressing table in your bedroom. There is a type of antique
dish for every nuance. The primitive, the stoneware dishes, fit well in a cabin or a
home with rough-hewn wood beams. The elegance of porcelain and fine china bespeak
polished mahogany woodwork, and lace curtains. The English cottage envelops the more
ornate look of flowered porcelain Victorian teapots and creamers, and matching (or
more likely for English cottage, not matching) cups and saucers. Unless of course
you are going for a more eclectic style. If that’s the case, the only considerations
are your taste, your mood, and your whim. Bring more than one time period together.
Embrace more eras of history as you do so. Once you have hunted out the pieces you
want, and have laid them out as it suits you, it’s time to sit back and enjoy the
ambiance you have created in your home. And, if you choose to do so, you can always
be utilitarian with your Victorian teapot and cups, and savor it all with a cup of
tea.

Antique Oak Furniture

admin — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:19:57 +0000

One of the most popular shows on television is “Antique Roadshow.” On
this show, people bring in their old items and have them appraised by an antique
seller to see how much they are worth. Often, people will get in the tens of
thousands of dollars for things they didn’t think had any material value. One of the
biggest payers is antique oak furniture, for several reasons. Oak has been used by
craftsmen to make furniture for ages untold. Oak has been fashioned to make chairs
and tables for thousands of years. There is nothing quite like oak furniture to
make you feel like you are a king. The inherent quality of oak makes furniture that
is strong, durable and beautiful. Oak is as elegant as it is strong and people have
known this for a very long time. Working in fine oak are a form of artistry. The
wood just lends itself to good furniture. It only improves with age, too. The soft
patina and rich color of period oak makes it highly collectable. Americans have been
making oak furniture almost since the arrival of Columbus. Since the 1600’s,
furniture makers have been making dressers, plate racks, chests, coffers, and tables
and chairs. Period Oak Joinery techniques have distinguished one generation of oak
from the next. Each period is as distinct as the individual artisns who did the
handiwork. American Oak Furniture is some of the most beautiful and collectible in
the world. The popularity and uniqueness of the styles are as varied as each piece
of hand crafted oak furniture. There are six different styles of furniture
collector’s look for. They are: Colonial period (1620-1780), Jacobean (1620-1720),
Queen Anne (1720-1750), Chippendale (1750-1780), Hepplewhite, Sheraton and
Classical.

Antique Boxes

admin — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:08:55 +0000

Antique boxes seem to have a special place in the heart of collector. Their many
(antiquated) uses provide the historical essence which attracts many would be buyers
every year. Among the most popular type of antique boxes, are most certainly the
chest. Antique chests have a certain aura of mystery about them, as they are many times
associated with the themes of treasure,and sacred reliquary. Antique snuff cases are
immensely popular in the antique variety also. These come in many designs and often
have intrinsic marks of artistry many times, serving as a customization which is
particular to the owner. These are collectables on the highest level, in that they
inevitably communicate the trends and fashions of the time in which they were made.
For example many such snuff boxes were of the highest quality materials, being in
their turn bejewelled and decorated with cameos. Today antique boxes come in many
shapes in sizes as each variety were made for many different uses. Another famous
though somewhat less practical sort of antique box, is the music boxes which first
came to prominence in the nineteenth century. These were of an age when mechanical
artistry was at its zenith. They were immediately popular with all classes, in that
they originated from a merger between snuff box makers and watchmakers. However the
most enduring image that comes to mind when one thinks upon the subject of antique
boxes are the wooden storage boxes. These are often high quality, and though they
may retain a practical function in a household, they are often elegant specimens of
the seasoned aesthete. Another type of antique box are the wooden wine boxes which
are sometimes still even used today. They even have some historical value to the
individual with antiquarian interests in that they have engraved designs or symbols
which provide some history as to the wine industry of a town and the type of wine
made at a certain time in its history.Antique Jewelery boxes are by far the most
opulent specimens. Many of the older varieties were lined with velvet and other fine
materials, including cloth of gold and silver tissue. Many such receptacles contain
multiple tiers and levels to house their diverse precious contents. The antique box,
is therefore not restricted to antique purposes only, as practical use does not so
readily fall away with time. In such a way the more pragmatic connoisseur is not
left unsatisfied.

Antique Dolls

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:10:24 +0000

Whether traditional, formal, or exotic, the beauty and originality of antique
dolls has captured the hearts and affection of many generations. Their great appeal
comes most certainly from their prolific, though inanimate propensity to inspire a
certain nostalgic affection along with a more tangible surety for historical and/or
market value to the discerning eye. In antiquity, in many cultures, dolls had a
special significance in the lives of both the old and the young. They often
represented the gods along with other supernatural figures, and were fashioned from
ivory and other valuable materials, while being set with precious stones. The
traditional consensus among archaeologists is that they are thought to be the
world’s first toy, and one the first sources of diversion for children of both sexes
in the ancient world. The most famous associated with the ‘genus’ of the antique
variation are the immensely popular porcelain dolls. These have become one the
worlds most universal collector’s items, with some even being valued in the tens of
thousands of dollars. Porcelain dolls are most admired by collectors for their
realistic quality and for their cultural distinction. The first porcelain doll heads
were created in mid to late seventeen-hundreds, in Cornwall, England. These were
considered to be the most realistic of that time, and in the nineteenth century,
bisque (unglazed china) doll heads came into vogue. These were immediately popular
because of the closer affinity to actual skin tone of the bisque versus the glazed
china heads, though both were interchangeably referred to as ‘porcelain dolls.’ As
the ‘porcelain’ evolution continued, antique dolls began to mirror the styles and
customs of their time in their dress and hairstyles. The french doll makers brought
this trend to perfection, when in the 1860’s and 70’s they began to be commissioned
by their some of their more distinguished clients to custom make dolls which
mirrored certain trends at home and the ever more exotic ones abroad. Papier-mache
and wax dolls, and other antique varieties of the time, were soon surpassed, and
figuratively thrown into the kiln fire from whence the porcelain dolls emerged,
though papier-mache continued to be a formidable ‘rival’ for its china/ceramic
counterpart, being mass produced alongside them in the French and German markets.
Today antique dolls have ceased entirely to be diminutively given the name ‘toy’,
but rather to many of their devotees they are works of art, worth the thousands of
dollars to restore them and purchase them, and cherish them as sacred relics of eras
doldolpassed.

Welcome to All About Antiques Guide

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:37:13 +0000

Welcome to All About Antiques Guide – your source for all things antique. The term antique generally refers to collectible items that have attained a certain age, usually 50 years, although automobiles and certain other machines are considered antique at 25 years of age. Antiques are collectible because of their condition, rarity or uniqueness.

Understanding that there is a difference in genuine antique items, items that are vintage, collectors’ items and objects that are collectable, they all have one thing in common, their age, although for collectibles the age may not be as much of a factor. Collectables are manufactured for the specific purpose of collecting and may range from miniature spoons to dolls to about whatever you can imagine. Collectibles started off as value-added items like collector cards in cigarettes and in many cases progressed to being sold individually for the purpose of collecting. A collectors’ item on the other hand was not manufactured specifically for collecting but due to certain factors became valuable for collectors. For our purposes we are going to consider all four, vintage, collectable, collectors’ items and genuine antiques under the same umbrella of “antiques” for this site.

Antiques can range from very small like thimbles, to huge like airplanes, trucks and automobiles. They are bought, sold and traded all across the country and the world at private sales, flea markets, second hand shops, via classified ads and on the Internet. Shows like “Antique Roadshow” have brought a new awareness of the value of things that have been in storage or just laying around the house, basement, attic, garage or barn.

Antiquing can be a walk down memory lane. Whether the items are from your childhood or the childhood of one of your ancestors, it is a great way to get in touch with your roots. From bottles to bassinets the treasures vary not only in quality but in regions, manufacturers and materials. Keeping your eyes open at the local flea market for that treasure is a must. Buyers and sellers tend to be more sophisticated than in days gone by but there are still great bargains and treasures to be had. It is not necessarily the seller who does not know what he or she has that you are looking for. Often it is the seller who knows what they have, but want to move it quickly that proves to be the great find.

Occasionally there will be an accidental discovery of a great antique or collectors’ item. Some of the more memorable examples are the discovery of a nearly mint Honus Wagner baseball card in an antique desk and a rare Bugatti automobile found in the garage of a late doctor. Both of these items are valued in the millions of dollars. Recently, a rare Asian vase worth hundreds of thousands was found in a box of curios in Scotland.

The purpose of this site is to provide you with the current and useful information you need to find, acquire and sell the antiques you find interesting and affordable. Whether it is antique dolls, antique furniture, ( we love antique oak furniture) antique boxes or vintage signs and advertising, Americana or the myriad items treasure hunters across the world seek, we hope you enjoy your experience at All About Antiques Guide and we hope you visit often.