Mitzi's Collectibles Blog

Mercury Glass 101

Everyone has seen mercury glass the last several years, because Pottery Barn has been cranking it out like crazy, especially around the holidays.  But vintage mercury glass from the Victorian-era is something that warrants your attention, and that's what I want to focus on today.  It's much more interesting than the stuff that's being made in China, but that's no surprise, is it?

My picker recently scored a box full of of gorgeous antique mercury glass at an auction.  Just look at the array of shapes and sizes!  I feel like I've won the lottery!

 

 

Mercury glass was originally created as a replacement for sterling silver.  In fact, it was sometimes called "poor man's silver".  It could be made cheaply, by blowing double-walled glass and coating the interior walls of the glass with a metallic coating (not actual mercury) to give it the silver appearance.  The opening at the bottom, called a "pontil",  was sealed with wax or a cork to prevent air from attacking the silver coating.

 

 

More often than not, the seal at the bottom will be missing, and the silver will have started to corrode.  Because of this, you shouldn't submerge a piece of mercury glass in water:

 

The most common forms of mercury glass are vases, candle holders, curtain tie-backs, salt dips, gazing balls for the garden, and compotes.  Not all mercury glass is silver.  I've seen examples tinted gold, pink, green, and blue, but silver is the most common.  Many of the silver vases, urns and compotes will have a golden interior.

The decoration on the outside is often quite stunning.  Typically, there is a cold painted decoration or delicate frosted motif, often with natural themes that were popular during Victorian times.

 

 

Besides the painted details, I love the elaborate silhouettes the vases make:

 

 

How can you tell if a mercury glass item is old or new?  If it is single-walled, like the votive holders below, you can be sure it's new.  These are for sale all over eBay, and the chain stores like Pottery Barn:

 

The piece below is double-walled and is also offered on eBay. It's described as "Antiqued Mercury Glass", not "Antique".  It's a fine point, but one that should be noted.  It's pretty darn cute, I have to admit.....

 

One thing I noticed about the piece above is the uniformity of the aging.  The speckles are spread out all over the piece.  The old mercury glass doesn't age in this manner.  The silvering will usually disappear from the base first, then work its way upwards.

Another way to tell if mercury glass is old or new is to look at the shape.  Old glass is hand blown.  New glass is either blown-molded or just molded, and will be very uniformly shaped.  Look how wonky this older glass is:

 

 

One more tip:  I've noticed the new candle holders have a metal insert to hold the candles.  I haven't seen an old example with a metal insert, so I would be suspicious of any "old" candle holder with that feature.

And now for pricing.  A couple years ago, a price guide was published and mercury glass values shot up.  It was selling like hotcakes, and it's been really hard for me to keep in stock at the antique malls.  I usually price a 10" vase around $100, a 5" vase about $50, and so on.  A rare color, like pink, would be more expensive.  Many of the vases and candle holders were created in pairs, so if you have an actual matching pair that's something special.  Prices on the East and West coast would most likely be more.  Michigan is where you get the bargains, folks!

 

I hope you can add some authentic 130-year old mercury glass to your collection some day if you haven't already.  It's a true treasure with an interesting history that will only increase in value over time.

Mitzi

Antique Malls 101

Most of you are aware that I'm an antique dealer, but may not know some of the specifics. Right now I have two rented "booths" at the Antiques Market of Williamston (we'll call it AMW for brevity), and two booths at the Livingston Antique Outlet (LAO) in Howell, Michigan.  I'd love for you to visit sometime, and I guarantee it will be interesting and fun.  On March 26, the AMW is having a March Madness sale.  That would be a great time to come, as we are offtering a total mall sale (15% off all merchandise) and free refreshments.  And for even more of an incentive, the mall will be open extended hours, till 8:00, and from 6:00 to 8:00 the discount will go up to 20%! 

When I spend time out and about, I'm surprised at how many folks haven't been to an antique mall, and don't understand what antique malls are.  Maybe they are into "thrifting" or  going to flea markets, but haven't made the leap to antique malls yet.  I'll bet you can think of some people that haven't had the pleasure of the antique mall experience.  Will you help me by taking them by the hand, literally if need be, and walking them through it?  Or, (gasp), maybe you haven't had your own antique mall adventure.  Let's go!  We'll start at the AMW.

The Antiques Market of Williamston is open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

 

Before we enter the antique mall, let me clear up one misconception.  You don't need to know anything about antiques to enter.  Don't be afraid that one of the Keno brothers from the Antiques Roadshow is going to run up and start quizzing you about furniture characteristics of the Greek Revival period.  You can just walk around and look at stuff, and I guarantee it will only be a matter of minutes before you see something that reminds you of your Grandma, and you'll exclaim to your shopping partner:  "My grandma had one of these!".  You've now become a "Grammahadit".  Grammahadits and the similar Mommahadits are just as welcome in the antique mall as anyone else, so let's keep walking, OK?

Check out this awesome space at AMW that Christie and Richard have created.  I love the sign in the upper right corner that has the cow portrait and "Bovinol Spray Drives Flies Away":

 

An antique "mall" is a shopping mall devoted to antiques and collectibles. The owner of the business and/or building rents out space within the building to antique dealers, usually by renting out the space in square feet.  A typical booth might be 12' x 12', and cost $250 per month.  Often, there is an additional fee such as a percentage of total sales ( 10% is common), or a work requirement (working as a clerk in the store several times per month).  The various dealers price all of their own things, asking whatever they wish, and mark the tags with their own assigned dealer number.  At the end of the pay period, the mall owner issues each dealer a check with their sales total.

I refer to this booth as my "Pink Booth" in Williamston:

 

For those of you into "thrifting", may I suggest you "thrift" your way through the antique malls too?  Contrary to what some may believe, antique malls don't just sell expensive antiques.  You will find deals and bargains in just about any antique mall.  I always do, and I'm looking to buy things at a wholesale price!  Many dealers price their goods according to how much they paid for the items, so if they got a deal on something, you get a deal too!  And these folks have experience, connections, and the knowledge to dig up great stuff from many sources. 

Dealers Rich and Denny have their space at AMW filled with cool mid-century objects,  like these aluminum drinking glasses:

 

The beauty of antique malls, for dealers, is that we don't have to be there for our things to sell. There is staff on duty every day, waiting on customers and writing up sales.  The beauty for buyers, besides clean restrooms, ample parking, and sometimes a cafe or refreshments, is that you will find a huge collection of antiques and collectibles under one roof.  The sellers might offer the gamut from vintage clothing and accessories to sports collectibles, from jewelry to man stuff like vintage tools, from porcelain and glass table ware to furniture representing each decade since the mid-1800's.

This old wagon with blue paint is offered by Sally Arnold:

 

This booth is my second space at the Antiques Market of Williamston.  I want shoppers to find affordabe things they can use to add flair to their decor.  I don't have anything really rare or outrageously expensive in this booth.  Just good stuff for good people:

 

I loved this heavily embossed toffee tin, and it sold right away.  This is an example of something you might want to buy just because you like the way it looks, not because you are an expert in the collecting category of advertising tins:

 

Another fabulous find at the AMW is this rubber band store display:

 
 
Visiting a book dealer is an education in itself.  At AMW, this dealer has a collection of "Oz" stories, some written by L. Frank Baum, the originator and author of the Wizard of Oz, and some by other authors, like this "Scalawagons of Oz", by John R. Neal.  I love the fanciful cover art on "Scalawagons":

 

Mall owner Bob Rogers has a general store setup where he sells all sorts of vintage household products, tools, advertising, and old store goods:

 

Now let's look around the Livingston Antiques Outlet, located on Burkhart Road in Howell, Michigan.

 

I was attracted to this colorful tin full of thread at LAO:

 

I'm pretty sure I had a shovel like this when I was a kid.  The handle kept coming off during shoveling, as I recall, sending the metal part flying.  I almost decapitated my dog with it!  Tin litho toys and tools for kids were often left in the damp garage or outside and rusted, making some of these things quite valuable now:

 

This LAO dealer is on the ball, removing Valentine stuff and bringing in fresh green goodies in preparation for St. Patrick's Day:

 

Many dealers have created a completly unique look in their booths, and you can get "free" decorating ideas from them.  Here's a very beautiful, feminine booth at LAO:

 

Colorful tin litho tops are affordable and make a fun collection:

 

I love the droll expression on these space man syrup bottles:

 

I was so intent on taking pictures around LAO, I forgot to photograph my own booths!  I guess I'll show you one I took last summer:

  

Let's wrap up our antique mall visits here in my LAO booth, which happens to be right by the restrooms.  This is prime real estate.  The restrooms are the busiest space in any antique mall, at least that's what I've observed.  Thanks for taking a tour of the malls, y'all!

 Mitzi

Vintage Wallpaper 101

I'm passionate about vintage wallpaper.  If you've been reading my blog you've probably noticed. If I had to rank order my vintage obsessions, number one would be feedsack fabric yoyos, and number two would be vintage wallpaper.  Today I'd like you to get on board the vintage wallpaper bus with me, and we'll take a tour through the decades to get up to speed!

Our wallpaper tour begins with the papers popular during the Victorian era, when everything was over-the-top, lush, full of pattern upon pattern and color.  During the 1800's, wallpaper was printed with carved wooden blocks, some of which will still pop up in antique stores. I've never gotten my hands on actual paper from the 1800's, but I have acquired some of the printing blocks.

 

Designer William Morris had a huge influence on design during this time period.  Here is an example of a very stylized artichoke:

 
Even more complicated and elaborate designs were created as printing innovations came about.  Victorian homes required attention to every detail, and papers came in sections called "friezes",  the more familiar borders, ceiling medallions and more. To see examples of what I'm talking about, please take a detour to Bradbury and Bradbury Historical Wallpapers, and prepare to be amazed!  B & B also has a delightful blog that I just discovered.  One of their readers, Beverlee, submitted this photo of her incredible dining room she completed in an elaborate neoclassical B & B set of papers:

 
Photo credit:  Bradbury & Bradbury

American-made wallpaper circa 1910's was more readily available to the average Joe.  I have a nice example of paper from this era that I purchased from my friend Sharon that illustrates the artistry of early wallpaper (below).  Aren't the touches of gold metallic ink divine?  I love this paper so much I've had a hard time finding a use for it, because my hands start shaking if I even get near it with scissors!

 

The papers from the 1920's and 30's are also gorgeous, and still plentiful enough for us to acquire and use for various applications.  Marilyn Krehbiel, owner of Hannah's Treasures, a wonderful resource for a huge array of fantastic vintage papers from the 1920's through the 1970's, has generously allowed me to borrow some of her images to share with you.  Here is an example of one of Marilyn's offerings from the 1930's:

 

I've purchased a couple old wallpaper sample books that are really fun to peruse.  These pop up on eBay quite regularly, if you are interested.  I've taken my sample books to Staples and color copied my favorite patterns so I could use them in collage projects without tearing up the book.  The wallpaper sample books from the 1920's or 30's are much smaller that those huge, heavy books from later years that we are all familiar with.

This wallpaper book from 1926 is listed on eBay right now:

 

Look at the multiple layers of colors and pattern creating depth in this wonderful example:

 

Some of the borders available way-back-when:

 

This is what Grandma or Great Grandma wanted her living room to look like:

 

Styles changed with the times during the 1940's and 50's.  The colors during the 40's turned toward rather odd combinations such as gray, yellow, and maroon.  Exotic florals were introduced, such as large tropical flowers and huge palm fronds. Vinyl became a selling point for kitchen wallpaper during the late 1940's.  Homeowners were able to wallpaper every room in the house with specific papers designed for that room.  Angel fish in the bathroom, novelty paper with teapots in the kitchen, and florals in the bedroom. 

This example from Hannah's Treasures was undoubtedly intended for the powder room:

 

The 1950's homeowner wanted the all the modern appliances and wallpaper that represented the changing times.  During this era, more geometrics were used, including fun space-age designs. Pre-pasted wallpaper was a 1950's innovation and certainly convinced homeowners tired of stirring lumpy wheat paste to give wallpaper a try again.

This wallpaper sample book from the 1950's includes this abstract fish design.  It's for sale on eBay right now:

Near the tail end of the 1960's and into the 70's, the psychedelic era influenced wallpaper design, especially the colors.  Flocked wallpaper became popular, sometimes with "foil" or Mylar background.  Several years ago, I might have scoffed at these designs, thinking they were tacky. That might have been because I hadn't touched them and appreciated the craftsmanship that went into these wonderful papers. I've purchased several rolls of flocked papers, so I have quite a stash!  But I always want more.....

 

Let's take a look at a couple flocked paper samples, compliments of Hannah's Treasures, the go-to website to purchase vintage wallpaper at affordable prices.

First we have this devilishly red flocked paper for those that aren't afraid of color:

 

This bold plaid features flocked stripes on a silver Mylar background:

 

A little bit softer non-flocked floral pattern from the 1960's/70's with a sublime combination of colors:

 

What uses are people finding for vintage wallpaper?  One lovely example is Pressed Petal Designs, a new Etsy shop owned by Marilyn's daughter.  She creates note cards from authentic vintage papers.  Other uses include scrapbook projects, all sorts of decoupage applications, collages/mixed media, covered bandboxes, and even simply framing sections of the paper to use as wall decor. 

 

Are you still with me?  If so, let's stop at Second Hand Rose, a New York City store and another fabulous resource for vintage wallpaper. They also stock linoleum, which deserves its own blog post because it's so darn wonderful!  Although pricey, their selection of papers is simply fantastic, and their website is a work of art in itself. The collections of papers are organized by pattern for a visual feast of paper delicacies.  Think damask, floral, geometric, novelty and chinoiserie.  What's chinoiserie?  It's oriental scenic paper, with tranquil depictions of pagodas and Asian flora and fauna.  This style of paper seems to have increased in popularity lately. Can you see why?

 

If these beautiful wallpaper examples get your creative juices flowing, perhaps you should consider purchasing some vintage wallpaper to use in your winter craft projects.  As for me, I've been beavering away this month filling two large orders for my wallpaper cuff bracelets.  These are a great way to show appreciation for vintage wallpaper and will attract attention every time they are worn.  I've got several listed in my Etsy shop right now.  The examples below are for a customer that plans to give these as gifts to friends and family this year:

 

I hope you didn't mind a little sales pitch at the end of our bus tour.  Thanks for coming along with me, and as always, I appreciate you, my readers, for spending time visiting my blog!

Mitzi 

Feedsack Fabric and Yoyo Quilts 101

I've been crazy for yoyos for many years, ever since my parents bought me a gorgeous yoyo quilt as a Christmas gift.  I loved the colors and pattern so much, I displayed it on a wall in my apartment, then condo, then house.  Basically, it's been a backdrop throughout my adult life.  Maybe that's why I've taken on a mentor role to so many yoyo quilts, yoyo squares, and stray yoyos over the years.  I just can't get enough of them!  I use single yoyos for a variety of craft projects (such as the brooch pictured below), and sell yoyo squares and whole quilts in my antique mall booths.

 

Using the word "quilt" is kind of a misnomer, because yoyo quilts are more of a "spread" or even a "throw".  They don't contain quilt batting in between layers of fabric like a traditional quilt.  Most don't even include a backing fabric, so there are spaces in between the yoyos that make them more of a decorative item than something used for warmth.

Let me fill you in on the story of yoyos and feedsack fabrics.   Before the creation of heavy duty paper and plastic sacks, grains, animal feed, and pantry staples were sold in cloth sacks.  During the Great Depression (1929-1939), thrifty housewives would sew garments from the "feedsacks", sometimes going to great lengths to remove the sacks' printed-on labels.  The manufacturers of the products quickly caught on and began marketing their staples with pretty calico patterned cotton sacks with removable paper labels instead.  

 

Once a dress or other garment was worn out, parts could still be salvaged.  This is how the yoyo came to be.  Women and girls would cut circles from the fabric, and hand-stitch each yoyo until there were enough yoyos to put a quilt together.  A sewing machine wasn't necessary.  As the years went on, women continued making yoyos out of fabric scraps, transitioning from the feedsack fabrics to other fabric scraps, most commonly cotton prints or solids. 

 

If you want to purchase a yoyo quilt, there are quite a few of them out there in the world, so you should be able to find one to meet your needs.  Check your favorite antique mall, antique show, or eBay.  Prices are going to vary depending on the age, condition, size, and craftsmanship. 

The large yoyo quilt below recently sold on eBay for $150, with free shipping.  I think that's a good deal for a quilt of this size.  Think of all the work that went into this:

 

How will you know for sure if the quilt is made from feedsacks?  That can be hard to determine definitively.  After viewing some examples here, perhaps I can give you a framework to work with, based mostly on color.  A reader has also suggested the book "Feedsack Fabrics From the Farm" by Susan Miller for more information and lots of beautiful photos (thanks, Beth).

The bowl full of yoyos below show some very nice fabrics that I'm quite sure are feedsack fabrics, circa 1930's.  These are some of the best yoyos I've ever had.  Great mini-print fabric, well made, and flat (which makes them easy to use in craft projects).  Predominant colors from the 1930's included lavender, peach, and "institutional green", a shade of green that shows up in printed and solid fabrics and was a very popular paint color.

 

By comparison, look at the yoyos below.  Deeper jewel-tone colors, some pastel flannel fabric, and hardly any mini-print or calico fabrics give clues that these yoyos were made in the last 30 or 40 years:

 
 

Below we have a quilt made with feedsack yoyos on a pale peach colored cotton backing:

 

I purchased the yoyo quilt below on eBay.  I'm guessing the fabric is from the 1960's.  Notice how many solids there are, and the dark orange which was so popular in the 60's through 70's.  Although the yoyos were well-made, they were connected with very loose stitching.  I spent a lot of time reinforcing the loose stitches, which was very time-consuming.  That's one drawback to buying online.  I would have noticed the loose stitching right away if I had the chance to handle it and view it up close:

 

Below you can see some yoyos that are from the 1960's or even the 1970's.  That psychedelic fabric, hot lime green, and solid purple are my clues that these yoyos are from that time period.

  

Here is an unusual combination of layered yoyos connected by crochet.  Perhaps you will notice the color palette of pastel pink and gray.  The fabrics appear to be from the 1950's at the earliest, so this would not be considered a feedsack fabric quilt, but it's definitely a wonderful creation:

 

I don't get too worried whether or not yoyos are made from feedsack fabric.  If a yoyo speaks to me, I listen to it.  I don't really care if it was made in 1934 or 1974.  My inspector seems unimpressed by this quilt, however:

 

Last spring I corralled a herd of wild yoyos and paired them with vintage buttons, colorful felt, and baker's twine to make these garlands:

 

When I saw this idea in Flea Market Style magazine I couldn't wait to try it.  I had so much fun making these yoyo flowers using knitting needles as the stems:

    

I took the yoyo flowers two steps further by gluing colorful buttons on the ends of the needles and making leaves with fabric stiffener:

 

Now I'm offering some of my yoyos for sale so you can make your own creations with them.  I've sorted them by size and packaged them up to sell on Etsy, including this package of seven-yoyo rounds that would look great sewed to a canvas tote or burlap pillow:

 

I'm also offering a dozen of these extra large yoyos made from groovy psychedelic fabrics:

 

There are bags of smaller size yoyos available too.  If you want a custom selection of crafting yoyos, you can e-mail me at mitziscollectibles@comcast.net and I can put something together for you!

I hope you learned a little about yoyos in this post.  Do you think there might be room for a yoyo quilt in your life some time in the future?

Mitzi

Post-Mortem Collectibles 101 (My Halloween Post)

With Halloween here, I thought I would introduce the offbeat collecting category of post-mortem collectibles.  A little sad, a little gruesome, a little scary.  Besides the Halloween connection, I  want to generate interest in at least some aspect of post-mortem collectibles with my readers (you!) because when we are out and about, thrifting, attending auctions, and trolling estate sales, we all should be aware that death-related collectibles can be quite valuable.  A cabinet card with a group photo of a coffin with the family surrounding it is more valuable than a family portrait in which all members are alive.  If the deceased is posed in an unusual manner, the photo becomes even more valuable, and so on.

Sometimes one comes across a silverplate plaque that might say "My Darling", or "Dearest", or have a person's name and date of death.  These are coffin plaques, and were typically attached to a coffin before burial.

   

 
Did you know that furniture stores and department stores used to be the source for coffins?  It makes sense, because coffins of years ago were constructed of wood, not molded metal or fiberglass or whatever they're made of now. They were more like furniture.  I recall seeing a child's coffin for sale a while back at an antique mall in Saginaw.  It was very sad, as it had a little glass window right where the face would be, with a cover that one could slide to one side to view the deceased's face.

Last year I took this picture of the Owosso Casket Company factory in Owosso, Michigan.  It was owned by the Woodard Furniture Company, which was housed right next door:

Post-mortem collectibles can include anything related to death and dying.  As you can imagine, there are collectors for just about everything somewhere in the world, and death-related memorabilia is no exception.  And we're not just talking old photos and the occasional casket, but mortician's tools, embalming fluids, and makeup kits and cosmetics used to prepare bodies for viewing at the funeral home.  If you are interested, there is a collector book on this very topic, "Postmortem Collectibles" by C.L. Miller, published in 2001.

I recently purchased this print by Currier and Ives titled "A Woman's lIfe From the Cradle to the Grave".  I'll admit that my particular age group is represented by the woman at the tippy top of the pyramid.  You can see it's all downhill from there....

Apparently, Currier and Ives believed that if a woman reached the age of 100, she pretty much turned into a witch...

Once photography became popular, families often posed with the deceased loved one for a last portrait, or took a picture of the loved one in the bed or cradle having "one last sleep".  It was also customary to take a picture of the deceased in a typical pose inside the casket.  The little girl in the picture below shows her healthy in the first picture, and taken much too young in the heartbreaking second picture:

The shocking fact that I discovered while doing my "light research" for this post is that infant mortality (the percentage of infants 12 months and under that die) was 50 percent during the Victorian era (from about the mid-1800's to 1900).  Can you imagine? 

Isn't this next picture haunting?  These children, posing with the deceased baby, might be wondering who is next....

This picture was for sale at the Antiques Market of Williamston.  It looks like these two brothers are holding up a one-dimensional picture, but it is actually the deceased brother in his casket, propped up for the photo:

I found this next image interesting because of the wallpaper in the room.  Not that the people aren't interesting, but I just happen to have a fetish for old wallpaper.  Postmortem photos taken inside the person's residence are more valuable than those taken off premises, primarily because they provide a historical view of the furnishings and architecture of the time.  The man in the casket appears to be clutching a picture, and looks to be quite young, possibly the father of the adorable children:

 

This next picture is from  Post Mortem Collectibles, showing the fascinating tombstone of George Blount,  who died at the age of five when he fell over the bannister at the American House Hotel in Columbus, Ohio on Valentine's Day, 1873.  Just think of his devastated parents, comissioning the live-size sculpture of their little boy so many years ago!  Mysteriously, the tombstone is continuosly dressed in season-appropriate attire, and gifts are left for little George.  Could it be his ghostly parents, dressing their son?  I suppose they wouldn't have selected an OSU cap, but still, it's mysterious.....

 

Last spring I blogged about the equally sad tale of Rose Etta Fuller, who died at age 22 after falling into a cistern (a water recepticle) next to her home.  I have a lock of her hair that some family member clipped from her and saved all of these years, along with the obituary, in a little homemade silk folder:

 
 

Clipping locks of hair from the deceased was customary around 100 years ago.  The hair could be saved in a special way, like inside a locket or woven into jewelry.  Sometimes highly skilled artisans would weave an entire "wreath" made from hair, preserved in a shadowbox.  These typically sell for several hundred dollars.  Mementos of this type are called "memento mori".

Well, in 15 minutes the trick or treaters will be here, and I have to get myself and my house ready.  I hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween!

Hauntingly Yours,

Mitzi

Dionne Quintuplets 101

Welcome to another post within my 101 series, my way of keeping interest in antiques and collectibles alive, hopefully adding to your knowledge base, or maybe sparking interest in a reader who might start a new collection.  In the world of antiques, there is always something new to learn.....or should I say something "old" to learn?

Before John and Kate Plus 8, before Octo Mom, there were the Dionne Quintuplets.  Their story is a fascinating one, and could have served as a cautionary tale about exploitation of "multiples"  that the Gosselin parents and Octo Mom should have been apprised of before they went public with their broods.

The Dionne quints were born on May 28, 1934 in Corbeil, Ontario, Canada.  They were five identical girls (all from one energetic splitting egg!), and each weighed less than two pounds.  Not really expected to survive, they were kept next to a wood-buring stove in their impoverished parents' home to keep warm.  They were the world's first surviving quintuplets, and immediately caused a sensation during the good-news-depleted depression.

As the thriving babies grew, the physician that delivered them, Dr. Dafoe, became a celebrity, especially after the quints were made wards of the Ontario government (the parents were deemed unfit to raise them).  A hospital, eventually known as "Quintland" was built right across the street from the Dionne's home.  Nurses would bring them one at a time to a balcony to show them to the waiting crowd.

 
Quintland eventually became a theme park, and the girls were put on display for up to 6,000 people a day who watched their activities such as eating or playing behind a one-way screen.  Quintland souvenirs were sold by the thousands. The adorable quints and Dr. Dafoe became very lucrative to advertisers and endorsed hundreds of products.  Just do a search on eBay for "Dionne quintuplets" and you'll see all sorts of Dionne memorabilia, like this adorable basket of the five baby girls: 

Can you believe this bizarre story?  It gets worse.  The parents were made to feel unwelcome at Quintland, as the evil Dr. Dafoe ran the show.  They girls were studied scientifically, X-rayed, filmed, poked and prodded.  The quints, named Cecile, Emilie, Marie, Annette, and Yvonne, recalled being viewed behind a gauze screen as hordes of visitors were ushered through a corridor.  They lived at Quintland for nine years, after which their parents were able to regain custody.  The girls lived with their parents and siblings until they were 18, then moved out and severed contact with their parents, claiming their father abused them.

 

There's much more to the story, very worthy of exploring further if you are interested.  To wind things up here, there are only two quints alive today, Annette and Cecile.  Emilie and Marie died as young women, ages 20 and 34.  Yvonne died at age 64.  Annette and Cecile are 75 years old and, believe it or not, have had to negotiate with the Ontario government to claim some of the money generated at Quintland.

There is still a lot of Dionne quint memorabilia floating about.  I often come across postcard sets depicting the photogenic girls or scenes of Quintland.  Magazines from the 1930's and 40's will have the occasional ad for cake mix the girls liked or some product Dr. Dafoe was endorsing.  More valuable quint collectibles include sets of five dolls, paper doll sets, or this very unusual folk art painting that recently sold on eBay for $3.499.99:

 
Below is a calendar top with a typical artistic rendering of the girls at play:

I found this baggie full of Dionne quint newspaper clippings and pictures at an auction recently.  If you had never heard of the Dionne quints, wouldn't you probably pass this by at a sale?  Now that you know a little bit, would you like to open up this baggie and see what's in there?  If so, my little post is a success!

Happy hunting for treasures this weekend, everyone!

Mitzi

The Beauty of Antique Postcards

I've had this postcard in my craft room for quite some time, and I just love it.  It's really quite special, because it has a puffy, two dimensional quality to it, as you can hopefully see in the picture.  Don't you just want to squeeze it?

As I've promised to you before, I want to provide "easily digestible" bits of information about antiques and vintage collectibles to help arm you with knowledge.....knowledge that may spark a desire to start a collection, or simply make you a smarter buyer at flea markets or antique shops.  Today, we have postcards......

Postcards were all the rage about 100 years ago.  People collected them for their gorgeous images, and sent them on every occasion.  We're talking about social media here, I suppose!  Artists in Germany were producing wonderfully colorful and fanciful artwork during the "Golden Age" of postcards, between 1898 - 1918. 

Postcards can be dated with several methods (if there is no postmark with the date).  Did you know that from 1901 to 1907 the backs of postcards were undivided?  That beginning in March 1907, backs were divided for the address and missive on the same side, preventing the face of the card from being written upon?  Then, we have the era when white borders were introduced, in 1915.  Within a couple years the postcard collecting craze had died.  Maybe not because of the white borders, but the beautifully printed imports from Germany stopped due to WWI and American factories began filling the void.

These hand-colored, embossed paper cards sell for a couple dollars apiece in most shops.  The little chicks below are outlined in tarnished silver glitter, and their shells spell out "Easter":

Actually, all of the cards in this post are embossed.  I discovered a whole pile of embossed postcards in a box in my basement that I had forgotten about.  What a great surprise to discover them! 

I just don't think you can find a card prettier than this one:

  
  

What would someone write on such a lovely card as the one above?  How about this:

    "Hello Aunt Carrie how are you.  We are all well.  from Esther Miller"

Hmmm... kind of a letdown, isn't it?  But I think Esther Miller was quite young judging by the handwriting, so we'll cut her some slack!  
  
I hope you can print these out and use the artwork yourself for a birthday card or Easter greeting.  The parrot below has applied velvet, metallic silver touches and the paper is beautifully pierced around the edges.  Do you think this would hold up in today's mail?

 

I like the one below because of the natural aging of the corners and edges.  I'm taking note of this so I can duplicate aging on new artwork I create....

Don't you think postcards would be a great collection a child could start?  Inexpensive, plentiful, colorful, educational.....it's a no-brainer!  Get your child or grandchild a handful of postcards and an acid-free album and there you go!

Just like with many collecting categories, condition is very important.  Writing on the front, folds, missing corners, ink splotches, and other hazards that affect old paper will affect the value.  If you are buying a common postcard, make sure it's in good condition. 

I love this heavily embossed clam shell with touches of tarnished silver glitter. 

I have a couple tips from personal experience buying postcards.  First, antique dealers may not have their postcards prominently displayed.  They may be under a table in a shoebox.  So look there.  The more organized dealer might have them in an album in those plastic slide-in pages.  That's probably an acid-fest, so do try to rescue a few of the cards, OK?  When you see a sign that says "All Postcards $1.00" you might find some good deals, because the dealer might not have had time to research the values and just wants to move them.  If the cards are all dog-eared and the sign is all faded, they've probably been picked over already, numerous times.

This basket full of purple pansies may appear a bit blurry because the three large pansies in the front are actually velvet.  That makes this card one of my favorites. 

Most postcards from the Golden Age were primarily "greeting" cards, often with a holiday, birthday, or well-wishes theme.  At auctions, the holiday postcards generate a lot of interest, and the rarer Halloween cards can sell for over a hundred dollars!  Santa is also a big seller, and so is Krampus.  Not familiar with Krampus?  He was a European creation, an impish figure that sometimes resembled a devil.  He accompanied St. Nicholas and helped distribute gifts to good children and adults, but also kept a pack on his back to hold captured naughty folks who were later punished or threatened until they would promise to behave the following year.  Charming, huh?  You won't find these rare holiday cards in an antique shop for $1.00, but you may find them at a garage sale in someone's "accumulation" if you are very lucky. 

Many collectors go for themes such as transportation, or locations such as their home state, or art by known illustrators of the time, such as S.L. Schmucker, Ellen H. Clapsaddle, and Rose O'Neill (the Kewpie creator).  There is so much to know about postcards!  I hope this mini-lesson gives some of you a little information that may lead to greater things!

Happy Collecting,

Mitzi

Yellow Ware, Rockingham, and Related Pottery 101

Today I want to chat about the timeless appeal of yellow ware, something just about everyone has seen at Grandma's, in an antique shop, and lined up behind Martha Stewart in her T.V. show kitchen.  I don't think there's anything that looks better in a cupboard than stacks of yellow ware bowls, and the warm color variations look particularly good  this time of year. 

Most yellow ware pieces were made for kitchen use, therefore you won't find dinner plates or gravy boats made of yellow ware.  These were in the days before plastic bowls were used by cooks, because we are talking about the time period from the mid-1800's to the 1940's. The common mixing bowls and other utilitarian forms were produced in large numbers by potteries in the Northeastern U.S. and around the Ohio Valley.  In these two areas clay from the riverbanks had a yellow coloration, with variations from pale yellow to gold to the less common pumpkin.  The pottery isn't glazed yellow, it gets it's color from the base clay, and there is simply a clear glaze on top to give it gloss and durability.  Some companies decorated their yellow ware with opaque bands of blue, white, or brown.

Here is a nice mixing bowl made by McCoy in the "windowpane" pattern.  Notice how the base of the bowl is square.  McCoy Pottery used this type of design:

 

This bowl is yellow ware with a brown and green speckled glaze sometimes called "woodland glaze":

 

Gorgeous deep golden yellow ware pitcher I used as a vase for early summer blossoms:

There's also green-glazed yellow ware, like the bowl pictured below right, holding the corn salt and pepper set.  You can see the yellow ware bowl on the left is nearly pumpkin colored:

Using the same yellow base clay, there's also "rockingham", an all-brown speckled and dripped glaze technique:

Sometimes people refer to this mottled brown glazed yellow ware as "Bennington".  There was a pottery manufacturer in Bennington, Vermont, that made wares with this dark drip glaze, but if it isn't marked "Bennington" on the bottom, you should consider it rockingham.  Clear as mud, right?  Most pieces, such as the one below, have no maker's mark on the bottom:

Here's another McCoy green glazed yellow ware bowl, with a pic of the square base.  Again, no maker's mark, but we know it's McCoy because of the distinctive square base:

 

Another thing I would like to point out about this type of pottery is the mold formed vs. wheel thrown versions.  You can certainly see that the McCoy examples were made in a mold, because that's how the deep patterns are created in the clay.  The rockingham example and the second photo in this post of the blue banded bowl have a softer look to them, with a rolled top edge that was probably formed by wheel-throwing.  If you need to be reminded what wheel-throwing is, think of the scene in "Ghost" when Patrick Swayze helps Demi Moore with her pottery......

Many of the yellow ware mixing bowls came in nested sets of six or eight pieces.  The smallest and the largest pieces are typically the most difficult to find in good condition, and will cost the most if you find them in a store or on eBay.  The nested set below is probably missing the smallest and largest bowl.  And, it's white ironstone, not yellow ware.  Now we're talking about "related pottery".  Ironstone will eventually have it's own post on this blog, because it deserves it!

 

So far I've only shown bowls and a pitcher, but other forms you might find are yellow ware rolling pins (quite valuable, usually sell for $200-$400),  pie plates, and the food mold, like the ones below.  These food molds often come with an asparagus or corn pattern, or the more desirable rabbit or fowl.  Again, we have a white ironstone example (in the back).  The rest are yellow ware.

 
Because yellow ware was used for food preparation, molding, and sometimes baking, expect to find signs of wear or damage in the form of chips or cracks.  This will affect the value, of course.  Just for a point of reference, the blue banded bowls pictured at the beginning of this post would sell for about $35 to $65, which is quite affordable.  While doing what I call "Lite Research" for this post, I came across a fun website that includes lots of information about yellow ware in a Q and A format.  It's Cider Mill Antiques,ask Marica.  Many of the questions posed to Marcia are related to current market values of yellow ware, as well as identification of various forms.

If you appreciate yellow ware like I do, I'd love to see examples of your cherished pieces or display ideas.  Send me an e-mail at mitziscollectibles@comcast.net 

Majolica Pottery 101

Majolica pottery is near and dear to my heart because both my mother and I have collected it for years, and my search for majolica has led me to so many wonderful antique shops, shows, and may even be responsible for my interest in selling antiques.  Most antique dealers started out as collectors, then when things reach a critical mass they have to start finding ways to whittle their collections down and logically begin selling off things they can live without.

It often starts with one innocent pitcher or plate, like the pieces below.  The large blackberries on basket weave plate is a common majolica motif and was my first-ever majolica purchase:

No matter how much I appreciate the all-white/cream shabby chic color palette, I always end up with colorful decorative collectibles in my home.  I just love color, and majolica pottery is known for the colorful glazes and fanciful forms.  I can't tell you how many times I've noticed this type of pottery in decorator magazines.  It gives a punch of color to a cupboard, bookshelf, or mantel where some pizazz is required.

Majolica isn't the name of a company, like "Roseville", let's say.  It was made by numerous pottery companies in Europe and the U.S., and was actually at the peak of popularity in the 1850's in England, and later around 1870's in the U.S.  By 1900, this style of pottery was considered gaudy and over-the-top, (which is exactly why I like it), and most manufacturers moved on to other styles of pottery.

I was planning to bring everyone that reads this up to speed on majolica basics, and in my search for resources online I came upon www.e-how.com, a site that will provide you with more information than I could ever begin to cover here.  In fact, there's a series of video clips that pretty much blow my plans out of the water.  I imagine I could learn quite a bit from e-how myself, and I'm planning on exploring it more fully when I have time!  So in the remainder of this post, I'll just share some examples of majolica so you can see what I'm talking about......

Birds, flowers, butterflies, and deeply veined leaves were often used in majolica designs.  There are many pieces that reflect the aesthetic movement, like the Asian/fans/cherry blossoms platter below right:

This egg coddler is very rare:

Some majolica and other items for sale at the Shirley Street Antique Mall in Naples, Florida: 

Most large antique malls should have some majolica for sale.  Once in a while a piece will pop up at a flea market or garage sale, but not very often.  Because of its age and fragility, it isn't something that people just toss around.  Many pieces you will see will have some damage or repairs.  Since I only collect it for its decorative value, I overlook minor damage.  I try not to pay over $100 for a plate or small pitcher, but the more elaborate pieces can sell for several hundred dollars.  Finer examples such as a jardiniere on a pedestal may be valued in the thousands.

These drawings are from the Griffin, Smith Company catalog, whose factory was churning out majolica in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, in the 1880's.  This particular page of the catalog shows the familiar begonia leaf dishes, and some butter pats:

I bought the pitcher below at a flea market for $4.00, but it has several areas of damage.  It's probably worth my while to have it repaired, which I might do eventually.  I'm lucky that I know a good pottery repair man who does a fabulous job on pieces such as this.  He's also fast.  When I first started having majolica repaired, about 12 years ago, I gave a corn motif pitcher to a local woman that specialized in pottery repair.  She had it for over two years!

I hope you will start noticing majolica now, if you haven't already, and don't forget to explore www.e-how.com.  You might even bump into me over there!

Goofus Glass 101

Today I would like to say a few things about "goofus glass", a fairly common and affordable collectible that you have probably seen before.  I think of goofus glass as the unpopular stepsister of mercury glass, the gaudy red and tarnished gold beauty that looks out of place in the pastel landscape of shabby chic.  I'm a little partial to goofus glass, because I have been collecting it for about 18 years. 

Goofus glass was made by several American glass companies in the first 30 or so years of the twentieth century.  It was typically a pressed crystal (clear) glass that was "cold-painted" with gold metallic, red, and green paint.  It was sometimes called "Mexican glass"  because of this color combination.  The vases, plates, platters, bowls and other forms were given away at carnivals as prizes (not to be confused with carnival glass, which has a fired iridescent surface).

 

How did the name "goofus" originate?  The glass companies that produced it did not dub it "goofus", but because of the poor longevity of the cold-paint process on utilitarian pieces, legend has it that people began wondering aloud that the glass manufacturers were trying to "goof us" by selling ware that would so quickly show wear!

One good thing about goofus glass is that it has not been reproduced, as far as I know.  That's because it has never been popular enough for the demand to increase.  Martha Stewart hasn't written about it in her magazine yet!  I'm hoping that could change in the future.  Martha, are you reading this?

If you decide you want to add a little goofus to your life, you should be able to walk into any antique mall and find at least 10 pieces of it, usually priced from $20 to $30 for common items such as plates and bowls.  Antique dealers at shows or flea markets will probably be willing to negotiate on their price, because, well, goofus is just not a fast-mover.

Once you get your treasure home, you might have an urge to wash your new acquisition.  Whoa there! Just as we have come to accept the fact that we don't put bananas in the refrigerator, we must remember not to submerge our goofus in water, for that will loosen the golden paint, and you will not be pleased!  Goofus does, however, have a tendency to store dust in its crevices, and in order to remove the dust I use a baby's hairbrush.  A soft toothbrush will also work to flick the dust, but you will soon realize you are fighting a losing battle and just set it on your shelf!  Now give yourself a pat on the back for giving a lonely piece of goofus glass a good home!