Antique Chairs

Antique Chairs

Antique chairs can take their place in nearly any room given the wide variety of styles and materials available In a contemporary room for example mission style chairs add the warmth of age while keeping to smooth lines or Asian rosewood chairs can lend richness of design and color Of course they also provide either the central focus or a finishing touch in a room that already uses antique furniture or oldfashioned styles Chairs were a very distinct status symbol during most of European history Chairs with backs were reserved solely for the elite through the late Renaissance as most people sat on stools or benches antique,antique auctions,antique books,antique cars,antique china,antique clocks,antique dealer,antique dolls,antique furniture,antique jewelry,antique necklace,antique painting,antiques and collectibles,asian antiques,collectables,collectible,heirloom,oil painting,old books,vintage cars,vintage clothes,vintage dresses,vintage guitar,vintage t shirts Because they were such a luxury item makers lavished work on these and so early antique chairs show a good deal of elaborate carving on the backs sides and feet It wasnt until the mid 1600s that chairs with backs were widely available due to the introduction of canework woven cane for both the backs and seats Armchairs made their first appearance during the late 16th century and most of the 17th century they too were reserved only for the highest levels of the aristocracy At the French court for example only princes and the reigning monarchs were allowed to sit in armchairs Most of this furniture has a very heavy substantial feel to it befitting its social status The designs are somewhat boxy and the arms tend to come right out to the end of the seat in contrast to most of todays chairs where it ends an inch or two before

Early carved wooden chairs like these tend to cost in the four and fivefigure range If you like the look but dont have the budget consider Victorianera imitations The carving is rarely as elaborate or masterly but they are a much more affordable usually in the hundreds or low thousands for the very finest examples way to possess this kind of antique chair. Queen Anne style is defined as beginning with her reign in 1702 but lasting past her 1714 death until about the middle of the century These antique chairs are typically slender with graceful curved lines and much less carving Where there is carving it tends to echo classical forms such as scrolls or Greek elements Some but not all had the upholstery built into the chair design rather than relying on cushions Walnut was the most popular wood during this time Wing chairs upholstered chairs designed for relaxation rather than work and with wings designed to protect the sitter from drafts first became popular during this period. Chippendale was perhaps the most famous furniture designer of all time His fusion style combining baroque rococo and Asian elements was an international hit and his design book Gentleman and Cabinet Makers Director is still used in design schools today This style lasted from about 1750 through the 1830s. His designs further simplified chair frames except for openback chairs which featured very elegant and light frameworks such as the famous lyre pattern The legs ended either in basic geometric shapes or in the form of an animals paw Sometimes the carving featured shapes from Chinese design such as pagodas Depending on quality these antique chairs typically begin around $1 500 and up to the high five figures for work by Chippendale his son or his workshops. Victorian antique chairs like the rest of Victorian furniture are typically massive and elaborate and incorporate various fashionable historic or international flavors Upholstery was more common than not usually in the rich reds the Victorians favored but also in needlepoint Gothicstyle chairs brought back carving particularly fruits flowers and mythical beasts while other pieces retained the simpler Queen Anne or Chippendale curving forms Many of these chairs feature rounded seats better to accommodate womens hoops and bustles

Prices range according to materials quality and condition but individual pieces are available for around $150. The Arts and Crafts style reintroduced bare wood and architectural shapes Frank Lloyd Wright even designed the chairs to best suit his houses with their emphasis on simplicity Le Corbusiers art deco designs were another furniture revolution emphasizing chairs that followed the shapes of the human body and using steel chrome and black leather. For early 20th century antique chairs like most vintage furniture the designer is a primary determiner of price as well as condition and quality. Single chairs are by far the most affordable while pairs or dining sets command premium prices because sets where each piece is in good condition are rarer Handmade pieces naturally are also more expensive. The older the antique chair the more signs of wear or patina it should display If the wood looks uniform on the entire piece it is likely a reproduction Ask whether upholstery is the original or a replacement If it is a recent replacement that lowers the value.

Antique Furniture

Wonderful eighteenth and nineteenth century antique furniture originated in such disparate locations as cosmopolitan Barcelona and rural communities of upstate New York A small museum in Antoni Gaudis Park Guell houses examples of this architects flowing Art Nouveau furniture while there are Shaker museums from New England to the American South that display this functional minimalist designs. Older styles of antique furniture from England and America include William and Mary Queene Anne Chippendale and Federal Empire furniture is associated with Napoleon Bonaparte other French antique furniture styles go by the names of several King Louises while Renaissance Baroque and Rococo are more continental furniture periods. Often architects such as the previously mentioned Antoni Gaudi or the American Frank Lloyd Wright design furniture too Decorative arts in addition to painting sculpture and architecture are influenced by broader trends For instance the discovery of Pompeii had a major impact on furniture style When Mt Vesuvius erupted in A D 79 it buried Pompeii and Herculaneum under many feet of ash freezing in time these Roman cities It was not until 1748 that theses cities were discovered The excavation of ancient Roman culture had a wideranging effect and the decorativeness of the ancient world was incorporated into furniture design Thomas Chippendale a British furniture maker was one of the many artists and designers influenced by this neoclassic style In 1754 Thomas Chippendale 17181779 published The Gentleman and CabinetMakers Director an extremely influential book about the various kinds of furniture He designed many pieces of neoclassic furniture for Harewood House an English country house built in the mideighteenth century This estate is located near Leeds England north of London and has large grounds with formal gardens and woods that are open to tours spectacular art and antiques collections in their state rooms and many examples of Chippendale furniture The Chippendale Collection a page of the Thomas Chippendale at Harewood House website features photographs and descriptions of period Chippendale decorative art You can click sections such as Chairs Stools Mirrors Lighting Beds Tables Desks and Cabinet Furniture to learn more Popularizers of antique furniture are the identical twins Leigh and Leslie Keno They become wellknown appraising antique furniture on PBS Antiques Roadshow and received the 2005 National Humanities Medal Leslie is a senior vice president for American furniture at Sothebys while Leigh is president of Leigh Keno American Antiques a gallery in New York City that he runs with Mitchell Keno their older brother They have also written an interesting book with Joan Barzilay Freund called Hidden Treasures


TIPS BUYING ANTIQUE FURNITURE

1 Buy antique furniture at a local auction house or auctions online this is where the profit is

2 Use your instincts Buy antique furniture that grabs your attention immediately that first impression is important for 2 reasons When you really love the piece doing research about the style origin and era will turn out to be fun and interesting And second this piece will most likely sell very easy

3 Do not act as an amateur even if you are You could receive a lot of unnecessary sales talk and it will be much more difficult to obtain a large discount

4 Know what you are buying Although it takes some experience to recognize them be aware of reproductions and fake antiques

5 Dont be afraid to ask for discounts most sellers include a 1030% margin to all there items

6 Inspect the item you are interested in pick it up turn it around make sure it has no hidden flaws Keep an eye on the sales person while doing that If they get nervous there might be a something lose or damaged Also ask the seller if the furniture has been restored at some point it affects the value of an antique

7 Look for shops who have an antique piece at display but who are not specialized in selling antique furniture Chances are this will be a great bargain When it doesnt fit the main philosophy of the store the owner is probably not an expert in the field and will be happy to sell it and move on

8 Do not offer cash money negotiate the best price possible for paying by cheque or credit card first Once you have your card or cheque book ready ask if there is an extra discount for paying with cash Almost every seller prefers cash so use every trick in the book


9 Always get a receipt especially from auctioneers or antique dealers Make sure it states the age style wood type value and if there was any damage or restoration This can be used as a guarantee when false or missing statements occur

10 Don’t make the mistake of buying more furniture than you can transport in one trip At most estate sales and auctions sold items must be picked up the same day of purchase Make sure to bring blankets and straps to pack and transport you antiques without damaging them

Rare and Used Book

Rare and Used Book

Lets say you have recently retired and finally have time to track down everything by your favorite science fiction author in rare and used book stores His names Theo G Nance and he published in the 40s and 50s during the Golden Age of science fiction but died in 1971 at a commune in Northern California under questionable circumstances.The chain book store at the mall has a long aisle of scifi and fantasy paperbacks although no older hardtofind titles and the small independent book shop with its more diverse stock cant help either Both inform you the book is out of print Going down the list of rare and used book stores in the telephone directory you find your book at a fancy rare book store in town only its the British hardcover that came out after the paperback original therefore it is the first hardcover edition but not the true first edition.The book barn somewhere off interstate exit 47 has not only rooms but stories full of old books but you drove out their once and know their books are mainly nonfiction and sets like The Harvard Classics so you skip this call.General Used Book Stores sell used rare and outofprint books hardcovers as well as paperbacks Youre sure its the place to find The Mad Screaming Brain From Asteroid X maybe a vintage paperback or a laterprinting hardcover in their science fiction section but youre disappointed again. A neighbor across the street found a part for his table saw on eBay so you try them next They have more books than you thought although you wouldnt mind seeing more like The Mad Screaming Brain From Asteroid X for instance You also learn that they arent all sold at auction either because many have a little.

A bidding war is going on for The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs the creator of Tarzan Theres a photo of the book in a dust jacket that looks pretty new The bidding is up to $900 so you decide to check in the next day to find out whos in the lead As usual Amazon has millions of great books Several new titles by Theo G Nash you never knew existed come up in a search along with a few outofprint ones too so you write them down for future reference In addition your daughter in Cincinnati has it in her head to send you selfhelp books about retirement from Amazon You prefer she diversify One used paperback copy of The Mad Screaming Brain From Asteroid X turns out to be available by a dealer for $150 and its only in good condition which couldnt be too good because other books are rated very good and like new Being a retired accountant you know all about supply and demand You also figure that since the books are sold on Amazon they get a cut so purchasing directly from the dealer is cheaper In the back of your grandsons Harry Potter magazine that he lost on his last visit is an ad for a rare and used book store in West Hollywood that specializes in science fiction fantasy and horror You cruise over to their website and it turns out they have nearly two dozen hardtofind books by Theo G Nance a regular cornucopia if you will including an advance reading copy whatever that is and a tradesize softcover of the one they made into a movie illustrated with film stills Of course your title is still missing so you break down and order a book club edition of its prequel in near fine condition for $10 This book club is an inexpensive hardcover just like you now decide youre after because its easier to get hold of than a paperback and the text is larger too After all youre getting along in years and your eye sight isnt what it used to be Its been a real learning experience though

Vintage antiques

Vintage Cars

The time between World War One and the stock market crash of 1929 is considered by many to be the vintage car era During these years automobile manufacturers expanded on their technological breakthroughs from earlier in the century and sent cars down the road to pervasiveness The period began with soldiers coming home from overseas and was followed by the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment insuring women the right to vote The Roaring Twenties had arrived with flappers and bathtub gin and great changes in society The economy strengthened buying on credit started and consumerism increased with the automobile at the top of the list Expanding newspapers movies and radio burst like the corks on bottles of champagne Not only was the car radio invented and drivein restaurants opened by A W root beer but the first National Conference on Street and Highway Safety asked for standardized traffic laws throughout the country and the Secretary of the Treasury tried to have the Washington Monument relocated to make room for more parking lots The modern car culture of the automobile and the highway was upon us The Ford Motor Company is an example of what went on with the automobile companies that formed before World War One In 1908 Henry Ford made the first Model T and then in 1913 created a moving assembly line for mass producing automobiles which changed manufacturing and helped bring about the Industrial Revolution His Model T was the best selling car in the world but other automobile manufacturers began surpassing Ford producing cars with more features and in a variety of colors and stylesFord purchased the Lincoln Motor Company in 1925 therefore selling highend cars too. Not only could everyone now afford to purchase an automobile everyone did The vintage car era is known for Widespread use of fourwheel breaks electric lighting and starters as well as balloon tires. Fast cars with large engines Automobiles built for speed simply for the fun of it. In addition more expensive cars were produced for the wealthy The Antique Automobile Club of America and The Classic Car Club of America are two major organizations for automobile enthusiasts.

Vintage Dresses

Adding a vintage dress to your wardrobe will help you to express your unique style Whether youre looking to appear more vivacious and striking or conservative and professional theres a dress to fit your needs Purchasing vintage items for your wardrobe does not mean you have to completely change your style you are tweaking your wardrobe as a whole adding specific accents that can complement items you already own and wear Avoid crazy combinations Back in 76 a plaid dress might have looked great with a jacket in a different style of plaid but that doesnt mean it works today This is essential as most used clothing stores and flea markets do not offer you the opportunity to try clothing on and its impossible with an online auction site Just as you would with other dresses pick your vintage clothing with your body type in mind Be sure to envision yourself in the dress type or try it on before you purchase it If youre unsure ask an honest tactful friend who you would normally take shopping Locating the right dress can be the most daunting part of vintage clothes shopping Unlike contemporary stores and clothing stores that offer new items only vintage and second hand stores display a wide variety of items and styles This makes the selection process more difficult but also provides you with more options First you want to get comfortable with the various decades dress styles and determine your likes and dislikes Then scope out some of the following locations Online auction sites such as eBay are valuable in your search for a vintage dress Even if you do not find a dress there you will learn about vintage measurements the appropriate condition for such items and most importantly the going rate for the type of dress you want This is the easiest way to look at a variety of dresses and decide what style would work best for you Sellers usually provide measurements for clothing items The best price for the right gently used clothing item is of course free Older relatives often have clothing that they or their adult children wore They are usually delighted to give away items knowing they will be worn and loved Think about all of the decades that your parents and grandparents have lived through as well as the styles those decades represent You definitely do not have to stick to one style of dress but you will probably want to select a dress or dresses to fit one or more needs in your lifestyle Just like contemporary dresses vintage counterparts were made for a variety of events A flapper dress for example might be appropriate for a contemporary evening at the theatre A peasant dress from the Sixties would be perfect for a summer folk festival In the 1970s the womens liberation movement created a need for professional style dresses because women wanted to work Some of these dresses still work in the office today

Before you purchase vintage clothing make sure the size fits you Over the years size has changed and it also varies by location Even today one size produced in Europe sometimes differs from the same size produced in the United States Size also varies by clothing line and brand today and that applies to vintage clothing as well Gunne Sax for example made beautiful dresses in a peasant style but their sizes ran much smaller when compared to contemporary ones Also keep in mind that more people handmade clothing in the past so some dresses might be specifically tailored to one womans measurements.

Rare Baseball Cards

Rare Baseball Cards

Even novice collectors interested in rare baseball cards will quickly come across the name Honus Wagner Although Babe Ruth Mickey Mantle Joe DiMaggio Ted Williams and Hank Aaron are famous baseball players with collectible cards none come close to this ball player. Honus Wagner was an outstanding short stop and an early inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame but what makes him particularly noteworthy is that one of his baseball cards sold for over $2 million Wagners cards are scarce because he did not want them distributed with tobacco but this particularly famous and expensive card is in exceptionally fine condition The Library of Congress is an excellent starting place for those interested in rare baseball cards
American Memory Baseball Cards 18871914 Their Prints and Photographs Division has a collection of 100 vintage baseball cards donated by Carl Sandburg in 1954 Sandburg was given the cards by the daughter of a cigarettecard collector You can browse these cards by Player Team League City or Card Setmuch like they way one collects baseball cards Ty Cobbs gallery for instance has 13 cards A few are of Cobb alone while others are of him with early players such as Hugh Jennings George Moriarty Chas OLeary and Sam Crawford Clicking on a photograph will enlarge the image and show the statistics on its back
Baseball Card Bibliography The Library of Congress also has a list of books about baseball cards The top Negro Leagues played ball before 1947 the year Jackie Robinson was allowed into the Major League No baseball cards of these players were issued in the United States at the time although cards were later printed of players who signed with Major League teams Baseball Trading Cards of Negro League Players in Major Leagues The Center for Negro League Baseball Research lists many of these baseball cards
American Negro League Players in Cuban Baseball Cards Famous Negro league ball players also participated in the Cuban Baseball League Rare baseball cards from the Cuban League are also a source for collecting Latin American baseball player cards Peter C Bkarkman AwardWinning Author Cuban Baseball Historian The author of A History of Cuban Baseball 18642006 has an informative website. The Baseball Card Adventure series are childrens books by Dan Gutman involving magic baseball cards used to travel back in time They tell about baseball history such as Babe Ruth calling a hit the Black Sox Scandal and Jackie Robinson Honus Me Jackie Me Babe Me and Shoeless Joe Me are a few titles His books are perfect for kids interested in baseball or baseball card collecting

Collectible Coins

Collectible Coins

Collectible coins can be found anywhere from Antique Stores to ones own pocket Like any other antique they provide a link to the past. Wheat centCollectible coins can be an investment as both collectibles or precious metals but like all other financial investments they carry risks. As with all antiques and collectibles the value of a coin depends upon its condition Several ways are commonly utilized to describe a coins condition The Official ANA Grading Standards for United States Coins uses these standard categories New collectible coins can be purchased directly from the countrys mint The United States Mint sells directly from its website Other sources include coin dealers shows conferences online and inperson auctions and other individual collectors One of the pleasures of collecting coins is the possibility of a hidden treasure in a handful of change so many collectors buy rolls of coins at banks and search through them for something to add to their collection The best way to keep up with current collectible coin values is to purchase a guide For coins from all over the world the Krause Standard Catalog of World Coins is one of the most authoritative For United States coins the Coin World and Blackbook price guides are standards
The rarest years and mints however are usually only available from dealers or collectors Each of these was produced by multiple mints and in many different styles and the value of each depends on the rarity and condition. Indian Head Cents Indian Head cents were produced from 1859 to 1909 and designed by James Barton Longacre an engraver for the Philadelphia Mint The head shows a stylized Native American in a feathered headdress depicting Liberty The reverse side features the shield of the United States at the top with an oak wreath surrounding the sides of the coin and a bundle of arrows at the bottom. Mercury Dimes Despite the name the head on the Mercury dime is not in fact the GrecoRoman god Mercury rather a winged head of Liberty The Phrygian hat with the wings closely resembles images of Mercury Adolph A Weinman designed the Mercury dime and the simplicity and elegance of the head and the column on the reverse make it one of the most attractive US coins It was minted from 1916 to 1945 Wheat Cents Wheat cents officially known as Lincoln Wheat Ears cents were minted from 1909 to 1958 The front shows the profile of Abraham Lincoln still in use on todays pennies while the reverse shows two stalks of wheat Both sides were designed by Victor David Brenner a prolific designer and engraver Buffalo Nickels Buffalo nickels also known as Indian head nickels were produced from 1913 to 1938 The head features a profile of a Native American and the tail of an American bison Both were designed by sculptor James Earle Fraser famous for this design and for his End of the Trail sculpture Morgan Dollars Morgan silver dollars were minted from 1878 to 1904 and again for one year in 1921 After the discovery of vast quantities of silver in the American west the US government ordered the Treasury Department to purchase tons of silver and create coins with it in an attempt to keep the price up The Morgan dollars named after the designer George T Morgan were one of these projects Because of their quantity of silver many of these coins were melted down thus raising the price for collectors

Always handle coins with clean hands or better yet while wearing cotton gloves Even recently washed hands can leave fingerprints and fingerprints carry oils that can corrode coins Always hold coins by the edges rather than the faces and when you put them down put them down on a soft piece of cloth to avoid scratches. Unless you know exactly what youre doing be careful about cleaning coins since this can actually reduce their value If you do want to clean a coin use mild soap and water and do not scrub it When youre finished pat it dry with a soft towel Store coins in cool dry places and with some kind of protective cover.Some antique collectibles have delighted collectors for so long that they have earned distinct antique categories Others are items that used to be merely antiques and now have become collectibles because people love collecting them Both of these categories are now considered antique collectibles The line between a vintage item and an antique varies from object to object A book is usually more than 150 years old before it is generally considered an antique but a toy is often labeled as an antique at 100 years and a coin might not be referred to as an antique until it is more than 200 years old

Antique Ephemera

Ephemera are items that were not made to last usually made out of paper Antique postcards are a very popular category as are antique valentines Ones with messages inside can give a wonderful sense of connecting with individuals from history Posters particularly decorative ones by artists from the turn of the century are both collectibles and art The earliest playing cards were designed as art items but by the end of the 19th century were also made as commemoratives or advertisements

Decorative Items

Decorative items appeal not just because of their collectible status or associations but for their intrinsic beauty These are often the most expensive antique collectibles because of the additional time or craftsmanship that went into their design and making and because many of them were made with intrinsically valuable materials

Household Items

Prized household items range from the fine silver and china from a wealthy household to old kitchen utensils Both have their own associations with people from the past whether the rich and aristocratic or everyday individuals While signs of wear can lower a pieces monetary value theres a certain appeal to an item thats been handled by generations before

Light particularly sunlight can fade antique collectibles particularly textiles and printed material remarkably quickly Protect pieces by keeping them in places where they are not exposed to sunlight or excessive heat from close incandescent bulbs or by keeping them behind glass thats coated against UV rays The best glass is called museum glass while it is more expensive it not only protects the item but is nonreflective so it wont interfere with enjoying your item Humidity can deteriorate many items particularly anything on paper The threat is multiplied if the item is subjecting to changing temperatures because then condensation can form just like on the outside of a cold soda can in a warm room If you dont want to dehumidify your whole home you can just dehumidify the room where you keep your collection or use a closet unit However some antique collectibles made of material like ivory need moisture in the air to keep from cracking You can put these in a closed cabinet with a shot glass of water Cleaning materials designed for everyday use can be very destructive to antique collectibles Many of them are too abrasive and using them can reduce an items value

Pricing for antique collectibles is usually flexible particularly if you buy multiple items from a shop and it is inherently flexible at auction While pricing depends on subtle factors as well as obvious ones you can still get a sense of how much an item should cost Price guides are available for nearly every kind of collectible antique that exists and while bids on auction sites like eBay are not necessarily as reliable because you like the bidders are relying on a photograph and sellers description they can still provide a general sense of prices. It is hard to tell a fake item from an authentic one even professionals get fooled on a disconcertingly frequent basis In fact theres even a Museum of Fakes in Salerno Italy and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London has a Hall of Fakes and Forgeries items from their collection that turned out to be fakes Or for a fictional view read Jonathan Gashs novels featuring antiques dealer and frequent forger Lovejoy Again books are your friends here as books on antique collectibles often detail the most frequent signs of fakes In the case of a large purchase go to a dealer with a solid reputation and demand a detailed receipt Once a collectible is an antique the odds are that its will retain its value as long as it remains in the same condition Even so there are no guarantees and so very few financial advisers suggest investing in antique collectibles solely as an investment unless you already have a solid and diversified portfolio Instead most encourage you to collect what you love and can afford and then be pleasantly surprised if it turned out to be a sound financial investment