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 As an antique dealer, I am frequently asked questions about the values of the
pottery and glassware that we carry. How do your price your antiques and
collectibles? What makes an antique or collectible valuable?
 Did
you know that New Year's Day was not always on New Year's Day? In ancient Egypt,
New Year's was celebrated at the end of September. This was the time of year
when the Nile flooded, bringing enough nutrients and water for crops to grow
another year.
 Edward S. Curtis, the Shadow Catcher, is remembered today for
his beautiful photographic images of members of more than eighty
Native American tribes. He ended up shooting over 40,000 images,
including those of Geronimo, Chief Joseph, Red Cloud, and
Medicine Crow. He also was able to get over 10,000 recordings of
Native American language and songs. Curtis dedicated himself to
these projects and it cost him dearly.
 During the early 1930’s Dupont developed Lucite, one of the
first plastics made from petrochemicals. Lucite production
started in 1936. During World War II, Lucite and its friend
Plexiglas were used to build bombers and fighter planes. The
ending of the War saw the beginning of popularity of Lucite
purses.
 The discovery of the first practical, successful photographic
process, the daguerreotype, occurred, like many other
significant discoveries, by accident. Louis Jacques Mande
Daguerre was a successful French commercial artist living in
Paris who was interested in developing a process where duplicate
images could be produced.
 Pewter was developed thousands of years ago,
most likely the result of an accident. Pewter is a metal alloy,
or mixture of two or more metals. A metal alloy has
characteristics that the parent metals do not have. In pewter's
case, the alloy consists of at least 51% tin.
 What is the difference between an antique and a collectible? In Southern
California, if anything lasts a year, it is a collectible and if it last ten
years, it is an antique.
OK. Bad joke.
 While I enjoy hearing the stories that people have about the
antiques and collectibles with which my husband and I work,
nothing has really affected me as much as a lot of postcards
that we recently bought.
 The House of Faberge and Russian history will never be able to be separated.
Without the Russian Imperial family of the late 19th century, we would not be
able to enjoy Faberge eggs and other Faberge delights today. The fall of the
Russian monarchy in the early 20th century marked the end of the House of
Faberge. What is the story of the Faberge eggs?
 Christmas was not a popular
celebration during the 1600s and 1700s in the United States and England. In the
United States, this sentiment carried on into the 19th century. Congress met
every single Christmas during the first half of the 1800s.
 Today,
many of us do not consider ceilings to be part of the interior design of our
homes. This has not always been the case. During the Victorian ages, ceilings
were an integral part of houses.
 As with many of today’s holidays, Valentine’s Day has its roots in pagan
celebrations. February has been the month of “love” dating back to ancient
Athens, when “Gamelion” as the time between mid-January to mid-February was then
called, was dedicated to the marriage between Zeus, the ancient god of thunder
and sky, and Hera, the goddess of marriage.
 What is hot and what is not in antiques and collectibles? I can
tell you what we see in Southern California, keeping in mind
that we do not carry large pieces of furniture:
 We take so many things for granted today. For example, take a look at
matches and matchbooks. Did you know that modern matches were not
invented until 1827?
 Part of the joy of being an antique dealer, and an antique collector, is
finding something unusual and taking a risk in buying it. You may know a
few things about it, but not a lot. For example, you may know that The
Thing looks like silver and that it is marked "925," which means that it
is sterling.
 Shabby chic furniture and accessories continue to be popular in antique
markets today.
 The origins of
pinball machines
might be dated back to the court of King Louis XIV of France. Table
games had been in existence since the 1600s, but in 1777, something
special happened. Many of the table games prior to 1777 were based on
billiards.
 When you see an
antique, what do you think of first? Do you wonder what
the value of the piece is? Do you admire its beauty? I think of both of
these things, of course. But, I also think that antiques tell stories.
 Louis Comfort Tiffany is known today, for among other things, his
exquisite Art Nouveau Tiffany lamps.
The 1880s continued to be busy years for Louis Tiffany. By 1885,
Tiffany decided to concentrate specifically on glass, leading to the
dissolution of the partnership of Louis Comfort Tiffany and Associates
and the incorporation of Tiffany Glass Company.
 There was a time, not so long ago, when Christmas trees, if lit at all,
were carefully enlivened by candles.
 Have you ever seen an old silent movie where the comedienne was wearing
a dickie, or false shirt front, that ended up rolling up and slapping
him in the face? What material was used to make those dickies?
Celluloid.
 The
ambrotype was an early form of photography that replaced the
daguerreotype in popularity. It had a short, but spectacular life in the
evolution of photography.
1/2/07
 While
Mathew Brady is considered to be one of the most important
American photographers, Brady died almost penniless in a charity ward in
the Presbyterian Hospital in early 1896.
1/3/07
 Anna Atkins was one of the first women photographers and was the first
person to print a book that only used photographic images for
illustrations.
1/9/07
 During
the Victorian era, the magic lantern, or an early slide projector, awed
people in a way that we can probably no longer understand.
 Many years ago, I had a significant other who was a photographer. He
specialized in printing photographs using vintage pre-World War I
methods, making as albumens, Van Dykes, and cyanotypes. He also taught
classes and lectured about vintage photography.
2/19/07
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