Antique Trader shows one reader that his attic find of a vintage View-Master and Junior Merchant tin bank, while colorful and interesting, have more value as display items than big-ticket collectibles. View-Masters have been in continuous production since 1939, when Sawyer's of Portland, Ore., first introduced the View-Master at the New York World's Fair....
bottles
Glasshouse Whimsies: Non-production creations are as unique as the artists themselves
Glasshouse whimsies – whether they are entirely free-form or created from production glass pieces – are items made by glassworkers to show off their skills. Whimsies, often given the misnomers "end-of-day" or "lunch-hour" pieces, are known as "friggers" in England. They are non-production pieces; other than the use of factory glass, the whimsies have...
Antique Trader’s Favorite Finds Contest Returns – Share your stories July 1-Sept. 30, 2011
Starting July 1 through Sept. 30, 2011 you may submit your own stories of auction scores, heartwarming yard sale surprises or antiques show discoveries to the Third Annual Antique Trader Favorite Finds Contest. Since your stories keep getting bigger and better, so has this year's prize. This year's winner will...
Are 19th century artifacts still buried in your backyard?
Remember that urge to dig you had as a child? Some people never grow out of it. I don’t blame them because there’s treasure buried under the dirt and ash that fill 18th and 19th century privy and cistern holes. Back in 2009 I had a chance to talk in depth with privy digger...
How I Started Collecting: Reader’s reflect on their first experiences with collecting
From broken soup tureens to granddad's Indian arrowhead hunting trips, Antique Trader subscribers share their most valued memories of their first experiences in collecting. These funny, poignant letters reflect Antique Trader's ongoing effort to foster a new generation's appreciation for the hunt for precious objects. All letters are eligible to win a copy of...
Antique perfume bottle auction breaks $500K in sales
The International Perfume Bottle Association’s annual auction once again surpassed all previous year's results by grossing an astounding $522,120 on an 83 percent sell through rate. The April 29, 2011 auction featured more than 250 items in addition to powder boxes and novelty items. Prices for some...
Antique Glass Salt and Sugar Shaker Club taking an active role for nearly 25 years, meeting set for Mega Glass Convention
One of the more specialized glass-collecting clubs in the nation is The Antique Glass Salt and Sugar Shaker Club. Though highly specialized, the AGSSSC will be taking part in the Mega Glass Convention, which will be held July 7-9, 2011.
Ask AT: Subject, not artist, gives vintage spaniel oil on canvas its added value
I hope you can tell me something about this picture. After a yard sale, my son and his wife left it for me to dispose of. I kept it for another yard sale but it didn’t sell, so I kept it for myself. I do so love it. It is signed. “L....
The art behind Coca-Cola’s vintage advertising changed a brand and a nation
The Coca-Cola Company and the ad agencies that created these iconic works were innovators, geniuses in presenting material that drew attention to the product. Window displays and life-size cutouts of movie stars were so far ahead of their time that they are studied today and copied as if they were a new form of...
World’s largest private Coca-Cola art, memorabilia collection going up for sale
It is the biggest and the best privately held collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia in the world. There are one-of-a-kind posters, rare serving trays, bottles, antique delivery trucks, Santa icons and even the side of a barn. Altogether, there are some 80,000 items worth as much as $10 million. The Schmidt Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia...