A Toast to Butter Art
The original dairy queen, Caroline Shawk Brooks, became the nation's first butter-sculpting sensation in the late 1800s.
Feature Stories
Ancient Roman Mosaic Floor Found Under Italian Vineyard
Archaeologists have been searching for this mosaic for decades, and historians are calling it the year's biggest discovery.
Plague Doctors' Costumes Looked Fanciful, But Had Serious Purpose
Plague doctors' costumes consisted of a head-to-toe garment, glasses, and a long snout or bird beak filled with aromatic spices to protect them from the “bad air” believed to carry disease.
Vintage Posters Promote Importance of Handwashing
Vintage posters promoted the importance of handwashing as part of a moral directive for people to serve their nation by practicing good hygiene. Now with COVID-19, that importance can’t be overstated.
Get to Know One of Antique Trader's Appraisers: Susan Mullikin
Susan Mullikin, one of Antique Trader's 'Ask the Experts,' shares her passion for antique clothing
Antique Trader's Facebook Friends Share How They’re Handling the Pandemic
Hobbyists are working on projects and looking forward to going antiquing and thrifting again.
Mysterious Medieval Tapestries Depict Unicorn Hunt
“The Unicorn Tapestries” were created between 1495-1505 and are among the most mysterious artworks, in both meaning and origin.
A Toast to Irish Things We Love
From Guinness and Riverdance to U2, James Joyce and Irish stew, many great things have come out of Ireland, and these are some of our favorites.
10 Things That Made Our Day Special
Doris Day was one of the most beloved entertainers of all time. Not only did she perform in 39 movies but she also had 30 top-20 singles, including the hits "Secret Love” from "Calamity Jane,” “Que Será, Será" from "The Man Who Knew Too Much" and "Sentimental Journey" recorded with Les Brown.
Lost Purse Found After Six Decades
The purse offers a glimpse into the life of a teenager in 1957.
Henry Ford Museum Acquires Michael Graves' Design Collection
The Henry Ford plans to create permanent and temporary exhibitions with the Graves' Archive.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s School of Architecture at Taliesin Closing
The school, which encompasses Wright properties in Wisconsin and Arizona, will shutter in June at the end of the current school semester.
'80s Board Game Trivial Pursuit Answered Our Need to Know
A game Time magazine once called “The biggest phenomenon in game history,” Trivial Pursuit was first conceived in 1979 by a couple of Canadians.
One of the world’s oldest astronomical clocks is still tracking the universe
Created in 1410 by clockmaker Mikuláš of Kada and Jan Šindel, a professor of mathematics and astronomy, the clock is a marvel of art and mechanical ingenuity.
eBay Reports Top Trends from the Past Two Decades
From Pokémon and velour tracksuits to royal inspiration and fidget spinners, eBay takes a retrospective look back at the top trends since Y2K.
Garfield Creator Jim Davis Opens Up Archive
In an exclusive interview with ANTIQUE TRADER, Garfield creator Jim Davis talks about his career and the sale of his 11,000-piece archive of American comic strip history through Heritage Auctions.
Alphonse Mucha: Celebrated Art Nouveau artist
Mucha first found fame with his revolutionary poster designs and was instrumental in popularizing the Art Nouveau aesthetic.
Arts & Crafts Home a Godsend to Unretouched Faithful
Remarkably intact, the home of evangelist Billy Sunday is typical of a Midwest bungalow, ca. 1915. The late preacher's house in Winona Lake, Ind., is a cathedral to Arts & Crafts decorating and early 20th-century lifestyle.
Third-generation business specializes in pre-1940s jewelry
Walton’s Antique and Estate Jewelry has been swathed in glamour and nostalgia for over 45 years.
Yesteryear's Motivational Posters
Self-help messages from the 1920s and the virtues they promote are as relevant today as they were then
Marshmallow World: Wisconsin woman’s holiday décor evokes nostalgia
Known as the Christmas Lady, SherieLee Schnell of Chilton, Wisconsin, has for a quarter century decorated her 4,200-square foot farmhouse, in Christmas decor. No wonder her home is dubbed Marshmallow World.
Norman Rockwell Museum Illustrates Artist's Genius
Set on 36 acres of picturesque rolling countryside, the Norman Rockwell Museum houses the largest collection of original Rockwell art in the world.
The state of collecting Coca-Cola
The market for collecting soda-related items is strong with all brands. But one brand ranks supreme with collectors: Coca-Cola.
Celebrate milk cans as collectibles
Milk cans – used to store and ferry dairy products from farm to market – have been incorporated into home decor and have become a collector’s dream.
Meet Thomas Edison's phonograph doll
Thomas Edison's phonograph doll, introduced in 1890, is a rarity sought out by collectors. It played wax cylinders created by Alexander Graham Bell.
Finding art and antiques in New Orleans
New Orleans' French Quarter, bound by the Mississippi River and boasting architecture from the Spanish era, hosts many of the city’s finest antique stores.
A closer look at Cairo transferware pottery
Collector-researcher Kelly Keating explores the details of Cairo transferware: a tool of imperialism and an expression and product of the British Empire.
Facebook Auctions: Social media sales get results
The typical methods of buying antiques - local auctions, antique stores and eBay - are excellent. Buying through Facebook auctions is exciting, too.
Boehm porcelain birds flying into new collections
Collectors are once again flocking to own the hand-crafted Boehm porcelain birds that have been popular with presidents, royalty and heads of state.
Collectors chase cast iron advertising Pups
The Griswold Manufacturing Company along with many other businesses used advertising Pups as promotional giveaways in the early to mid-1900s.
Clean lines of Scandinavian design fit modern lifestyle
Scandinavian design came of age, however, in mid-century after World War II, when millions of veterans began building families and fanning out to suburbia.
Florida Highwaymen capture unspoiled views
From the 1950s-1980s, a group of African-American visual artists, aka the Florida Highwaymen, created original art and peddled it along the highways.
Detroit’s Divco trucks delivered the goods
Years ago, Detroit's Divco trucks were a common sight delivering milk and other goods to the doorsteps of millions of homes.
Greetings from the Past: Identifying and dating postcards
Understanding the history of postcards aids in efforts to amass an impressive collection during the present, explains Dr. Anthony J. Cavo, in this special feature.
Disabled veteran finds adventure in space banks
From the late 1940s-mid ’70s, three American companies produced mechanical space banks in honor of the United States’ efforts in the Race for Space.