ANTIQUEHAVEN

2012-02-08T10:25:00.000-08:00

I love to read your blog although I am in Canada. I have a dining set and was wondering if you could possibly tell me anything about it. I have been struggling with the internet to find out information. It was made by Heinrich Bender and Sons. From what I can gather in the late 1800's. I have attached some pictures in hopes you may be able to assist me.
Thanks again and continue writing your blog, I love it!

Based on your info and picture, I believe your set was made in the 1950's-1960's by Heinrich Bender Sohne, located in Kelkheim, Hesse, Germany. Kelkheim was known as a furniture town within Germany. The area's furniture hit a peak internationally in the mid 1950's when companies such as Bender was filing out orders for other country's embassies and royalty. This set is done in a more traditional style than the more contemporary style that is popular from the mid-20th century. It is quality furniture, but, not high in demand. I am quite positive that it would have sold in a high end furniture store, if it was not imported directly from Germany. With a lack of comparatives (outside a 3 pc wall unit & chairs that sold for 100eur) it is hard to gauge a value. We have difficulty selling similar style pcs made in the USA for any real money. Side Note: Bender appears to still be in business in some capacity.

CT's Treasure Haven - Top Lot - 1/29/2012

2012-01-30T06:44:00.000-08:00

CT's Treasure Haven opened the new year up with a fun packed, full house for it's 1/29/2012 auction. The excitement began prior to the auction when a gentleman walked into the hall for preview and promptly placed an item into his pocket. The gentleman was approached, the item was revealed and the police were promptly called to escort the gentleman to the police station. He missed the bidding on the top lot which was an early 1950's Lionel Train Set. Sold by the piece, the final tally was $360. Other highlights included a Chelsea Wall Clock (As-is) for $350, an early Spalding Baseball Glove for $285 and a 3-tier Barrister Bookcase for $275.

DENKERT MICKEY MANTLE GLOVES

2012-01-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

I have a Mickey Mantle G84 and G91 fielder Denkert Gloves and I was wondering if you know what year Denkert first started making Mickey Mantle Gloves? And do you know where I could find Denkert Mickey Mantle Glove Advertisements to go with my gloves?

Denkert did not do advertising like their larger contemporaries, such as McGregor, Rawlings or Wilson, which makes exact dating of their gloves somewhat maddening. The G84 model was shared with, at least, Bobby Richardson, Frank Howard, Red Schoendienst, Sandy Koufax, Whitey Ford and Carl Furillo. Based on these names, it is likely that the G84 was put out around 1960-1961. Frank Howard was Rookie of the Year in 1960. Sandy Koufax did not make a true mark in the Majors until 1961. Red Schoendienst was an aging star who had a long term relationship with Denkert at that time. I am not sure an advertisement exists with Mickey Mantle endorsing the glove.

PEE WEE REESE GLOVE QUESTION

2012-01-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

I have a Pee Wee Reese G7 Pro Maker TruSport Fielder Glove. I was wondering if Denkert made this glove for TruSport, for it looks exactly like my other Denkert Pro Maker and Pro Master Gloves ??

The answer is yes. Tru Sport is one of the brand names for which Denkert made gloves. I know of at least 3 other endorsed gloves marketed under the Tru Sport name.

JOLLY NIGGER BANK

2012-01-02T19:48:00.000-08:00

Wondering if you might be able to help me identify a bank I found in Mumbai India? It's cast aluminum and I've looked at tons of images but can't find another exactly like it- a few similar ones but this has been a real mystery to me.

It is of my opinion that this is a recast of the original Jolly Nigger Bank by John Harper & Co, possibly made in India, which has been known for making copies of old artifacts. There are several indications. Old cast banks are smooth to the touch. This particular bank has a rough looking appearance. The coloring is wrong. To my knowledge, all Jolly Nigger Banks of this variety were red. Seams on old banks are very tight where the 2 castings join together. The pictures appear to show some gaps in the seams. The bottom plate is wrong. If there are any markings on the inside, let me know.

CHAIR IDENTIFICATION

2011-12-08T14:39:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I have this chair and no one can seem to tell me what it is or if it may be worth anything. It is a folding chair and have engraved in the back "Italy". Could you please help me out with this issue?

This is called a Valet Chair. It is used for hanging pieces of a Man's suit. This particular Valet chair is worth around $20.

A NEW CABLE TV STAR?

2011-11-15T15:29:00.000-08:00

I received a call from California today from a producer or scout for a new cable TV show about antiques that is in the works. They asked if I would be interested in having the show at my store. I closed my store almost 3 years ago and after telling her that, she asked if there were a location that I could use. At that point, I stated that I was not interested, as the whole reality TV thing is not me. I am sure that they can find a more suitable choice in the Metro Area and I gave her some names. The whole reality TV thing (in terms of our business) is going to hit the saturation point soon. There are over a dozen shows now and as with anything in show business, the need to embellish and "create" interesting stories, will move these shows further and further away from reality. That will ultimately hurt our business. So much for my 15 minutes of fame.......well anyway, it would have only taken them that long to discover that I dont have the ego (or talent) necessary to be a focal point for a TV show. LOL (

VICTORIAN COMBINATION SHELF TABLE

2011-11-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

I am having trouble finding any info on a shelf that converts to a table, that i recently aquired. I am not a collector i just really liked this piece. Any help you can provide would be much appreciated

You have what appears to be an Oak Victorian Combination Shelf Table that was either made by (or design borrowed from) The Combination Table Company out of Bryan, OH. The shelf/table was patented in 1893 and 1896. Your piece has a nice stick and ball design on the side, which along with other minor variations, differs from the typical pieces found by the CTC. Your table is in obvious need of restoration. In restored condition, it could fetch $500-650 at a good auction.

THE NECESSARY EVIL?

2011-10-27T12:23:00.001-07:00

It is with a tinge of sadness that my 8 month boycott of E-bay has come to an end. (To no one's surprise, E-bay is still in business). I owe it to my clients to be able to sell certain items on the world's largest internet auction site. Plus, to be honest, I have the occasional item in which E-bay is the only viable site to sell the item. I am always on the hunt for alternative sites and I will begin to list items on ETSY again. My 8 month boycott will still be a "near boycott" from the volume I did from 1998-Feb 2011. I estimate that I will list less than 1% of the amount and type of items I used to list. This is out of principle. E-bay is very unfriendly to the used item seller and I cannot justify spending time and money on a site that no longer cares about it's vintage sellers.

FIRE KING MUGS ON FIRE

2011-10-11T06:37:00.000-07:00

Ok.....Fire King Advertising Mugs have been hot for years. But, they are now what could be called "ON FIRE". Almost any advertising mug with a well known business depicted easily top $100. Examples would be Holiday Inn, 7-11, Hershey, Coca-Cola, Bazooka Gum, Bosco, Reddy Kilowatt, Stuckey's. Old standards like Burger King are bringing $80-100. Common ones like McDonalds can still bring $10. One that is flaming hot is the Snoopy Red Baron (Orange Roof Version) which is bringing $400. The Asian market has been driving the Fire King craze for years and there seems to be no stop in the demand. Non-Advertising mugs are also strong and can bring surprising money. Jadite colored mugs, particularly the "C" handled versions, are bringing $50-100 each. So..when asked what is "hot", I have to answer that only thing I know that is on fire is FIRE KING.

Dental Cabinet is High Lot at CT's Treasure Haven Auction

2011-09-23T04:29:00.000-07:00

As expected, a wonderful 19th c Dental Cabinet took the high lot at CT's Treasure Haven's September 22nd, 2011 auction at The Livonia Elks. Even with a few flaws, the cabinet brought $625, not including the 10% buyer's premium.

GOLD SILVER SHYSTERS

2011-06-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

I recently took a 14k gold ladies wristwatch in to a renown Redford Coin and Jewelry store. I laid the watch on the table and told the clerk that I wished to scrap the watch. The clerk took the watch into the visible back room and came back with a $40 offer. I was quite taken aback for 2 reasons: 1) I knew that just about anywhere, I could get $80 for this amount of gold and this is a high profile place of business. 2) They did not even weight the watch !!! Are you kidding me? So....I make the point that the watch was not even weighed and the clerk says "Oh...you want us to take it apart?" I was like "Um.....how else can you weigh it?" The clerk went into the back, came back again and said $60. My eyes turned into saucers as I noticed that the back of the watch was removed, but, nothing else (Band, movement) so, I knew that it still had not been weighed. Not to mention that they had increased their offer by 50% without doing a thing (other than taking the back off) What does this say about the integrity of their first offer? I pulled out my business card and explained that I ran an Estate Sale and Auction business and could not believe that they did not weigh the gold to establish their price. (I did not even mention the low ball offers) I decided to accept the offer of $60, so, that I had something in writing showing their offer. A $20 or so differential at this point in the amount of scrap I do in a year is nothing. The evidence of shyster business practices was more valuable to me. Little does this establishment know that I had been referring them to people in their area. NO MORE. Little does this establishment know that I will aggressively NOT refer them, by name, with everyone who possibly would have a need for their services. Now..you may say....."Chris...isnt that a little harsh for a one time occurrence?" And my answer would be yes...but, it is not a first occurance. A buddy of mine went to this establishment with a very large grouping of silver coins. He received their quote. His quote from another establishment was $1,500 higher !!!!! Yes....$1,500. So, maybe due to the fact that this business heavily advertises and has a large payroll (I counted 7 employees) has forced them to low ball their offers for coins/gold/silver to deal with big overhead expenses. If that is the case, then the general public needs to be aware of this and make informed decisions with whom they do business.

FOOTNOTE: I receive a good volume of potential business calls a week. A large percentage of these calls do not pan out in a business dealing with me. However, I always try to help the caller out and this includes me giving referrals to Antique Shops, Estate Sale Companies, Resale Shops, Antique Dealers and Coin/Silver/Jewelers. Many of these businesses I may not have a direct relationship with, so, I try to keep my eyes and ears open for any complaints I may hear in the community. I also try (when I can) to experience some of these businesses first hand to see if they are worthy of my referral.

Pal Fried Oil on Canvas Brings High Bid at CT's Treasure Haven Auction

2011-06-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

A large Oil on Canvas Painting by Pal Fried (1893-1976 Hungarian/American) was the top selling item at CT's Treasure Haven's June 26, 2011 Auction. The work, best titled Spanish Dancer, sold for $ 1,800 (Not including 10% buyer's premium). Another Fried work, (2 Ballerinas) was the next top seller at $1,700.

LAMPS -WATERCOLORS - STATUES SIGNED KUPUR

2011-05-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

If you have a Lamp, Watercolor (Gouache), Bookends or Statue signed Kupur, I believe I can give you it's origin. Artist/Sculptor Frederick Cooper opened a studio in Chicago in 1923 specializing in Watercolors and Statues. At some point thereafter, he began producing lamps made from the sculptures/statues he was creating. This aspect of the business eventually took over most of his operation. In 1945, Cooper retired and sold the business, which kept his namesake. It turns out that as recently as the 1990's, Frederick Cooper Studios still controlled the trademark name "Kupur". All of the works I have seen signed "Kupur" are similar is signature style and are on works from approximately the 1930's-1940's. It is of my opinion that once Cooper retired, the "Kupur" line and signatures eventually were phased out while the company went on to have some success in the lamp making industry over the next 60 years. If you have a piece signed "Kupur" I believe it to be from Frederick Cooper Studios and was either done by Cooper himself or an employee of the studio.

Conant-Ball Bench Identified

2011-05-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

I finally got to my January Issue of The Maine Antique Digest. In the Help Needed section, there was a bench that a reader wanted identified. The CB mark is for The Conant-Ball Company out of Gardner, Mass. They made furniture from the late 19th c until 1980.

BREWERIANA AUCTION SITE - TAVERN TROVE

2011-04-25T06:35:00.000-07:00

As an alternate site to sell all things Breweriana, check out the site http://taverntrove.com For $500 a year, you can sell anything Breweriana related with little restriction. A quick search found all sorts of neat things available amongst the over 38,000 listings.

ART NOUVEAU FIGURAL LAMP BASE by JULES JOUANT

2011-04-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Chris,
Grandma got this when she was young in San Francisco
Name on vase is jollant. Bottom has stamp franqaise? feels like metal vase

What you appear to have here is an Art Nouveau bronze gilded lamp base by the French Artist Jules Jouant (1882-1921). The base has a foundry mark "Fabrication Francaise" These items were recasted French Bronzes available for sale/export. The hole in the bottom would have had a bolt that connected it to a wood base. The top would have held the lamp fixture. Some of Jouant's works do quite well in the auction market. I could not find this exact piece.

DISNEY CELL FROM PETER PAN MOVIE

2011-03-28T08:49:00.000-07:00

As expected, the top selling item at CT's Treasure Haven's 3/27/2011 Auction was a 1950's Signed Walt Disney Animation Cell from the movie Peter Pan. The cell was given to Alice Gorham who was the head of the advertising department at United Detroit Theaters. The cell brought a high bid of $1,600 (not including 10% buyers premium)

E-BAY TAPPING INTO SHIPPING/HANDLING

2011-03-24T04:46:00.001-07:00

E-bay has found yet another way to stick it to their sellers. They have announced that they are going to include the seller's shipping and handling charges into the final value of the transaction. So...you sell an item for $10 and have $5 s/h, they will be taking their 9% from $15 instead of the $10. A tidy little extra .45. If a seller raises their s/h to compensate (say to $6), E-Bay will then make .54 more on that transaction. E-bay says that they are trying to discourage sellers from charging s/h. They want a free shipping model on their site. However, in the real business world, we know that there is no such thing as free shipping. The seller will just raise the starting price of their item to include the s/h costs. (In my example to $16) And....if the item does sell, E-bay will make the same amount regardless !!! Never mind the fact that E-bay is already getting their 3+% on the final value of a transaction through Paypal (Their virtual monopolistic payment method). So...E-bay will be soon getting 12+ % of the seller's shipping and handling fees. Who is getting screwed here? Everyone but E-bay. Say it costs a seller $ 10.00 to ship a board game. Knowing that E-bay will take $ 1.20 of that $10.00, a seller should compensate by charging $11.37, so that after fees, the seller actually receives $10.00 to cover the shipping. The bidder ends up paying more than the actual shipping to cover the 12% that E-Bay is taking. How is that helping the bidder? Of course it is not. Higher starting bids or higher shipping, that is going to be the end result for the bidder. E-bay gets to pad it's bottom line a little more to appease their shareholders.

National Package Sealer

2011-03-06T16:15:00.000-08:00

Hello, I enjoy looking at your blog site. It is very informative. Can you help me find the manufacture of an old package sealer I recently purchased. The label reads "National Package Sealer" although the manufactures name is distorted. You can read that the company was located in New York. Any information you can provide would be appreciated.

You have the base of a package sealer made by The National Binding Machine Company of New York.

Box marked A.J. Tuck Co

2011-03-03T11:49:00.000-08:00

I was wondering if you know anything about this box I have. It's cedar covered with metal. On the top is embossed Europa and the Bull and the sides are decorated with abstact designs. On the bottom A.J. Tuck Co. New York is imprinted into the metal edge. I'm assuming this is a biscuit or cigar box but I can't find anything on Tuck. Any info would be appreciated. I nabbed this out of a box lot and it's one of my favorite possessions.

Alvin J Tuck was the manager of Tiffany Studios' Corona, NY foundry at the end of the 19th c. That factory produced bases for Tiffany Lamps as well as other metal items, such as desk sets. Around 1914, he established the A.J. Tuck Co and started making his own lamps in Flushing, NY. His specialty was electroforming or electroplating. In 1925 he moved his operations to Brookfield, CT where the business is still in existence, although, it's products are high tech and mainly for the defense industry. So, your box was made between 1914-1925 by a former employee of Tiffany Studios. There is not much info out there for items produced by Tuck. A Tuck lamp base sold for $60 at a recent auction (That Tiffany name sure helps). Being a former artist/designer for Tiffany and actually being Tiffany are two worlds apart. Value is what someone will pay. I would think with the provenance, it would be worth $200-300.

E-BAY's LATEST MONEY GRAB

2011-01-30T18:22:00.000-08:00

If you are an E-bay bidder and use Paypal to pay for your purchases, you may have noticed that you are shown an autochecked box that says you wish to use "Bill Me Later". The bidder must uncheck the box to prevent the purchase from becoming a credit purchase. "Bill Me Later" is a product through E-bay's Paypal that allows you to establish a credit line. The annual percentage is a whopping 19.9%. So..E-bay, through Paypal, is offering "Bill Me Later" to allow customers who do not have credit cards or money to get a loan to purchase through E-bay. How nice of them!!!! E-bay, already having destroyed many seller's livelihoods due to unpopular and unfavorable policies, now is going after bidders. Banks (Webbank), make their money from late paying customers and it's ability to charge interest and late fees. E-bay through it's "Bill Me Later" affiliate is encouraging transactions using a credit line and implicitly hopes that a large number of members cannot make their payments on time. Offering this product with the use of an autochecked box is insulting and provocative to buyers. Let's hope that E-bay bidders do not succumb to the temptation of using E-bay's latest "convenience" and contribute to the massive personal debt problem that is destroying families across the Nation.

CT's Treasure Haven Antique Auction - Winchester Model 1873

2011-01-21T14:18:00.000-08:00

CT's held another exciting auction at the Livonia Elks on January 20th. Over 500 lots were offered to a crowd of 147 registered and registered absentee bidders. As expected, the highlight and top selling item was a Model 1873 Winchester 32 Caliber Rifle. The gun brought a final bid of $1,400 + 10% buyer's premium of $140 , making the final tally $1,540.

1944 WWII Hamilton BU Ships Comparing Watch US Navy 2974B --FOR SALE

2011-01-19T07:17:00.000-08:00

1944 WWII Hamilton BU Ships Comparing Watch US Navy. 17J. 16S. 3 POS. 2974B. Serial Number 2K12741. Comparing watch used by sailor to synchronize to ship's chronometer. Keystone Case serial number 95158. Single Sunk Dial. Hacking Second Feature Works Fine. Blued Baton Style Hands. Engraved on back "U.S. Navy BU Ships Comparing Watch Mark I Mod 0 (n in circle) 15492 1944 Hamilton Watch CO. Lancaster Pa" Porcelain dial has no chips or cracks. Case has some scratching and a nick on the back with a few going into the brassing. There are three small dings or nicks on the side and various small scratches. The inner cover is in great condition. The bow is just fine with normal wear. The crystal is yellowed a bit or has yellowed. The watch is in working condition. I had it going for the last 10 hours and it is still on time. I cannot guarantee that the watch will not have parts go bad as it is a 66 year old watch. Pay no attention to the high prices of other Comparing Watches for sale on E-Bay.
SOLD $300 VIA ETSY.COM.

NO MORE E-BAY FROM THIS SELLER

2011-01-14T12:51:00.000-08:00

12 Years of selling on E-bay has ended today. E-bay has a new "internal" policy that they are trying to implement. They want to require that ALL sellers be set up for Auto-Pay. That means that as a seller, you have to set up either your bank account or a credit card with them so that they can charge you automatically. For 12 years I've paid E-bay (Mostly on time) tens of thousands of dollars in fees. I am not a collection liability. However, E-bay's last straw in my world is mandating that I allow them to have a monthly tap into my bank account (I will not use credit cards). I control my account and I control my accounts payable and accounts receivable, NOT E-Bay. So...as a condition of selling membership, I refuse. This is not the only change that has caused me to move away and leave. Their DSR ratings, their inept customer service, their movement to large box store sellers vs the Every Day Joe Seller and Dealer......the list goes on. I've just heard from a fellow dealer who sells in high volume who has had his selling account restricted due to shipping time (Those darned DSR Ratings). He makes gobs of money for E-bay and has been a loyal seller for years and this is the treatment he is getting. The everyday Joe cannot get to the PO every day and wait in line to ship one package. They tend to wait and ship in bulk maybe 1 day a week. That means packages on the front end tend to get to their destination a little slower. "Customer Expectations" we hear. I guarantee you that the bidder who just won that toy that he remembers as a child has no issue waiting a week for it to arrive in the mail. He should know that by dealing thru E-bay for secondary market items, that he is not dealing with Sears, which has a shipping warehouse with many employees, but, possibly with a single person operation with kids, a job etc...It is a different environment and needs to be treated as such. E-bay didnt just try to fit a square peg in a round hole as far as their policies, they are structuring themselves to eliminate as many square pegs as they can. This square peg is gone. Time to try and find or create another game.

INTERNET READY FOR AN E-BAY CHALLENGE

2010-12-30T10:47:00.000-08:00

ETSY.COM, ANTIQUES.COM, ICOLLECTOR.COM, GOANTIQUES.COM, COLLECTICS.COM, TIAS.COM, EBID.COM, IOFFER.COM, BIDSTART.COM, SOLDUSA.COM, RUBYLANE.COM, ONLINEAUCTION.COM (OLA.COM). All of these sites offer an alternative to the weakening monster that is E-bay. Ever since E-bay went public in 1998, there has been a slow and steady movement away from what it was created for in 1995. Now, the market has changed and the Internet is not what it was 10 years ago. E-bay, in it's vision to grow and please stockholders, has moved away from small businesses and Sally Homemaker sellers. It has self-professly moved from selling items from people attics to selling items from warehouses. So, where does that leave the secondary market that was E-bay's bread and butter and whose void is not being filled? Baby Boomers have hit retirement age this year. They are who drove the collector and antiques market for the past 40 years. Now, Boomers are going to be making and experiencing life changes in the next 20 years and they will be down-sizing, liquidating and passing on items to their children. There will be a glut of product hitting the market. E-bay is discouraging the liquidation of such "re-used" items on it's site. All the sites above are places to go to purchase things and in some instances vintage collectibles and antiques. But, not one of these sites is exclusively dedicated to the small business and average Joe AUCTION format with set price options. I am talking about a site that would be similar to where E-bay was....say during the 1997-2005 ERA. No business is going to list on a site that does not get traffic and that is still where E-bay is king. E-bay also has a nice looking site that is not so convoluted looking as some of these other sites. But, things have changed.....E-bay has turned off a bevy of sellers as well as buyers. I for one do not get the same number of views I once did on items I'm selling. I also do not find near the amount of neat items I once did for sale. Antique and used goods sellers have been driven off by new rules, higher fees, feedback issues, a favor towards E-bay stores over auctions and a tilt to customer satisfaction that is tilted too far to the buyer. Advertising is no longer geared towards finding that unique item or that gem. It is new item grand central station. The china made boat has arrived and is here to stay. So.....who fills the vacuum? And there is a vacuum? Free Online Classifieds have filled a void for the Average Joe to sell his item, but, I'm not even going to list the negatives to that method. The other Internet sites tend to be fixed price shops or have way too much new junk themselves to appear to be a secondary market/vintage collectibles/antiques marketplace. So...is there a way? I think so...it wont be easy....but there are dozens of viable trade papers and internet sites that could allow a new upstart to advertise a NEW and IMPROVED way to sell their used items. To sell items on a web site the way you used to be able to do !!! Grand Opening and Start....June 1st 2011, start your free listings with a 3% final value fee for a start date on July 1st 2011. 3-5-7-10-14 day auction listings. If no bid at either of the days you get an automatic extension to the next date, so, the 3 day is now 5 for example. An advertising campaign that focuses on this historic start to a new place to sell pre-owned item would be launched. Strict policing of the site and good customer service would be key. Word of mouth is strong on this type of thing. Remember when you first heard of E-bay or Craigslist or Amazon? Your first thought was "what is that?" well....as long as the avenue is easy to navigate and fills a void, people will learn fast and hopefully be hooked. So....let E-bay become a site for buying widgets, overstocked product and big box store items and let there be an Auction site that once again makes people sit at their computer searching for hours for something they cant find anywhere else or remember from their childhood. Let there be a site again where people get caught up in a bidding frenzy and have a true "experience" with their favorite e-commerce site. Let your next door neighbor have the opportunity to sell some of their things in the comfort of their own home and not have to have hoops to jump through and financial limitations to their selling. Help create young sellers and businesses again. The economy needs it and I think there are people out there demanding it.

1909 Hudson Fulton Celebration Automobile Trophy

2010-11-20T05:43:00.000-08:00

CT's Treasure Haven was pleased to offer a 1909 Hudson Fulton Celebration Automobile Trophy on consignment from one of it's Estates. The incredible Rogers Bros. loving cup trophy was won by a George W Robertson in Peekskill, NY during the Hudson Fulton Celebration. The Hudson Fulton Celebration was a big deal whose committee members included J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carneige, William Rockefeller and Robert B Roosevelt. The 10 day event (September 25th-October 9th) celebrated the 300th anniversary of the discovery of the Hudson River and the 100th anniversary of Robert Fulton's commercial use of the steamboat on that very same waterway. The RMS Lusitania made a visit, Wilbur Wright flew his aeroplane around the Statue of Liberty....there were many many events and contests. This contest was for the "Best Decorated Automobile". The cup/trophy was heavily decorated with no less than 11 automobiles. The trophy realized a solid $1,323 bid. When CT's owner, Chris Woodman, pulled the item to sell on it's E-bay web site, the family stated that that was an item that they would have likely thrown out, to which Chris replied, "Then you would have likely thrown out the most valuable single item in this estate" In terms of Estate and auctions sales, this proved to be true. Chris always recommends that family do not throw anything away before having a professional assess the estate.

Auction Highlight - W.E. Heron Oil on Canvas

2010-11-20T05:29:00.000-08:00

As expected, the highlight of CT's Treasure Haven's November 18th, 2010 auction was the William E Heron Oil on Canvas from 1956 depicting an art class at Detroit's Scarab Club painting a nude model. Inclusive of the 10% buyer's premium, the piece sold for $990. Although the painting was is in need of some cleaning and repair, the image was iconic and will be a great investment grade piece for the winning bidder.

COLLECTOR BOOKS TO FOLD

2010-10-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

I just received my notice that Collector Books will no longer publish books on Antiques and Collectibles. Collector Books has been publishing Antique and Collectible Guides for over 40 years and their decision will have a great impact on the trade. CB sites the Internet as the main culprit in their decision. They saw a shift from people ordering books to the free information provided on-line. The economics are simple, but, a shame. I have a fairly large resource library and there are many invaluable books and guides that Internet sites cannot touch for information, values or identification. E-bay is the largest source for finding values on-line and is an invaluable tool that for sure is more accurate than books. However, E-Bay, Ruby Lane, Collectors.com, Antiques.com, Worthpoint.com and the myriad of collector sites (Of which I have 200 saved as favorites) do not always help with identification. I could spend hours researching an unmarked fishing lure on-line and perhaps never find it, but, I would likely find it in my Fishing Lure book in under 10 minutes. While there are still other publishing houses that sell Antiques and Collectible books such as Krause Publishing and Schiffer, CB had the largest catalog and at very reasonable prices. They more than any other publishing house, were able to bring these books into the average collector's home. CB will continue selling off their inventory over the next year or two, so, you can still order from them at a discount.

1954 TOPPS BASEBALL CARD SET

2010-09-05T06:43:00.000-07:00

This year an uncut sheet of 100 1954 Topps Baseball cards was offered for auction. The sheet confirmed what I have long suspected, that there is another scarce series of cards within the set. The currently recognized series are cards 1-50, 51-75 and 76-250. The 2nd series has always been deemed more scarce, and thus a higher premium is charged for those cards. While there is little doubt that some of those cards are tougher to find, I have found some of them no harder to find than another grouping later in the set. The uncut sheet seems to support my theory. It contains cards 126-150 and 176-250. Card numbers 151-175 are not included on the sheet. This is similar to the grouping that I found more difficult to find when pursuing my set. I just looked at PSA's population report today 1/21/2011 and it supports my theory.
It appears that Topps at least had the following breakdowns:

1-50 (50 CARDS) 1 Series or Grouping
51-75 (25 CARDS) 2 Series or Grouping
76-125 (50 CARDS) 3 Series or Grouping
126-150 (25 CARDS) 4 Series or Grouping
151-175 (25 CARDS) 5 Series or Grouping
176-250 (75 CARDS) 6 Series or Grouping

In the 24 cards in what I call the 5th Series, there is only 1 card that exceeds 272 submissions and that is #427 Johnny Podres a Dodger. In the 1st 24 cards of what I call the 6th series, 20 of 24 cards exceed the 2nd highest number of submissions from what I call the 5th series. In the preceding 24 cards of what I call the 4th series, 17 of 24 cards exceed the 2nd highest number of submissions from series 5. So....what does that tell us? There is an extremely low amount of submissions of cards in the range of what I think is a 5th series...cards (151-175).

We now know that the 4th and 6th Series or Groupings are on one 100 card sheet. It would make sense that these cards would have been released at the same time as it would have been a nightmare to have separated the 2 groups of numbers (they were mixed together throughout the sheet). Is it possible that Topps produced another 100 sheet with cards 1-50 and 76-150 and then a 50 sheet production for cards 51-75 and 151-175 that was more limited in total production? The only way to find out now is to find more uncut sheets or severely miscut cards. One thing I feel even more comfortable with is the fact that I believe cards 151-175 should hold the same designation as cards 51-75 as far as being a little more scarce.

IDENTIFICATION QUESTION

2010-08-17T22:10:00.000-07:00

Chris,
HELP, HELP..... I've run across this "Pusher". I don't know if it silver or not. Written on the back is G.M.Co. E P pat 1896. I've tried to find one like this with the fork prongs but all I find are the flat shovel side...any help would be appreciated.

What you have is not a food pusher, but, a Corn Scorer & Scraper made by Gorham. It is Electroplate rather than sterling, which is what the EP stands for on back. A neat item and not all that common.

SARAH BENDER de WOLFE OIL ON BOARD

2010-08-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

CT's Treasure Haven is pleased to offer a signed Oil on Board Original Painting by Listed California Artist Sarah Bender de Wolfe (1852-1935). The work measures 9.75" x 7.5". The painting could be called 2 Red Roses. It has some paint loss around the perimeter from when it was framed. There is a 3.5" vertical impression to the right of the right rose. de Wolfe is a respected painter whose works have sold well into 4 figures. This is a smaller work on board. Open to offers.

RARE MISSOURI, KANSAS & TEXAS RY MATCH SAFE

2010-07-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

A buddy in the biz asked me to research this railroad item for him. What he has is a cast iron match safe from the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Rail Yard. It has a hinged lid and a match striker built into the front. 3 employee contact names at the St. Louis office are on the bottom of the item. This helps date the piece. Thos. C. Purdy was a VP and General Manager from 6/1892 to 6/1/1897 and D.(Darius) Miller was the Traffic Manager from 5/20/1893 to 9/1/1896, so, this would date the box from 1893 to 1896. A fairly rare item, it's desirable and has a decent value which I shared with my buddy.

Victorian Eastlake Platform Rocker

2010-07-12T17:46:00.000-07:00

Would like to know more about the antique rocker we have and what kind of value it has. Thank you.

You have a nice example of a Victorian Eastlake Platform Rocker. The value ranges from $60-150. These are salable, but, not particularly hot at the moment. The best means of liquidation is a free internet site or a house sale. You could consign with an antique/consignment shop for anywhere from 35-60% commission.

Denkert Baseball Gloves - Ultimate Resource

2010-05-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

Denkert Sporting Goods Company made baseball gloves from the 1930's thru the 1960's out of Johnstown and Gloversville, NY. I have compiled a listing of over 200 player endorsed gloves manufactured by Denkert, as well as over 50 player endorsed gloves manufactured for private brands such as Coast to Coast Stores, Tru-Sport, JC Higgins, Gambles, Yale, Johnny Walker, The Drier Co and others. If you have a question or comment regarding Denkert Gloves, I would love to hear from you.

Denkert did not get a lot of endorsements from major stars, but, seemed to sign deals with minor stars such as Pee Wee Reese, Al Rosen, Phil Rizzuto, Bill Skowron, Bobby Richardson and Red Schoendienst. Reese was a favorite, having no less than 9 different model numbers over the years. They also got endorsements from more common players than most other glove makers such as Vic Wertz, Danny O'Connell, Del Rice, Jim Landis, Chet Laabs and Bill Virdon. Therefore, Denkert Gloves, on average, are not worth as much as some of the other manufacturers who obtained big star endorsements.

From the Buckle Back gloves of Red Worthington and Freddie MaGuire from the early 1930's to the 1960's model of Dean Chance, Denkert gloves are interesting and fun to collect.

New model number discoveries are still being made, but, for the glove collector, getting just about every endorsed Denkert glove could be a possible achievement.

Sitzendorf Monkey Soap Dish - Identified

2010-04-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

Could you please tell me who made this Porcelain Monkey Figure?

Your Monkey is a Soap/Pin/Ring dish made by Sitzendorf Porcelain Manufactory in Germany pre-WWII. Mold number is 24407. Value $25

1936 ELGIN BLUEBIRD BALLOON TIRE BICYCLE - CT'S TREASURE HAVEN AUCTION

2010-04-12T23:38:00.000-07:00

CT's Treasure Haven is pleased to present another outstanding auction at the Livonia Elks on Sunday 4/25/2010 (11:00AM). One of the highlights is a 1936 Elgin Bluebird Balloon Tire Bicycle for Restoration. There will also be a large Apothecary Bottle collection from Dearborn, MI. Check out AUCTIONZIP.COM auctioneer # 14708 for further details. BIKE SOLD $3,850 (Not including 10% buyers premium)

OOPS !!!

2010-03-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

Attempting to kill time between appointments today, I stopped by the local DAV thrift shop for kicks. There is usually never anything I can purchase at these stores, but, lo and behold there was a c1910 Nippon TE-OH Chocolate Pot with 5 Cup/Saucer sets for $15. Well....I wrapped it up and put the bag in the car on top of something on the passenger side floor. While loading up items from an estate a couple hours or so later, I opened the passenger door and "CRASH" the bag fell out of the door and I lost everything but 4 Chocolate Cups. I did not realize that the bag had slid and was propped up against the door. Ugggg.....Monetarily, the loss was not that big a deal....I would have put this in the showcase I rent for $65-75 or so....It's just that I hate to lose a piece of history and something that I just got at a hard-to-find-stuff location. Next time !!!!!!

USA MARK ON POTTERY - MONMOUTH/WESTERN STONEWARE

2010-03-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

Many pieces of pottery in the 1940's-1950's were marked with only a USA on the bottom. These pieces were made by potteries such as McCoy, Hull, Shawnee, Brush, Robinson Ransbottom, Camark and the one I will discuss today, Monmouth Pottery/Western Stoneware. Monmouth Pottery was absorbed by Western Stoneware in 1906, but, there were still wares through it's history that carried the Monmouth Pottery name. Some of these pieces have a USA mark in a rectangle. This mark is not very well documented and most people who try to sell pieces with this mark do not realize that it was made by Western Stoneware.

AMERICAN PICKERS

2010-02-14T21:06:00.000-08:00

I've been asked a few times what I thought about the new History Channel Show "American Pickers". I've seen a couple episodes and think it is ok, so long as it stays real and is not staged. "The Search" is the most seductive part of the Antique Dealer's experience and it has never really been captured and portrayed on TV. American Pickers shows an inside look at what tens of thousands of full time dealers have to go through to make a find and then negotiate the deal. Apparently, there are viewers who are up in arms about how the two gentlemen get excited when they have made a big score at the expense of the seller. Let me tell you now, that although one of these guys has been doing this for a living for over 20 years, he knows only a fraction of what there is to know about the items that are out there......They took a gamble on an item for $75 and later found out that it was potentially worth $2,000 if restored. (It never mentioned how much time or how much money it would take to restore the item). An honest dealer should try to make 2 to 5 times their money on an item when an offer is made, depending on how much time they estimate it will take to sell the item. This is for "lower" dollar items, let's say under $500. An honest dealer will sometimes settle for less a return on something over $500 if they feel the item can be turned quickly. The general public has little idea how much work, time and money go into finding, researching, cleaning, restoring, storing and selling antiques and collectibles. This show gives a glimpse of what goes into the process. How honest are these guys and what kinds of resources do they have? I dont know. But, I will tell you that when they make a mistake and lose money on an item, dont cover their expenses on a road trip or accidentally break an item or later find out that the item is missing something, they cant go back and demand their money from the seller. Good dealers do not try and rip off people. Unfortunately, there are enough bad dealers to give the profession a bad name in some people's eyes.

CHARLES T DOXEY - DOXEY BREWERY - DOXEY POLITICAL BUTTON

2009-12-12T23:57:00.000-08:00

William Taylor Doxey Partial Biography

7/13/1841 Born Tippecanoe County, Indiana
7/1861 Joins Company A 19th Regiment Indian Volunteer infantry in the Union Army
1862 Given rank of Captain Company K 16th Infantry
8/1862 Taken Prisoner at Battle of Richmond, KY. Paroled and exchanged.
4/1863 Took Command of his regiment. Wounded in the knee and face at the battle
of Pleasant Hill. Could not talk for a year.
1863-1864 Served on Court Martial Court in Indianapolis for about 5-6 months.
9/23/1864 Discharged from Army due to his wounds.
1864 Marries Clara Craycraft
1865-1866 Opens Doxey Brewery with William Craycraft in Anderson, In.
Brewery destroyed by fire in 5/1866 and not rebuilt.
1866-1869 Retail Grocery Business.
1870-1877 Opens a Staves and Headings Business. Destroyed by fire 3 times.
1870's Serves on the City Council for 6 years.
1875-1877 Co-Owner "Walden and Doxey" Grain Warehouse
1876 Serves on Indiana State Senate rep Delaware and Madison Counties
c1878-1880 President and Treasurer of The Chicago Grain & Provision Exchange
1883 Listed as being President of Madison County National Bank
1883 Elected to fill vacancy as US Representative from Indiana 9th District.
Serves from Jan 17-March 3. Loses re-election.
1884 Builds Doxey Opera House. Burns down. Rebuilds Opens again in 1885.
c1885-1887 Conducts business in New York
1887 Builds Doxey Corner in Anderson at corner of Meridan/Anderson.
c1887-1896 Has amassed considerable real estate (Columbia Hotel, Doxey Hotel),
builds gas pipelines to supply Richmond,IN (Richmond Pipe Line Co).
A Major in the G.A.R. Very involved with the organization.
1890 President of Anderson Iron and Bolt Company.
1895 President of Alexandria Plate Glass Works.
1896 Runs for the Republican nomination for Governor of Indiana. Comes in 2nd
to eventual Governor, James A Mount.
4/30/1898 Death

I have an original campaign collar button from Doxey's run for Governor in 1896. It is available for sale for $30. There cant be too many of these in existence. He had quite a remarkable life and was a mainstay in the city of Anderson, IN.

OUTSTANDING BLOG SITE ON WWII AND BASEBALL

2009-12-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

A love of baseball and history directed me to a site that is simply one of the best on the Internet. Gary Bedingfield has done extensive research on Major and Minor League baseball players who served in WWII. He has a weekly newsletter devoted to those who served and is currently writing a book on those who gave their lives to the war effort and their country. It is truly fascinating stuff !!! I've subscribed to the newsletter and plan on purchasing the book when it is published. Here is the site: www.baseballinwartime.blogspot.com

BERNHARD BLOCK VASE

2009-12-07T21:28:00.000-08:00

Many years ago, I purchased the following vase at a local auction. The auctioneer did not know who made the piece, but, correctly stated that he thought it was European. The piece has 3 marks, two of which are hard to read. After repeated efforts to identify the maker, the closest I could come was to think that it was made by a student at The Imperial Technical School for Ceramics & Associated Applied Arts in Austria. This was a stretch though and I put it away until I one day would find the rosetta stone to unlock the mystery. Today I found it !!! While researching a piece for my upcoming January 10th, 2010 auction, I discovered that my art nouveau acorn vase was made by Bernhard Bloch in Bohemia in the 1890's. One of the difficult to read marks is actually the BB mark of Bloch's factory. The mold number is consistent with other pieces I've found. Discovery at last. It's a beautiful vase. I dont collect, but, I'm tempted to keep it a while longer.....or it could be available for sale tomorrow (LOL)

1941 JIGGER ARCADE AMUSEMENT GAME - BLAKE MFG CO

2009-10-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

I picked up a nice game today at auction. It is a 1941 drop coin amusement arcade game called Jigger, made by Blake Mfg Co out of Holly, MI and released in September of that year. Blake is attributed to 4 amusement games made in 1941 and 1942. The other games were called Jumper (10/1941), V (10/1941) and HU-LA (2/1942). The top of the Jigger case is stamped 3100 Brown Mfg Co - Detroit. I have no idea how Brown Mfg Co would have been associated with the game. In another odd note, a company named Planet Mfg Co out of Detroit is also named as a maker of the Hu-La and V games. The Hu-La game is almost identical to Jigger, except that it has one knob instead of 2 and it's name was written on the side of the case. Here is a picture of a trade ad for HU-LA

A vendor could pick up a Jigger game for between $5-7 in 1942. Not long after 1942, I doubt they were available from distributors.
The object of the game is to drop a penny in and use the two knobs to rotate the Hula girl back and forth dropping the penny from level to level. If the penny falls off, you get the points assigned to that level. If you get the coin all the way to the bottom, you get 500 pts and the penny would be visible to the vendor to win a prize. The vendor would then press the tiny button that is below the window and it would drop the coin into the coin deposit box inside the game. It measures 16" tall x 10" wide x 7" deep from the end of the handles. I've listed the game on E-bay as I do not collect anything. But, if I did, this is one that I would have kept.

1968 DOORS POSTER - COBO ARENA

2009-09-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

I recently acquired an original 1968 Doors Poster advertising their appearance at Cobo Arena on May 11th. The poster was designed by the famous Gary Grimshaw. This poster is fairly scarce and was only printed prior to the concert. I also acquired an unused ticket from the concert and a Doors membership card that belonged to the owner of the poster and ticket. I was able to sell the poster for $1,800, it's value affected by the fact that it had accordion folds in it. Better examples tend to bring $3,000-4,500. The ticket sold for over $500 and the membership card for over $100. The market for original concert memorabilia is still strong in this unstable market. Vintage bands or artists can command big money if the item is right and original. Be leery of fakes and reproduction material. 499 out of 500 posters are likely a later printing.

LITTLE MURDER MOVIE IN DETROIT

2009-09-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

We recently sold a piece of furniture to the production company filming a movie called "Little Murder" in Detroit. A few days after the item was picked up, two members of the movie's crew were robbed by gunpoint while on location. The teenage robbers were arrested and one was actually shot by police in the shoulder when brandishing a shotgun. Excitement in Detroit !!!!!

1872 BURLINGTON & MISSOURI RIVER R.R. CO JAR

2009-08-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

Every so often, we run into a really neat piece of history. We will be offering a Jar that once was filled with corn as a promotion by The Burlington & Missouri River Rail Road Company for selling land in Missouri and Iowa. The railroad had purchased millions of acres and after laying out the land that was needed for the railroad they tried to entice Easterners and Foreigners to head westward. They were selling land on 10 years credit at 6%. You can find fliers that exist in archives that were heavily distributed promoting the land sale. As far as my research goes, the agreement was good from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 1873. George S Harris is mentioned as the Land Commissioner for B&MR R.R. He was commissioner from about 1869-1873 and passed away in 1874. That would date this great piece of history to about 1872-1873. The jar stands about 8" tall and has a tin lid that has a paper B&MR R.R. paper label. The label on the jar says "NO. 527. Corn (Yellow) from Montgomery Co. Iowa Exhibited by the Burlington & Missouri River R.R. Co." It then gives the details of the sale. Possibly a museum piece. It is a terrific historical artifact. SOLD $100

CT's LAMP IDENTIFICATION - TRASH OR TREASURE

2009-08-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

The Detroit News' 8/7/2009 weekend supplement's "Trash or Treasure" article had an unidentified reverse painted lamp as it's feature. Long established Detroit auction house, DuMouchelles, was asked to evaluate the lamp, but, did not establish a manufacturer. CT's has identified the lamp as being made by Charles Parker Co. out of Meriden, CT. Parker was known to make a boatload of products and was famous for it's hanging lamps. The only identifiable trait on their table lamps was a cloth label that was sewn into the felt on the bottom of the lamp. It is completely understandable that these labels could be lost over time. Even with the proper identification, DuMouchelles was on the mark in it's estimate...the lamp is worth $800-1,200.

ROLAND DAVIES OIL ON CANVAS - GARAGE SALE FIND

2009-06-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

I stopped by a local garage sale near the house and it was on it's last day (Tuesday). I got a neat find. It an original oil on canvas painting by Roland Davies (1904-1993). Davies was an English Illustrator/Artist whose career spanned at least 6 decades. Davies attended Ipswich Art School 1919-1921. He started his career as a Lithographer creating Cinema and Railway Posters. c1926 he was hired by Temple Press and created some great covers for Autocar and Motor Cycle Magazines. In 1928 he was hired by Modern Boy Magazine to create Illustrations and Covers. In 1931 he was hired by Mardon, Son & Hall to produce and illustrate a set of 50 Tobacco Cards for Ogden's titled "Motor Races 1931". In 1932 he started his own comic strip for the Sunday Express about a cart horse called "Come on Steve". Davies produced 6 animated film shorts based on his comic strip that were released in 1936 and 1937. These crude films have garnered him a bit of a cult status in the genre. The Steve strip ran in the Sunday Express until 1939 and then was picked up by The Sunday Dispatch for 10 more years. From 1938 onwards, he worked on several comic strips (Whoopee Hank" "Contrary Mary" "Sexton Blake" "Dixon of Dock Green" "Norman and Henry Bones" "Red Ray the Space Ranger" "Jill Crusoe" "Pete Madden") wrote and illustrated Children's books and comic annuals such as a British publication of Roy Rogers. Around 1970, he more or less retired from commercial work and devoted his time to painting landscapes, seascapes and street scenes for the art market. I have a Parisian Street Scene that Davies likely did in the early 1970's. This will be available at CT's Treasure Haven's October 25th Auction at the Livonia Elks. SOLD $55

ANTIQUEHAVEN DISCOVERS A NEW FAD

2009-05-31T07:21:00.000-07:00

I receive many calls from people wishing to sell dolls that are near worthless. Some creative individuals (and there are a lot of them in the collectible world) have learned that by creating a story around a doll and claiming that the doll is "haunted" and projecting a spirit, it will sell and sometimes for 3-10 x's what it is worth. Some of the tales are long and elaborate and even have audio of netherworld voices attached to the listing . Not being into the paranormal, I am suspicious of this new (to me) trend. I don't find listings of paranormal activity being attributed to old mugs, Christmas ornaments, Tonka trucks or a gazillion other old artifacts. But Dolls.......perfect. They are in human form and some of them can be downright spooky looking. Plus...there have been TV shows showing Ventriloquist's dummies that come to life and everyone knows about the "Chucky" movies. Look on E-bay and see how many dolls are sold that are attributed to being "haunted". Interesting that none of the ones I saw were intrinsically worth more than $20. I didn't see any 1st year Barbies or really nice Victorian era German or French dolls being listed as haunted. But I will say that there is some entertainment in the listings. Just like the Chucky movies were entertaining.

ANTIQUE SURGEONS KIT

2009-05-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

I have an antique surgeons kit and do not have any idea how to value it.
I do not find a date or marking on the box although the instruments seem to fit. There may be one or two missing. The box has a brass plate but it does not appear to be engraved or it is worn. Most of the intruments are marked Leach and Greene. One pair of scissors is marked Betz, Germany. The tourniquet says (patent 1855) I believe.
The original retainer that holds the instruments in the lid and is held in place by two embossed swivels is gone and has been replaced with cardboard. Would that have been where the name and address may have been? I appreciate your assistance.

Your set was made by William K Leach and Nathaniel Greene Jr (Leach and Greene) out of Boston, MA. They were in business together from 1862-1900. Some dates of their locations 1862-1869 (82 Tremont) 1870-1875+ (1 Hamilton Place) 1882-1890+ (165 Tremont St). Dating your kit would be more precise if the original manufacturer label was present. The set definitely predates the 1880's as the handles are made of wood. It likely is from the 1860's-early 1870's. The set is almost certain to be a civilian set, but, could have been made during the Civil War era. Value? I recommend one of the best sites on the Internet www.braceface.com Dr Echols is an expert on surgical sets. He does not have any sets by Leach and Greene listed, but, I'm sure he can help. If I had to quote you, I would think this would bring anywhere from $500-1,200 at auction.

OLDRICH FARSKY ARTIST PAINTINGS AND THE CONFUSION

2009-05-07T17:31:00.000-07:00

This piece is meant to clear up an issue with a listed artist whose name should be Oldrich Farsky. Farsky was a Czech immigrant to the United States who was born in 1860 and died some time after 1930. My research has led me to the conclusion that all paintings that are signed "O. Farsky" were done by Oldrich. What is the confusion? I believe that Art books, reference sites, auction houses and art galleries have been providing and working from information that has been incorrect for decades. Almost all works by "O. Farsky" have been attributed to the following names:

Aldrich Otto Farsky
Oldrich Otto Farsky
Otto A. Farsky
Otto Farsky
Otto Oldrich Farsky
Oldrich Oscar Farsky
A. Farsky

Regardless of the name associated with the painting, everyone lists his birth as 1895 and death as 1968. Those dates match up to Aldrich Farsky who was Oldrich's son. There is not one bit of evidence other than a mention in a book on California Artists that Aldrich was even an artist. So, it is my belief that the BIO has been wrong for some time. Here is the correct BIO and my evidence.

Oldrich Farsky (b 1860 (Serbian Soil) d 1930+)

c 1877-1879 Studied at the Art School in Prague, Bohemia under Director Von Svarts Prof Brozik, Prof E. Rone.

1880's Had a studio in Carlsbad, Bohemia and traveled and painted in Italy, France and Holland

1890 Dated painting called "The Duck Pond" exists as earliest example of signed "O.Farsky" work I've found. This is 5 years before Aldrich was born.

1893 Oldrich moves to Chicago, Ill during the time of The World's Fair.

1894 Finished painting of Gen William T Sherman wearing his G.A.R. uniform. Possibly the last portrait of Sherman. In 1978, this painting was owned by The State Historical Society of Colorado.

1900 Oldrich appears in U.S. Census from Cook County (Chicago) His son, Aldrich is listed as being 5 years old.

1904-1905 Oldrich has an ad in publication called "The Reform Advocate". Oldrich is listed in the Chicago Blue Book Directory as being an artist with a business advertisement "Fine Oil Paintings and Water Colors" The business was located at 205 E 35th St. nr Grand Blvd Chicago. Oldrich is mentioned in a publication called "Charities: A Review of Local and General Philantrophy (July 1, 1905) in an article titled: "The Culture Which the Slav Offers America" Oldrich is mentioned as providing art work in an Exhibition held in Cleveland by The Slavic Alliance of Cleveland. It is heralded as the 1st Slavic Exhibition of it's kind in America with 162 original paintings and pieces of sculpture by Bohemian, Slovak and Polish artists.

1908 Oldrich is mentioned as being a special guest at a Grand Traverse Area, MI event that was attended by Bohemians (Czechs). He is also listed as writing an article in a Czech paper called "Amerikan Kalander" called "A Story of Traverse City, Michigan and Some of the Early Settlers" It mentions that the article has examples of his paintings.

1910 Oldrich is listed in the U.S. Census as being from Grand Traverse, MI

1914 Oldrich participated in an art exhibit at Dvorak Park in the Chicago Park District.

1916 Oldrich submits a sketch for a bid on decorative work to be done on the auditorium and vestibule of The Harrison Technical High School in Chicago, Ill. His sketch is voted most artistic and beautiful, but, is not accepted by the school board due to some technicality. However, his design was used in another part of the School.

1918 Oldrich is mentioned as being a member of The Czech Artists Club (Chicago) Had a painting of a Michigan Landscape that was dated 1918. This possibly solidifies his already strong Michigan connection.

1920 Oldrich is listed in the U.S. Census as being from Cook County, Ill (Chicago)
He is also mentioned in a book "The Czechs in America: A Study of their National, Cultural, Political, Social, Economic and Religious Life" by Thomas Capek. He is mentioned as a Czech Immigrant Artist of note in Chicago. His son, Aldrich would not have been considered an Immigrant as he was born in the United States in Chicago.

1922 Oldrich exhibits at the Aurora Public Library in Illinois from October 20-30. The brochure states that he traveled from America's east coast to the mountains of Colorado and into Canada

1924 Oldrich presents a painting of either himself or of Professor Antonin Sterba (Art Institute of Chicago,American Academy of Art in Chicago)(1875-1963)to Sterba. Sterba was a fellow Czech who lived in Chicago and also in Pasadena,CA in 1928, the last year that Oldrich is believed to have been in CA. Their relationship appears to date back to at least 1905, when they both had paintings exhibited in a Cleveland Exhibition and both were likely members of the Czech Art Club together.

1925-1928 Aldrich is listed in a book as being an artist who was in Los Angeles, Ca during this time. However, the works signed "O. Farsky" from this time period, which would be Californian landscapes, have what appear to be the same signature as the works from the obviously earlier periods (1890-1920)

1930 Oldrich is listed in the U.S. Census as being from Berrien County, MI

So, in conclusion, we know 2 things for sure. Oldrich Farsky was an artist of some note in the Czech community and had his own store or studio in Carlsbad, Bohemia and Chicago, Ill. We also know that one of his son's names was Aldrich whose birth and death dates match those given by all the resource books, auction houses and art galleries (Except Skinner's, who I think may have also been able to put together that an art work done in 1890 or 1900 was not done by someone born in 1895) Somewhere along the line in history, someone researched a painting signed "O. Farsky" and came to the wrong conclusion as to which family member was the artist. I am not an art expert in the least, but, of the 30 or so examples of signed "O. Farsky" works that I have seen, I would say that all of them were done prior to 1940.

Current information is incorrect and has never been corrected. People have been purchasing works either attributed to the wrong person or with the wrong set of birth and death dates. If my research is correct, Davenport's and all other artist references should be updated with the correct Farsky and the other Farsky names removed.

A gentleman claiming to be the Great Grandson of Oldrich Farsky has provided more information on the comment section of this blog.

FURNITURE IDENTIFICATION

2009-04-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

I have an antique piece of furniture that my grandfather said was a desk. I was offered ____ for it by a dealer, but, I feel that I may be ripped off. Can you help?

Your Grandfather may have used it as a desk, but, what you have is an Early American Kitchen Cabinet c 1900-1915. It could be made of maple or ash by the photo. The dealer's offer was probably a fair one. At auction, this piece would likely bring $200-400.

WILLIAM BRUNT POTTERY GAME BIRD PLATTER

2009-04-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

I have a platter that I need info on. I couldn't find anything on the net about
it. The mark on the back says W. M. Brunt Pottery Co on the outside of the circle and inside of the circle it says semi vitreous porcelain with some kind of bird or eagle. Under the circle it says East Liverpool U.S.A. Can you please tell me
if it is worth anything?

W.M. Brunt Pottery was located in East Liverpool, OH from 1847-1911. This game bird platter likely dates to the 1900-1911 period. In perfect condition you could expect to see this platter priced around $85-125 in an Antique Shop. At auction it would likely sell for $45-75. The dark crazing hurts the value of this platter a bit.

1849 Colt Pocket Revolver

2009-04-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

Purchased a nice 1849 Colt Pocket Revolver that was made in 1853. It has all it's original matching serial numbers and is in nice condition. It has an inscribed name that I am researching that could be someone halfway famous. While I am not a firearm dealer, I will typically purchase items in any collectible category. This was my first antique gun purchase in quite some time though, as guns are usually sold via gun shops, shows, to friends, family and other networking means. Suburban antique shops do not get too many opportunities to purchase nice antique examples. The gun will be available in my April 26th auction at the Livonia Elks.

Dundee vs Oberly

2009-03-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: For the first time in two years, Mark Oberly can hold auctions at his rural Dundee Township farm without the threat of a lawsuit hanging over his head.

That’s because Monroe County Circuit Judge Joseph A. Costello has granted a motion from Dundee Township to dismiss its lawsuit without prejudice against the longtime auctioneer regarding the twice-a-month consignment sales at his farm off Dennison Rd.

The township entered the motion Tuesday on the first day of a scheduled two-day trial after its attorney, James Petrangelo, met in conference with Judge Costello and Mr. Oberly’s new attorney, Cindy Victor. The term “without prejudice” means the lawsuit could be refiled if necessary, Mr. Petrangelo said.

“The township agreed to dismiss the lawsuit with the idea to continue to monitor the situation (and) see if a satisfactory agreement can be reached,” the attorney said Wednesday. “We discussed that with their attorney and they certainly agreed to it.”

Every day we hear about the absurd happening in our country. Huge bonuses for executives who have driven their business into the ground, the Pentagon overspending it’s budget by hundreds of billions of dollars or police officers losing their jobs because of investigations that may have embarrassed a mayor. These absurdities can be national or in our own back yard. In fact, there is an absurdity happening now in Dundee Township, MI. Mark Oberly is a longtime resident who owns a farm on Dennison Rd. He mainly makes his living as an auctioneer specializing in agricultural and livestock auctions. For 20+ years, Oberly ran an outdoor auction every other Saturday near Downtown Dundee. Occasionally, he conducted an auction at his farm and a few years ago when the land was no longer available for use at the downtown location, he moved the Saturday auctions to his farm. The Township notified Oberly that he was in violation of running a commercial business on land zoned agricultural. They are spending taxpayer dollars litigating this case through the Monroe County Circuit Court.

Oberly feels that his constitutional rights under the right to farm act are being violated. He auctions hay and livestock as well as consignment items from the area which largely consists of tools, farm equipment and household items. In the summer and fall, you can sometimes find a small produce stand selling tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables during the auction. A lunch truck sells food and beverages. It is pure Americana, during a time when it seems Americana is fading. Locals make a little money selling their goods, bidders get to purchase items in a friendly environment and people mingle, socialize and grab a bite to eat, just like going to a Farmer’s Market.

The situation Oberly desires is a part of the American Dream…. of taking his two passions, auctioneering and the farm life and combining them together to provide a steady source of income. Times are tough enough out there than to deny an honest attempt to carve out a living, providing a service to the detriment of no one.

You may think “there has to be something disruptive going on due to the auctions?” Well, if 100+ signatures from all the neighboring homes and farms is any indication, then the twice-a-month event is not harming a soul. To date, no complaint has been brought forth by any neighbor. I have been to this auction many times as a consignor and a bidder and I will tell you that two hours after it is over, you would never know that there was an auction. (I also tend to drop money at the local gas station and restaurants when I come into town) Your next question might be “Well…if nothing is being disrupted by the auctions, what gives?” Here is the absurdity….One of the four township trustees behind the lawsuit, who is also on the Zoning Board of Appeals and was a long time Township Supervisor, happens to be Oberly’s former auction company partner and a competing Auctioneer from Dundee. LET’S REVIEW THAT AGAIN….Oberly’s main auctioneering competition in the area is one of the township trustees who is trying to halt his auctions on the farm. Can we see a possible conflict of interest here?

Zoning rules can be amended with what is called a Special Uses Permit. Oberly’s twice-a-month auction could easily be granted with such a permit. There appears to be nothing in the township’s ordinances that would be a sticking point. If the thought process is that the township cannot allow every other working farm to hold regular auctions, it can easily be explained that Oberly has been conducting a similar style auction for over 20 years in the township, and if that does not constitute being grandfathered in, than what is?

Let’s have our local trustees and political figures concentrate on things that really matter in our communities…our schools, our roads, crime and fiscal responsibility with taxpayer dollars. Leave the hard working among us alone who to try to make an honest days living. Or in this case…twice-a-month.

SILVERPLATE SUGAR TONGS IDENTIFIED

2009-03-15T20:57:00.000-07:00

I have some antique sugar tongs that have a mark that I have not been able to identify. Can you please help me out?

The mark belongs to Joseph Gilbert of Birmingham, England and is from the late 19th c. The EP stands for Electroplate. They are worth up to $35

MARX FIGURE IDENTIFICATION

2009-03-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

Can you help me identify this figure? I believe it's a 45mm Marx figure. I found this with several other Marx Cowboys, Indians, and Cavalry men - but I can't seem to figure out which set this particular piece belongs to. Thanks in advance!

This 45mm figure is known as a "pioneer" and is one of 10 pioneers that appeared in Marx's 1952 Fort Dearborn Set. The original color was beige. This yellow colored pioneer is likely from a later set or package.

AUCTIONS AND THE BUYER'S PREMIUM

2009-02-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

The Antique Trader Magazine recently did a piece on the Buyer's premium charged by some auction companies and asked for their readers to provide comments. Of course, most of the comments were negative, calling the auction houses and auctioneers greedy. A buyer's premium is when the auction house charges a percentage of the purchase price to the bidder (Usually 10%). I believe this practice began at the major houses like Christie's, Sotheby's and Bonhams. The concept has filtered down to the everyman's auction houses. As a bidder, when I started seeing Buyer's premiums appearing in the area, I just adjusted my bidding to conform to the fee. If I was willing to bid $50 for an item, then I just stopped at $45. When I started putting auctions on, I never had a buyer's premium. I looked at it as a negative for the biddrer.......until........I began to realize that auction houses were able to go into an estate or accept consignments for less than what I was charging. Say I went into an estate and to make everything work my commission was 35%. Another company that charges a buyer's premium was able to beat my proposal by 5-10% and thus I was losing business opportunities. This also does not take into account that putting an auction on is not free. As an auctioneer, I cannot pass all of the costs on to perform an auction to my clients or they will not hire me. I also cannot absorb all the costs of putting the auction on or I could be working for near free. So that is where the idea of the buyer's premium (I think) came in. All parties give something to the costs of putting on and presenting the auction. We cannot get the merchandise if we have to charge 40-50% to the seller. Especially as the items get to be better quality. As auctioneers, we have to compete with the Internet, where people can list their own items for around 12-15% on average. It's a lot of work, but, I have seen families do this to save 20%. They might not be willing to do it to save 10%, but, I'm telling you now that it is tough putting an auction on at 25% unless the auction brings in over $20,000 and most local auctions don't come near that mark. Greed? Not in most instances. It is a business reality. If I have a soft auction, I dont make up for it somewhere else. I dont underreport sales to the consignor, I dont cheat my client in some other way to make everything work for me. The buyer's premium gives that little bit of flexibility in being able to compete for estates and consignors and also be able to cover some expenses that otherwise would be passed on to the client or absorbed by the auctioneer. We want to be able to bring the bidder quality and fresh merchandise. The current marketplace has made it harder to do that.

NAPCO AND NIKKO QUESTION

2009-02-08T18:58:00.000-08:00

Hi

I have been given 3 Napco Figurines: "Little Mother hh1d" "Wash Day ah901" and "Ironing ah901" and 2 Nikko Pieces 200f and 200l and cannot find anything on these. Any assistance would be good. Thanks.

All 3 of your Napco Figurines were made in the 1950's-early 1960's and were meant to be an inexpensive alternative to Goebel's Hummel Figurines. They were made in similar style by Japanese manufacturers and imported by National Potteries Corp (NAPCO). They are worth around $7.50 each. If the Nikko pieces are Christmas related, they hold very little value. There were many pieces and I would need to know what they are.

GARLAND BROTHERS CORK-HEAD MINNOW FISHING LURE

2009-02-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

There is no hotter collectible than old fishing lures. Put a tackle box in the corner of your garage sale and when the door opens, stand back and watch the stampede. Last summer my dad and I made an estate purchase and were happy to find a cute little fella called a Cork-Head Minnow made by Garland Brothers out of Florida in the 1930's. A tough lure to find, the cork head's body is made of wood and it's head.......well.....you can guess. SOLD $590

WRITE UP IN OBSERVER ECCENTRIC - FARMINGTON

2009-01-19T11:14:00.000-08:00

I was part of a nice little write-up in Sunday, January 19th's Farmington Observer- Eccentric. Ken Lindsay, Auctioneer and Appraiser of American Eagle Auction invited me to come along to a seminar and appraisal he was conducting at the Costick Center in Farmington Hills. It was a last minute affair for me and I wasnt aware that I would be conducting appraisals, so, I did not even bring my loop, measuring equipment or laptop (Thanks Ken !!) Anyhow, about 30 people braved the cold weather to see the presentation and brought items for review. Most of the items were of sentimental value, but, I was able to see a nice Pittsburgh Lamp that I appraised at $500-750+, a nice 1896 atlas from Lorain County (OH) that I appraised at $100-300. There was a nice French slate mantle clock in which I could not make out the manufacturers name. Similar clocks go for about $150, but, the manufactur's name is important. I am still researching a possible Steiff Bear that has no markings whatsoever. General appraisals are always fun and sometimes a challenge. "Experts" tend to spend their entire career devoted to one category or sub-category of collectibles. There are no "Experts" on everything. It is impossible. So, if someone tells you that they are an "Expert" on Antiques in general, find a second opinion in having something evaluated.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A STAR..........

2009-01-18T19:49:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, Ron Asheton, guitarist and co-founder of rock band The Stooges was found dead of an apparent heart-attack. Asheton was a legend on the mid-1960's-mid 1970's Detroit and Ann Arbor music scene. The Stooges' raw sound helped lay the foundation for 1970's punk rock. Asheton's body was found just past midnight on Tuesday the 6th. The very next day at 3:30pm as his sister, Kathy, was driving to his house, she noticed people loading Ron's guitars and music memorabilia into a van. The main culprit was said to have been an acquaintance and possible former personal assistant to Asheton. The Ann Arbor police arrived and it was also stated that the culprit accused Kathy of assulting him or her. YOU THINK !!???!!!! If my brother had been discovered dead the previous day and I came to find someone stealing his possessions from his home I might assult someone too !!!! This is not uncommon in my business. Frequently I am called in to liquidate an estate that has had items pilfered by family or friends or neighbors before I am hired. You dont have to be star (baby) to have valuables that will turn a nice dollar in the free (or underground) market. It makes me sick every time I hear of a deserving heir having had a part of their inheritance taken out from under them. Thank goodness that Asheton's sister happened across these scoundrols !!!

FIGURINE IDENTIFIED

2009-01-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

I have this figurine and would like to know what it is. I have included pictures of the mark on the bottom. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

What you have is a Kewpie figurine, made in Japan, and imported by Lefton China Company around the 1970's. The foil sticker is missing on the bottom. The "N" in a circle mark is the Japanese factory that made the figurine for Lefton. Napco had a similar mark, but, this figurine also has KW 143 marked on the bottom, which is the numbering system Lefton used for their Kewpie line of figurines. This "Boy Pulling Up Pants" figure is worth around $10-25.

Rare Gonder Pottery Figural Woman Bell

2009-01-13T08:23:00.000-08:00

This fall I picked up a pair of scarce Gonder Pottery figural lady bells. One is cream colored the other blue. The cream colored one has a very hard to find paper label that says "Sovereign Gonder U.S.A." The bell measures 3 1/2" in height and is simplistic and rather crude in it's design. My guess is that this was made near the end of their ceramic arts production around 1954. It's value is almost exclusively with Gonder collectors.

QUESTION: LANE & CO BLACK PANTHER TV LAMP

2009-01-12T13:39:00.000-08:00

I have a black panther on a rock lamp made by lane & co and i just wanted to know the value of the lamp and the year it was made. The number on it says 8504.

Lane & Co was either a pottery company or a jobbing or distributing agency located out of Van Nuys and/or Los Angeles, Ca from c 1950-c 1968. There is not a lot known about the company other than they unceremoniously produced or distributed a great deal of TV lamps and other ceramic pieces for nearly 2 decades. The arched back, climbing black panther TV Lamp was introduced in the late 1950's. It is fairly common and tends to command around $60-85.

MYSTERY ITEM IDENTIFIED

2009-01-02T19:46:00.000-08:00

I've been enjoying your blog site for several months and I thought you might be able to help me identify an obscure item that I have encountered. I've showed this to several antique dealers in my area and thus far, no one has been able to figure it out. It's a small sterling silver object with a finely detailed handle decorated with a corn motif and it has an elongated loop on the end. It measures approximately 3.25" in length. The loop is marked STERLING, so I would presume it's American in origin. I'll attach a photo to this email.

Please let me know if you can help. Thanks very much!

Your item is a very nice Victorian loop style button hook. Specifically, due to it's size and design, it's likely a Glove Buttoner for the ladies. The loop was pushed through the buttonhole in a pair of gloves and wrapped around the button to allow the button to be pulled through the button hole. It could be easily carried in a purse or handbag. It is very unique and I bet it would be a very attractive item to the button hook collector. One site you might want to see is The Button Hook Society

ELVGREN PIN-UP INSERTS

2008-12-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

With the Antique Shop closed for now and the wife on Maternity leave, I've had a few moments to sneak out of the house and find an Estate Sale or Auction to attend. This weekend was fun as I found a somewhat hard-to-find item. Gil Elvgren was one of the top "Pin-Up" artists of the mid 20th century. His work was found all over on Playing Cards, Posters and Advertisements. In this case, I won a grouping of 31 of 32 Inter-Collegiate Press Stationary Inserts. From his Louis Dow period from 1937-1944, these famous illustrations were included in boxes of stationary, one per box. You'd have to purchase a lot of stationary to be able to get the complete set and I was amazed to find only one missing in this grouping. A single example can bring as much as $30.

1959 COCA-COLA FISHTAIL SIGN 40" X 108" RARE

2008-12-04T14:11:00.000-08:00

I have a great 40" x 108" Coca-Cola Fishtail sign that is said to have once been used on a Michigan Race Car Track. Coca-Cola used the fishtail style design from 1958-1963. This sign is dated 1959. It has some signs of being around, but, still displays nicely. Per Petretti's Coca-Cola guide, large signs are the "most difficult pieces to evaluate" Displayability is an issue with signs this large. However, I cant tell you how many times comments were made about it and how many people asked how much money it was. Petretti only shows a few this size in his book which range in value from $450-600. My friend who owns the sign wants $800 or I can keep it in my shop window. "Find another one" is the common mantra on such an item. Fishtail collectors probably do not have this one. Personally, I have not seen another one.

UNKNOWN DETROIT TIGERS ASHTRAY

2008-11-29T14:12:00.000-08:00

Photographs are invaluable time capsules in history. They tell us about what people looked like, trends, architecture, interior decorating, clothing and so much more. I found a photo of a child in front of the family Christmas Tree from 1943. In it, on a table to the side, was a Detroit Tigers Ashtray that I have never seen. I showed it to a good sports memorabilia friend of mine and he also has never seen one. Close inspection does not help in identifying whether this was a homemade ceramic piece or one that was meant for public purchase. It appears to be about 8-9" tall and shows a Tiger on top of a baseball that is marked "Detroit". The ball is resting on a baseball glove and bat. This item would be cool to find and match up with the photo.

FLAG BURNING CURIOSITY IN PAKISTAN

2008-11-24T20:33:00.000-08:00

The quickest way of telling a 48 star flag from a 50 star flag is the alignment of the stars. On the 48, the common style is to have all of the stars aligned in straight rows 6 x 8. A 50 star flag typically has the stars in an uneven pattern. When I saw this picture in today's news of our Pakistani friends burning our flag in protest, my attention was drawn to the alignment of the stars. I immediately thought "Oh my God, are they burning 50 year old American flags?" Then I noticed that the stars were 6 x 9, making it a 54 star flag!!! Then I thought "Where are they getting these from.....China?" (likely at a bulk discount) I looked for other flag burning photos on the net and sure enough, quite a few of them have 54 stars, so this was not an anomoly. Great late night fodder.

STICKLEY & BRANDT CHAIR COMPANY ROCKER

2008-11-23T20:52:00.000-08:00

In 1891, Charles Stickley and Schuyler C Brandt started The Stickley & Brandt Chair Co. in Binghamton, NY. We picked up this Stickley & Brandt fancy rocker that was patterned after a Stickley Bros rocker featured in an 1889 trade ad. This piece has the manufacturer's paper label on the bottom on the seat. Prominately featured on this chair is Victorian era stick and ball work. This chair does not pop up every day, but, I did recently see one on E-Bay that was misidentified as being from the 1920's and from the Arts and Crafts movement. The seller also did not know it was truly a Stickley piece. Our rocker is not mint. There are some fairly minor condition issues and I believe one of the back slats was replaced. It still is a neat piece of furniture from a desirable family of furniture makers.

LIQUIDATIONS IN VOGUE...........RECORDS

2008-11-19T19:35:00.000-08:00

I go on house visits all the time where family members immediately steer me to what they feel is valuable. Inevitably, I ask to look around and peek into desks, corners of garages, behind basement bars and yes... into record cabinets. What often is discovered are the real treasures and valuables that the family dismissed as junk or as of no consequence. Recently, I was hired to hand-pick liquidate a partial estate. To my delight, I found 7 old and scarce vogue picture discs that were issued by Mercury Records as disc jockey copies only. Both sides of the disc depict "Little Eddie" the Mercury Man. Vouge records were made by Sav-Way Industries of Detroit, MI from 1946-1947. They were "unbreakable" and as a novelty, had very attractive art work or photos on both sides. Today these picture discs are highly collectible. Unbeknownst to the family, their 7 discs mixed among standard 78's will fetch over $4,500. As a professional, my job is to try and find "hidden treasures" and maximize an estate's return. There is nothing more satisfying in this business than surprising the heirs of an estate by turning their "trash" into treasure!!

SCARCE SAMURAI BOBBLEHEAD DOLL

2008-11-17T20:11:00.000-08:00

Bobblehead collecting has to be one of the most fun areas of collecting in the toy world. There are a seemingly endless variety of nodders available and I recently was commissioned to sell a scarce one that should be interesting for the collector. He is a samurai from the 1960's era. Great condition and just a fab expression on his face. I havent been able to find him anywhere, although, I do not possess a bobblehead reference guide. Rare bobbleheads can command into the thousands of dollars. Sports related ones are the most common and desirable, but, you can find non-sport ones that are strong in the marketplace.

PICTURE ISSUE ON THIS BLOG

2008-11-13T19:48:00.000-08:00

Well.....AOL made a change that eliminated all of my stored photos on this site. I apologize for the missing images. I am trying to see if their is any way to recover 3years of photos. In the meantime, I will now be using Blogspot's photo imaging. It's a great tool.

INFLATED PRICE GUIDES AND THEIR USERS

2008-10-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

One of the problems dealers have when attempting to purchase antiques or collectibles is the seller who has looked up their item in a reference book and has an over-inflated idea of what their item is worth. I find excellent examples in a recently purchased Disney Collectibles guide from 1999. This almost decade old book has some of the following items and their listed value:

1960's Ingersoll Mickey Mouse Wristwatch $350.00 (Identical Watch $21 on E-Bay)
Mickey Mouse Emerson Radio $3,000.00 (Sells for $800-$1,400)
Donald Duck Tin Drummer $1,000.00 (Sells for $50-$250)

Almost every example in this guide is grossly over-inflated in today's market. So what happens? The customer looks up their item. They come into an antique shop and ask the purchaser what they will offer. A fair dealer will look, at say, the Emerson Radio and will offer $500. The seller then thinks that the dealer is a crook as they believe their radio is worth $3,000. The dealer can explain that the value guides are often over-inflated, that the market has changed, that the economy is down etc and the seller will still feel that the dealer is being less than honest. Seller's often feel that the value in an old book (This case 1999) is outdated and should be HIGHER than it was 9 years ago. After all, all collectibles should increase in value over time...right? Nope. Value guides are just that, guides. They offer information and give some sense of value. Check out E-Bay or live auction results to get a true and current value of your item.

STARKIE'S JOLLY NIGGER BANK - ORIGINAL IDENTIFIED v. OLD REPRODUCTION

2008-09-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

In the process of liquidating a living estate, we came upon a rare and original Starkie's Jolly Nigger (Moves Ears) Mechanical Bank. The bank was patented in 1920 by Robert Eastwood Starkie of Burnley, England (British Pat No 152,588). All known banks were made of Aluminum. In 1945, a patent was issued to Robert Patterson Starkie for a similar bank. This is the bank that is most often seen in Antique and Collectible circles and is often mistaken for the original from 1920, even by major auction houses. At first glance from the front, the banks look identical. However, there are at least 8 differences:
1) Original: Ears are located closer to the eyes. A "V" shaped section from the back half of the casting fits into a "V" groove in the front half. Later Version: Ears are located in the middle of the castings.
2) Original: Back has the inscription: "Starkie's Pat No 152,588" Later Version: Blank back.
3) Original: Base plate has circular holes and is unmarked. Later Version: Base plate has square waffle type holes and is inscribed: "Reg. No 844,290 Starkie's Pat No 32,537 Patented in Foreign Countries"
4) Original: Holes in the back of the head. Later version: No holes in the back of the head.
5) Original: Moving the ears cannot make the arm move up. Later Version: Moving the ears makes the arm move up.
6) Original: Bow tie and ears are larger that the Later Version.
7) Original: Thumb is part of one casting of hand. Later Version: Thumb is separate casting from hand.
8) Original: Right arm is raised up a bit from the elbow. Later Version: Right arm is not raised up from the elbow.

So...you can see that identifying the 2 Starkie's banks is easy, but, as a practice not done in the antique world.

I've provided a few photos of the original.

Read more about the bank here:

http://www.mechanicalbanks.org/scrapbook/1960s/griffith_pages/64-05-griffith.htm

MICHIGAN WELCOMES HOLLYWOOD

2008-09-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

Roosters got it's first taste of the new tax-friendly policies designed for Hollywood's movie industry by Michigan Governor Jennifer Grandholm. We had a visit from a set designer of a movie currently being produced in Detroit. I understand that these designers visit multiple vintage stores in the search for costumes and props. It is a great way for the industry to infuse some money into the local economy. We sold a few lamps and some vintage novelty items. It will be fun to see if they make the cut in the movie

KENDALL PENZBEST MOTOR OIL PORCELAIN SIGN

2008-08-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

Fresh from Traverse City, Rooster's has accepted, on consignment, a beautiful c 1930's Kendall Penzbest Motor Oil Double Sided Porcelain Sign. At 36" in diameter, it would have been one of the large signs from a gas station. Excellent condition with no major flaws. An exact sign, about 3 condition grades less than this one, recently sold for $500 on E-Bay. Rooster's accepts higher ticket items on consignment, so, feel free to ask us if you have an interest in consigning an item. SOLD for $850.

1950's JACK BOWEN LOUISVILLE SLUGGER GAME-USED BASEBALL BAT - DETROIT TIGERS MINOR LEAGUER

2008-07-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

Picked up a c 1956-1960 Hillerich & Bradsby Louisville Slugger Game Used Baseball Bat that belonged to Detroit Tigers' Minor Leaguer, Jack Bowen. Bowen, a catcher, graduated from Detroit Redford High School in 1956. He also played with the 1956 Detroit Baseball Federation Champions, Walway team in Class D. Bowen received offers from 4 Major league clubs and signed with his hometown Detroit Tigers for $4,000. The Tigers assigned him to their Class C affiliate, The Idaho Falls Russets, in the Pioneer League. Here are his minor league stats:

yr age tm lev G AB H 2B 3B HR BA
1956 19 Idaho Falls C 94 280 70 9 1 3 .250
1957 20 Valdosta D 126 413 125 22 3 3 .303
1958 21 Durham B 87 303 84 13 1 5 .277
1958 21 Augusta A 24 88 21 3 2 0 .239
1959 22 Durham B 65 218 55 8 0 2 .252
1959 22 Knoxville A 9 26 4 .154
1960 23 Duluth-Superior C 50 168 45 5 2 4 .268
1960 23 Knoxville A 16 53 15 2 0 2 .283
1961 24 Durham B 18 50 16 2 0 1 .320

Career Stats 489 1599 435 64 9 20 .272

I found an autographed Detroit Tigers ball from later 1961 on the net that had a Jack Bowen signature. The seller listed Bowen as a coach, but, I have a 1961 Tigers' Yearbook and there is no mention of a Jack Bowen anywhere. Plus, he would not have been a major league coach at 24 years of age. A Mystery on that one. The knob is marked F3 which was a Jimmie Foxx style bat. It measures over 34". It is uncracked and the knob is not damaged. There are moisture marks on the knob and end of the barrel. There are scratches, a few dings and some white paing residue from hitting something I imagine. I did not attempt to clean this bat, but, I'm sure it can be made to look more attractive. Full signature bats from the minors from this era are more difficult to find I think than the last name only versions. This is a 1950-1960 model. I have a March 20, 1957 edition of The Sporting News that has a half page article written by Joe Falls about Bowen. Bowen was invited to The Tigers' spring training in Lakeland, FL as they were a bit short on catchers. Falls wrote about the local boy and his daily regiment. Bowen never made the majors.

E-BAY REPRODUCTIONS FANTASY & FAKES

2008-07-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

Following up on an article I wrote a year ago: The amount of sellers on E-bay that sell almost exclusively reproductions, fantasy and fake items seem to have dwindled. They are still out there, but, some have altered their descriptions to add disclaimers such as: "Please do not assume that an item is old unless we state that it IS in our listing" "Sorry, on some of the collectibles, we do not know when they were made" This is disingenuous, as they are obviously purchasing these items new from China or from suppliers who are getting them from China. In hilarious fashion most state the description as "Excellent with no restorations, no chips or damage" While this is true, they dont take the extra step of telling you that the item is mint out of the box. They still want to create the illusion that this is a vintage item. Another funny thing they do is tell you how they get their items "The items I sell come to me in an array of ways, through flea markets, estate sales, collection liquidations, want ads etc." Again, they dont tell you that they are getting EVERYTHING via a drop shipment from China or from a wholesaler from China. Again, they want to create the illusion that this is not new stuff, but, second hand vintage items. If you want an instant tutorial of items that are being imported from China that are fakes, reproductions, copies etc...check out almost anything that is sold by BRIC-A-BRAC-BARON, TRADERFOUR, OUR_SOUTHERN_COLLECTIBLES, NCGLASSANDCOLLECIBLES or HEARTLAND-COLLECTIBLES. Some of these sellers may even be the same people. Most of them do not state where they are from under the item location field. They use generic places like "Southern Hills" and "Walhalla~Place Of The Sunlight Of God!, United States" They dont want you to piece together that they have multiple sites. They also make a part of feedback private, so, that you cannot see what item a bidder left feedback for. It's fun reading their POSITIVE feedback from bidders which is littered with the following statements: "Listing should say reproduction" "The item red/white black stringholder is very cheap looking-poor quality" "Didnt know there were replicas out there. BUT, fast shipping & Well package!" "So Cute! Not sure of age! Thanks!" "Item received of questionable quality,honorable seller made total refundAAAdealr" There is apparently a market for this stuff as they get some strong sales, so, you gotta ask yourself, "Why the deception?" The answer is that these guys dont want to discourage potential bidders from bidding because the item is truly represented as a NEW piece. It is deception.

BOSTON GLOBE BICYCLE SIDECAR QUESTION

2008-07-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

I have an antique Bik-Kar. It is from the 1930-1940 era. It has on the side of it:

The Boston Globe
Morning - Evening - Sunday
Bik-Kar
Mfg by Bik-Kar Co. Worcester Mass

It is a one wheel cart that attatched to a bike to hold newspapers that the paperboy delivered. I can find nothing about this item anywhere. Can you please help me?

Your item would be called a newspaper bicycle sidecar. One was available for sale in June of 2008 via Craigslist in the Boston area for $175. The owner stated that it was his in the 1950's. I also found another reference of this being from the early 1950's. I found a picture of one and I agree. You are correct in that there is no readily available information on Bik-Kar Co. All indications are that this was a regional item. I cannot find another sidecar like this associated with any other newspaper. The fact that the Mfg was located in Mass supports this theory. That being said, the sidecar would have mostly local appeal. The fact that it is large and not readly displayable creates a smaller market for it. I would think that the $175 asking price was reasonable, if not a bit on the high end. However, I could see a mint one bringing more. Regional newspaper collectibles are not high on the antiques food chain, however, sentiment is high to those who worked or delivered for the papers. Get 2 sentimental people at an auction and you can throw estimates out the window. ***** I have since received an E-mail that there is also a blue colored version of this side-car.

MAINE ANTIQUE DIGEST ITEM IDENTIFIED

2008-06-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

The Maine Antique Digest July 2008 Edition had in their help needed section an item that a reader was requesting to be identified. Well...I got this one. The item is an International Order of Vikings Grave Marker. The described hole behind the 12 was to allow the marker to slide on to a post.

BOOKENDS BY LOUIS GUDEBROD - RARE

2008-05-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine picked up a nice set of bookends at a recent auction. Preliminary research came up with very little information about them. They appeared to be signed by a sculpter, L. CUDEBROD. Internet searches came up empty. However, there is an entry in the fantastic "Collector's Encyclopedia of Bookends" by Louis Kuritzky and Charles De Costa (2006) of a pair of Egyptian Pharaoh bookends that are signed by the same L CUDEBROD. After a few scratches of the head, he noticed that on one of the bookends, the "C" in CUDEBROD was actually a "G". A quick internet search revealed that the sculpter was actually Louis Albert Gudebrod. Gudebrod was born 9/20/1872 in Middletown, CT. He spent one term at Yale Art School and then traveled to Europe from 1897-1900 where he attended the Art Student’s League, studying under or with Mary Lawrence, Augustus St.Gaudens and Jean Dampt. Gudebrod had a studio in the Latin Quarter in Paris. While there he worked on a statue of General William Tecumseh Sherman which was shown at the Paris Expostion in 1900. Around the same time, he was commissioned by Louis Comfort Tiffany to design the famous mermaid base for one the 3 Tiffany Nautilus Lamps. In 1901 at the Pan American Expo in Buffalo, he designed one of 5 statues (Lake Huron) representing the 5 great lakes. He was named Director of Sculpture at the Charleston Expostion 1901-02. His statue, "Aztec Group" received a silver medal. Around the same period his design for the Jefferson Davis Memorial Arch was chosen as the winning design over several well known sculpters. Gudebrod's entry in the 1903-04 St Louis Exposition was a statue of the explorer LaSalle. Among his other works was a statue of Gen J.E.B. Stuart, busts of Schiller and Henry Clay, a bas relief of 2 children titled "John and Elizabeth" and a Memorial Tablet made for the Daughters of the Revolution in Meridan, CT where Gudebrod lived most of his life. Now, back to the bookends. They depict 2 monkish looking gentlemen and are entitled with the latin words "Lex" (Law or covenant) and "Prophetia" (Scriptural). They have a copyright of 1915 on the back which is 11-13 years earlier than is attributed to the Pharaoh bookends which were made by Armor Bronze. Gudebrod is not listed anywhere as being a major sculpter or designer of bookends. As far as is known today, he has one pair incorrectly attributed to a L. Cudebrod and one pair that potentially could be a new discovery. The authors of the aforementioned book have been contacted regarding the error and the new bookends. My friend is going to offer them for sale.

POTTERY IDENTIFICATION QUESTION

2008-05-08T05:15:00.000-07:00

Received a pottery identification request from Canada for the following pair of planters. They appear to be European at 1st glance and a friend supported my feeling on this. I've seen Belgian and West German pieces that are similar in nature. Scandinavian potteries also had geometric styles that are similar. The bottoms are marked with the numbers 385. I've provided a close up picture. If anyone knows what they are please let our reader know by contacting us.

KELLOGG'S EXPRESS TRUCK BY BANNER

2008-04-27T22:57:00.000-07:00

Rooster's Antiques Shop is fortunate to have over 20 dealers who bring a diversity of items to the mall. I am going to occasionally feature neat items that are in the shop and I will start with a Kellogg's Express Truck by Banner. To my knowledge, this truck came in 2 different colors, Green and Red. It also had 4 and 6 wheel variations. Our dealer's truck is the red, 4 wheel version and is in about C8 condition. Banner was in operation from 1944-1965 and this was one of their earlier toys from the 1940's. They do not pop up very often.

TAKE THIS FOR OPENERS

2008-03-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

A couple years back I purchased some corkscrews that were found in an abandoned building in Detroit that was once a hardware store. I've liquidated a few here and there, but, I recently found a home for my stock outside of Boston, where my new friend Josef, is an avid collector and dealer. Check out his website for all things Corkscrew. http://www.vintagecorkscrews.com/

1949 MOTOROLA PORTABLE TELEVISION

2008-03-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

Rooster's purchased an early model portable television yesterday. It is a 1949 Motorola model 7-VT5B. We plugged it in and the screen lit up and it appeared to work. (The atenna was not included) This TV is housed in a suitcase style case and was available for sale for $199.95 in 1949. We will have it available for sale in the shop for much less!!!. Check out this great site for the history of televisions: http://www.tvhistory.tv/ SOLD

GREAT NEW BLOG SITE

2008-03-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

Antiquehaven is proud to be one of the featured antique blogs on a newer site called BLOGGED.COM. Blogged.com categorizes blogs throughout the Internet and makes it easy to find cool ones by the topics that you are interested in. Check it out.

ANTIQUE RESEARCH AND APPRAISALS

2008-02-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

CT's Treasure Haven offers appraisals through this blog site. If you have something that you'd like to have appraised or researched, we welcome you to e-mail us at CTSTREASUREHAVEN@AOL.COM. Please provide as much information as possible and a picture. If you are pleased with the results, we always welcome donations to help keep the site going, but, it is not necessary. We want to help you out !!!!

1884 SHIFTING BUGGY TOP PATENT MODEL

2008-01-28T07:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a recent item that we sold on consignment, it is an 1884 Shifting Buggy-Top Salesman's Sample or Patent Model. My guess is that it is a Patent Model. It was patented on 4/29/1884 by George Engelhart and Charles Weidner of Attica, OH. Patent number 297771. On the bottom is a typed label that says "Adjustable Shifting Rail for Buggy - Made by Geo. Engelhart in 1883" This adjustable seat was a suppossed improvement over existing buggy seats of the day. It is made of wood and metal and is in well preserved condition despite it's having a small sliver of wood missing on the top. What is great is that you can look up patent dates on line with the Patent Office and get the original diagram and patent request. Check this item out at http://www.patimg2.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=00297771&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526co1%3DAND%2526d%3DPALL%2526s1%3D0297771.PN.%2526OS%3DPN%2F0297771%2526RS%3DPN%2F0297771&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=NONE&Input=View+first+page

SCOTTY BEVERAGES SIGN - DETROIT MI

2007-12-12T15:44:00.000-08:00

I just picked up an old advertising sign for Scotty Beverages from Detroit, MI on E-Bay. Little is known about Roma Gazosa Co, who was the manufacturer of the soda, but, the sign itself was made on a sheet of aluminum made by Kaiser Aluminum, which was founded in 1946 and I found a couple of examples of Scotty Bottles that were from 1945 and 1947. I would date this fragile sign around 1947. It will be available for sale at Rooster's, which loves Detroit related items.

MAMMY OF A COOKIE JAR - MOSAIC TILE COMPANY

2007-12-03T17:18:00.000-08:00

Roosters purchased a terrific Mammy Cookie Jar made by Mosaic Tile Company in the mid 1940's. Mosaic did not make these jars for commercial sale, which explains why they book at $375. The 13 1/2" jars have a wonderful and detailed Mammy who has her right hand folded over her left with a big smile. There were at least 6 different color variations and we have the more common yellow version. Cookie Jar sales are somewhat flat, but, how could we pass on ol' Mammy? SOLD

$2,400 Chess Set?

2007-11-14T15:25:00.000-08:00

I received a call the other day from someone who wanted to sell a chess set. They receiced the set from someone who told them that they paid $2,400 for it new. She stated that it had an ivory board and pieces. I was skeptical and told them that I would be happy to look at it if they brought it into the shop. I stated that if it were indeed a $2,400 set that I might be able to help her sell it or direct her in another area. She arrived an hour or so later with the chessboard in hand. It was NOT ivory in any shape or fashion. It wasnt even ivory colored. It was an obvious green plastic or composite set with brown speckles, likely made in the last 20 years or so in the Phillipines, Thailand, Mexico or even China. The pieces were very crudely done and the case surrounding the board was rather cheap. She honestly believed what she was told concerning the set and that it was Ivory. I would say that the set was worth more like $24 instead of $2,400. Be wary of those who give you items that they say are worth alot of money. I dont know the full story....it might have been given as payment for services or a debt. But, I do caution those who may receive items in a barter to know what they are getting.

THE YOUNG COLLECTOR

2007-11-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

Many an article is being written on the future of the Antique trade as it relates to young collectors. One of the most recent was written by Andrew Richmond and Hollie Davis in the October 2007 edition of Maine Antique Digest ("Who is the Young Collector"). Richmond and Davis give some valid reasons as to why there is a lack of young collectors attending shows and malls...Lack of finances and incompatability with raising children being the main reasons. This is but a tip of the iceberg. The under 40 crowd has not been given much of a reason to want to collect or invest in antiques and collectibles. Where is the basis for wanting to collect? Let's start out with a defintion of collecting: "The hobby of collecting consists of acquiring specific items based on a particular interest of the collector. These collections of things are often highly organized, carefully cataloged, and attractively displayed" Then a definition of Hobby: "a spare-time recreational pursuit" Boy....we antique dealers are in trouble already. We have to somehow gain the interest of young individuals who somehow have spare-time. Where do we start and what are the obsticles? Let us start early. K-12 schooling in this era concentrates on gearing children for the American business world. Art, History, Mythology, Literature, Shop Class etc.. have been relagated to secondary, if not worse, status. An appreciation for the past is lacking. What are children doing in their spare-time? Well....it's video games, the internet, my space, cell phone texting, watching lightning fast-paced TV and movies and X-Games. Attention spans are shrinking. Skill sets are vanishing. Where it may have been feasable to see a teenager spend hours working on a bicycle or building a tree-house in days past, it is hard to imagine any teen spending more than 30 minutes doing anything other that play a video game. Skill building is a thing of the past. Many hobbies are based on skills. How is the model building hobby doing? Have kids in the past 20 years spent time building models? Or setting up trains or slot car sets? How many young prospective watch or clock repairmen are we raising? I don't think I've ever seen anyone under 35 refinishing a piece of furniture. The skill sets are vanishing with our 50+ year olds. America is rapidly becoming a service based society as our manufacturing base moves overseas. High paying jobs are a thing of the past. College students are going into debt with student loans and then going into further debt as our loan-sharking credit card companies allow them to receive cards from which they do not have a means to pay back the loans. The media and higher education institutions have been dumping on America so long, that patriotism has become a relic. The interest in things American (Americana) is waning. So much of what our younger generation has used or played with has been made overseas, that they do not have a pride in what is or was made in America. That is a market that should thrive in the near future. Items made in America. It may not...... So.....we have a 25 year old with high debt, no spare time to have a hobby, no developed skills as it would relate to a hobby, no learned appreciation of history or the arts, a short attention span and no interest in things old or things taking too much time to work on. There are many sidelines to this phenomenon. The younger generation does not host parties or have social get togethers as often as generations past. Time is one factor, size of the home and lack of carrying on customs. Also, people tend to move more which has changed the closeness of our neighborhoods. Younger people tend not to try to "Keep up with the Jones's" like previous generations. Keeping up with the Jones's used to involve "outdoing" your neighbor. Showing off your possessions. If Bob had an incredible "x" then you went out and got a better "x". People liked to show off their collections at dinner parties...what young people have dinner parties any more? So, the landscape has changed. Some of the obstacles have been mentioned here in simplistic form. There is no easy answer as to how we as an industry can bring more young people into the fray......We have whole institutions that make it difficult to compete for time and mind...economies that work against us and a changing culture that is ignoring past hobbies. Whole fields of collectibles are being put on the endangered species list. Here is food for thought. What do you do when a species is put on the endangered list? Some of the same things that are done can be translated to our field. That will be another article for another day.

IT GOT LUGGED AROUND

2007-10-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

I went on an Estate house visit north of Clare, MI a short time ago and was amazed to find an old wooden Kroupa Cherry Lug filled with Marx train track from the family farm up in Traverse City, MI. My Paternal Grandmother was a Kroupa and was born on the farm in 1904. I have many fond memories of my Grandma (Kroupa) Woodman and of visiting the farm as a child (I still enjoy it as an adult). It is currently being run by my 2nd Cousin, David Kroupa and his wife, Joan. David is the 4th generation that has run the farm! In 1994 they started a winery, Old Mission Peninsula Cellars, which has excellent wine and is partially sold out of a 19th c. schoolhouse on the Peninsula. I'm sure that old Kroupa Cherry Lugs dont get too far outside the Traverse City area. I received one from my parents for Christmas last year and it will always stay in the family. If you have the chance, visit the schoolhouse and purchase some wine, I don't think you'll be disappointed. For a great article on the farm check this out http://www.mynorth.com/My-North/May-2009/The-NEW-Traverse-City-Cherry-Farmers/index.php?cparticle=4&siarticle=3

NORTHWEST CIGAR MFG CO CIGAR BOX

2007-10-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

Roosters purchased a neat cigar box that was distributed by The Northwest Cigar Mfg Co. out of Detroit, MI. Very little is known about this company. It was owned by Frank M Roach from 1894 until at least 1908. This must have been a smaller company, as I cannot find any memorabilia from the plant. The cool thing about this box is that it has a desirable label under the lid; "Compliments of the Season" by American Lithograph Co. I've found people wanting $100 for an unused label. We love old Detroit related historical items and this will eventually find it's way into the shop. SOLD

c 1900 DETROIT FIRE DEPARTMENT PHOTO

2007-10-10T05:43:00.000-07:00

Rooster's has just purchased a neat historical item from Detroit. It is a c. 1900 original framed photo of what is believed to be 12 Detroit Firefighters. The uniforms are consistent with the period. 3 of the men have what appear to be bugle insignias on their collar. Two of the men have one bugle which would signify them being lieutenants and one man has two bugles which would make him a Captain. The frame has it's original paper backing with a label from Henry & Willis at 137 Gratiot Ave. which is in Detroit. A mild bummer is that when the photo was taken all of the Firefighter's hats were illuminated giving them a white glare. Not only did that distort the color of the hats, but, it blocked out any cap badges. There are a few identifiable points: The chairs that the men are sitting in are 19th c chairs. They are sitting in the road which is dirt. Detroit's roads were not paved until after Henry Ford started his auto company in the early part of the 20th c. The photo will be available for sale at Rooster's. SOLD

SOLD

1970's Reproduction Mechanical Penny Banks

2007-07-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

Most Mechanical Penny Banks found at Garage Sales, Flea Markets and yes....Antique Shops are often 1970's Reproduction banks. I've posted pics of a mid-1970's advetisement for 7 different banks that you could purchase for $19.95. If you purchased a 2nd bank, you got it for half-off. These banks included the Uncle Sam, Trick Dog, Clown, Indian & Bear, Artillery, Dentist and Magician. These offers came via magazines, through your bank or any number of other avenues. Dont be fooled by these now 30+ year old reproductions.

SPIRITS IN THE MATERIAL WORLD

2007-07-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

I had a house visit about a week ago at an old farm house that was built in 1850. The new owner wanted me to go through the house and see if there was anything in it that I would be interested in purchasing. The house was in a fair amount of disrepair and during the tour we discussed all of the interesting things that could be done to the house to restore it. He was considering moving into the house instead of fixing it for resale. Somewhere in the discussion he mentioned that the house was said to have ghosts. I laughed and said that any 160 year old house that is positioned in a neighborhood of relatively newer homes was going to get that designation. There was not a whole lot of old things in the place and the few things I did purchase (which were antiques) seemed to be "placed" there as far as I was concerned. I admired the house and property, told him how great it was that the place was being restored, recommended that he get a metal detector and search the property for antiques and took one thing to research that I felt was newer. Research proved the item to be newer and I offered to return it to him. He asked if I could sell the item for him which I agreed to do. I sold it in 2 days to a regular customer and called him to pick up his money. When he and his son arrived, he told me that he was not going through with the plans to live at the house and that the place was full of paranormal activity. I thought "Well I've got to hear this one" and asked to hear the story. They both told me of just about every story you've ever heard about a haunted house.....seeing apparitions, orbs, slamming doors, having a feeling of being pushed, seeing a hanged man in a tree, having a friend of his son calling out a ghost in the house, etc...I just nodded, enjoying the story. I told him it was a shame that he was not going through with his plans to restore the place. Being in the Antiques business for some time, I have been in a host of old houses with I'm sure storied pasts. I find that when I am in them, I tend to focus on the architecture, the moldings, the floors, the character, the landscape, the history. I have an extreme appreciation and facination for historic homes. If I was superstitious, I could easily imagine getting "freaked" in an old farm house. I've seen movies that raise the hair on your arms and send chills through the body. Imagine having superstitious tendacies and being alone in a house that you feel has spirits. The brain is a powerful tool and it can conjure up all kinds of things if it is inclined. I hope the place gets fixed. It is a piece of history that could stand proud in the community. If it is not fixed, it will definately get razed and then there will be 2-3 homes built on the property. So, if the spirits want to stay in the place, you'd think that it would be counter-productive for them to discourage a renovation that would save the place from being torn down. Oh well.....