Antiques

Serious collectors of antique bottles should beware clever fakes often found at antique shops and flea markets. Some of fake bottles are quite convincing and will carry price tags that might lead...

Cast iron was once used in the manufacturing of everything from pans to doorstops and antique toys made from cast iron are highly collectible. The value of these toys depends on the condition of...

Cast iron skillets and pans are among the most popular collectibles on the market. Visit any flea market or swap meet and you'll likely find dozens of sellers offering antique cast iron pans....

Antique linens are treasured heirlooms and prized collectibles. With the proper maintenance and care, antique and vintage linens can be kept in beautiful, functional condition for many years....

Just as a contemporary Rolex wristwatch is seen as a symbol of luxury and leisure, so too were expensive pocket watches once prized by the wealthy. Vintage pocket watches come in a variety of...

A caddy spoon is small spoon used to measure tea from a caddy. The caddy is a decorative tea container. Caddy spoons have become cherished antiques and hot collector items for their timeless...

Rene Lalique (1860-1945) was a French designer of fine jewelry during the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods. Revered as a jeweler, he is equally admired for his Art Deco glass object d'art and...

Ironstone, or stoneware, is made of porcelain and iron slag and was first patented in 1813 by Charles James Mason of Staffordrshire, England. Its durability and attractiveness are what made it so...

A colorful antique pot collection can liven up any corner of your house. Whether it's Fiesta or Bückeberg, antique pottery can be displayed in almost any part of your home with success. The...

Vintage enamelware is a hot collector's item in the vintage and antique market. According to Country Joe's Collectible Stuff, "Enameled kitchenware was first mass-produced in Europe in the last...

Learning the history of the Dutch tile-making tradition centered in the town Delft is necessary for identifying authentic tiles and is part of the enjoyment of collecting. Antique Dutch tiles were...

Ironstone is a sturdy, durable form of china that is usually undecorated. It was first produced in the 19th century by British potters who exported it to the U.S.

THERE IS GOLD, SILVER, AND PRECIOUS STONES IN "THEM THAR HILLS" BELIEVE IT OR NOT MOST GOLD AND SILVER AND OTHER PRECIOUS STONESARE REALLY RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE.

Identifying and pricing antique jewelry often requires some detective work. Perhaps the relative from whom you inherited the piece has long since passed on, and no other family members have clues...

In the late 19th century, bedpans were made of porcelain, but durable varieties were made of enamel-coated steel. These enamel-coated bedpans are most often stumbled upon in antique stores and...

Vintage table lamps are similar to modern lamps. Aside from being older, though, many times they have been made by companies that are no longer in existence or in styles that are no longer created.

Medical antiques are a popular collectible. Sometimes, a collector will find that a surgical instrument set has been coated in grease in the past to protect it from corrosion, and he or she wishes...

Antique Victorian tapestries are woven textiles, typically in wool. They can be floral, geometric or pictorial. Many antique tapestries have significant damage or wear from time, hanging weight,...

The name "Tiffany" is commonly used to refer to any lamp with a stained-glass shade, but don't be fooled. True Tiffany lamps were designed and manufactured by Louis Comfort Tiffany from 1892 until...

Scandinavian pottery has been very collectible since Danish Modern style became popular in the 1950s. It is a valuable collectible, and still available. There are many pieces of Scandinavian...

Antique tapestries can add warmth, color, and depth to any living space. They make a beautiful addition to any room and are extremely valuable and fragile, some antique tapestries are considered...

Identify quality American dinnerware by different characteristics and styles that have become valuable as a result of scarcity or desirability. You probably know that there is not much American...

Briggs & Stratton engines carry a numerical code that identifies the model, type, date of manufacture and assembly line where each unit was produced. Small engine collectors and repair...

Selling antiques can be a great way to make money. If you have the time to find antiques it can be very profitable.

Antique needlepoint pieces remain a testimony to the skill and dedication of needleworkers. Antique needlepoint pieces may be unfinished, framed or used as pillows or rugs when you find them....

Antique mantel clocks are among the most decorative of collector items. These clocks originated in the mid-1700s in France. The clockmakers incorporated many different decorative elements and...

Rookwood Pottery Co. is known for the artistry, style and high standards with which its products were made. It was founded in 1880 by Marie Longworth Nichols and finally closed down production in...

It's been 4,000 years since Chinese potters experimenting with locally mined white clay fired their wares at a temperature of 1,280 degrees Centigrade to produce the first true porcelain. The...

Gorham is one of the oldest and best loved American manufacturers of sterling silver. Its long history stretches all the way from it’s beginnings as a small silversmith’s shop in Providence,...

The hallmarks on antique sterling silver are often nearly impossible to decipher. Decades or centuries of polishing, besides the fact that they are often very small to begin with, can make them...

Collecting and restoring antique tractors is a growing hobby. According to American Collectors.com, some old tractors have been valued at $100,000 or more. If you own or are planning to restore an...

If you own an antique wall clock, you are probably curious about where it originated and when it was made. Antique clocks are often passed down from earlier generations or bought as collector's...

Mechanical clocks date back to the early 1500s. Early clocks were inaccurate and did not improve significantly until the development of the pendulum about 150 years later. Weights drove the gears,...

Bone china is a kind of porcelain that contains bone ash. Its making was first developed in Britain and was borne out of the need to compete with the quality of imported ceramic products from...

There is no expert that has not got burned by a reproduced piece of pottery

Many times china dishes and other pieces get broken or misplaced leaving a collection incomplete. Discontinued china pieces from sets or pattern collections may be hard to find, but there are many...

Seth Thomas is the United States' oldest clockmaker and both their antique and modern clocks are in high demand. They are made from metal or wood, or a combination of both. Many of the older...

Clock collecting is a hobby of many antique lovers, and some prefer to acquire pieces made by one specific company or that are one specific style. Seth Thomas Mantel clocks are one brand of...

Silvermaker Reed and Barton was founded in 1824 in the United States. Today the company sells silver, crystal and china. For each year of silver production from 1928-1957, in addition to the words...

Fostoria Glass Co. created elegant, brightly colored glassware, sometimes referred to as "Depression glass." These beautiful heirlooms continue to delight their owners, and collecting the elusive...

Pendulum clocks are antique clocks that typically include a clock with a minute and an hour hand placed above a swinging pendulum within a wooden cabinet. Pendulum clocks can vary in materials and...

The pocket watch started out as a kind of miniature clock. Early watches were driven by internal springs. As the spring unwound, it supplied power to a series of gears that controlled the movement...

If you are lucky enough to have saved your toys and dolls from when you were a little girl or you inherited a selection of vintage dolls from a relative who cherished them, you could be sitting on...

Bisque dolls originated in Europe. They were made in Germany and France and eventually went to makers in China. Sometimes they are referred to as China dolls. Bisque dolls are one of the first...

Vintage chenille bedspreads are a popular collectible, reminding people of a simpler time. In good condition, chenille bedspreads can be used to create a sweet, romantic or country bedroom. Even...

So you've inherited a crate full of Grandma Victoria's dinnerware, but you haven't a clue whether it's Wedgewood or Spode, Royal Doulton or Beleek. Time to put on your detective cap and do a...

Oyster plates are valued collectibles that were originally created for a specific purpose. As oysters became popular, different ways of keeping them cold and presentable became necessary. These...

Keeping antiques in top shape is something many collectors enjoy. Some antique objects, such as jewelry, may require more care than others. Such is the case with items made of ivory. For example,...

Ancient oil lamps are a reminder of simpler days, and a favorite of collectors. As functional as they are beautiful, glass oil lamps warm up tabletops, fireplace mantles and dreary corners with...

Collecting oil cans can be a fun and rewarding hobby. Many models of oil cans are available for reasonable prices. There are only a handful of rare and hard-to-find examples that fetch in the low...