Antiques

Canopy, Jenny Lind, cast iron and four-poster beds all conjure images of beds through history. Romans invented the first beds. Since then, bed frames have been elaborate and simple, constructed...

Old antique or vintage glass crystal is a prized family treasure, often handed down from generation to generation. Over time, glass may become dirty, stained or cracked. Restoration, which means...

Perfume bottles, perhaps more so than any other category of container, present antique collectors with a wide variety of types and styles to choose from. Collections can easily be built featuring...

Vintage mantel clocks are mechanical timepieces originally designed to be displayed on fireplace mantels. Their small size---generally not much more than a foot in height---also makes them ideal...

When it comes to pricing that antique Woodard patio set, you don't want to entrust a family heirloom to any Joe off the street. It's important to find someone who will give you an honest and...

Rocking chairs are classic Americana. Benjamin Franklin is often noted as the originator of the rocking chair but documentation shows that a cabinetmaker by the name of William Savery may have...

Stoneware, thicker than porcelain, is heavy, non-porous and fired at high temperatures. Generally, stoneware is gray but can vary in color according to the type of clay used. Stoneware has been...

True wicker furniture is fashioned from natural materials, such as flexible branches, vines or grasses, and can be plainly woven or sport intricate designs. When wicker furniture is left in wet or...

Old, antique and vintage tools include shovels, chisels, drill bits, saws, planes and more. Generally, old tools are made from wood and iron. Vintage tools accumulate dirt and rust and need...

The Hull Pottery Company, which operated from 1905 to 1986 in Crooksville, Ohio, manufactured a popular dinnerware line known as the House 'n Garden Brown Drip line. Original production of Brown...

Sterling silver is generally divided into two categories: holloware (shaped pieces such as teapots, bowls and plates) and flatware (flat items such as knives, spoons and forks). Much of the...

Your beautiful family Bible is special not just because of your family's religious heritage and the message inside, but also because of its physical beauty--which may include gilt edges and...

Eyeglasses have been around since 1286 when they were invented in Pisa, Italy. If you depend on glasses to see long distances or to read or do close work, you appreciate what a wonderful invention...

You may want to know the date of an old, antique or vintage chair because you want to sell it. Alternatively you may just be curious about that old chair of Grandma's. Finding the date, or...

A gleaming silver tea set adds elegance to any home and can be a family heirloom. Sterling silver sets are made of a silver alloy that is at least 92.5 percent silver; the rest of the alloy is...

In 1937 the Hocking Glass Company and Anchor Cap and Closure Corporation merged, forming the Anchor Hocking company. This company is still operating today, under new ownership, in Lancaster, Ohio....

Antique hair brushes are some of the loveliest types of antiques around. Some are plated in real silver with ornate designs; others have porcelain backs with detailed patterns or intricate floral...

Determining the value of 19th-century American country furniture depends on many factors. The value of American country-style furniture began to increase when a few savvy collectors discovered its...

A lot of people actively seek out old bottles for collecting, but most of us have come across them accidentally and want to know something about them. If you have ever unearthed an old bottle in...

Typewriters are fascinating machines, fun for collecting and inspirational for writing. Manual typewriters, entirely mechanical and without electricity, hold particular appeal for typing purists....

Once common for bookkeeping and other jobs involving complicated calculations, adding machines are a simpler relative of modern calculators. While many are complicated mechanical devices, modern...

Vintage typewriters are a fun item for casual hobbyists or savvy collectors. They are complex, intricate machines that are fascinating for engineers and revered by typographers. However, every...

At one time, replacing a typewriter ribbon was as common as replacing an ink cartridge in an ink jet printer. As typewriters have fallen out of favor, fewer and fewer people remember how to...

Just as the mantra for real estate is "location, location, location," the key factor in determining the value of an antique car is "condition, condition, condition." A 1948 Nash that's rusty and...

The history of table lamps relates to the history of inventions, society and interior design. For example, when the Argand lamp (patented by Aimé Argand in 1780) was first invented at the end...

To care for vintage hooked rugs, handle them gently, do very little cleaning, store them correctly and hang them carefully. When you use antique textiles in your home, you need to balance your...

The production of Pfaltzgraff stoneware began in 1811 by George Pfaltzgraff, a German immigrant who settled in York, Pennsylvania. He began making salt-glazed jugs and crocks for food storage and...

Gin is one of the world's oldest liquors, having been distilled from juniper berries in ancient Greece. Italian monks in the 11th century added juniper berries to distilled spirits and the current...

Antique pool tables are a treasure indeed. Quality pool tables--antique or not--have six legs and three pieces of heavy slate in the bed. If you're looking at a pool table that doesn't have these,...

Collecting antique beds is something that might not appeal to some, as they simply don't have enough room in their home to display the beds properly. Others like collecting the beds because such...

If you have just inherited a set of vintage dishware from your grandmother or found some beautiful dishes at a flea market, you may be interested in finding out more about them. Many older china...

Wedgwood is a well-respected ceramics firm in England that had its origins with Josiah Wedgwood in 1759. In 1987, Wedgwood merged with Waterford Crystal, becoming Waterford Wedgwood, but the...

Knives have been around for more than 5,000 years. Many types and variations have developed over time. With so many knives in existence, identifying an antique knife may be challenging. You will...

The most important thing to do in preparation for selling any silver plate is to make sure it's clean and looks presentable. Doing so will increase the perceived value of the item by potential...

Cuckoo clocks are popular novelties. Known for the cuckoo that calls the hours, cuckoo clocks are actually only one of several kinds of clocks made famous in Germany's Black Forest. A variant of...

To identify antique silver, collectors and enthusiasts examine and research their pieces to determine date, style, maker, and country of origin. Ease of identification depends largely on the...

The history of hammers dates back to the 4th century, from which archaeologists have found evidence of men using crudely made hammers as a tool. Hammers were later made by blacksmiths, who put...

Sevres porcelain was originally created during the early- to mid-part of the 18th century when a man began making pieces that mimicked the look of Saxon pieces. These pieces were popular because...

Bottle stoppers were once used as a way of sealing glass bottles, in the days before the invention of bottle caps. Most of these stoppers were made of glass or porcelain, with a cork bottom. The...

Enamelware dates back to the 1870s when it was sold in catalogs and offered for sale in certain types of shops. These pieces were used frequently because they were more lightweight and came in...

Wedgwood is one the leading producers of fine china and the company has existed in different forms since the 18th century. Today the company is well-known for bone china, which is a popular choice...

Vintage bear bows were used to hunt and catch bears, as well as other types of animals. This falls under the category of archery collecting, which is a fast-growing field. There were many...

Kitchen glassware is an all-encompassing term given to any type of glass pieces used in the kitchen. If you're new to the world of collecting, you might feel confused with terms like "vasoline...

Mardi Gras is a celebration that takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana every year. Part of the festival involves people riding on floats and throwing beads to people on the street and parade goers...

Appreciated and collected since the 1920s, antique Navajo rugs are found in museums, homes, and offices. If you have collected Navajo rugs and now want to sell them, begin by determining their value.

Convert an antique lamp into a functional piece to use in your home on a daily basis. Converting an antique oil lamp can give new life to a family heirloom or a great antique-shop find. This...

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....