Making Money At Garage Sales, Swap Meets, And Flea Markets


OVERVIEW


On almost any given weekend across the country, someone is holding a garage sale, attending a swap meet or setting up a booth at a flea market. The quote "someone’s
junk is someone else’s treasure" makes these events both plausible and plentiful.

Most of us are accumulators. We pack what we can into our house without regularly taking inventory until it’s busting at the seams. Then it’s time to decide what
to keep, what to throw out and, more importantly, what to sell.

So many people spend their weekends out looking for bargains at these types of events that there are plenty ofopportunities to make money. Much of it will be clear
profit since there is virtually no overhead costs involved; certainly not the same as a retail shop.

Your first garage sale can be to clean out your "junk". Your subsequent sales can be with items you pick up at bargain prices at flea markets, swap meets and
auctions, which you then turn around and sell out of your own garage. You can still give someone a bargain and make a profit on the merchandise turnover.

Why not you? If you’ve ever had a garage sale, you must have realized the potential involved. All of these customers coming to you simply because you put a small
advertisement in the newspaper. People coming for all kinds of reasons: a day out, a specific objective, or someone who likes browsing in search of that little unknown
gem that might appeal.

What do people look for? Almost anything! Clothes, books, art, old records, furniture, pots and pans, a fishing pole, you name it! Most people will buy at least one thing. They have that shopping itch! They want to be able to tell someone about the bargain they found! Garage sales are full of surprises for these people. It’s not like going down to a K-Mart or Big-W where you know what
the merchandise is and where it’s located. Something that would be of no interest to you can be someone else’s hobby!

As you get to be a garage sale expert, you will end up going around to these sales and acquiring great deals

Sotheby's London announced that four works by the acclaimed artist will highlight the forthcoming London sale of Modern and Contemporary Arab and Iranian Art on Wednesday, October 20, 2010. These paintings come from the collection of Dr. El- Kayem and appear on the market for the very first time since they were executed by the artist.

Image: Mahmoud Said's oil on canvas Marsamatrouh (Egypt), measuring 29 x 40 cm. Estimate: £60,000-80,000. Photo: Sotheby's

Commenting on the sale, Lina Lazaar, International Specialist in Sotheby's Contemporary Art Department said: "Mahmoud Said is recognised as one of Egypt's foremost and most successful modern artists and we are delighted to be offering for sale these four fresh-to the-market paintings, the majority of which have been inspired by the artist's travels."

Dalya Islam, Deputy Director, Sotheby's Middle East Department, continued: "These paintings provide further insight into Mahmoud Said's artistic output and life, and the sale of these four pieces will present collectors with the opportunity to acquire some truly exceptional examples of his work."

Discussing the sale of these works from the collection of his father, Dr. El-Kayem, Mr El-Kayem, said: "These paintings, some of which were gifted to my father by the Mahmoud Said, are testament to the artist's immense talent and affirms his position as one of the giants of Modern Oriental Art. The decision to sell these works, which we have lived with and loved for many years, has been a difficult one, but the time has come for a new custodian to house, love and appreciate these works, in the way we have, for the next part of their journey."

Through the course of his life, Dr. El-Kayem befriended aspiring and established Middle-Eastern artists, including Lebanese painters Seif Wanly and Aref Rayes, and renowned Egyptian modern artist Mahmoud Said. Said's friendship with Dr. El-Kayem began in the late 1940's and it lasted until the painter's death in 1964. The paintings which are included in the present collection come from a period when both the artist and collector socialised together and shared the same studio. These works have never before been seen in public or offered for sale. Dr. El-Kayem and Mahmoud Said often travelled together in Egypt, Europe and also Lebanon, destinations which inspired Said and influenced his work. Mahmoud Said's work came to epitomise the complexity of dealing with his own individual desires and the values of his society. These contradictions can be seen in all of his works ranging from stunning and poetic landscapes to his erotic and sensual nudes.

Commenting on the work of Mahmoud Said, Ahmed Rassim, a celebrated Arab poet and a friend of both Dr. El-Kayem and artist, wrote the following: "In order to enjoy the paintings of Said, in order to feel the charm that emanates from his art, one must understand all that oriental art encompasses in powerful subtlety; one must (also) understand that oriental painting is, above all … the survival, more or less suggestive, of an intense emotion felt by the artist himself." "Said was always more concerned about expressing his own feelings than about providing us with intellectual gratification." (Ahmed Rassim ed. Le Journal d'un Peintre Raté, Cairo 1943, p. 49).

Highlighting the collection is Mahmoud Said's oil on canvas Untitled (Nude), dated 1951-1957. This example, which is estimated at £80,000-120,000 is typical of Said's paintings of relaxed beauties with full breasts and wide hips, in which the artist relishes every curve of her body, revering her nudity. Said celebrates the woman's sensuality, encapsulating the zeitgeist of the period with the liberation of women and the shift in social structure. Inspired by an Egyptian woman, this painting is steeped in the essence of 20th century Egypt. Said's nudes are not immediately associated with power and politics, but rather seem to be simply celebrations of Egyptian life. However, it must be noted that the nude was a fierce political statement. Until Said's time, the female form was taboo, most especially the nude figure. Said, however was the uncle of Queen Farida, wife of King Farouk of Egypt, and was therefore able to push thee boundaries of artistic practice commonly seen in his country. A number of political factors relating to 20th-century Egypt also had a profound effect on the work of the Egyptian pioneers in art, including Said and Mahmoud Mokhtar (1883-1934), as it was a time of enormous upheaval with Britain declaring Egyptian independence, which was preceded by a great nationalist movement largely driven by women and the lower classes.

The oil on canvas, Liban, dated 1951, was gifted by the artist to Dr. El-Kayem and is only one of two paintings by Said representing Lebanon ever to be offered at auction. The painting measures 24 by 34cm and is estimated at £50,000-70,000.

Said's oil on board Venice was also a gift from the artist to Dr. El-Kayem and was painted in the 1920's when the painter was travelling through Italy. The work is believed to be one of his earliest paintings and one of two works by the artist depicting a European city ever to be offered at auction. The artwork measures 19 by 26cm and is estimated at £35,000-45,000.

Said's oil on canvas Marsamatrouh (Egypt), circa 1950 is a further highlight and is estimated at £60,000-80,000. Said was born in Alexandria, the second largest city in Egypt, and this played a dominant role in his subject matter, in addition to local peasants, prayers and of course, the sea. Having grown up along the coast, it was an obvious inspiration for his landscape work. Marsamatrouh is a Mediterranean seaport 150 miles west of Alexandria, an area very familiar to Said. A perfect example of Said's style, Marsamatrouh displays a sculptural relief effect by building a contrast between the sea and land. His juxtaposition of light and shadow as well as his choice of composition is compelling as it presents the viewer with a stunning depiction of the modern Egyptian landscape eliciting the life of the local Egyptian culture.

Julien's Auctions, announced the auction of iconic property to take place on October 9, 2010 at Ponte 16, a world-class entertainment resort in Macau SAR, China.

This partnership, spanning two continents, will feature property from the life and career of Michael Jackson including stage worn costumes, original paintings, handwritten notes and a rare black Swarovski crystal glove ($30,000/50,000) worn by the "King of Pop" during his historic promotion of his 30 million dollar promotional campaign for the album HIStory: Past, Present and Future and other items from his legendary career.

Another major highlight of the auction is a burgundy velvet ball gown worn by Princess Diana to a 1989 event at the French Embassy honoring the French ambassador, Vicount Luc de La Barre de Nateuil (Est. $80,000/$100,000). In addition, an assortment of pop culture artifacts will be offered from block buster films and television shows such as Ghostbusters, The Batman film franchise, The Legend of Sleepy Hallow, Babylon 5, Krull, The Last Starfighter, Heroes, 24, The Last Samuri and the original television series V will be included in the auction. Other legendary property include items from the life and career of Madonna, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Bruce Lee and other iconic legends who's popularity spans all continents.

Highlights will tour Tokyo, Japan and Santiago, Chile prior to the exhibition and historic auction at Ponte 16 in Macau China. Fans and collectors will be able to participate in the auction in real-time at www.julienslive.com where they can see and hear the auction as it is taking place live at Ponte 16 in Macau, China. A full color limited edition collectible catalog is available at www.juliensauctions.com.

Feedback Import: Import Feedback Scores from other Auction Sites. As a seller, your Feedback rating is your life support system on any auction site. When a buyer is interested in making a purchase, most refer to a Sellers feedback to review their history. If you are new to our site, or have yet to establish a solid feedback history, you can import your Feedback Levels from other auction sites, to give you that added selling advantage. Its fast, free, and should be one of your top priorities.

How it works:

You place a special Verification Code that we provide to you bellow, on a specified page, on the site from which you want your feedback to be imported from. You enter the user name that you use on the specified site, press the Retrieve button, and our spider will do the rest, automatically.

NOTICE: You must have: " I use SnagBay to import my items." somewhere on your eBay account's about me. page in order to import your eBay items

( Please include the period at the end .)

eBay Directions: If you want to import your Feedback level from ebay you will need to copy and then paste the verification code above onto your eBay AboutMe Page( note: do not place the code on your my world page, you have to put it on your about me page, if you do not have one its easy to create). The code can be placed anywhere on your About me page. Make sure you cut/paste the exact code given above. Once you have done so, enter your eBay username below, and our spider will verify if the code is present and import your score.

Amazon Directions: If you want to import your Feedback level from Amazon you will need to copy and then paste the verification code above onto your Amazon Store Page. The code can be placed anywhere on your page. Make sure you cut/paste the exact code given above. You will also need your seller id number from Amazon. You can find this at the END of the Amazon at a Glance Page. Example: &seller=1775 your seller ID would be 1775. Once you have done so, enter your seller id below, and our spider will verify if the code is present and import your score.

Overstock Directions: If you want to import your Feedback level from Overstock you will need to copy and then paste the verification code above onto your Overstock Home Page. The code can be placed anywhere on your page. Make sure you cut/paste the exact code given above. You will also need your user id number. You can find this at the END of your Overstock Home Page URL. Example: &USRID=1775 your user ID would be 1775. Once you have done so, enter your seller id below, and our spider will verify if the code is present and import your score.

YOU'RE KIDDING RIGHT...?

Chair Sells For $28 Million... In A Recession...???
Just when you thought you'd heard it all, along comes something to knock you back on your heels.

Apparently, we're in a recession... but not according to those in the high-end antique and art market!

This 90-year-old armchair (called Dragons— yes, it even has its own name!) made of leather and wood, s

old at Christie's for far more than its estimated $3.8 million - a lot more - a Christie’s rep was so flabbergasted at the price,

that he apparently had to check his numbers twice before reporting the figure!

Titled the "AUCTION OF THE CENTURY," the total receipts brought in by the sale were $484 million - almost

$60 million more than was previously estimated! Which to some, is proof that antique and art enthusiasts are still spending

wildly - even during a recession. Many analysts said that this sale would be a good indicator of how things might progress for

the antique and art market for the next 5 to 10 years.

If this is indeed the case, and with chairs selling for $28 million a piece, then perhaps this really is the time to jump into

the antique business with both feet... after all, you wouldn't want to get caught sitting on a chair that might be worth millions... would you?

Blue Willow
Blue Willow is described as decoration with painting in cobalt blue under the glaze. This covers a lot of porcelain, pottery and facts about the design and what is truly Blue Willow will still cause more than a few arguments across the antique and collecting world. Not being an expert on the subject I decided to research the term and the porcelain to finally come to terms as to what Blue Willow really is.
We know the original design comes from China and probably a town called Ching-te-chen in the Kiangsi Province. This area was the mainstay for blue and white china for domestic use and shipments to European countries.
What is still not a profound definite yes or no is who worked up the design that has been used since the late 18th century to the present. It appears there are no original pieces from China to compare the design too. So what is real Blue Willow and how do we know when we are looking at it?
Perhaps the best answer to that lies in the two men who have been given credit with designing the transfer and the design we now know as Blue Willow. Let’s take the lesser known story first to get it out of the way. Thomas Minton in some circles is believed to be the original designer of Blue Willow. True he was an engraver during the time around 1780-1800 and he did work for Spode during the time frame of the fist blue willow. This could mean he was the engraver for the blue willow at Spodes factory. It does not mean he was the designer of of the pattern. True he did start and operate a factory but the factory did not start operation until around 1796, six years after Spode was credited with the design. Since his patterns, porcelains and pottery became famous and are highly collected people like to defer the concept of blue willow to him.
There is some indication he was with Spode during the period Blue Willow designed but again history has ways of obscuring facts. Minton did produce flow blue or willow during the early years with a reputation for copying other companies patterns. So for this author I am going to go with the standard answer and work with Spode to find out what Blue Willow really is.

Josiah Spode has been credited with designing or copying the willow design in 1790 from a Chinese line of dishes or porcelain called Mandarin.

Now before we go any farther with the supposed father of blue willow as we know it lets look at the porcelain it's self and figure out what is really blue willow and what is just a cheap imitation or not even blue willow at all.

The process of making blue willow is a transfer process to the piece as an underglaze, this process started out as a copper transfer plate by the english whereas now we screen transfer and other methods of technology to get the underglaze. The Chinese version was to mix water with the blue and paint on the design and then fire the piece. Blue willow as will be explained in next weeks article is a certain set of images placed together to represent a scene or story. These images include a bridge with three people crossing it, a willow tree, a boat, a main teahouse, 2 birds flying and a fence. No known Chinese pattern has all of the images placed on one piece as the English patterns do.

There are some different colors used in the process, red, pink, brown, and of course the original cobalt blue color used on the first pieces. The process used made the image soft against the stark white backgrounds in the really good pieces and as the images developed and more designs were added to each design such as putting borders around the edges of pieces different transfer processes making the final pieces less appearing but not by much.

The blue color has changed over the years as it did with the Spode pieces. The darker more flowed pieces were changed two times by Spode before coming to a final color. Through the years the colors have changed to a soft blue in most of the better pieces.

By: Craig Gold

If you've decided to sell your scrap gold to a gold buyer, you first may want to get quotes from jewelry stores..
You have the right to receive the highest amount of money for your old gold and jewelry. For many people, Cash4Gold is the best option because they buy jewelry and gold of any size and shape. Dental gold, single earrings, broken necklaces, and the list goes on and on.
What if you have a piece of jewelry that you think is valued much more than just the metal that makes it up? You think you can get more money from a jewelry store for selling your items.
But wait, here's what you need to know so there are no surprises!
You Can't Trust Engraving
Skilled jewelers and special equipment are the only things that can tell specifically what type of gold and sulver makes up any type of jewelry. Sadly what you think you have may not be what you have.
Engraving on jewelry denotes its karat, or its purity. Most countries have no rules requiring that engraving be authentic, and some don't require a third source to document jewelry's gold quality. It is possible your jewelry is falsely marked to falsify the content for the jeweler to make some extra money.
Retail Value Does Not Reflect the Scrap Metal Price
It is common to assume that when you sell to a gold metal refiner, you will get retail value for your gold and jewelry. Gold buyers only buy the intrinsic value of the metal that makes up the jewelry, not the jewelry's age or quality.
Jewelry stores work on insanely padded profit margins, and can increase up prices by 3-20x their metal's worth. Even jewelry purchased at a sale will still be a lot higher than the value of the metal. The situation is just like buying a brand new car. When you drive it out of the store, the worth of the automobile decreases.
Jewelers Use Appraising as a Marketing Gimmick
If you take your gold and jewelry to a jeweler for appraisal, there is a possibility that the appraised price is for trade-in only. This means that you will not get cash for your old jewelry. Jewelers want you to buy another piece that's already priced up three to ten times its actual value.
Use this handy scrap gold calculator for getting estimates: http://www.goldintomoney.com/calculator

By: karl donald

It used to be difficult to avail of items at a cheaper price, especially when shopping at the mall, but with the internet on your side, you can definitely grab those great deals with the help of auctions online. These auctions work like auctions you attend for antique items and hard-to-find collectibles except that the audience can be of different backgrounds, tastes, and preferences and from all over the world. You don't have to be a citizen of a particular country just to be able to buy an item from an online auction because the sellers can now offer online payment methods for customers coming from outside of the country. This, along with other features that come with the auction site, makes ordering online even more convenient than ever before.

Many sellers nowadays are opting to open auctions online because of the benefits that are convenient for both parties. Customers can easily bid on items online while sellers can boost their company names through successful transactions after every auction. What's more, if the item is rare and in demand, sellers can earn profit from his or her auctions with numerous bidders competing for the item altogether. But being able to acquire such a reputation would mean a lot of time, effort, and strategizing for the first-time online auctioneers, so to be able to start off well, taking note of these tips for online auctions is a must:

- For sellers, consider the bidding experiences of your customers as crucial and important to your business. Make sure that you open an online auction store in a trustworthy and easy-to-use auction website and post your terms of service, shipping, and return policies clearly before starting any auction online.

- For bidders, it is important that you take advantage of the website's feedback score so that you will be able to tell a good and trustworthy online seller from a bad and suspicious scammer. It can either be in the form of symbols (stars, colors, badges) or comments and written feedback from previous customers.

- Sellers, make sure that you know the products that you are selling well before putting it up for auction. Bidders enjoy auctions online that have comprehensive and detailed item descriptions so take the time to iterate what the item is all about before starting the auction. This may require a little bit more research on your part, but the results of this will be worthwhile.

- Buyers, do not hesitate to connect with the sellers if you have any questions regarding the item. This is your chance to not only get information on the item you are interested in but also to communicate with the seller to see if he or she is detailed enough to respond with good answers to your questions. You can either email the seller using the email address provided, the private messaging system of the website, or through SMS if provided in the seller's page.

- Sellers, take advantage of certain internet tools such as RSS feeds, article directories, press releases, and social bookmarking when trying to advertise your auctions online.

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By: Andrew Stratton

Ceramics have been a part of everyday life since almost the beginning of civilization. We have pottery and other types of ceramics that have survived from nations and people who lived more than 10,000 years ago.

Ceramics from long ago tell us a great deal about the daily habits and culture of the people they belonged to. That is why so much care is taken in archaeological digs to preserve and restore discovered ceramics.

Yet, they were not only a tool of ancient civilizations-we use them even today in the form of bowls, cups, vases, and various artistic statues and figurines. And if any of these happen to be particularly valuable or sentimental to us, we want to do all we can to restore the ceramics to their original state.

Ceramic restoration can take many different forms and different methods are employed depending on the type and age of the ceramic piece. For example, the goal of restoration of centuries old or even millenia-old pottery is to make as few changes to the original construction as possible, to preserve as much information about the ceramic as possible.

Restoration projects have included the use of things like garlic and mulberry juices, tree saps, and insect resins like shellac. Some restorers have also used glues made from fish or animal hides to reconstruct ancient pottery. As far back as the 1500s, the Chinese were devised adhesive recipes to repair porcelain ceramics. Their sticky potions included ingredients like egg white, wheat gluten and line, and bamboo resin.

One of the problems with using adhesives today on ceramic restoration projects is that adhesives will inevitably turn yellow or lose their adhesive properties after many years. If you are trying to repair an object for practicality's sake, this may not be a problem, but if your object has much more important aesthetic importance, it is not always acceptable to use an adhesive that will become discolored or crystallized after 30 years or so.

In addition to adhesives, mechanical repair techniques can be used in ceramic restoration. One such ancient method is to drill holes on both sides of the crack or break and to feed through some sort of string or strap to bind the pieces together. When the exact look of the piece is not the main focus, but more the functionality of the object, the ceramic restoration can be conducted by adding other materials to fill the role of the missing pieces.

For example, silver tea spouts and pewter handles on teapots and pitchers were often the result of accidental breaks in the every day ceramics. Some mechanical repairs were still very much in vogue up to the last century. Metal riveting, lacing, and doweling were some of the most common methods.

Today, in order to make an ideal ceramic restoration, the first step is to thoroughly clean the pottery surfaces, especially the area at the break or crack. In order to get rid of stains and impurities, the use of lasers, steam wands, mild acids, alkalis, and some specialized detergents can be very useful. You may be surprised how much paying attention to this initial cleaning process can contribute to a successful ceramic restoration and reduce the need for re-restorations in the future.

If you are not particularly interested in preserving the exact qualities of your pottery before the break or crack, using an airbrush, lacquers, and paints can help you to disguise the problem areas. And in any case, if you feel intimidated by a ceramic restoration project-do not despair! There are plenty of businesses that specialize in restoring your pottery and ceramics to their former glory.

Article Source: http://www.collectibles-articles.com

Ceramic restoration can help you restore and preserve the parts of history that you want to hold on to. To find a trained expert to help you restore your figurines or priceless antiques back to their former glory, visit www.luelstudio.com.

By: Eddy Tohikian

Between 500 CE to 1500 CE in Europe technological advancement almost ceased. During this period, sundials placed above doorways were used to identify midday and four "tides" (important times or periods) of the sunlit day. Then, in the first half of the 14th century, large mechanical clocks began to appear in the towers of several large Italian cities. There is no record of the working models preceding these public clocks, which were weight-driven and regulated by a verge-and-foliot type escapement. Variations of this system were used for more than 300 years, until Peter Henlein invented the ‘mainspring’ around 1500-1510 CE. This was a giant leap forward for clock making. His invention replaced the cumbersome weights allowing for smaller portable clocks and watches.

In 1656 a Dutch scientist by the name of Christiaan Huygens constructed the first pendulum clock, but Galileo Galilei is credited with developing the pendulum-clock concept. Huygens pendulum clock had an error of less than 1 minute a day, which was a great achievement for this time. His later clocks had errors less than 10 seconds a day.Around 1675, Huygens developed the balance wheel and spring assembly, still found in some of today's wristwatches. This improvement allowed portable 17th century watches to keep time to 10 minutes a day. In 1721, George Graham improved the pendulum clock's accuracy to 1 second per day by compensating for changes in the pendulum's length due to temperature variations. John Harrison, a carpenter and self-taught clock-maker, refined Graham's temperature compensation techniques and developed new methods for reducing friction. By 1761, he had built a marine chronometer with a spring and balance wheel escapement that won the British government's 1714 prize for a means of determining longitude to within one-half degree after a voyage to the West Indies. Over the next century further refinements led to highly sophisticated timepieces capable of keeping extremely accurate time. Thanks to these true pioneers we have come a long way in the art of time keeping.

A few words about myself I am a third generation ‘Clockmaker’. Mechanical devices have fascinated me since I was a small child. Every time I received a present the first thing I would do was take the toy apart and see what makes it work, little did I know this would lead to a professional career in clock making, one that has lasted over 25 years. My abilities grew under the watchful eyes of my grandfather, who challenged me almost daily to acquire knowledge and develop new skills.

After finishing college I opened my own service center, now we have two beautiful stores in the heart of Orange County, California, with thousands of satisfied costumers. We service and restore a large variety of clock and watches from modern timepieces to antiques pieces dating as far back as the 1700’s. We have a large selection of antique clocks, completely serviced and restored and all of our timepieces come with a one-year warranty. We are committed to excellence and every clock and watch that comes from our stores is treated with great care and dedication. Our goal is to return your clock or watch in perfect aesthetic and working condition.

What gives me the most pleasure is the look in a customer’s eye when he or she picks up their clocks. It is a great feeling to take an old clock and bring it back to life. I don’t ever see myself doing anything else other than being a clockmaker. I am proud and honored to be a part of Ruby Lane and I will keep the high standards set by this great community.

Article Source: http://www.collectibles-articles.com

Eddy Tohikian, Clock Master
www.rubylane.com/shops/clockmaster
2734 E Chapman Ave. Orange Ca. 92869
714-997-4029

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THE KING'S BLOOD

Antiques - What You Need to Know to Get Started
by Martin Swinton

• Do you think that provenance is a region in France?
  

• Do you think that patina is an antipasto?
  

• Do you ever wonder what the difference is between original finish and original condition?
  

If so, then please read on. The subject of antiques can be confusing; it has its own language. In this month’s column, I’ll de-mystify some terms commonly used in the business, so that you’ll be appropriately armed for your next antique adventure.

Antique
Basically, an antique is something old that has value because of esthetic or historical reasons. Generally, if a piece is more than 100 years old, it is considered an antique. Although, I have recently heard people use the 50-year mark for Canadian pieces; the rationale being that Canada is a young country relative to places such as Europe and Asia. However, I’m old fashioned and apply the 100-year definition to Canadian pieces.

Original Finish
You’ll often hear an antique dealer mention, in reverential tones, that an item has its original finish. This often precedes the disclosure of a price that exceeds your credit card limit. The term original finish means just that — a piece has the same finish today that it had when it was first made. It’s the original protective coating — the varnish, wax and/or polish that was applied to protect the wood when the piece was produced.

Why does original finish matter?
Original finish is significant because it is one of the factors used to assess the value of a piece. If you have two end tables — one with its original finish and the other without — the one with the original finish is more valuable. As soon as a piece has been stripped of its original finish, it has lost part of its integrity and is, therefore, less valuable.

Original Condition
Just as an original finish adds to the value of a piece, original condition also adds to its value. This refers to the overall state of the piece. Does the piece have the same features that it did when it was produced? Does it still have the original hardware, shelving or drawers?

If the hinges have been removed, new shelving added or the drawer pulls have been replaced, it’s no longer in original condition. As soon as something has been removed or added to a piece, it is less valuable.

Patina
Patina develops over many years. It results from a build up of polish, dirt, grease, wear, and chemical changes. Patina gives a piece its character — its beauty. The small nicks on the corners and gentle wear marks on the surface of a table indicate that a piece has lived a long and useful life. New wood furniture does not have patina because it can only develop over time.

Occasionally, a client will look at piece that just glows with a beautiful patina. He or she’ll say, "I like it but it has a little scratch on the top. Can you fix it?" I’m often inclined to say to them, "You’d have a few scratches on you if you were 150 years old!" So, next time you are shopping, remember that wear is natural with antiques.

Provenance
The word refers to the documented history of a piece. It’s the who, what, when and where of it. It’s what separates the very good from the truly exceptional.

Provenance is a great word to throw around at a cocktail party. It packs a greater punch when it’s said in a highly affected tone. A good use of the word might be, "You just won’t believe the provenance of my new Louis XIV chair that I just received from France. It’s the authentic chair that he sat in while Marie Antoinette told the French peasants to eat cake!"

Yet, true provenance requires painstaking research. Continuing with the Louis XIV chair example, if you can document through bills of sale, letters, photographs, or anything else that your chair is the real one, then you have the provenance. The provenance is what would send the value of this chair sky high. Louis-style chairs are not uncommon. However, a bona fide chair linked to the Sun King is extremely rare. Serious collectors will pay top dollar for items with a well-documented provenance.

Martin Swinton lives in Toronto, Canada and owns Take-A-Boo Emporium, a popular local antique shop. He has appeared on a variety of television programs and teaches courses on antiques. Contact him at www.takeaboo.com

Listen to your heart For the novice furniture collector, buying antiques can seem a rather daunting prospect.

Nobody wants to feel that they may not make a wise choice and that ultimately they could be throwing their money away. The main thing is that you should always buy something first and foremost because you like it. Do not try to second-guess the market: even the greatest experts fall foul at times doing that. The sensible thing is to listen to your heart, but then use your head as well.

Auctions Set a figure in your head that you will not go above, but be warned that once the adrenaline starts rushing, it can be difficult to stop. Catalogue estimate prices do not include the buyer’s premium, which is usually in the region of 20 per cent. In Britain, VAT is payable on the premium but not on the price of the lot unless it has been imported from outside the EU. Once you have paid for your lot, you may be given a certain amount of free storage time, but it makes sense to plan any transport needed well in advance.

Don’t be shy Pick things up, look underneath, study the back and sides, try to get a sense of whether a piece 'feels’ right. Look out for signs of intervention. If something appears disturbed in some way you have to ask why. Unexplained cuts or screws in the underside of the timber may point to a major repair or a change to the original structure.

Woodworm People worry about woodworm more than is necessary. Undue staining may indicate a woodworm problem that someone has attempted to cover up, so investigate. Small holes may also indicate that a piece has had an infestation, but that does not mean it is still live. Tap the holes; if dust comes out, the worms are alive. The problem is treatable, so do not let a few holes put you off buying – but make sure you tackle the problem quickly.

Upholstery Ideally you should try to buy upholstered items that have retained their original fillings of horsehair, wool or down, because they provide a much more satisfying shape than when they have been replaced with foam rubber or other modern materials. If you spot newer webbing, it means that the chair has been renovated or may even be a reproduction. In close-nailed furniture, if the nails used are identical they have been manufactured industrially, which implies a date after 1850.

Restoration There is a fine line between conservation and restoration. In general terms it is better to keep as much of the original as you can and to repair and conserve.

Over-restoration can lower the value of a piece by, for example, destroying the surface patina of wood. On the whole, traditional tried and tested remedies are the safest and most effective. Beeswax is always preferable to chemical polishes because it does not destroy the natural surface of wood. There is an enormous wealth of knowledge available in the restoration and conservation world – people have made it their life’s work – so make use of that information and do not do anything hasty.

• During London Design Week, the Telegraph Magazine is hosting a lecture by David Linley at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour. The talk takes place on March 23 at 11am. Telegraph readers can buy tickets to the lecture for £10 (normally £15) by calling 020-7352 1900 and quoting Telegraph. 'Star Pieces: The Enduring Beauty of Spectacular Furniture’, by David Linely, Charles Cator and Helen Chislett (Thames & Hudson, £40), is available from Telegraph Books for £36 plus £1.25 p&p (0844-871 1515; books.telegraph.co.uk)

PALMERSTON'S DESK AT THE BADA FAIR

Auction Reports Imperial lantern vase makes £625,000 in Dorchester 15 February 2010 DORCHESTER saleroom Duke's achieved the highest price for a UK regional auctioneer so far this year when this Qianlong mark and period vase sold at £625,000 on February 11. The so-called ‘lantern’ vase is decorated in underglaze blue and copper red with a continuous mountainous landscape and incised to the clay with passages of Anhua, visible only when held to the light. The base carries a Qianlong (1735-1795) seal mark, but the body is also impressed with the emperor’s characters at the point of the tallest mountain peak. Such an impressive vase – it measured 18 1/2in (47cm) high – was probably manufactured in the imperial kilns under the direction of Tang Ying during the early years of Qianlong’s reign c.1740. The painterly manner in which the landscape is rendered is reminiscent of the work of Wang Hui (1632-1717) and may be derived from his masterwork, the series of 12 monumental scrolls depicting the Emperor Kangxi’s Southern Inspection Tour of 1689. Duke’s vendor, from the Isle of Purbeck, believed it was once part of the furnishings of Embley Park, Hampshire, the home of Florence Nightingale. But according to the auctioneers, it had latterly been used as an umbrella stand and had sustained the Y-shaped haircrack that undoubtedly prevented a seven-figure sum. Nevertheless, with Duke’s predicting a price in excess of £500,000 in the immediate run-up to the sale, bids were taken from dealers from London and Hong Kong on five phone lines and others from Mainland China in the room. The buyer was on the telephone. The price is the second highest achieved by the Dorset saleroom, overshadowed only by the £1.7m (plus 17.5 per cent premium) bid in April 2007 for two rediscovered panels of Dominican saints from Fra Angelico’s celebrated 1438-40 high altarpiece for the Church of San Marco in Florence. By Roland Arkell Duke’s buyer’s premium is 19.5 per cent.

The £625,000 lantern vase that sold at Duke’s in Dorset.

On a bitter cold November afternoon in 1906 someone cut a hole in the frozen Detroit River. The story goes that magician Harry Houdini stood on the Belle Isle Bridge above the river for what seemed like forever staring down at the hole. His hands and feet were heavily shackled.

Out of nowhere the magic man jumped off the bridge, down through the hole and disappeared into the black icy water. The crowd watching from the shore began to whisper. Some people turned away. Others couldn’t stop staring.

Houdini wasn’t coming up. The whispers turned to talk. What was happening underneath the ice?

No one could possibly survive more than five minutes in water so cold. Was this Houdini’s grand finale? Did the swift river current carry him downstream? Was he too far away from the hole? Did he drown?

Newspapermen at the site rushed off to file their hand-cuff king, “downfall” stories.

After what seemed like forever a rope was thrown into the hole in the ice.

Eight minutes passed and still no Houdini.

Somewhere from underneath the ice, Houdini finally spotted the rope. He swam toward it, grabbed it and pulled himself unto the ice.

Houdini cheated death one more time.

For the next two weeks there was a “Standing Room Only” sign outside the Detroit Temple Theater where he performed. Just what Houdini hoped for.

The magician retold this story again and again. Was it true?

The myths surrounding Houdini’s showmanship are as big as the footprints he left behind in magic history.

Death-Defying escapes. Impossible hocus-pocus phenomena. Audiences were so thrilled by Houdini’s act they were sure he had supernatural powers.

His legend was great box office fodder.

“The easiest way to attract a crowd is to let it be known that at a given time and a given place some one is going to attempt something that in the event of failure will mean sudden death,” Houdini said.

His was a classic story. Flirting with death, Houdini was the little guy who beat the odds and came up smelling like roses.

Excuse the pun, but there’s something magical about holding a prop that belonged to a show business legend like Houdini. Collecting Houdiniana is a recent phenomenon.
In the 1930s, Thayer’s Magic Studio in Los Angeles auctioned Houdini letters for 50 cents a piece. Times have changed.

Nowadays, holding a letter, wand, canvas straightjacket, hand-cuffs or leg-irons Houdini used in his stage act is almost as exciting as seeing the man himself in action.

Complete with scratches, tears, nicks and dents, relics like these are souvenirs of a time in history when people stood in line for hours just to see the work of the world’s greatest escape king and professional magician.

The Houdini name recognition, solid provenance, variety and rarity, brings out magic collectors time after time.

On Oct. 28, Swann Auction Galleries, New York, featured the Magic Collection of a Gentleman on the block. A selection of Houdini artifacts were offered in the sale. Here are current values for Houdini items.

Houdini

Photograph; manacled Houdini in bathing attire; standing on end of boat; 5 inches by 7 inches; signed by photographer Harry Gibson; $1,920.

Photo Postcard Portrait; Houdini in suit; inscribed and signed;1920; $2,280.

Press Booklet; for The Master Mystery; inscribed and signed; 16 pages; New York; 1918; $4,320.

Bust Portrait Pocket Mirrors; Houdini and wife Bess; oval; Philadelphia, circa 1928-29; 2 ½ inches by 2 inches; $5,520.

Handcuffs; Houdini owned; standard pair; with key; stamped Houdini; $8,400.

Magician’s Wand; wood with silver tips; plaque in center says “Harry Houdini President Magicians Club London,” hallmarked; 15 ½ inches long; $10,200.

(OCEANSIDE, N.Y.) - The original marriage certificate issued to pop legend Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of rock ‘n’ roll icon Elvis Presley, on May 26, 1994 in the Dominican Republic, when the couple embarked on their brief but highly publicized life together, sold for $70,800 at a multi-estate sale held Jan. 22-24 by Philip Weiss Auctions.

The weekend extravaganza, at which around 1,300 lots changed hands from a variety of categories in a sale that grossed more than $700,000, was held in Philip Weiss Auctions’ gallery facility, located at #1 Neil Court in Oceanside. As expected, the Jackson-Presley document was the top lot of the sale (not counting a single-owner lifetime stamp collection that made $77,000).

“This was a great way to start the new year,” Philip Weiss said of the auction, the first of 2010 for the firm. “The story with this one was pretty much the same as last year’s sales. Great merchandise sparked spirited bidding, which resulted in strong prices. It’s all about the items. If you’re fortunate to attract quality, fresh-to-the-market consignments, you’ll do well every time.”

About 200 people packed the showroom over the course of the three days. In addition, there were over 1,000 registered Internet bidders, who participated online via Proxibid.com and the Philip Weiss Auctions website (http://www.prwauctions.com/). The marriage certificate, in fact, sold to a bidder on Proxibid.com. Phone and absentee bidding was also very active all three days.

The Jackson-Presley certificate is one of the most important celebrity documents of the 20^th century, right up there with Charles and Diana’s and Monroe and DiMaggio’s wedding certificates. The 8 ½ inch by 10 ¾ inch sheet was signed by both stars and was also signed by State Official Hugo F. Perez. It had been laminated to protect it from the Dominican humidity.

Following are additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include a 13 percent buyer’s premium.

Philatelists (stamp collectors) were serious and came armed with cash, making the Sunday session (the last day of the sale) a memorable one. In addition to the single-owner collection that brought $77,000, a full, post office-fresh sheet of 80 stamps from the People’s Republic of China (Scott #1586), sailed past its high estimate of $55,000 to gavel for $67,250.

A page from the 1964 Beatles USA, Ltd. tour program, beautifully signed by all four Beatles and personally inscribed to the late pianist Liberace, soared to $15,800. In their light-hearted way, the Beatles signed the 12 inch by 12 inch page “to Liber-Archie” as a play on words. The photo on the page depicts the band wearing their winter coats, standing atop a wall.

The 1967 Belmont Stakes trophy, won by the late jockey and horse racing legend Willie Shoemaker when he rode Damascus into the winner’s circle, breezed to $15,350. The trophy, comprising 59 ounces of sterling silver, has three horses on a base holding up the body and is topped by a lid with a bridled horse as a handle. It is nicely embellished with leaves and acorns.

An official American League baseball, signed in blue ink on the sweet spot by Hall of Famer Tris Speaker, brought $7,910; a rare 1913 W.B. Jarvis Sporting Goods Store advertising sign featuring Hall of Famer Ty Cobb, with a New York Times article explaining Cobb’s connection to the firm, realized $7,350; and a find of E97 Briggs baseball cards made $14,000.

A pair of original works by the German-American artist Carl Rungius (1869-1959) were sold as a single lot for $9,900. The first was an oil on paper of a cowboy on a horse with snow-capped mountains in the background, with Rungius’ initials on verso. The second was an oil on canvas of a snowy landscape, featuring Rungius’ trademark thumbtack marks on each corner.

An 1892 marble bust of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir William Hamo Thornycraft, the initiator of the “New Sculptors,” went for $4,520. It is signed and dated at the bottom of the bust. Also, an oil on canvas work by Konstantin Alexeivitch Korovin (1861-1939), titled Interior of Room with People, crossed the finish line at $15,800.

Philip Weiss Auctions’ next big sale will be dedicated to Comics, Comic Art and Animation Art. It is slated for Sunday, Feb. 28, at 10 a.m. Featured will be the comic collection and original art from the estate of noted cartoonist Eldon Dedini. The comics consist of 21 key Golden Age books, all unrestored, with the owner’s name and code numbers noted on the covers.

Included in the collection are Detective Comics #’s 1, 2, 28, 34, 38, 40, 41, 42 and 48; More Fun #60 and 62; Batman #3, 4 and 5; comic art, to include a great 1962 Peanuts baseball daily and a Herriman Krazy Kat, both fresh to the market; two fresh to the market Hogarth Tarzan Sunday pages; a wonderful early Peanuts daily; and Eldon Dedini Playboy illustrations.

Then, on Saturday, Mar. 20, at 10 a.m., another auction will be held, this one dedicated to barber shop, militaria, nautical, presidential memorabilia and advertising items. Recently arrived are an original life preserver ring, café chairs and a deck lounge chair from the ill-fated ocean liner the Andrea Doria. The advertising section will feature a nice selection of Mr. Peanut items.

In April, at a time and date still to be determined, Philip Weiss Auctions will be proud to offer The Edward Ryan Toy Soldier & Military Memorabilia Collection. Mr. Ryan was a noted author on the subject of paper toy soldiers. His collection covers paper soldiers, plus Britains, composition soldiers and important French military memorabilia. It should be a good auction.

Philip Weiss Auctions is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (516) 594-0731, or e-mail them at phil@prwauctions.com. To learn more about Philip Weiss Auctions and its calendar of upcoming auctions, to include the Feb. 28 and Mar. 20 events, click on www.prwauctions.com.

30

eBay Sellers to Cope with More Changes, This Time to Fees and Stores
By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
January 26, 2010
Reading AuctionBytes: eBay Sellers to Cope with More Changes, This Time to Fees and Stores

By: Ina Steiner

Tue Jan 26 2010 026:14:29

As anticipated, eBay will eliminate its Store Inventory format and has introduced a new pricing structure effective March 30, 2010. There will be one Fixed Price format on eBay - listings in the current Stores Inventory Format will automatically become regular Fixed Price listings with the same duration and appear with all other Fixed Price listings in eBay search results. eBay will also extend the multi-variation listing feature to more categories - this allows sellers to list multiple variations of a product, including color and size, in one listing. Sellers may no longer use the PowerSeller icon or references to the PowerSeller designation in listing templates, listing descriptions, About Me pages, or Stores pages. Some initial thoughts: With the new eBay Stores pricing, it's much more expensive to list in Stores format for low-volume sellers - you pay the same $15.95/month subscription fee, but rather than paying as low as 3 cents to list, you must pay a 20-cent insertion fee. However, your listings appear in Core search results. An option would be to pay a higher monthly subscription fee - almost $50, and get insertion fees of 5 cents. eBay says this works for sellers who list over 250 items per month. A lot of news to digest here, let's hear your comments! Fee Changes - No Insertion Fees for Auction-style listings when you list your item with a start price under $1—up to 100 listings per month. Pay only if your item sells. - New low Insertion Fees when you list your item with a start price of $1 or more - One easy Final Value Fee of 9% of the winning bid—and never more than $50—regardless of your start price or final selling price. - 50-cent Insertion Fee for Fixed Price with Final Value Fees for the most part staying the same. eBay will also introduce new fees for its Stores. BASIC: 20¢ Fixed Price Insertion Fees, $15.95/month - Consider a Basic Store if you list more than 50 Fixed Price or Auction-style items a month. It's a great starter package if you plan to start an eBay business or ramp up your selling. PREMIUM: 5¢ Fixed Price Insertion Fees, $49.95/month - Great choice for higher volume sellers (more than 250 items per month) and sellers listing in both Auction-style and Fixed Price formats. ANCHOR: 3¢ Fixed Price Insertion Fees, $299.95/month - Get the same great deal as the old Store Inventory format-now with full exposure in search results! With an Anchor Store subscription, higher volume sellers get top savings and the lowest package rates on eBay. NOTE: Starting in March, meeting the new minimum performance standard for all sellers will be a requirement for Premium and Anchor subscribers. ("Above Standard.") - Insertion Fees as low as 3¢ for Fixed Price listings with full exposure in search results - Fixed Price Final Value Fees for the most part staying the same - New low Auction-style Insertion Fees - Auction-style Final Value Fees significantly reduced over the new standard rate - FREE pictures—up to 12 per listing - FREE Selling Manager Pro with Premium and Anchor subscriptions - Plus all the other great marketing tools you get with an eBay Stores subscription, including your own customizable store front and Markdown Manager. New PowerSeller discounts and seller requirements coming in mid-April - the new PowerSeller requirements (originally announced in July 2009) will be in effect for all PowerSellers, not just Top-rated sellers. And with the new PowerSeller discount schedule (also announced in July), only eBay Top-rated sellers will receive 20% fee discounts. All other PowerSellers will receive 5% discounts. PowerSellers will see this change reflected on their statements starting May 1, 2010. Here's a link to eBay's overview page.

OBJECT OF THE MONTH 27 January 2010: Object of the Month is a new feature for Antiquesnews and starts this week with our first contributors Havard and Havard of Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It’s been a lifelong love affair with antiques for Philip and Christine Havard. Brought up in rural Wales, they both learned to appreciate the beauty and practicality of the Welsh furniture they grew up with. The couple opened Havard & Havard in the market town of Cowbridge on St David’s Day, 1992 where Philip and Christine are now firmly established as specialists on their native Welsh furniture. The first OBJECT OF THE MONTH is A rare mid 18th century Welsh oak Sidetable, probably from the Vale of Glamorgan. It has superb colour and patina , with holly inlay to the frieze. 87cms wide x 46cms deep x 64cms high. Circa 1740-60. To enquire about this piece please contact Havard and Havard via TRADE INDEX To contribute to this feature for March 2010 please send a jpeg image of your chosen object, price is optional but please include a full description, to Email Antiques News

INGRID'S LONDON IN JUNE ASSIGNATION Ingrid Nilson of The Antique Dealers' Fair Limited has joined the frenzy of activities in London in June this year but not in her usual guise as fair organiser. “It's not all about work” she says and for that reason she intends to harness the energy in the capital this summer and organise a glamorous event to be called The Secret Antique Dealers' Ball with a James Bond theme. Ingrid thinks this is a unique opportunity to gather together a lively crowd of dealers in town for the season for what she hopes will become an annual fixture. The date of 4 June 2010 and venue which is the Hilton Olympia, will coincide with the opening of the London International Fine Art Fair (LIFAF). Early responses are very encouraging with a number of well known dealers and fair exhibitors snapping up tickets which are priced at £48 plus VAT per person – which includes a three-course meal, wine, entertainment and Disco Volante. Good luck to Ingrid and here's hoping the trade will be on an “all time high” and ready to celebrate! To enquire about tickets contact Ingrid at The Antique Dealers Fair Limited web site via TRADE INDEX

Playing with Super Heroes

By Brett Weiss Whether played with by kids, set on a shelf for display purposes by adults, or kept unopened in the packaging, action figures are enormously popular, with figurines based on DC comic book characters being among the most recognizable and among the most commercially successful. Plastic, miniaturized versions of Batman, Robin, Joker, Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and others in the DC cannon routinely appear on the shelves of such retailers as Wal-Mart and Target and in specialty shops catering to comic book fans. But let’s back up a few decades. In 1964, the Hassenfeld Brothers (known as Hasbro shortly thereafter) changed the toy industry forever with the release of the G.I. Joe line, coining the term “action figure” in the process. G.I. Joe dolls (ahem, action figures) were designed as a masculine alternative to Mattel’s decidedly feminine Barbie fashion dolls, which debuted in 1959. Both toys were interactive and were characterized by changeable clothing, moveable appendages (points of articulation separate action figures from figurines), lots of accessories, and grownup forms (prior to Barbie, most dolls had the appearance of babies or toddlers). With the release of the Batman television series in 1966 and the subsequent first round of Bat-Mania (Tim Burton’s 1989 feature film kicked off a second Batman craze), merchandising for the Caped Crusader exploded, resulting in a wide variety of Bat-items, including puzzles, records, lunch boxes, board games, tooth brushes, model kits, trading cards, and walkie talkies (to name just a few). One of the more interesting products released during this time was the Batman costume for Captain Action, which was a generic, 12in, posable action figure produced by Ideal from 1966-68. The costume came with the following gadgets: a Batarang, a grappling hook, a Bat-Rope reel, a flashlight, a laser torch, and a utility belt with two-way radio. Today, a complete-in-box Batman Caption Action costume goes for around $1,000. Two other DC heroes — Aquaman and Superman — received the Captain Action costume treatment. And, interestingly enough, the Aquaman uniform included swim fins (which The King of the Sea obviously did not need) while the Superman costume was packaged with Kryptonite (which is deadly to The Man of Steel). A complete-in-box Aquaman outfit typically sells for $500 or more while the same for Superman fetches upward of $900. (For those wondering, a loose Captain Action figure is worth around $300 while a boxed Captain Action typically sells for at least $1,000). Uniforms for Aqualad ($1,800), Robin ($1,800), and Superboy ($4,200) were produced for Action Boy, who was Captain Action’s teen sidekick. A loose Action Boy figure is worth around $450 while a boxed Action Boy typically sells for at least $850. In addition, Ideal released action figures (as opposed to just costumes) of Batgirl, Mera (Aquaman’s wife), Supergirl, and Wonder Woman. Commonly referred to by collectors as “Super Queens,” these female figures routinely sell for $3,000-$7,500 in unopened packaging and $1,000-$1,300 loose. During the early 1970s, the Mego Corporation, creators of the Action Jackson line (a failed attempt at competing with G.I. Joe), released an extremely successful series of 7 and 8in figures based on Marvel and DC super-heroes. DC characters featured in the Mego line included Aquaman, Batgirl, Batman, Green Arrow, Robin, Shazam (Captain Marvel), Supergirl, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Speedy, Wonder Girl, Catwoman, the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, and Mr. Mxyzptlk. Figures for Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Clark Kent (the alter-egos for Batman, Robin, and Superman respectively) were available through the mail via J.C. Penney, making them especially hard to find today. While Mego figures were popular with kids (and are popular with collectors today), they were cheaply produced, sometimes falling apart right inside the packaging. Steven H. Kimball, author of Greenberg’s Guide to Super Hero Toys (Greenberg Publishing Company, 1988), describes them as such: “The bodies were hollow, with only a thin string of elastic material holding the arms, which were attached through the hollow chest, to the legs, which were attached through the hollow torso. The head was easily pulled off with a twist. The joints at the knee and elbow were thin plastic rivets that put stress on the calves and forearms.” Kimball does point out that later Mego releases did feature thick rubber bands to hold the arms and legs together. Certain Mego figures, such as Batman and Robin, came with removable gloves and masks, and all of them had plastic boots or shoes. Body and head types were kept to a minimum, but the accessories (such as Green Arrow’s bow and arrows) and polyester clothing the characters wore were very nice, representing their respective comic book counterparts fairly accurately. In 1975, Mego released new versions of Batman, Robin, the Joker, and the Riddler, each equipped with “Fist Fighting” action, which was achieved by a lever on their back that made their arms move. Mego also produced a series of pocket-sized (less than 4in) heroes (mostly of DC characters) and some 12in Superman-related figures that hit stores just prior to the release of Superman: The Movie (1978). Mego released figures based on the Wonder Woman television series as well. Today, all Mego figures are considered highly collectible. Taken from a recent issue of Lee’s Toy Review, here is a sampling of prices for 8in DC Mego figures: Aquaman in solid box ($3,500); Montgomery Wards exclusive Bruce Wayne ($2,000); Joker in window box ($450); Robin loose, but with removable mask intact, ($1,200); Kid Flash in box ($800); and Supergirl with painted outfit in window box ($950). Naturally, as with all collectibles, unopened packaging puts a premium on the pricing. With their stitched clothing and relatively soft, pudgy bodies, Mego figures are frequently referred to as dolls, and, as mentioned earlier, they weren’t particularly sturdy. In the early 1980s, Remco produced a line of Sgt. Rock war toys, but it wasn’t until Kenner released the Super Powers Collection in the mid 1980s that DC got the action figure line it deserved. A contemporary of Mattel’s Secret Wars series, which featured Marvel characters, the Super Powers Collection consisted of detailed, nicely sculpted, nicely articulated figures that bore an uncanny resemblance to their comic book counterparts. Each Super Powers figure had a special “Power Action” that nicely mimicked one of that character’s trademark abilities. For example, Hawkman’s wings flap when his legs are squeezed together while Flash makes a running motion when his arms are squeezed together. In addition, most of the figures came with an accessory (Flash is a noteworthy exception), such as The Penguin’s umbrella, Aquaman’s trident, and Green Lantern’s power battery. The series spawned two cartoons (Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians), three comic book series, and a variety of vehicles and accessories (including the Hall of Justice Playset, which can fetch upwards of $150).

Adrianus Everson often painted imaginary views with the intention of evoking an atmosphere rather than representing accuracy. He worked in Amsterdam and studied under Cornelius de Kruyf, and then under Cornelius Springer. He spent most of his life in Amsterdam, where he exhibited regularly. His work is represented in several museums.

The two paintings realised the total of AU$124,000 after being consigned to Christies in Amsterdam.

Germany refuses to return Nefertiti bust to Egypt

The sculpture of Queen Nefertiti is the star attraction in a Berlin museum German officials have ruled out returning an ancient bust of Queen Nefertiti to Egypt - saying it is too fragile to be transported. And they have insisted that the bust was acquired legally by the Prussian state nearly a century ago. Egypt first requested the return of the antiquity in 1930, but successive German governments have refused. Head of antiquities Zahi Hawass says the bust was smuggled out of Egypt by a German archaeologist in 1913. Mr Hawass claims the archaeologist, Ludwig Borchardt, disguised its true value by covering it in a coating of clay. Great beauty The 3,300-year-old bust is the star attraction of the Egyptian collection at the Neues Museum in Berlin. The collection's director, Friederike Seyfried, said: "The position of the German side is clear and unambiguous - the acquisition of the bust by the Prussian state was legal." Queen Nefertiti is renowned as one of ancient history's great beauties. She was the wife of Pharaoh Akhenaton - who initiated a new religion which involved worshipping the sun. Egypt has been aggressively campaigning for the return of ancient artefacts, and last week secured the repatriation of fragments of a 3,200-year-old tomb from the Louvre. Earlier this month Mr Hawass said he would drop a similar demand for the permanent return of the Rosetta Stone if the British Museum agreed to loan it. The stone is a basalt slab dating back to 196 BC which was key to the modern deciphering of hieroglyphics.

Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Christie’s International’s sale of Asian artworks in Hong Kong yesterday might have sent records tumbling amid bidding wars, yet it was the antics of the buyer with Paddle 960 that got people talking.

The bidder was Shanghai-based Wang Wei, who has spent more than 1 billion yuan ($146 million) this year with her stock- investor husband, Liu Yiqian, on a buying spree of Asian paintings as they prepare to open a private museum in the Chinese city next year, said Zhao Xu, executive director of Poly International Auction Co. On the 2009 China rich list run by Hurun Report, Liu ranks No. 176 with a net worth of $740 million. Wang wouldn’t say how much she has spent on artworks this year.

At yesterday’s sale of Asian artworks, Wang frequently waved her paddle to offer an additional HK$1 million in pursuit of the pieces she wanted, often obliterating her opponents. Several times, she just held up her paddle regardless of rival offers until she won the lot. Not in the last five years has the Hong Kong art-auction scene produced buyers of such confidence.

“I just bought those for fun,” Wang commented during a break, declining to elaborate. Slender, with straight shoulder- length hair, and sporting a leopard-print handbag and shoes, Wang spoke into her mobile phone in rapid Shanghai dialect.

So overwhelming was Wang’s buying power that some buyers in the auction room craned their necks to see if they were up against her before deciding if they would bid on an item. Christie’s wouldn’t say how many items she bought.

Carved Dragons

In October, Liu paid a record $11 million for a Qing Dynasty imperial throne with carved dragons at Sotheby’s Hong Kong sale. This month, Liu paid about 170 million yuan ($25 million) at Beijing’s Poly auction for a Ming Dynasty scroll by Wu Bin, the most for a Chinese painting, said Poly’s Zhao. At this auction, Wang paid HK$7.2 million for a scarlet-and-pink acrylic-on-canvas by Chinese contemporary artist Liu Ye, titled “I Always Wanted to be a Sailor.”

Liu and Wang typify an emerging group of mainland Chinese art buyers that are paying top prices for antiques. Wu Qun, a Beijing-based buyer who paid HK$23 million in April for a Xuande era (1426-1435) blue-and-white stem bowl with Tibetan script at Sotheby’s Hong Kong auction, predicts mainland buyers will start paying “hundreds of millions of yuan” for the best Chinese antiques in the coming years. American collectors remain the strongest buyers in this category of art.

Christie’s auction continues today with Chinese ceramics and ends tomorrow with the watch sale.

Chu Leads

Yesterday’s auction of Asian artworks tallied HK$126.7 million, led by Chinese abstract artist Chu Teh-Chun’s “Hivernale A,” which fetched HK$7.34 million. On Nov. 29, another work by France-based Chu (1920- ) fetched an artist record of HK$45.5 million at Christie’s evening auction.

“The record prices set at the Nov. 29 evening auction made these works more sought after at the day sale,” said Kate Malin, Christie’s Hong Kong-based spokeswoman.

Other highlights were Li Chen’s bronze sculpture, “Pure Land” which fetched an artist record of HK$2.9 million, against its presale estimate of HK$600,000. A nearly 3-meter- tall mixed-media installation by Korean artist Nam June Paik, “Alexander the Great,” sold for HK$2.66 million.

Estimates don’t include commission.

To contact the writer on the story: Le-Min Lim in Hong Kong at lmlim@bloomberg.net

Wed Nov 11 2009 12:05:48

A manhunt is under way to find the son of a prominent British art curator who was stabbed to death with his daughter in Australia.

Nick Waterlow, 68, and Chloe Waterlow, 37, were found dead alongside an injured toddler at a house in Sydney on Monday.

Local police have issued a photograph of a man seen leaving the property. That man is thought to be Antony Waterlow, 42 - the son of Mr Waterlow.

Both victims suffered multiple stab wounds and a young girl, believed to be Ms Waterlow's two-year-old daughter, was also treated for a wound to her throat, police said.

Police said the bodies were discovered in a semi-detached house in Clovelly Road, Randwick, in the Eastern Beaches suburb of Sydney.

Chief Superintendent Geoff Beresford said: "We don't believe it's a random attack. In fact we do have a person of interest in mind. We have concerns. We certainly say don't approach this person but contact police."

MARY. S

TERALBA ANTIQUES AND COLLECTABLES CENTRE11 ANZAC PARADE TERALBA NSW

Mary S has been a collector for the past 10 years and a dealer for the last 1year of those. Beginning her career at the Teralba Antique and Collectables Centre in Teralba

NSW, she changed from banking and moved to Antiques and collectables in Feb 2009. Being one of the 'owner' dealers of this centre, Mary has developed quite a following in the Hunter Valley region area and beyond.

Specializing in all think old and collectables with bid of vintage clothing and secondhand from the 1940's, 50's and 60's, you may even find earlier attire from around the turn of the 20th century. Vintage dresses; hats, gloves, umbrellas, and other accessories can be found in one of her several spaces in the centre.

Mary also collects blue willow, porcelain tea cups/saucers and accessories, artwork, and jewellery. She travels throughout the hunter valley and the north coast, in search of the finest collectible and vintage items that she can bring back to the Teralba Antiques and Collectables Centre.

Josiah Wedgwood the genius and innovative potter invented creamware in c1770. Wedgwood was influenced and worked with the other great potters of his time such as Thomas Whieldon and John Greatbach who were all based in the worlds hub of ceramics in Staffordshire. Josiah Wedgwood was a prolific inventor in numerous techniques associated with ceramics and the famous, and classic creamware body evolved from the development from Tin-glaze delftware, saltglaze and coloured glaze type wares which were in common use in the mid 18thc. The full-scale introduction of creamware virtually finished the production of delft tin glaze and salt glaze in Great Britain. The newly developed creamware body was very refined with a cream colour lead glaze which was very smooth.The glaze was so pure and fine that it needed no decoration to enhance its appearance or appeal. However, the glaze was so perfect that it also lent itself as a perfect ground base for hand painted decoration in overglaze enamels and transfer prints. Josiah Wedgood was also a skilled marketing man. His masterstroke was to give Queen Charlotte; Consort of King George 111 a gift of a creamware tea set in 1765 He cannily named his newly introduced body as “Queensware”. Wedgwood realised that any wares, which graced the table of the Royals, would establish his wares as the must haves of the day. The sales of his creamware (Queensware) went through the roof resulting from one of the best marketing ploys of all time .The introduction of creamware sent a shockwave through the pottery industry and its popularity was further confirmed and enhanced when the Russian Empress Catherine 11 commissioned a full dinner and dessert service of creamware from Wedgwood.This set was known as the Husk service. Such was Empress Catherine’s delight with the wares that she commissioned a further set .The set comprised of 952 pieces decorated with 1244 hand painted separate views of Great Britain. The hand painted borders were a running oakleaf and acorn for the dinner service and ivy for the dessert, both broken for the insertion of the green enamel frog emblem that gave the service its name. The Frog service was produced in 1773-74. It was ready for delivery in June of 1774 but once again the marketing skill of Josiah came to the fore when he exhibited the stunning set at his London Greek Street showroom, admission by ticket only. The great and the good were invited and the success of the exhibition and the major commissions along with the Queen's appointment made Wedgwood the premier seller of fine tableware in Europe. Stemming from the success of the introduction of Creamware potters in Europe, and of course Britain, began to imitate Wedgwoods creation. The pottery business was very competitive in the late 18th century and several factories in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Swansea and of course Staffordshire competed with Wedgwood for the new market. The most serious contender was the Leeds Pottery in Yorkshire. The Leeds pottery was so successful that today “creamware” is often referred to as “Leeds ware”. It was a neck and neck race between these two factories and on balance I think the match could be considered a draw as both potteries dominated the market at the end of the 18thc. The finess of the body used for creamware enabled very fine detailed modelling and moulding of pieces. Many of the items produced were copies of silver ware and some pieces were heavily influenced by the Adams which was at the height of fashion in the late 18thc century. The classical look of these items is a constant reminder that good design never goes out of fashion. Examination of these exquisitely modelled pieces from the late 18thc reveal a constant beauty of form and line which has not been surpassed to this day. The Leeds pottery were famous for their reticulated pierced work and their catalogue is packed with items ranging from basic tableware’s through to really elaborate centre pices, cornucopia covered dishes, cockle pots, candlesticks etc.etc.The range of products made by the 18thc potters is staggering. BOOKS The recent publication of the Two-Volume Book on Leeds pottery by John Griffin is an almost definitive reference to the wares of the factory. The book not only illustrates their very large catalogue but also illustrates in colours the various patterns of decorations used. It is an essential reference on Creamware pottery. Donald Towner books on Creamware and the Leeds Pottery are still relevant today although research and some attributions have been revised by collectors in the last 10 years or so. Peter Walton’s book titled Creamware and other English pottery at temple Newsam House Leeds is another good source of information. COLLECTING Collecting seems to fall in to four categories; 1.Early coloured glaze wares from c1760 to 1800 typified by the classic Whieldon type glazes. 2.Plain uncoloured 3 Creamware body with hand painted overglaze enamels. 4 Creamware body with underglaze transfer prints. Personally I would collect across the whole range of creamware. It does have a group synergy and a cross section of fine pieces from each type of ware is an interesting and varied display. Having said that a collection of plain creamware does look stunning as an assemblage. The timeless design of these pieces also lend themselves to display as stand alone pieces of art in the most minimal of room settings. GENERAL ADVICE ON PURCHASING. Creamware is still made today and one should take care regarding attributions of dating and factory. Plain creamware is best if it looks clean and crisp. Heavily stained items are best avoided. Restoration is acceptable depending on the rarity of the item. Over restored items are best avoided on common tablewares. As a general guide I would advise collecting English pieces from the 18th century.This is the period when creamware was at its height of perfection and pieces from this time have an extra quality which has never been surpassed.Also it is good to place items from this period into a social and historical context and one can only wonder how so many pieces of this delicate ware survived through its 200 year journey. What a tale some of these pots could tell if only they could speak! This article is written by John Howard. All current stock can be viewed at www.antiquepottery.co.uk From top down: Image 1: Creamware lidded comport with Stand c1780 Image 2: Coloured glaze creamware charger in Whieldon type glaze on creamware body circa 1760. Image 3: Pair Leeds creamware candlesticks in silver shape c1770 Image 4: Plain Creamware Cruet set by Josiah Wedgwood circa 1785 Image 5: Coloured overglaze enamel teapot on plain creamware ground c1780

Following reports in the national press in recent days about the D-Spot teapot that does not drip, named after its inventor, a South Bank University student Damini Kumar, The London Silver Vaults in Chancery Lane would like to reassure the British public that art, not science, has already created the perfect non-drip teapot. The issue of the dripping teapot was solved many centuries ago in the 1600s in fact - by British silversmiths. Metal is far thinner than ceramic, and it is the thinness of the spout of a silver teapot which prevents its dripping. One is very unlikely to crack the tip of the spout so a silver teapot not only offers the best possible cup of tea, but also value for money over a lifetime of service. Steven Linden, Chairman of The London Silver Vaults Association, explains: "Imagine how many ceramic teapots the average household gets through in a lifetime ... A silver teapot lasts far longer than a lifetime, and always provides the perfect drip-free pouring action. I would happily challenge anyone to achieve a perfectly-poured, non-drip cup of tea as many times in a row as you would from a silver or silver-plated teapot, whatever the design."

Antique MapArt Australia assists in obtaining the antique Australasian maps that customers require.

Some of the collections offered at Antique MapArt Australia include Australasian maps like 1571- Pars orbis, 1589- Maris pacifici, 1661- Carta secon, etc.

The Montanus' map offered by Antique MapArt Australia shows the distribution of Noah's sons and their offsprings as they re-populated the earth after the flood. The alphabetical and numerical reference system identifies where each of his children are settled. The map shows the depiction of islands representing Portuguese knowledge of Australia.

Valck's map was designed by the famous mapmaker Joan Blaeu who engraved the map in 1672 but did not publish it. Historians believed that this was because of fire that occurred at the printery. A year later Blaeu died and eventually this part of his estate was passed on to Valck and it first appeared to the world in 1695.

This map is an example of the map making of the 17th century, depicting all the ornateness of the period. This map alos has an unusual depiction of the hemispheres for the time. The pictures on the map illustrate the story of Noah’s Ark with the sun and moon on the the top of the map.

Chippendale desk hits $41,400 at Leland Little Auction A gorgeous late 18th century Pennsylvania Chippendale tiger maple desk sold for $41,400 at a multi-estate Historic Hillsborough Auction held Sept. 19 by Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd. HILLSBOROUGH, N.C.) – A gorgeous late 18th century Pennsylvania Chippendale tiger maple desk, probably Lancaster County and crafted from strikingly figured tiger maple with poplar secondary, sold for $41,400 against a pre-sale estimate of $5,000-$10,000 at a multi-estate Historic Hillsborough Auction held Sept. 19 by Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd. The desk was the top achiever of the more than 700 quality lots that changed hands. It was just the second major auction held at Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd.’s new, state-of-the-art gallery facility, located at 620 Cornerstone Court in Hillsborough. Sold were hundreds of lots of fine art, period furniture, decorative accessories and more. Featured was the estate collection of the late W. Samuel Tarlton, the former respected art dealer and co-owner of an antiques shop in Raleigh. “This was quite simply the best sale we’ve ever had,” said Leland Little of Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd. “I feel a renewed freshness and energy in the auction business I haven’t experienced in some time. The mid-range market items, especially, such as jewelry and decorative accessories, did extremely well, much better than in previous sales. This is all very encouraging to us and the industry.” Mr. Little added, “Our decision last year to build a new facility, which gives us greater access and visibility near the interstate, was a timely and prudent one. The new location is equipped with specialized gallery lighting, greatly expanded exhibit space and green building components. This building is a major asset to our business.” The auction, which grossed a little under $1 million, attracted a standing room only crowd of more than 300 people. In addition, 752 bidders were registered online and over 700 pre-bids were posted via LiveAuctioneers.com. Phone and absentee bidding was active, as 1,200 pre-absentee and phone bids were lined up prior to sale. In all, close to 1,000 people registered to bid live, by phone and through absentee bids. Additional highlights from the sale follow. All prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer’s premium. The Chippendale desk came out of the Tarlton collection. Other furniture pieces from his estate included a set of six Knoll & Saarinen white tulip chairs (circa 1960) and pedestal dining table ($3,336, pre-sale est. $800-$1,500); a mid-18th century American Queen Anne maple center table, possibly from the North Carolina Chowan River Basin ($4,830); and an 18th century Massachusetts Chippendale oxbow slant lid desk ($4,600, pre-sale est. $2,000-$3,000). Also from the Tarlton estate: a New Hampshire Federal bowfront chest of drawers (circa 1800-1810), 12-panel form ($5,750, pre-sale est. $2,000-$4,000); and an American miniature Hepplewhite inlaid chest, early 19th century ($2,530). Mr. Tarlton’s artwork featured a bronze by Anna Hyatt Huntington (Am., 1876-1973) titled Yawning Tiger ($12,075, pre-sale est. $3,000-$5,000); and a still life oil on board by Jacques Blanche (Fr., 1861-1942, $4,140).

READERS would be aware of the activities of the Antique Arms Collectors Society and the significant role it is playing to preserve valuable Australian heritage in the face of increasing hysteria around gun controls.

Less well known is the potential value of these heritage pieces as investment collectibles.

Their monetary value combined with the perception of bureaucratic indifference or insensitivity to the intrinsic historical worth of antique firearms further fuels the sense of outrage felt by many who have an abiding interest in the subject.

In a recent interview with a Sydney journalists, antique arms dealer, Ken Burton, said the value of antique arms, swords and weaponry had increased annually by eight to 10 per cent.

"On the whole, the quality and condition of the weapon are the most important things to look for when you want to buy," Burton said.

However, if the piece has a special provenance, its condition is less of an issue.

Melbourne dealer, Gordon Morgan, also told the same interviewer it was often hard to put a price on a particular piece.

"For instance, if you owned Lord Louis Mountbatten's personal revolver and it was engraved with his name, that would make it very valuable," Morgan said.

"Take for instance, the Colt percussion revolver called the 1851 Navy. The standard model is worth about $2,000, but the one that Ned Kelly used at Glenrowan is worth a quarter of a million dollars."

Advice for novices is to join a collector's society, read books and browse online, ask experts for their opinion and visit the heritage arms shows held in Sydney every three months.

The history of firearms dates back to the late 1400s, with the development of the first ignition type of firearm, called a matchlock.

Over the ensuing two centuries, various mechanisms were devised including the wheelock before the flintlock mechanism enjoyed widespread used around the middle of the 17th century.

This type of firearm really dominated for the next 100 years with the exception of a brief appearance in the 1830s of a percussion or cap and ball system.

THE preponderance of art news centered on record auction prices for paintings is causing a bit of reflux in antiques circles, with dealers keen to demonstrate the current excellent value of furniture and decorative arts.

If everyone is interested in the next record price for a Brett Whitely daub, the fact remains that there are hardly enough to go around, and most collectors will in any case persevere with more traditional investment categories than spend big on sometimes confronting modern pictures.

Paintings have been in the investment limelight of late, with a resurgence of investment interest in top-ranking modern works, but behind the scenes the antiques trade is ticking over very nicely too, fuelled by a good cross-section of high-quality, one-owner estate collections.

If the best contemporary paintings have performed well, with price increases of 100 per cent or more in the space of a decade, don't let the marketing spin dampen your enthusiasm for furniture, silver, cars and collectables.

Opportunities for new collectors

Expert talks: Walking tours around the Australian Antique & Art Dealers Association Fair with leading specialists take place Thursday, August 23, and Friday, August 24: a good way to see the top lots with expert commentary. Chinese history: Dealer Judith Rutherford limits her sales entirely to the AAA&DA Fair in Sydney and the New York Pacific Arts show each year, so it is the only local place you will see her exquisite Chinese stock on sale. This year a Manchu lady's surcoat from the 1870s is featured. Mansions in Miniature: Showcase Antiques have a very fine micro-mosaic panel depicting St Peter's Cathedral, highly collectable in London and New York salerooms. More fine art: This year's fair includes several fine-art dealers, notably Christopher Day, Lauraine Diggins and Gould Galleries, all with fine traditional Australian paintings on offer. The Australian Antique & Art Dealers Association Fair at The Showring, Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, Sydney, from Wednesday, August 22 to Sunday, August 26. Open from 11am-8pm. See www.aaada.org.au for details.

Most of these categories have been achieving equal and better results for long-term investors since the late 1980s. The extraordinary prices achieved for specific collectors' cars at Bonhams in Sydney are a good indicator. The GTHO Ford that sold there this year for $680,000 was worth well under $80,000 a decade ago, an investment gain of over 800 per cent.

Similar percentages have been achieved with colonial furniture, toys and specialised collecting areas like garden architecture, eclipsing the performance of the full painting market while covering every collecting pocket.

The trick is to buy well and wait patiently. The best examples of items of any sort will always improve in value eventually.

Researching your purchases is essential and the best way to do this is to inspect and handle as much as possible, build relationships with specialists, and read the textbooks.

This month, there's another ideal opportunity to see and feel the best of the best in terms of furniture and decorative art with the return of the Australian Antique & Art Dealers Association Fair to Sydney.

The AA&ADAF has moved to Moore Park's showring centre, promising better exhibition space and more than 60 dealers drawn from across the country.

Running from August 22 to 26, the fair attracts some of Australia's most prestigious and knowledgeable dealers, all keen to showcase their top stock.

There's a gala opening on August 22, worth attending for those keen to pick out the investment bargains ahead of the competition.

The best buys usually go first so it is best to come armed with a cheque book. Otherwise, the general open days are relaxed and pleasant times to look and learn.

Another popular buying moment is towards the end of the last day, when some dealers prefer to discount prices rather than carry unsold goods home, but of course this assumes that special piece remains unsold until then.

This year the Sydney fair has attracted a bevy of established specialists, including Tasmanian John Hawkins and colonial dealer Andrew Simpson.

Hawkins specialises in exceptional quality items with interesting provenance, and this year has a remarkable locket containing a piece of Napoleon Bonaparte's hair taken by his valet, Comte Louis Marchand, while Napoleon was in exile on the island on St Helena, 2000km west of Africa.

Discovered in 1502 by Spanish navigator Joao da Nova Castella and claimed initially for Portugal, the location of St Helena was kept secret until English navigator Thomas Cavendish visited in 1588. The conveniently placed port encouraged development of the island as an important trade link for European ships travelling to the East Indies. St Helena was soon annexed by the Dutch and control wavered between Holland and England for two centuries.

After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815, he was exiled on St Helena by the British until his death in 1821.

During this time, the island was heavily garrisoned and patrolled by war ships to deter rescue attempts by the French, but Napoleon must have enjoyed a lavish lifestyle nonetheless.

He initially stayed as a guest at The Briars, the luxurious home of a British family named Balcombe, who later moved to Australia. Eventually a residence called Longwood was completed to provide his permanent home in exile, replete with fine French furniture, decorative art and bibelot.

Hawkins is well known for his canny purchases of small luxury goods with close associations to important historical figures, and while not cheap, the provenance will be impeccable.

Among interesting Australian antiques at the fair are a fine cedar chiffonier with a particularly good backboard and attractive 19th century patina. Andrew Simpson is showing the piece as a part of his personal collection.

A rare Australian pound stg. 50 banknote printed in the 1880s is on offer by currency dealer John Pettit.

Jewellery specialist Anne Schofield has a very fine 1860s goldfield's brooch featuring a kangaroo and an emu in leafy foliage and set with seed pearls. Schofield also has a beautiful collection of "memento mori", small souvenirs recalling deceased loved ones. Highly popular and fashionable among early 19th century Europeans, mourning jewellery typically took the form of brooches containing locks of hair, portrait miniatures or rings incorporating black bands.

A rare alternative incorporated fine miniature paintings of just the eyes, usually set in gold- or pearl-mounted frames. Schofield has assembled a fine collection of eye paintings arranged as brooches, lorgnettes, rings and lockets.

Look also for stands by new Melbourne auctioneer Mossgreen, with a selection of furniture from the collection of retiring dealer Leslie Walford, Veronica Bunda's array of quality Asprey accessories, and a topical exhibition of barometers and antique weather-reading equipment called "Under Pressure", from furniture dealers Chris and Jenny Snook.

Antiques Reproductions

Antiques reproductions are beautiful pieces, no doubt. Antiques reproductions are furniture and other knickknacks that are meant to copy the look of the original antiques. You can find antiques reproductions that approximate the popular styles in antiques.

Styles in antiques reproductions

These antiques reproductions are popular in various American, French and English styles. For American antiques reproductions, you can opt for William and Mary, Queen Anne, Classical, Chippendale, Federal, Country and Shaker, and Empire styles. Chippendale antiques reproductions are probably the most popular. Authentic Chippendale antiques date back from 1750 to 1780.

When it comes to French style antiques reproductions, the popular options are in the style of Louis Philippe, Louis XIV and Louis XV. The authentic items that are basis for these antiques reproductions date from 1830 to 1848, 1643 to 1715, and 1723 to 1774, respectively.

English style antiques reproductions, on the other hand, come in Georgian, Regency, Victorian and Edwardian styles. These are very popular antiques reproductions. The original items that are basis for these antiques reproductions date back from 1714 to 1812, 1812 to 1830, 1837 to 1901, and 1901 to 1910.

Why buy antiques reproductions

One of the many reasons people buy antiques is its looks. The styles of authentic antique items are undoubtedly some of the best looking in the market. Add to the value of authentic antique, the collector will surely have a classic looking and very tasteful home.

Alas, authentic antiques come with a very steep price tag. This is where antiques reproductions come in. Antiques reproductions are mainly for people who want the look and feel of authentic antiques but may not have such a thick wallet to afford these. Since antiques reproductions approximate the looks of these antiques, you can have the closest thing you can get to actually owning authentic antiques. This way, you can design your home to have the classic antique-ish look without spending too much.

Caution with antiques reproductions

Unfortunately for collectors of authentic antiques and even those who are into antiques reproductions, there are those scrupulous business entities who try to pass off antiques reproductions as the real thing. While antiques reproductions are legitimate pieces and are actually part of a very big industry, these are far from the real thing. The price difference is an issue, for one thing. People who pass off antiques reproductions and sell these as authentic antiques are just looking to trick people. When buying antique, always go to legitimate sources

DETERMINED DEALERS NOT DETERRED Delighted to find a rare and exceptional Lamb of Manchester Aesthetic Movement library bookcase for their stand at Olympia International Art and Antiques Fair Patrick Macintosh and Richard Nadin were disappointed when the vendors could not produce two of the original shelves missing from the interior. Determined Patrick Macintosh would not be deterred and armed with the provenance of the piece departed for Reed Hall at Exeter University where the bookcase had resided since being commissioned, c 1870, by Richard Thornton West, a wealthy East India Company nabob who owned the vast Italianate mansion then known as Streatham Hall which later became part of Exeter University after his death in 1920. The bookcase had remained in the house until the present day. Mr Macintosh gained entry to the cavernous old cellars after some discussion with the university administrator and was delighted to find the original shelves tucked away behind the Christmas decorations. The exceptional parcel-gilt walnut library bookcase, with carved boxwood portrait roundels “History” and “Poetry” on the panelled doors, was designed by Bruce Talbert for Lamb of Manchester and will have a price ticket in the region of £50,000 at the fair, which will be open from 5 – 14 June 2009.

dmg UK FAIRS CHANGE HANDS dmg World Media have announced the sale of the UK division of their antiques fairs. Newark, Ardingly and Detling International Antiques & Collectors Fairs and the Shepton Malllet Antiques & Collectors Fair have been purchased by exhibition organisers Robert Thomas and Keith Harris. The new name for the company will be IACF Ltd - International Antiques & Collectors Fairs Ltd, the name of the business prior to it being brought in line with the dmg Antiques Fairs brand. New owner Keith Harris, who was the Managing Director for DMG Exhibitions Ltd, when they purchased the fairs in 1994, said: “This has always been a tremendous business -one that fulfils a vital role in the supply chain for the antiques trade …” Mr Thomas, an experienced exhibition organiser, said “There is a really dedicated and professional team based in Newark and we are looking forward to working closely with them to ensure that these fairs maintain their pre-eminent position as the UK’s biggest - and best!” The next event in new IACF calendar is Newark International Antiques and Collectors' Fair from 4 -5 June 2009.

ANTIQUESNEWS WELCOMES RODERIC HAUGH Having located the spacious industrial premises, complete with a gasometer and pylons, off the Kings Road, London SW6, late in 2000, Roderic Haugh went on to gather a galaxy of ten stars from the antiques trade to form Core One which has become the first port of call for international decorators, dealers and private clients looking for the best examples in furniture and objects from the 17th century to the 1970s. Roderic has been a dealer in the decorative trade since the late 60s and his showroom at Core One is testament to his eclectic taste underpinned by his classical training. Roderic is a founder exhibitor at the Bath Decorative and Antiques Fair. See Roderic Haugh Antiques web site via Trade Index

ANTIQUES INDUSTRY URGED TO FIGHT FAKES ON eBay eBay UK today announced a new anti-counterfeit campaign to recruit members of the antiques industry to work in partnership with the online marketplace to tackle the global challenge of counterfeits online causing damage to consumer confidence and the reputation of Rights Owners and legitimate businesses alike. The new anti-counterfeit campaign, ‘Fighting Fakes with eBay’ is part of eBay’s ongoing commitment to drive down the number of fake antiques sold on the site. The campaign will encourage Rights Owners to join eBay’s Verified Rights Owner programme VeRO and use their expertise to ensure that potentially fake items are removed before consumers are able to purchase them. Doug McCallum, Senior Vice President, eBay Europe said: “Counterfeiters’ sophistication keeps increasing, making it ever harder to differentiate a genuine item from a fake. …We invest millions of dollars annually to prevent potential counterfeits from appearing, and millions more removing from our sites the few that slip through … we are unable to tackle the problem alone… The fight against counterfeits requires a coordinated and global approach – with Governments, Rights Owners, law enforcement and industry working together to combat the issue.. .”

eBay explained some of the thinking behind the "fakes" provision of its new Purchase Protection Policy designed for buyers. The policy as first published would have instructed buyers to destroy items in which the buyer and seller could not agree were not "non-authentic." eBay later revised the policy to state that the buyer should return the item to the seller in such cases involving counterfeit items. eBay also provided AuctionBytes with additional background on its new dispute resolution process, which it said it was moving from a risk-management perspective to a customer-service perspective. Sellers expressed concern that eBay would count a "counterfeit" complaint from a buyer as a strike against them if they could not convince the buyer the item was authentic. eBay spokesperson John Pluhowski said, "a notice in this form by a buyer would count as an infringement notice against the seller. Note that the buyer and seller have an opportunity to resolve the dispute between themselves before this arises. If the seller establishes that the item is not counterfeit, no infringement violation would be noted. Otherwise, eBay's policies prohibit the sale of counterfeit items." However, eBay said it would review evidence of authenticity from the seller in its new dispute resolution process announced in April - see "How does this new eBay Resolution process work?" in eBay's FAQs, and said the new policies are no more stringent than they are today. eBay will work with sellers to try to resolve problems and said the process is more holistic, with representatives taking into account buyer and seller track records on both eBay and PayPal. But what about cases where there is a legitimate buyer who says an item is a counterfeit, and a legitimate seller who says it's not a counterfeit but can't prove it? eBay said it can't tell because it's a venue, "so the balance that we've struck was that the buyer sends the item back to the seller, the seller can't list it, but we do have to note, and as part of our consequence guidelines, we do note, that there's an issue. We don't take account level action against sellers based on one issue, there's multiple things that have to go into play, but it tells us it's a flag we need to watch it. And if a seller is getting multiple claims like this, that's something we need to look at." Would eBay make exceptions for certain trusted sellers? Generally eBay wants to make sure it has placed a notation in the account because it's a flag for them - "it's not something we want to ignore. eBay takes reports of counterfeiting very seriously." However, eBay knows its sellers, and one notation on an account won't result in aggressive action against the seller because there might be a mistake or explanation. The change in language in the policy revision from "non-authentic" to "counterfeit" was deliberate, eBay said, hoping to clear up questions raised by sellers. So does that mean claims involving counterfeits apply only to designer items and not to antiques, for example? "Counterfeit is a very specific term, which means the selling of illegal items, which are prohibited on eBay." eBay's Pluhowski was able to provide two examples. For items such as antiques, where it may be one period versus another, that's not what a counterfeit means. If it's described as an antique and it is not, that would fall under the "Item not as described" policy. Generally, a counterfeit is something that is a fake product, so if the item was described as an authentic "Chippendale" piece of furniture and was not, that could be a counterfeit if "Chippendale" had Intellectual Property rights around the use of its brand. eBay's User Agreement states there may be "additional circumstances where eBay elects to exercise its discretion and may request the destruction of the item by an authorized third party and at eBay's expense." The company said those circumstance might include cases where a seller doesn't want the item back, or if eBay is unable to locate the seller for whatever reason - an account takeover, for example. eBay said it has not selected a third-party to use in such cases. eBay's policy states, "Buyers who eBay believes are not acting in good faith, abusing the program or a seller, attempting to commit or committing fraud, or trying to unjustly benefit from the program may become ineligible for eBay Purchase Protection." eBay said it has broad policy language such as this, but it does do investigations if it receives reports about a buyer or seller. If it found there was a buyer who, for example, was actually a seller trying to shut down a competitor by making false claims, it would look into it and take deliberate action - but that's not generally what eBay is seeing, the company said. In addition, when a buyer calls or emails and needs help with an item they have a problem with, eBay runs fraud controls to evaluate the buyer and take their track record into account. They also take a look at the seller's track record, and at the information in the seller's listing. In general, in cases of items not as described, either eBay or the buyer would pick up the cost of shipping item back to seller. eBay will use its discretion in when it would pay the cost, with the goal of having higher buyer retention rates. "We may want to do everything we can to take care of one small problem when (buyers) look like they could very well be spending more money with us." It is measuring buyers' intent to recommend eBay as a place to shop and how much money they are actually spending on the site to help determine the effectiveness of the program. There are two cases where sellers might pay for return shipping, eBay said. One case is where the buyer and seller agree, the other is when there is conflicting information in the listing. An example of that would be a listing where the title and Item Specifics say New In Box, but the description says the item is missing some pieces and has been opened. eBay said it intends to make it clear exactly what those requirements are before asking any seller to cover the cost of the return shipping. eBay began training representatives whose jobs had been top-seller support to work with buyers to handle the new dispute resolution process and has expanded that training to reps who had been in top-buyer support, as well as PayPal reps who have been working with claims and Trust & Safety issues. eBay is providing sellers with the same phone number to call (866-643-1588) and said it believes the integrated perspective will result in a process that is more fair and equitable to everybody. Currently the new dispute process covers over a million of eBay's most active buyers. eBay has been rolling out the program more slowly to sellers because they wanted to see what it would take to make the buyers happy, eBay said. It expects to ramp to the full seller base before the holidays.

Claim reveals terms offered to top seller 5 May 2009 More details have emerged regarding the ‘breach-of-contract’ lawsuit which claims that Christie’s backed out of a $40m guarantee made to secure a Francis Bacon self-portrait for sale. The complaint, filed by the Connecticut collector George A. Weiss with the United States Southern District Court of New York on April 3, details the remarkable deals available to owners of major works of art. As reported in ATG No 1886, April 18, the complaint contends that during the consignment process in July 2008, Sotheby’s and Christie’s made competing offers to sell Francis Bacon’s 1964 Study for Self Portrait No. 1. Christie’s sent in their biggest guns to win the picture: honorary chairman Christopher Burge, president Marc Porter, and top 20th century picture specialists Laura Paulson, Brett Gorvy and Guy Bennett. They proposed two options. Option one comprised a $40million guaranteed minimum price to the seller, plus 103 per cent of the hammer price should the picture sell for more than $40m. In the event that the picture brought over $50m this ‘enhanced hammer premium’ would cease and any further proceeds would be split 90-10 between the seller and the auctioneer. The more straightforward option two offered the seller 108 per cent of the sale price (Christie’s would make their money on only a portion of the buyer’s premium) but gave no minimum price guarantee. Christie's took delivery of the painting after Weiss had chosen their offer of a $40m guarantee with additional monies should bidding go higher. The complaint says the final version of the contract was delivered to Christie’s on September 23 but that the next day Christie's informed the Weiss Family Art Trust that the $40 million guarantee could not be honoured because of the changed climate of the art market. When the Bacon was offered at Christie’s Post War and Contemporary Art sale in New York last November it failed to sell. The trust claims that “Christie’s reneged upon the minimum price guarantee” and is suing for the $40m it says it was promised, plus interest. A statement from Christie's stated: "Christie's has much respect for Mr. Weiss as a collector, philanthropist and businessman. Unfortunately, we disagree with his position in this litigation." By Roland Arkell

Francis Bacon's Study for Self Portrait No. 1 from 1964. The Weiss family are suing Christie's, citing the auction house's withdrawal of a $40m guarantee on the picture in a breach-of-contract claim.

by RIC ZAND-VLIET

The Fender Stratocaster is the one guitar that seems to evoke so much passion among collectors and players alike. Should I buy vintage or a reissue? Are three-bolts as good as a four-bolt? Do CBS Strats hold their value? One can only wonder where the market is heading in the twenty-first century.

As time marches on and 50s and 60s Strats become outpriced for the average player, I believe the term "vintage", and to what it applies, will change significantly. Despite the fact that a vintage dealer in Nashville may believe that 70s and 80s Strats are nothing more than good utility instruments, to many born in, say, 1980 or later, a vintage Strat may be anything manufactured before his or her date of birth. I'm starting to get young players asking for vintage Jackson guitars!

In Australia, we're at a slight disadvantage compared to the United States. Not only do we have to take into account our import taxes, shipping costs and GST (goods-and-service taxes), we also face fluctuations in the exchange rate between the United States dollar (USD) and the Australian dollar (AUD), which over the last year or so has gone from 1 AUD equalling .5 USD to .8 USD, and is now back to around 70 cents (as of July 15, 2004, 1 AUD is worth about .73 USD). What this means is that one US dollar costs us around $1.36 of our money (1 AUD being the equivalent of $1.36 USD and 1 USD equalling .73 AUD!).

Let's look at a typical example to see the impact this has.

A Stratocaster with a $12,000 USD market value that can be bought in the US for $10,000 USD, when brought to Australia will end up costing approximately $17,000 AUD, or $12,434 USD, after all applicable taxes and shipping costs - an amount greater than its market value.

Now, let's go back the other way and see where it takes us.

If someone from the States was interested in buying the same instrument that has a $12,000 USD market value and that cost the Australian dealer $17,000 AUD ($12,434 USD), the dealer would have to sell it at a loss to remain competitive with the market in the US. This essentially makes us uncompetitive in the US market with local US dealers unless we can buy instruments at a deep discount to their market value, or we invest in ultra-rare guitars that will bring a premium from knowledgeable buyers.

This fluctuating currency exchange rate affects the market to such an extent that it produces an overall slowing down of sales in general as our dollar gains, whereas, when our dollar is at 50 cents, bargains are to be found in Australia.

The market in general for high-quality vintage Strats is still small in Australia. We recently offered a 1962 Fiesta Red Strat in excellent condition through our shop and website. All of our enquiries came from the US and Europe. Australia has been so isolated from the vintage market that when Australian buyers see asking prices of $20,000 or $30,000 AUD they tend to shy away, not knowing or appreciating the real value of such vintage pieces and the costs to the dealer.

We can conclude that although Australia has had and still has quite a wide variety of players and collectors, at present the market here is still in its early days for high-end vintage pieces. But, having said that, bear in mind that we are a people who love things American and appreciate fine quality workmanship and great-sounding and -playing guitars. This will definitely lead to a greater vintage and high-end market as time goes by.

If I had $50,000 USD to invest in guitars where would I put it?

I would probably get something like what we just sold, a 1962 Fiesta Red Stratocaster, plus some early 70s strats, three-bolt and all! And maybe even a couple of late 60s thinline Teles for good measure. Why? Because they're already twice the age of the average band playing today! To these players vintage is 1970... or is it 1980?

About Ric Zand-Vliet and Rics Vintage Guitars

I started collecting the odd guitar in the mid eighties,* but at the time I never really looked at the "vintage" market as such. I used to pick up anything oddball - those old Ekos, Hofners and such, which were commonplace here in Oz.

At the time, there was no vintage market in Australia, and I remember passing on old Strats because I thought who would ever want one of those old guitars. How wrong I was and how times have changed.

It wasn't until the Internet began and the occasional guitar website would pop up and a few friends travelling to the US brought back vintage-guitar magazines that I really saw what was going on elsewhere. These facts fuelled my desire to do more than sell the odd guitar at a flea market.

We started our website in 2002, and within a year of the site opening we saw a need to expand. The only way we saw this happening was with a bricks-and-mortar store. With the help of a generous benefactor (thanks, Rob), it became a reality, and before you know it we were not only selling to our local market but to interstate and overseas clients as well, which has helped us get to where we are today. We started business in Fremantle and to this day we are the only vintage guitar dealer in the Perth region. In only a year and a half, we have become Australia's number one vintage-guitar dealer.

Being "the most isolated vintage guitar shop in the world" (Perth is the world's most isolated capital city) has some benefits - we see rare and collectible guitars and amps every now and then, such as the Fender LTD and the Fender Montego 2 pictured in this article, both currently offered by us.

Although we are a relatively small dealer compared to many in the US and Europe, we offer some very rare and interesting items, such as the elusive 1964 Daphne Blue Strat pictured above, which makes us worth keeping in your favourites list!

[Images from top to bottom: Ric Zand-Vliet with a 1971 Fender Montego 2 at Rics Vintage Guitars; 1964 Daphne Blue Stratocaster; closeup of the 1971 Fender Montego 2; Ric Zand-Vliet with a Fender LTD at Rics Vintage Guitars. All images courtesy of Ric Zand-Vliet and copyright 2004, Ric Zand-Vliet. All rights reserved.]

Contact Information

Contact: Ric Zand-Vliet
Company: Rics Vintage Guitars
Address: studio3 -13 James Street, Freemantle, West Australia
Telephone: Australia: (08) 9433-2625; International: +(618) 9433-2625
Email: ric@ricsvintageguitars.com

John Steinbeck's "Cup of Gold"; first edition, first issue; with color pictorial jacket; Robert M. Mc Bride; 1929; sold for $6,000. Photo courtesy of PBA Galleries. When John Steinbeck wrote his first novel “Cup of Gold” he worked as a caretaker in Lake Tahoe on a large estate owned by the widow of a San Francisco surgeon.

Steinbeck’s nearest neighbor was two miles away so he could write in peace. There was also plenty to read in the family’s well stocked library and mostly he was content. When Steinbeck wrote he also listened to classical music. He said it improved the rhythm of his words.

“Cup of Gold : A Life of Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, with Occasional Reference to History,” was the full title of the book. Steinbeck’s 1929 historical fiction was loosely based on the life of pirate, Sir Henry Morgan. Morgan ruled the Spanish Main in the 1670's, ravaging the coast of Cuba and America and wrecking havoc wherever he went.

Full of good guys and bad guys the book celebrated the myths and legends Steinbeck enjoyed as a child. The novel grew out of a short story he wrote as a student at Stanford.

While he was writing “Cup of Gold” Steinbeck traveled to Camp Richardson twice a week on snowshoes. It was a meeting place for caretakers of surrounding resorts. There he got his mail and enjoyed some conversation and camaraderie.

But Steinbeck enjoyed his solitude. He saw it as groundwork for life as a writer.

“Do you know, one of the things that made me come here was, as you guess, that I am frightfully afraid of being alone,” he wrote to a friend. “The fear of the dark is only part of it. I wanted to break that fear in the middle, because I am afraid much of my existence is going to be more or less alone, and I might as well go into training for it.”

In deep isolation he was able to go deep with “Cup of Gold”. He knew the book would not be his best work, but he hoped it would jumpstart his career. When he was done, Steinbeck sent the handwritten book to college friend Kate Beswick who typed it for him.

Early in 1929 Steinbeck received word from Stanford classmate, Ted Miller that Robert M. McBride & Company was going to publish “Cup of Gold”. Steinbeck was paid a $250 advance against future sales.

His friend Mahlon Blaine was hired to illustrate the text and Steinbeck was upset and insulted. He thought the illustrator made the book look like a swashbuckling tale for teenagers rather than a work of serious adult fiction. Ultimately, Steinbeck didn’t complain too much because “Cup of Gold” sold more copies than his next two books combined.

Steinbeck was a natural storyteller with a knack for capturing the feelings and lives of everyday working people from the early-20th century through the 1960s.

“My whole work drive has been aimed at making people understand each other,” he said. Steinbeck did just that.

Collecting John Steinbeck has always been expensive for two reasons. His books are desirable and his first editions in dust jackets are scarce.

On Jan. 15, PBA Galleries, San Francisco, featured a selection of Steinbeck books in its Fine Literature sale. Here are some current values.

John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men; first edition, first issue; pictorial jacket; Covici-Friede; 1937; $900.

East of Eden; one of 1500 copies; Viking; 1952; $1,440.

The Red Pony; first edition; one of 699 hand numbered copies; Covici-Friede; 1937; $2,040.

The Grapes of Wrath; first edition; color pictorial jacket; Viking; 1939; $3,000.

Cup of Gold; first edition, first issue; unstained top edge; color pictorial jacket; light wear to edges; $2.50 printed price still present; Robert M. Mc Bride; 1929; $6,000.

Following the letter sent to the Editor of The Times - see Headline below, members of the trade are being asked to sign the petition on Antiques.co.uk or click on the banner on the left hand side of this page.

Ian Brunt will be appear BBC Radio 4 "You and Yours" on Friday 1 May to discuss the petition.

"While other sectors are receiving help from the Government, the antiques industry - which is partly reliant on the housing market - does not. Even the recent VAT reduction does not help us," say doyen ceramics specialist Henry Sandon of Worcester and Ian Michael Brunt of Ledsham, Leeds, co-signatories of a Letter to the Editor of The Times, published in London on 4 April 2009. Under the headline, "Preserve Antiquarians" the letter concludes: "With sterling at its lowest for some considerable time, UK products are once again attractive to overseas buyers. With some marketing support from the Government, we could be using this opportunity to reach the world market for antiques." To justify the suggestion of government aid the letter quotes unspecified statistics that the UK's antiques and art market in 2007 contributed ten per cent of the global market share of £40 billion. In 2008 there was a significant fall from that £4 billion to £2.75 billion.

CELEBRITY ANTIQUES USA

LAPADA PLEA FOR EVICTED ANTIQUARIUS DEALERS

NOEL Clark has never been to London, but that did not stop him from wanting to get his hands on a 1963 Austin FX4 London taxi.

The taxi is just one of 400 items which will be sold at an unreserved price at an auction clearing sale this Saturday. The five passenger black taxi with a clock work flag meter will be put under the hammer and so will a 1949 Daimler DB18 and 1929 Dodge DA Roadster.

Mr Clark bought the taxi in the 1970s.

“I was going to import one, but this one was advertised in the Sydney Morning Herald from Armidale,” he said.

“I went to Armidale and drove it home.”

Mr Clark said he was interested in the taxi as he thought it was a unique vehicle.

It was purpose-built for taxi work and there were not many in Australia.

The Roadster comes complete with a “Dickie Seat” which Mr Clark termed the “Mother-in-law seat” because it was separate from the cabin part of the car.

The auction this Saturday is being run by David Snow from Peter Snow and Co and is the second part of the sale.

In the first part of the auction, the house at 18 Collingwood Close, Toowoomba, was sold along with some china and ornaments.

The majority of the rest of the auction is a collection of antiques Mr Clark's late wife Muriel Clark began putting together in the mid-70s.

“My wife was the collector. I just followed her around with a cheque book,” Mr Clark joked.

Mr Clark said his wife made a point of collecting anything she found, which included English furniture and china.

A particular favourite was Royal Doulton.

The auction clearing sale will be held this Saturday at 9am at 18 Collingwood Close.

People are welcome to start inspecting the antique pieces of the collection from 8am.

AN AUSTRALIAN painting bought for $US25 at an antique market in Texas is expected to fetch up to $A45,000 at a Melbourne auction this month.

The oil on board, Wild Flowers with White Coral, caught Barbara Pool's attention when she saw it at a market stall and she returned two weeks later to buy it.

"For some reason it haunted me and it didn't cost very much, so I decided I could just hang it anywhere," she said yesterday from her home in Carthage, east of Dallas.

She and her husband Phil had never heard of the artist, Grace Cossington Smith, and the work hung in their study for about a year before Mr Pool Googled her name to discover she was a famous Australian painter. Smith, a pioneer of the Australian modernist movement, died in Sydney in 1984, aged 92.

The Pools discovered that some of Smith's works were held by the National Gallery of Australia.

When they contacted Sotheby's in Australia, the company's head of Australian paintings, Georgina Pemberton, was sceptical. "I thought it might be a reproduction print, but when it arrived it couldn't have been better," Ms Pemberton said. "It's Grace Cossington Smith's hand, her brush strokes, her colours, her subject and her very distinctive, lyrical signature."

Ms Pemberton made another discovery when she pulled off the work's backing paper. A small label revealed it had belonged to the late Hollywood actor Vincent Price, whose third wife was the Australian actress Coral Browne. "I like to think he was drawn to the picture because it's a still life with coral," she said. "Goodness knows how it ended up at a second-hand stall in Texas."

Despite an estimated sale price of $35,000 to $45,000, the Pools were initially reluctant to sell. However, they decided an Australian owner would better appreciate the work. It will go under the hammer at Sotheby's Melbourne gallery on August 25.

Also on sale is a Russell Drysdale portrait of the bushman Rocky McCormack, expected to sell for between $1.8 million and $2.2 million. John Glover's landscape Moulting Lagoon and Great Oyster Bay, from Pine Hill is also likely to top $1 million.

The “Soft Drink Machine” is as synonymous with the 50’s era as jukeboxes and finned cars once were and for that lucky few still are. It’s clear that we all have a special place in our hearts for nostalgia and what we like to remember as simpler times.

It can definitely be said that “necessity is the mother of invention,” and once the fledgling soft drink companies realised they needed a way to sell bottles of their drinks cold, the rush was on to see who could come up with the answer.

In the mid-30’s, starting in the USA, things began to change. Style, as well as functionality became important. The 40’s saw some very beautiful machines being produced and by the mid-50’s “soft drink styling” was at its pinnacle.

Whether you’re a serious collector or just someone who thinks old soft drink machines are cool, you can easily appreciate the workmanship and styling any which way you look at it.

Police have found a haul of valuable antiques, including war medals, a $4,000 flute and an 80-year-old street directory, in a drug raid on a unit in Newtown in Sydney's inner west.

Police found the drug 'ice', cocaine, ecstasy and more than 100 drivers' licences, credit cards and Medicare cards when they raided the apartment on Station Street last week.

They also seized medals awarded for service in World War II and an operation in the Persian Gulf.

Other valuables found included a 1914 thermometer, a $4,000 piccolo flute, a 1928 street directory, antique German cameras, crockery from the 1880s, stamps, coins and gramophones.

Two men, aged 39 and 45, and a 39-year-old woman have been ordered to face court later this month.

They have been charged with possessing drugs and not in relation to the stolen antiques. The 45-year-old is also accused of resisting arrest.

Police believe the items were stolen from Sydney homes and one on the New South Wales central coast, before being traded for drugs.

Sergeant Trevor Durham says the owners of the valuables are probably elderly people targeted by robbers.

"At present we're appealing to members of the public to possibly identify these items and possible owners throughout the metropolitan area," he said.

"We're hoping that we can actually identify it by Anzac Day."

Police are appealing for anyone who can help find the owners of the valuables to call Newtown Police on (02) 9550 8199 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Andrew Mathieson



17th April 2009 09:25:33 AM



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BIG BOYS’ toys for the Rosenbergs have been antiques even when father and son were both still little boys.

Collecting big bearskins was an audacious start for John, now 69, Geelong’s most established antique dealer.

“I was riding my bike home with its head and all over the handle bars – I must have looked a scream,” he laughs.

“I’d put that in my bedroom and my mother hated it because she was scared everytime she came in.”

She never understood John and was later heard to utter: “There’s something wrong with that kid – all he wants is all that old rubbish.”

He was born on the wrong side of the war, antiques replaced toys when money was tight.

As a 12-year-old John was already selling collectables in a Geelong West antique shopfront window, passing on a 10 per cent commission.

Visiting Curleys auctioneers straight after school gave him the eye for detail.

The East Geelong boy first saw some value in a teapot stand dating from 1755 and paid just a shilling back then at an op shop.

“I beg to differ on that,” his son Paul interrupts, “that’s a saucer.”

Paul then laughs: “We’ll have to debate that.”

Dad cringes a bit and stares back.

“It’s a teapot stand, Paul – it’s completely flat,” John responds before grinning, “Hey, don’t tell your father how to suck eggs.”

For the 34-year-old son, swapping video games and footballs for all things old as a boy was unremarkable.

“They were my toys too,” Paul says.

“I just didn’t know any different.”

He even paid big bucks to spend a year at Christie’s auction house in London.

John insists antique collectors have little say in the matter.

“There’s a disease called chinamania, and if you’ve got it, there’s no cure,” he adds.

There are more than 7000 antiques in their massive Ryrie Street shop – as well as countless collectables that are less than 100 years old and considered more junk than antiques.

Among most of the prized pieces is the largest antique ceramics collection in Australia, and arguably in the world, John suggests.

Another 3000 antiques sit in their priceless reference collection.

Most pieces are more than 500 years old, but some, such as items from the Ming dynasty, are closer to 1000.

Others even stretch back thousands of years.

Inside, the antiquity section is something to behold.

“We have fragments up to 9000 years old,” John, pointing to them, says, “Lot of these, though, are 6000 years old.”

The oldest item is from the Sahara Desert and can fit in the palm of a hand.

Another favourite is a tiny lamp that is about 6500 years old.

Most were retrieved from returning Australian soldiers in the “shade of the pyramids”.

“The oldest things are often some of the cheapest,” Paul remarks.

“We have 6000-year-old pots that are $350.”

And not everything goes up in price.

Victorian period furniture that sold for $1200 two decades ago has fallen from favour and now gets about $300.

John shows off remnants from the Pompeii ashes in 79 AD that were pulled out of the ruins.

Paul jousts verbally with his dad.

“How did it get to Australia and out of Pompeii?” he wryly questions.

“Um, maybe we don’t want publicity on that.”

Dating the antiques is tough, even for seasoned antique dealers.

Shipwrecks are the easiest to narrow down from the year they are found.

They liken their jobs to playing a detective.

“It is like Sherlock Holmes,” Paul smiles.

“You add up all the clues and, if the positives outweigh the negatives, you can end up attributing it.”

John then butts in, “And sometimes the experts get it quite wrong.”

Paul studied archaeology and specialises in tribal artefacts and ancient fossils.

He interrupts the conversation with the banging on a New Guinea drum.

“The reason why I did the antiquities is because you and mum had the 18th and 19th century cornered,” Paul tells his dad, “I didn’t have a hope.”

Auction Catalogue

Antiques & Interiors

Held: Sunday 19 April 2009 11am

224 Young Street, Waterloo, Sydney, NSW

Preview: Thursday 16 April 2009 10am - 5pm Friday 17 April 2009 10am - 5pm Saturday 18 April 2009 10am - 5pm Sunday 19 April 2009 8:30am

224 Young Street, Waterloo, Sydney, NSW 224 Young Street, Waterloo, Sydney, NSW 224 Young Street, Waterloo, Sydney, NSW 224 Young Street, Waterloo, Sydney, NSW

The next Bay East Antiques and Interiors auction sees a return to our regular monthly format, featuring the broadest possible range of furniture and decorative arts, entirely from private collections.

Highlights include a good selection of Baccarat and Lalique glass, Dutch and English silver, fine English porcelain, Art Deco lamps, Italian design including Cassina and Kartell, Australian cedar, Louis XV and XVI style French furniture, English Regency, William IV and Victorian furniture, modern and Persian rugs, Japanese and Chinese furniture, dolls and toys, books and pictures.

We will be continuously updating and revising our online catalogue, giving you the possibility to view and enquire about the items in each sale. The entire and fully illustrated catalogue will be available one week prior to the sale.

All buyers are required to provide credit card details (We accept Visa, Mastercard, & American Express) during the registration process. Unless we are provided with these details you will not be permitted to bid at auction. This will ensure an improved service to both vendors and buyers alike.

All purchases must be paid for and collected by 5pm on the Tuesday following the auction. For any purchases not paid for by this time, Bonhams and Goodman will automatically charge the full amount due to the card. Also, any purchases not picked up by the close of business on Tuesday, a storage fee of $10 per lot, per day will apply.

We are looking forward to seeing you soon.

After buying a 2001 Nissan Maxima through eBay Motors that was advertised as being “in excellent condition inside and out,” Ron and Linda Wayden were dumbfounded when a vehicle bearing scratches, dents, rust and evidence of repairs from a serious accident was deposited in the driveway of their Alabama home. But their tale comes as no surprise to consumer fraud experts, who say that a growing number of online auto buyers are being hoodwinked by unscrupulous auto dealers and con artists who have adapted old forms of robbery to the information highway.

Car and truck buyers, particularly those in the market for used vehicles, have flocked to the Internet in recent years to search for killer deals on “pre-owned” wheels, making the sector one of e-commerce’s brightest success stories. CNW Market Research of Bandon, Ore., estimates that nearly 30 percent of the 42.6 million used cars that changed hands in the United States last year were bought using the Internet.

But while consumers and ethical auto dealers have benefited greatly from the technology, so too have crooked sellers, according to a review by MSNBC.com of nearly two dozen lawsuits springing from online auto sales, and interviews with industry insiders.

MSNBC.com warned Internet users that fake escrow Web sites were the latest scam. Six months later, the scam has widened considerably, and it now appears to be among the most successful Internet cons ever. By taking advantage of Net auction winners’ inherent trust of escrow sites, the con artists are stealing as much as $40,000 at a time from big-ticket auction winners. Their total take may well reach into millions of dollars so far. And while federal authorities, including the Department of Commerce and FBI, are investigating, there seems to be no way to slow down the con artists.

Worried about getting scammed in an Internet auction? “Just use an escrow service,” is the customary advice. Escrow companies act as a third-party referee, taking payment from buyers but not releasing the money to sellers until the goods are delivered. Escrow companies are supposed to be the safest way to avoid fraud on the Internet, particularly when dealing with Internet auction sales of big-ticket items such as jewelry or cars.

But earlier this year, scam artists stumbled onto a successful formula for tricking Net users into wiring thousands of dollars to fraudulent bank accounts. The criminals build elaborate fake escrow Web sites, with convincing names like Simple-Escrow.net and WhyEscrow.com. Often, the Web sites are set up to imitate legitimate escrow services; to an untrained eye, it can be impossible to tell the difference.

Your rights

Buying at auction is a little different to buying from a store or a website.

• You’re generally dealing with a private individual rather than a company.
• You’re not covered by the same kind of consumer protection laws, such as the right to products that are of merchantable quality or free from defects.

And it can be difficult to put things right because of the ephemeral nature of online auctions — you can’t just rock up to the store and ask for a refund or replacement. Often, you can’t even pick up the phone and have a conversation because correspondence is limited to email or instant messaging. And the seller may be located overseas, where Australian law may not apply.

That’s not to say you have no rights whatsoever. You do:

• Sellers must provide a true representation of the goods they’re auctioning.
• The implied rights that protect consumers still apply if you buy from individual businesses operating through marketplace auction sites.

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Where to complain

Begin negotiation with the seller. The problem may have a reasonable explanation. Check whether the auction site has a dispute resolution process before you bid. If you still can’t settle the issue, contact the fair trading or consumer affairs department in your state or territory or that of the seller (for Australian businesses). You can lodge a complaint at www.econsumer.gov if the seller is based overseas.