Archive for April, 2005

PriceMiner

Thursday, April 28th, 2005

Antique buyers, sellers and appraisers now have an online tool to help them accurately price and value items based on consolidated historical data and current asking price.

Called PriceMiner™ the Internet tool from GoAntiques.com™ is a powerful aggregator of pricing information from a variety of internationally recognized sources. By simply keying in attributes of the item you wish to buy, sell or value, PriceMiner performs a search through millions of prices and presents historical pricing information for the same or similar items. In addition, the service analyzes the data for you so you don’t have to sort through massive amounts of numbers.

Posted in Appraisals | No Comments »

A couple of collectors

Monday, April 25th, 2005

We came across two great interviews with collectors about what and why the collect and how collectibles are a part of their lives.

First, from the Houston Chronicle there is an article about Kristal Kirksey and the collectibles that she has decorated her house with:

Kirksey’s two-bedroom Heights cottage is the perfect showcase for everything she loves — from her dogs to vintage Coca-Cola memorabilia to the color pink. Her joie de vivre fills every nook and cranny.

This article nails the spirit of eclectic collecting and give the reader a nice insight into Ms. Kirksey’s thoughts about the joy of collectibles.

Next Jerome Gagnon of sfgate.com writes an article about Naomi Murdach’s collection of vintage dinnerware and art pottery.

“The store is really an extension of my living room and my life,” said Murdach, an octogenarian who started collecting teapots as a child and now has more than 1,800 of them.

Posted in Collectors | No Comments »

The art of displaying collectibles

Monday, April 25th, 2005

Indiatimes.com has posted an interesting article about displaying collectibles:

Antique collections add interest and personality to any space. However, it is important to display antiques well for best effect. Elegantly-displayed collections will look striking. Otherwise, the same objects might just look like clutter. The flair with which you display your collectibles is what elevates their aura.

Well written and well worth the read.

Posted in Shows and Events | No Comments »

Tias Hot List

Monday, April 25th, 2005

tias.com recently released their monthly “Hot List” of Antiques & Collectibles. These top ten lists are based on hundreds of thousands of searches by people using the online search engines at the indicated Web sites in the month of March 2005.

  • Avon (no Movement)
  • Dolls (up from #4)
  • Cookie Jars (up from #5)
  • Depression Glass (down from #2)
  • Teapots (up from #8)
  • Milk Glass (down from #3)
  • Fenton (no movement)
  • Pyrex (up from #10)
  • Carnival Glass (down from #6)
  • McCoy (not listed last month)

You can get more detailed information by reading their press release here.

Posted in Collectors | No Comments »

BG’s Gifts & Collectibles announces Affiliate & Wholesaler programs.

Monday, April 25th, 2005

BG’s Gifts and Collectibles has been in the Texas Hill Country in Bandera for a good number of years. Bandera is a tourist community averaging thousands of visitors on any given weekend. We also have many winter Texans who are regular customers. “Our customers from the North wanted a way to buy our gifts so we opened up a web business. That’s how we came to be online.” Bobbie related. She set up www.bgsgifts.com in early 2001, just so these customers could find the gifts and collectibles they wanted to give to others or buy for themselves.

Bobbie and Dan Grasser run their offline business, BG’s Gifts & Collectibles offering a wide range of products that are mostly items for around the home. Dan calls them ‘nick knacks’, or ‘dust collectors’, yet Bobbie is very passionate about every item she sells. “A home is not a home if it isn’t decorated”.

Posted in Shops | No Comments »

Pope collectibles on eBay

Monday, April 25th, 2005

The Arizona Republic has posted an article about the explosion of papal related auctions on ebay.

eBay spokesman Hani Durzy says: “We began to see Pope Benedict buttons, books, newspapers . . . literally within minutes after he was named“.

There are lots of folks buying John Paul collectibles too. Rev. Mark Goldasich says: “Basically, people don’t want to forget and having that very concrete reminder, whether it’s a keychain, whatever, it’s something they can grab. In a way, the person can become real to them again.”

Evidently, John Paul is outselling the new pope...

Not all of the auctions are going off without a hitch however -eBay pulled the sale of consecrated communion host After it recieved 9,000 complaints. Additionally there are some auction that some catholics find offensive.

Posted in eBay | No Comments »

1913 Liberty V Nickel

Monday, April 18th, 2005
The 1913 Liberty V Nickel is one of the rarest coins today. With only 5 made in existence, it is truly a remarkable coin. It was early in the year 1913, the design of the Buffalo Nickel hadn't been introduced, that wouldn't happen until February.

Posted in Coin Collecting, Collectibles | No Comments »

Buddy Guy

Wednesday, April 6th, 2005
Interview with Buddy Guy: A week after his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Buddy Guy is back doing what he does best. Playing the blues. Born 1936, Guy migrated from his native Louisana and the Baton Rouge blues scene to Chicago in 1957/1958, taking with him a flair for showmanship inherited from Louisiana's Guitar Slim. In Chicago, Buddy became a member of the Chicago-blues elite that included Muddy Waters, Otis Rush and Magic Sam...

Posted in Guitar Collecting | No Comments »