The Antiquer's Rant

Modernist Denmark Molten Silver Cuff Bracelet -- Jacob Hull?

2009-04-24T09:35:00.006-04:00

I obtained this bangle recently. It's a little different from things I've had in the past. The bangle is made from a heavy base metal with a silver plated finish on top. It has a modern design with a molten looking texture on the front.

The maker's mark is "DS Handmade Denmark". Another well-respected site shows a simliar piece of vintage jewelry with the same mark and attributes it to Jacob Hull. Hull was active in the 1960s-1970s and was know for using silver plating.

If anyone can help me with further info, I'd much appreciate it!

What Makes a Great Antique Booth?

2009-04-09T07:29:00.010-04:00

When I walk through an antique mall, I tend to see the majority of the booths as not very interesting. I hate to see a bunch of garage sale level items, overpriced and dusty, sitting in an unlit and jumbled booth with no real theme. Once in a while, I'll run across a booth that's truly exciting. These booths tend to have a theme where the seller is marketing a family of items that go together. At the Ohio Valley Antique Mall in Fairfield, I saw several great booths recently.

There were a couple of vintage kitchen spaces with kitchen furniture, dishes, hand appliances and decorative items. I saw a colorful mid century furnishings and art booth.

Someone was selling a few vintage refrigerators which had me salivating. The stainless fridge is really a freezer that has been outfitted to hold a keg with a tap on the door. So fun!

The Ohio Valley Antique Mall in located on Route 4.

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

Visit My eBay Store: MidCentury Jewelry

Shopping for Antiques in Small Town Ohio

2009-04-09T07:04:00.008-04:00

I had an errand to run recently that took me out into the country of southern Ohio. Prior to going, I Googled "antique stores" to see if I could find a few in nearby small towns. One town, Lynchburg OH, showed a single antique store listing online.

Well, I went out of my way and found Lynchburg. There was a single stoplight with a bank, a gas station, a hardware store and a few other buildings. Within a few seconds I found the location of Lynchburg Antique Mall but it appeared to be closed. Darn it! I was ready to spend some money. After walking up to the store front and peering through the glass, I saw someone arranging items inside. I knocked on the window, totally ignoring the sign on the door which announced that the store would be open for business for the season in a couple of weeks. The man inside the store opened the door to talk to me and let me in.

This guy was busy and could have turned me away. As soon as I told him what I was looking for, he rummaged around and found me several boxes of vintage costume jewelry for me to look through. I found some good items; we had a good conversation while I was looking and he gave me a fabulous deal.

I'll be back. The owner of the mall said that several antique stores are open in the area during the summer season. It will be fun to explore the area again in a few months.

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

How To Clean Green Gunk Verdigris From Jewelry

2009-04-01T07:21:00.003-04:00

As a collector and seller of vintage costume jewelry, it's always a disappointment to come across a beautiful piece of vintage costume jewelry covered in green gunk. You know what I'm talking about...it looks like green mold and is usually clinging to the metal parts of the piece. This green gunk is officially known as verdigris.

Verdigris is corrosion of the metal caused by exposure to moisture, makeup or other contaminants. It happens over time and I see it when a bunch of costume jewelry has been stored for years, sometimes in contact with moisture and with other pieces of jewelry. It is possible to transfer the growth of verdigris from one piece of jewelry to another if they are touching for long periods of time. Some verdigris is easily removed and some is beyond bothering with. I always try to remove it but realize that sometimes the treatment is nearly as bad as the verdigris itself.

Below are my recommended methods to remove verdigris:
1. TOOTHPICK -- Sometimes a toothpick is all it takes to scrape small amounts of verdigris from small spots on jewelry. I'd try this first.
2. DRY TOOTHBRUSH -- Take a dry toothbrush and brush it across the gunk, removing as much as you can.
3. METAL POLISH -- After brushing off as much as I can with a toothbrush, I might move on to try metal polish. There are metal polishes out on the market that are worth their weight in gold to me. Most can be purchased at any hardware store or big box store. I'm currently using a small tube of metal polish named Maas Metal Polish. These metal polishes are very slightly abrasive creams which will help you remove tarnish or dirt from metals. Squeeze a pea-sized drop of polish on to a clean, soft cloth and rub softly on the jewelry. After about 30 seconds of rubbing, check your jewelry out. Hopefully, some of the green is off the jewelry and on your cloth. Finish polishing your jewelry with a clean portion of the cloth. If metal polish has not worked satisfactorily, it's time to move on to "home chemical treatments".
WARNING: Some of the options below may work but I use them only as a last resort. Many times, even after the verdigris is removed, the metal underneath is no longer gold plated and may not match the finish on the rest of the piece of jewelry. Keep this in mind before you try the treatments below.
4. VINEGAR -- Pour some white vinegar into a bowl or cup and soak your jewelry for about 20 minutes. Pull the jewelry out, then brush it off with the toothbrush. Rinse well, then dry well with a soft clean cloth. Do NOT soak certain types of jewelry in vinegar, especially jewelry with soft gems like pearls, fake pearls, rhinestones with foil backings, glued in rhinestones. If the verdigris is only on certain parts of jewelry, you could still try the vinegar but maybe soak some onto a cotton ball or paper towel and leave the soaked cotton ball touching the verdigris only. This will protect your stones in the jewelry.
4. KETCHUP -- I've used ketchup in the past because it is acidic and stays in place. The warning about protecting soft gems and rhinestones applies to ketchup as well as vinegar. Lay the jewelry on a paper towel. Squirt the ketchup on the verdigris, wait about 30 minutes, rinse the jewelry well and dry thoroughly. If you can get over the smell and mess of the ketchup, it can sometimes work well.

Proper storage of vintage costume jewelry will prevent future damage. Try not to expose your jewelry to moisture and at least make sure that moisture or makeup is not present on the jewelry when putting it away. It's best not to pile a bunch of jewelry together and leave it laying there for years. Just get your jewelry out and look at it once in a while. The sooner you catch that nasty green gunk, the easier it is to stomp out!

Lost Jewelry In A Graveyard

2009-03-17T07:29:00.002-04:00

A while back, I met a lady at a local Steak n Shake parking lot to buy jewelry. It was night but I was able to see the jewelry (kind of ) from the streetlights. After completing the transaction, I told the lady goodbye and started to drive home. I'd gone a little ways when I realized that I couldn't find one particular piece so I decided to stop the car and search. I pulled into the closest driveway and stopped the car. The driveway happened to be the entrance to a graveyard, which didn't necessarily bother me. I stopped the car and went around to the passenger's side to open the car and search. When I opened the door, one cardboard box of jewelry tumbled out. Some jewelry fell inside the car and some fell on the ground. Some fell under the car. So here I am in a pitch black graveyard, feeling under my car for tumbled-out jewelry and laughing/cursing my stupidity. I pawed around and picked up everything I could see. As I backed the car out of the driveway, I used my headlights to illuminate the ground and found a couple more pieces peeking out of grass clumps.
www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

Antiques Auction at the Preble County OH Fairgrounds

2009-03-12T07:25:00.011-04:00

I went to an auction yesterday at the Preble County Fairgrounds in Eaton, Ohio, known as the birthplace of Swine Improvement in America. No swine were visible yesterday. The crowd included farmers, townspeople, and the same old antiques dealers and gold buyers whom I see at every auction in Cincinnati.

There was so much to sell that it filled two large rooms inside the fairground buildings. I love auctions like that because it usually helps keep prices down when there is an abundance of goods. Yesterday, though, auction bids were surprisingly high....apparently the recession hasn't hit Eaton, OH. There were at least 200 ziploc bags of jumbled vintage costume jewelry for sale. I competed against one particular guy in overalls (!) and paid dearly for about 20 bags.

There was half of a room dedicated just to sewing supplies. In boxes of supplies, I would see a bakelite clip here and a bakelite clip there. I intended to stay and bid on these boxes but eventually ran out of time.

My best purchase was a 1970s Lanvin signed colorful enamel pendant necklace. Very Pucci looking. I hope to list it on eBay sometime next week.

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

Visit My eBay Store: MidCentury Jewelry

eBay Sponsored Links Can Sell Designer Knockoffs

2009-03-04T06:49:00.021-05:00

On eBay, a seller is NOT allowed to use certain words to draw customers. For example, if I have an estate find "David Yurman" looking necklace to sell and I'm not totally sure if it's authentic David Yurman, I'm not allowed to use the words "David Yurman" or "David Yurman style" or "David Yurman inspired" anywhere in the auction title or text of the eBay ad. eBay will end and remove my ad as soon as they are aware of this type of text. If I violate this rule repeatedly, my eBay account can be suspended.

eBay will tell sellers that, prior to listing a designer item, they must be able to authenticate the item's provenance to eBay's fairly strict standard. This policy is supposedly meant to prevent trademark infringement by unethical sellers. I support these rules if this is the true reason for their existence.

Today I searched for David Yurman jewelry on eBay and found at the bottom of the page, in the Sponsored Links section, four different ads for David Yurman inspired (meaning fake) jewelry from paid advertisers. Same thing for Tiffany. eBay is allowing companies who sell fakes to advertise on their pages, right below eBay sellers who have to abide by stricter rules.

I'm sure that eBay's argument would be that nobody is violating eBay's trademark infringement rules if these goods are sold on sites that are merely linked to eBay.

I have a real problem with this. Let's hold all vendors who sell or advertise on eBay to the same standard.

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

Visit My eBay Store: MidCentury Jewelry

Sponsor

What Is Thermoset Lucite Jewelry?

2009-03-02T06:24:00.008-05:00

Thermoset lucite jewelry was manufactured predominantly in the 1950s-1960s by many costume jewelry companies. It was great for jewelry because the lucite (a heavier plastic) could be molded into many creative shapes and designs. I've seen many examples of thermoset lucite by well-known manufacturers such as Lisner, Coro, BSK, Trifari as well as other makers signed and unsigned.

Lucite can be opaque or translucent. It can also have objects embedded into it....objects such as abalone pieces, or shells, or confetti or glitter. Confetti lucite is exactly as it sounds: lucite with confetti or glitter embedded inside. The bracelets pictured are wide with lucite pieces with embedded items. They are available on my web site with the link below.

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

Tiffany Fakes & "Inspired" Replicas are Everywhere!

2009-02-24T20:49:00.008-05:00

A few months ago, I purchased a group of jewelry. In the lot was a large silver cuff bracelet with raised daisies on the front. Lo & behold, the bracelet was marked "Tiffany & Co". After some research, I found that this Daisy cuff design is part of the Nature Series. I did not know if the bracelet was authentic or not, so I took it to my local Tiffany store for their opinion. My bracelet turned out to be a fake but it took four Tiffany employees inspecting and discussing the bracelet to decide that the bracelet is fake. That's how good the counterfeit Tiffany jewelry producers have become. They have the details of the jewelry down to the finest degree. According to the Tiffany salespeople, much of the Tiffany jewelry being re-sold or sold on the Internet is fake.

eBay is trying to crack down on sellers who are offering fake Tiffany but it's hard to catch everything. Key word spamming (using word like Tiffany or Tiffany inspired) is against eBay policy and is a blatant disregard for the rules. Today, though, I ran across a seller who is selling Tiffany replicas without calling them so but the items are photographed on a Tiffany blue background. Very misleading, in my opinion.

I obtained another cuff bracelet recently. This one is Mexican silver and is a few years old. It's clearly marked "Mexico". But it's a dead ringer for Elsa Peretti's sterling bone cuff on Tiffany's web site.

I used to think that having a Tiffany pouch or box was good enough authentication that an item is the real thing. But these boxes and bags are being copied and sold too. The only way I'd purchase a pre-owned Tiffany piece is to see a sales receipt from the original sale.

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

Visit My eBay Store: MidCentury Jewelry

How To Identify Authentic Amber

2009-02-18T13:19:00.007-05:00

Amber is a natural tree resin that can be molded into the same shapes as chemically-made “plastics”. Most amber used in jewelry will range from yellow to brown in color. It runs a range from transparent to translucent. You might see a perfectly clear piece with no “cracks” or inclusions or your amber may be full of these. There is an immature type of amber, not as desirable, known as copal amber. It will not stand up to the tests below. So, if you have something that looks like amber but doesn’t pass these tests, it is copal amber or a plastic. There are several tests to identify amber (some more sophisticated tests which I've not mentioned here but can be found on the Internet). Yy favorite test is the static test.

Static test: Rub your amber against a cotton cloth. It will become electrostatically charged. The charged amber should pick tiny pieces of paper like a magnet.

Solvent test: Please be careful here and don’t ruin your jewelry. You can apply a drop of acetone (fingernail polish remover) to your amber. If it becomes sticky or tacky, it is not true amber. Wash your jewelry as soon as you complete the test.

Bouyancy test: Amber will float in salt water. Make a solution of 2 ½ teaspoons of salt per cup of water and dissolve. True amber will float.

Hot needle test: Heat a needle in a flame until it is red hot. Touch the tip of the needle to a hidden place on the amber. True amber will noe melt quicky and will put off a grey smoke.

The necklace photographed above can be found in my eBay store.

Visit My eBay Store: MidCentury Jewelry

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

What is Married Jewelry -- Married Jewelry Set

2009-02-18T07:18:00.007-05:00

When speaking of jewelry, a "married set" is a group of jewelry of very similar style that have been put together to wear as a set. In my experience, married sets are put together by original owners who could not find exact matches but maybe found similar jewelry over the years and then chose to wear it together. The amber glass set above is a great example of a married set. For example, the large pearls on each piece are not the same shape and they should be, if the set were truly a real match.

This set is available in my eBay store "MidCentury Jewelry".

Visit My eBay Store: MidCentury Jewelry

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

Vintage Caro-Nan Box Purse -- Painted with Playing Cards

2009-02-15T14:25:00.005-05:00

I love these 1960s-1970s box purses, many of which were painted by Caro-Nan. I don't know anything about Caro-Nan and there is very little online about this company.

My green painted basket purse has a bridge motif. It is nicely painted front and back with playing cards. The sides of the purse are painted with the reverse side of a playing card. Inside the purse, it's like in a gingham fabric. This purse is part of my personal collection and not for sale. I'm always looking for box purses to add to my collection. If you have one, let me know!

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

Vintage Easter Jewelry

2009-02-14T17:50:00.001-05:00

I'm fantasizing about Spring!

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

Ebay Restricts Selling of Vintage Bone & Horn Jewelry

2009-02-13T15:52:00.000-05:00

I listed two vintage necklaces today on eBay, both about 30 years old. Both necklaces had some old generic bone beads on them. Almost immediately, eBay ended the auctions and sent me an email stating that I had violated their policy of selling animal parts which were banned.

I'd already had some auctions ended last month because they were made with vintage ivory. Ebay has now basically banned all sales of ivory, even if it's old. Of course, I learn about this policy by getting into "trouble" with eBay because I'm not aware of their new ban. Ebay has lowered their rating of my compliance with their policies.................

After much discussion with eBay about bone, I found that it's still OK to sell vintage bone jewelry. But eBay's guidelines say that you should clearly state in the listing title the origin of the bone and make sure that the bone did not come from the endangered species list. In addition, you should also cover the origin of the bone in your listing text too.

I have no problem with eBay banning the sales of products made from endangered animals. I totally support it. However, I hate eBay's lack of communication and employees who aren't even sure of the policy. Ebay's written policy is very vague and gives THEM a lot of wiggle room to make arbitrary decisions on what's allowed or not. On top of that, there are hundreds of eBay auctions going on right now featuring bone jewelry that doesn't comply with their new standards.

How to Sell Gold & Sterling Jewelry -- Beware Cash for Gold Scams

2009-02-09T07:47:00.000-05:00

Until gold prices shot up this past year and "Cash for Gold" ads hit the media, the practice of selling scrap gold and sterling seemed to be practiced by people already in the know (coin dealers, jewelry dealers, antiques dealers, jewelers). Now, everyone knows that "Cash for Gold" will buy your scrap. However jewelers and coin dealer have been buying scrap metals for years & years.

A little research will help you determine if you are getting your best price.

1. Get on the Internet and look up the spot price for gold and/or sterling that day. There are many sites that post the spot price. Realize that the seller is going to get 70-80% of spot price when selling to a gold buyer.
2. Sort your pieces of jewelry by their gold/sterling marks. Put your 18K, 14K, 10K gold in different piles. Also, you will probably only be able to sell sterling (925) silver.
3. Call your reputable local jeweler, someone you know in your hometown. Ask them what they are paying for scrap...it will most likely be higher than Cash for Gold.
4. Invest in a cheap little scale and weigh the jewelry yourself. That way you'll have a good idea prior to selling how much you have.
4. When selling your jewelry, are the stones worth anything? If you think they might be, have them pried out prior to weighing the scrap and selling.

Good luck! Selling scrap gold is a good way to get some money out of something you'll never wear again. But make sure you are aren't "giving" your scrap away.

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

What is Art Nouveau? Art Nouveau Jewelry

2009-02-06T19:19:00.001-05:00

What is Art Nouveau? How to Recognize Art Nouveau jewelry?

According to Answers.com, Art Nouveau is a "style of decoration and architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, characterized particularly by the depiction of leaves and flowers in flowing, sinuous lines." [French : art, art + nouveau, new.]

The jewelry shown in this post is very typical of Art Nouveau styling.

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

Vintage Copper Arm Cuff -- Aztec Warrior Stabbing Snake

2009-02-06T16:42:00.000-05:00

I can't decide if this vintage copper arm cuff is really cool or really hideous! I got it from an estate with lots of vintage Mexican jewelry and have never really seen much like it.

This funky cuff is over 3 inches long and shows an Aztec warrior in a death-match with an angry fat serpent. Probably not something I can fit into my everyday wardrobe. But I still like it.....

You can see more photos in my eBay posting for the cuff in my eBay store: www.stores.ebay.com/MidCentury-Jewelry_W0QQsspagenameZMEQ3aFQ3aSTQQtZkm.com

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

I Like My Bakelite CHUNKY!

2009-02-04T19:00:00.000-05:00

I went to a local small-town antique store today to see if the owner had any jewelry for sale. I ended up buying this pair of wide carved bakelite bangles. Each one is close to 1 inch wide and is carved with a neat "barber pole" design.

I have a hard time resisting any bakelite if the price is right. My favorite bakelite, though, is super-chunky.

How To Tell If Pearls Are Real -- Identifying Pearls

2009-02-02T19:35:00.000-05:00

Let's say you come across a pearl necklace in Grandmother's things or at an estate sale. How to tell if those pearls are authentic, real pearls?

First, let's talk about pearls. Pearls are created naturally when a tiny piece of unwelcome matter enters an oyster's shell. The oyster secretes a protective coating over the speck of matter, layer by layer, until a pearl is formed.

An authentic, natural pearl is a rare thing indeed. To have a necklace with perfectly matched natural pearls is to have something that is exceedingly rare. Our treatment of the environment over the past century has mean that fewer natural pearls have been produced. Demand cannot be met. (It's the same story with coral). As a result, natural pearls are becoming even more rare...nearly extinct. A true natural pearl necklace will be thousands and thousands of dollars.

Today most "authentic" pearls are cultured. This means that pearl producers force pearl creation by placing a speck of matter inside an oyster until the desired pearl is attained. Cultured pearls are less desirable than natural. There are so many cultured pearls coming out of China and the Far East that the pearls are dirt cheap. Check out the plethora of cultured pearls on eBay. And, sellers on eBay are calling many cultured pearls "natural". Not True!!!

A quality pearl necklace should exhibit the following:
1. Pearls of consistent quality, with beautiful luster and consistent color.
2. High quality hand-made knots between each pearl on the strand.
3. A quality clasp, at least 14K gold. A sterling clasp or 10K is less desirable.
4. Excellent condition.

Ultimately, the only way to determine if a pearl is natural or cultured is to take the pearls to a jeweler and have them X-Rayed.

Natural and cultured pearls have a slight grit to them. Rub a real pearl across your teeth and you should be able to feel the grit. Fake pearls will feel smooth.

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

When Antiques Dealers Buy From Each Other...It's a Dog Eat Dog World

2009-01-27T10:57:00.000-05:00

When I first started out in the antiques business, I didn't know what I was doing. I tried to research items but the world of antiques is so large that it's hard to know everything.

I started out in a small antiques mall in my town, run by a lady named "Nellie". The first time Nellie purchased something from my booth, I was flattered....until I later found the item in her booth at a much higher price. I was SOOOOO mad. I couldn't believe it. Obviously she knew something I didn't and I felt that she had "taken advantage of my ignorance". Over time, though, I began to have a different attitude.

My attitude today is, if a dealer is not willing to research an item prior to putting it out for sale, shame on them. In antiques, the money goes to those with the knowledge and a dealer should know better.

I know dealers who refuse to use a computer for anything. They continue to do business the way they did in 1980, sticking with outdated research modes and slapping a high price on everything. Everything's priced at $75 -- the good, the bad and the ugly. To me, the Internet is the quickest and most complete research tool out there. There are wonderful sites by professional antiques dealers dedicated to research and the invaluable content of these sites is constantly being updated.

Dealers who do not research their goods are leaving money on the table -- they are turning themselves in Chihuahuas in a dog eat dog industry.

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

I Hit The Jackpot Buying Storage Unit Contents...NOT!!!

2009-01-23T07:38:00.000-05:00

I've heard over the years that buying the contents of storage units can yield unexpected treasures. There are urban legends of people who find diamond rings inside boxes of junk.

A while back there was an auction of the contents of abandoned storage units near me so I decided to check it out. It was a cold winter's day. Auction-goers milled around, sipped hot coffee and slapped their hands together to stay warm. At 10am sharp, the auctioneer emerged from a warm hut and handed out a list of the unit numbers to be auctioned. We were not allowed to preview the contents of the units or inspect anything prior to the sale. We literally followed the auctioneer from unit to unit...he'd pull up the door....we'd peer inside and the auction would begin.

The first sale was of a large unit full of mechanic's equipment and tools. I'm not a tool girl myself so I watched the proceedings. The crowd mumbled that it was a good unit with a lot of "money in those tools". A man won the unit's contents for a few hundred dollars and he seemed happy.

We proceeded to the next unit. The auctioneers slid up the door and showed a space packed from floor to ceiling with neatly marked moving boxes. Boxes were fitted in the space like puzzle pieces. Well, in my head, if anyone took such time and care to pack the unit so well, there must be something worth saving in there. I won the contents for $250.00.

The crowd strolled away and left me staring at my new belongings. I opened one box. A dirty "pleather" coat. I opened another box. A greasy George Foreman grill. Another box. Fifteen-year-old tax returns. Squelching my rising panic, I wondered how I was going to dispose of this mountain of junk. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that buyers had to have everything gone by day's end and weren't allowed to use the dumpsters on the property. And, I'd come to the auction in a small convertible. (Great planning on my part, huh?)

An "angel" showed up to help me.... This little old guy, wearing an army coat and a ratty hat, wandered up and asked me if he could have a box of stuffed animals. I said, "Do you want this, and this, and this?" He took 90% of the storage unit's contents off my hands. We spent hours sorting and loading boxes in his old van. He saved me.

Would I buy the contents of a storage unit in the future? Heck, no!!! I sped away from there, feeling lucky that I got away as easily as I had....laughing at my own stupidity.

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

How To Identify The Silver Content of Silver Jewelry

2009-01-20T11:03:00.000-05:00

The purpose of this blog entry is to help a buyer/collector identify the silver content of jewelry based on the silver marks present on the jewelry. It will be helpful for you to have a jeweler's 10X magnification loupe on hand. These can actually be purchased right here on eBay and are very helpful for identifying jewelry marks.

My guide is quite simple. There are a couple of excellent web sites out there with a world of knowledge. If you Google "Silver Marks", you'll probably find some excellent resources.

First, look on the back of your jewelry for any silver stamps.

1.STERLING SILVER:
What is sterling silver? Sterling silver is silver that is 925/1000 parts silver. Pure silver is too soft for jewelry making so the highest silver content usually (but not always) found in silver jewelry is .925.

Since the early 1900s, American sterling jewelry has been required to have a sterling mark if it is truly sterling silver. In my experience, older sterling is stamped "STERLING" usually on the back of the piece of jewelry. Sometimes you might see a portion of the word, such as "STER". This might be because the jewelry was stamped this way or it might have worn away over years of wear.
Newer sterling silver jewelry is often stamped "925". Again, this stamp is meant to convey the silver content of the jewelry. I've also seen "SS" stamped on a few pieces, but this is rare.

2. 950 STERLING MARK:
I've seen a 950 mark on vintage jewelry once in a while. Usually, it's been on Mexican sterling before WWII era. 950 silver does have a higher silver content than sterling but is not seen too often.

3. 900 SILVER AKA COIN SILVER
On older and antique jewelry, you might see a 900 stamp. This is meant to show that the jewelry is 900/1000 parts silver. Not quite as high a silver content as sterling. Coin silver can literally mean silver made from melted down coins.
Vintage Native American jewelry may often not have a silver content mark on it. Often this jewelry may have a silver content in the range of coin silver.

4. 800 SILVER
Sometimes, you'll see an 800 stamp on a piece of vintage silver jewelry. This means that the content of the jewelry is 4/5 silver.
Many times, based on the style of the piece and the 800 stamp, this will point my jewelry research toward European jewelry or other foreign makers. I've seen vintage silver filigree jewelry with an 800 mark.

5. SILVER TESTS
Commercial silver test kits are available for silver (and gold) jewelry. These are probably available on eBay. I personally do not use these. If I have a question about my vintage jewelry after I've exhausted my own research, I take a trip down to see my favorite jeweler for his advice.

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

Cincinnati's Taft Museum -- A Collection Worth Visiting

2009-01-18T11:33:00.000-05:00

I visited the Taft Museum in Cincinnati yesterday, for the second time in a month. It is a small museum...perfect for taking someone who will be overwhelmed by a large city museum. A slow stroll through the museum yesterday took me about 1 1/2 hours.

The Taft is housed in a Federal style mansion, built in 1820, in downtown Cincinnati. The mansion had been owned by prominent Cincinnatians throughout its history but was ultimately turned into a museum as a bequest of Anna Sinton Taft and her husband Charles Phelps Taft. During their lives, the Tafts amassed a wonderful collection of art, antiques and furniture. I was told by a docent that the collection of Xing Dynasty porcelain is among the finest in the world.

I particularly admired the paintings. I saw works by Turner, Whistler, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds and many other European and American works from the 1600s to the early 20th century. There is a fabulous collection of Middle Ages era porcelain and some fine American furniture. I was wowed by the small exhibit of antique enamel watches and jewelry/vanity items.

One of the extraordinary things about the Taft to me is the ability to walk the rooms and get close and personal to the art. It's amazing to me the amount of trust that is given museum-goers. The docent told me that the museum is set up so that it feels as if you are walking through someone's house...and it does feel that way.

The foyer of the house is decorated with a set of extraordinary landscape murals by Robert Duncanson. He was an African-American artist who came to Cincinnati to establish his career and was commissioned by Nicholas Longworth, the owner of the house at the time, to paint these murals. The eight murals are one of the largest existing pre-Civil War domestic mural decorations in the United States.

There is a nice cafe' and gift shop in the facility too.

Admission is $8.00 for adults. On Wednesdays, admission is free. Closed Mondays.

Taft Museum of Art
http://www.taftmuseum.org
316 Pike Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

eBay Feedback Changes Are Bad For Sellers

2009-01-16T13:05:00.000-05:00

Did you know that there are 295,000 entries in Google.com under the term "eBay sucks"?

How did I know this? Because one day I got so frustrated by a bad selling experience that I googled the term and found that my anger had a lot of company.

Why are so many people (mainly sellers) angry at eBay? Because it seems like eBay's policy changes are increasingly stacked against the seller... Now, don't get me wrong. Selling on eBay has been great for me over the years. But recent changes to eBay's policies make me feel as if eBay has forgotten that there are TWO sides in every transaction.

When I first heard of eBay, way back in 1988, I was totally skeptical. How could I sell something to a total stranger way across the country and expect things to go well? Remember, this way long before electronic payment services like Paypal. What would I do if someone bounced a check? I couldn't go and hunt bad check writers down.

Surprisingly, though, eBay DID work. The feedback system allowed both sides of the transaction to leave feedback on how things went. Yes, there were/are a small number of people who would leave undeserved negative feedback for each other, but for the most part it worked. Well, a few months ago, eBay changed the feedback system so that the buyers have 100% of the power.

Now, sellers can no longer leave negative feedback for a buyer. Trust me....there are some buyers who DESERVE negative feedback. If a buyer wins one of my auctions and never responds to my emails and never pays me, I cannot let other sellers know through negative feedback. The new system allows me to open a "Dispute Console" (how wimpy is that?) and, if the buyer ultimately does not pay, they have one positive point removed. Pleeeeeeease..... What about buyers who want to buy on approval, are rude, try to say that the package never arrived or arrived broken and then refuse to send the package back or show me a photo of the broken piece? Yes, it happens.

Also, eBay has broken down seller feedback into four points (Item Description, Communication, Shipping Time, Shipping Charges). Perfection is expected of a seller. It has not caused me to do business any differently, because I already lived and died by feedback. But it's dispiriting as hell.

In my opinion, eBay has gotten too far away from what made it work in the first place -- an honor system of feedback that allowed both sides to rate the transaction.

Toilet photo courtesy of www.samiam.com. http://www.samiam.com

Those Annoying Gold Diggers!

2009-01-14T16:23:00.001-05:00

There is a type of man you'll see at an antiques auctions who are 100% guaranteed to annoy me. I call these guys the "Gold Diggers".

There are some Gold Diggers who have been doing it for a long time, way before gold prices shot up. They don't bother me because they know what they are doing. It's the other Diggers who bother me -- the bandwagon jumpers who have begun speculating since gold shot up in value.

Gold Diggers can be spotted two different ways. First, they will always have a jeweler's loupe with them. They crowd the tables of goods and meticulously examine each piece of gold colored metal within sight. I've nearly guffawed out loud when watching a man check out a 1970's Sarah Coventry Austin Powers style swinger's pendant necklace in goldtone. Obviously these guys don't know costume jewelry.

As a person who specializes in costume jewelry and looks at jewelry all day long, I can pick out real gold from a distance. That's because finding a piece of gold in my costume jewelry is like finding a little surprise treasure. (OK, maybe I'm a little bit of a Gold Digger in my heart). I'm like Rainman in the toothpick scene of the Rainman movie. Thrown a pile of jewelry on the floor, and I could spot the tiny gold pin in there within fourteen seconds.

The other way to identify Gold Diggers are by the small digital jewelry scales that they carry with them. I've been to auctions where the bidding had to be suspended while a Digger weighed the item and calculated how close to the bone he could cut his bid. Don't you think he could have done this before the auction started?

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

Why Some Antiques Are Scary

2009-01-14T14:33:00.000-05:00

When I heard that actor Billy Bob Thornton is scared of antiques, I had to laugh. Some antiques are totally nasty and freak me out. I'm not worried that there are spirits attached to objects. I'm worried about the cleanliness factor of having old furniture in the house.

Upholstered furniture is the worst. Have you ever sat on an old sofa or chair and felt strange lumps under the fabric? The stuffing is all messed up in there. Once I see an old upholstered piece of furniture, I wonder how old the stuffing and fabric is and I imagine that it smells. In my mind, it smells like dust and old people and antique farts.

If I can't clean it, wipe it down or put it in the dishwasher, it's not going in my house!

I also have a problem with dolls. When I see people at auctions in bidding wars for nasty old dolls (dolls with missing hair and weird eyes and tattered clothing) I'm disgusted on the inside. I don't care what those dolls are worth. It's not worth it to me because I'd have to touch one to own it. EEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW!

Below is a link to a good scary doll story. Check it out! www.scaryforkids.com/antique-doll

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

Why Antique Malls Are Going Out Of Business

2009-01-13T09:13:00.000-05:00

I was a seller in antique malls for nearly ten years. I enjoyed going to the store every few days, merchandising my vintage costume jewelry and talking to customers. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that remaining in an antique mall was not a smart business decision. I moved out.

I've noticed that antique malls and stores all over the MidWest are dying out. Below are the reasons why I think antique malls are going out of business:

1. Competition from the Internet, especially eBay. eBay allows me to market my items worldwide. Many times I would put an excellent piece of vintage costume jewelry in my mall showcase at a competitive price, only to have it sit there for months. Eventually I would get frustrated and remove it from the store to list on eBay. Invariably a collector from New York or California would purchase the item on eBay for many times what I had it listed in the store for. I came to the conclusion that my "best" customers were collectors and dealers in large metropolitan markets with money to spend. These type people rarely walked into an antique store in southern Ohio.

2. Antique Mall Rent/High Overhead: My mall charged a hefty but competitive rent for my city. This overhead was a barrier that had to be scaled each month, regardless of the level of sales. The owner of my antique mall never varied the rent -- so when things were bad, the rent was still high. eBay on the other hand is tied more to dollar sales. Some antique shows have competitive fees that can help a dealer sell with lower overhead.

3. Declining quality of merchandise sold in antique stores: My personal experience is that the level of merchandise available in antique malls can decline if a mall owner is not vigilant in policing the merchandise that dealers bring in. When a mall owner is not willing to prohibit new items or Goodwill level merchandise, this leads to a decline in quality of merchandise. Higher quality dealers get frustrated and move out looking for better selling venues.

4. Inability to control image: In a store surrounded by other dealers/merchandise, the only area I had control over was my own. If someone beside me kept a dirty booth or never changed out inventory or sold low quality items, this brought down the general atmosphere of the store. On eBay and on my website, my image is totally my own.

5. Too many people who aren't antiques dealers are selling in malls: There are no licensing requirements or education requirements to become an antiques dealer. I've seen this a million times over the years -- someone with an interest in antiques/collectibles decides to make a go of selling some things. These people may not have a selling or business background but they are able to pay some rent. Once these people move in to a mall, they place their items in their booth and wait for the sales to come. Often, more experienced dealers come and cherry pick the better quality items. After that, the new dealer is left to sell the remainder. The items may not be properly researched and priced. The new dealers may not ever come into the booth and move things around and re-merchandise. They may not know what customers are truly looking for. I've heard new dealers complain that no one is buying their merchandise, but these dealers aren't able to analyze what THEY are doing wrong. They don't understand that possibly they are selling inferior quality merchandise that is improperly priced or is undesirable. After a few months, these dealers are gone.

6. Dealers don't research their items properly: It's amazing how many dealers put a high price on every item, rather than knowing what they've got and price items accordingly. I call this the "throw it against the wall and see what sticks" approach.

7. Dealers who never change their merchandise: Again, it's amazing how many dealers will leave an item sitting in its original spot, for YEARS sometimes, after placing it somewhere in a booth. Nothing turns me off more than walking through a mall and seeing the same merchandise I saw six months ago.

8. The Economy: Antiques are not a necessity. When the economy is bad, the first thing to go are the non-necessities.

9. Being in an antique store requires a dealer to sit on lots of inventory: When I was in selling in a mall, I had to keep lots and lots of inventory so that I had something for everyone. I needed high priced items, low priced items and lots of everything. The more I had and the more I kept it fresh, the higher my sales. Selling on the Internet allows me to keep a smaller inventory and sell as I aquire inventory. Thus, I don't have as much money tied into inventory.

10. Fuel prices: Rising fuel prices affect everyone in the business. The cost to heat and light some of those old buildings where antique stores and malls are located has skyrocketed. High fuel prices has also meant a reduction in store traffic.

Where To Find And Buy Vintage Costume Jewelry

2009-01-12T13:18:00.000-05:00

I get asked fairly frequently where I get my vintage costume jewelry. Below is a list of the different sources I use to obtain jewelry. I've listed the sources in descending order based on my personal success in finding quality jewelry there.

1. My Contacts -- over the years I have cultivated different people who I've met while conducting business. These people know that I am always looking to purchase jewelry. I contact these people every couple of months to see if they anything to sell me. Most often, these "pickers" are my best and most reliable source for jewelry. These pickers are often out in the market doing the same thing I'm doing...working their own contacts, attending sales and auctions and garage sales.

2. Auctions -- I read the auction section of my local classifieds each week and also check a website named www.AuctionZip.com. Both of these sources advertise local auctions in my area each week. I only attend auctions which advertise a decent amount and quality of jewelry. I like www.Auctionzip.com because sometimes photos are posted that allow me to preview the auction.

3. Local Jewelers -- Sometimes local jewelers (I'm talking about independently owned jewelry stores, not mall stores or chains) come across vintage costume jewelry in the course of doing business. I've fostered relationships with a few local jewelers who do not consider me to be competition and are happy to sell me costume jewelry in bulk. I try to reciprocate by telling everyone I know how wonderful these jewelers are. I respect these guys and have confidence in their honesty and am happy to refer potential business their way.

4. Pawn Shops -- I've visited local pawn shops and have found very good deals in the past. Again, pawn shops sometimes end up with vintage costume jewelry in the course of doing business. The only way to find which particular shops do deal in this type jewelry is to go in and ask.

5. Scrap dealers (AKA Jewelers and Coin Dealers) -- Some jeweler and coin dealers will be happy to let you pick through the scrap jewelry that they originally intended to sell at scrap value. Lots of jewelry is scrapped when there is absolutely nothing wrong with it other than scrap value has, at times, exceeded the value of the jewelry itself (but jewelers don't know costume jewelery and will scrap a real treasure). Don't be embarrassed to go into a store and ask if they are willing to sell you scrap jewelry. The worst thing that they can say is "no".

6. Antique Stores/ Antique Malls -- I do walk through antique stores in the hopes of finding unidentified or underpriced "treasures". This technique takes a lot of patience since it's typical that once something is being merchandised in a store that there's not too much profit margin there for me. But if I have time to kill and really need jewelry, I will visit stores in my area. I have found some wonderful things over the years.

7. Craigslist -- I look at Craigslist every day and most of the jewelry there is not what I'm looking for. Every once in a while, though, I've been successful in contacting a seller and making a good deal.

8. Goodwill -- Not usually a good place in my experience but I still visit periodically. Usually low end items are there.

9. Garage Sales -- I don't attend too many because I'm not interested in getting up at the crack of dawn and fighting other people for jewelry. I haven't found too much good jewelry at garage sales. But when I do attend a garage sale, I ask the seller if they have any additional jewelry. Surprisingly, the answer is sometimes "yes" and then they bring out the jewelry still in the house.

10. Estate Sales -- I went through a spell where I attended these for a while. However, estate sales often require you to get there and line up to get a number hours before the sale starts -- only to get into the house and see that there's nothing there. It can be a crap shoot but is an option.

11. Online auction sites -- there are sites that conduct auctions in real time online. I've had some excellent but spotty results at these auctions. Read the terms of the auctions closely so that you are aware of shipping costs and additional charges.

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

The Undercover Antiques Picker

2009-01-11T13:48:00.000-05:00

If you've been reading my blog, you'll see that I've already written about one of my pickers named Darrell. I've purchased from another picker named Sally over the years, but she's what I call an "undercover picker". This means she sells things to me but doesn't want anyone to know, especially her HUSBAND!!!

I don't want to give too much away but her husband sounds like a hoarder. According to Sally, the husband is manic at buying and hoarding antiques, collectibles, goodwill quality items and rancid junk. He stores his hoarded items in various jam-packed storage units all over the city and pays storage bills higher than their household rent. This storage unit rent is literally breaking their budget but the husband won't stop. He says that his treasures are too valuable to sell. So, in order to survive and cover household bills, the wife trades secretly on the side.

I'm sure I'm not the only person Sally sells to. But dealing with her requires an entirely new language, one that won't give her away when the husband is possibly listening. According to Sally, she's allowed to sell linens (don't ask me why) so the word "linens" has become code word for what I REALLY want -- jewelry. Our telephone conversations go something like this..."Hey, Sally, I'm looking for some "linens". (Wink, wink.) Do you have any new "linens" to sell me?" Sally replies, "Yes, let me call you back".

So, later I usually will get a call from Sally with a very brief window in which she can meet and let me look at her goods. One time her husband walked in on us while she was showing me some "linens" and I had to shove the stuff in my big purse and run into the bathrooom. After waiting an inordinately long time and realizing that the husband was not going to leave, I strolled out of the bathroom and said, "Oh, hi husband! I didn't realize you were here! I just came to visit Sally. Well, I'd better be going!". I backed out of the place with the jewelry still in my purse.

I had to go back days later to conclude the deal with Sally.

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

It's The Antiques Business, Not the Antiques Friendness

2009-01-10T09:20:00.001-05:00

My sister and I went to an auction a while back. It was the kind of household auction with box lots of miscellaneous household items stacked on long tables. At the same instant, we both spot a large cardboard box loaded with Lenox dishes.

My sister, who is a sometimes antiques dealer but mainly a collector, says "Oh, those plates are soooooo pretty! They would look so nice on the sideboard in my dining room".

Meanwhile, I'm looking at the plates and I see dollar signs shooting out of the box....dollar signs like little shooting stars. I want that box of dishes, not because they are pretty or because I like them. I want them to resell and make money. Mwaaaaahahaha.

So, bidding for the box of Lenox begins and I follow my sister's bid with a surprise bid of my own. She was so outraged by my betrayal that she stopped bidding. I won the box handily.

After I retreived the box, my sister hissed "I can't believe that you bid against your own sister for a lousy box of dishes. I turned to her and said, "Sorry, Sis, but it's the Antiques Business, not the Antiques Friendness". Needless to say, my comment put a damper on sisterly love for a few weeks!

Seriously, this story DID happen but I have learned since that once you invite a friend or family member to attend an auction with you that you've turned the potential business outing into a social outing. At least it's that way for me. I may want to bid on an item but I feel like I have to be a nice person and not hog every bidding opportunity.

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.

Darrell is my favorite antiques picker

2009-01-09T07:20:00.000-05:00

Darrell is my favorite antiques picker. Let me tell you how I met this guy....

I was at an auction a few years ago, purchasing jewelry for resale. Bids were low and I was raking the jewelry in. I love it when nobody shows up for an auction! Anyway, this little guy approaches me and asks me if I want more jewelry. I say "Sure!" and give him my number.

Days later I get a phone call from the guy. Now, I don't know him from Adam, but he's ready to meet. So, I say to him, "Well, is there a McDonald's near where you are and maybe we can meet in the parking lot so you can show me your stuff?". Darrell doesn't like that idea. He says, "I've already got all the jewelry laid out on tables at my house. That way you can see it better".

Wouldn't you think I might decide that this idea is possibly not prudent? But, nooooooo, that's because as an antiques dealer, I live in mortal fear that I'll never find good stuff ever again so I'll go just about anywhere for that next find.

I called my husband at work to let him know my whereabouts. "Honey, I'm going to meet a total stranger at his house to buy jewelry. So if I don't come back, his name is Darrell and his phone number is 555-XXXX". My husband grunts and I hear the clicking of a keyboard in the background. "Did you write this DOWN?!!!!" His response gives me no confidence that he'd be helpful in locating my remains, so I hang up and call my best friend. After telling me I'm crazy, she takes down the info.

Well, Darrell's house ends up being a moldy 1970s split-level on a large lot, isolated from other houses by trees and undergrowth. I knock on the door and hear fervent rustling behind the door. As Darrell opens the door, I take a gander and realize that jewelry is no-where to be seen. "So, where's the stuff?" I ask. Darrell chuckles, "I've got it all laid out the basement. There's more room down there!"

So, here we go down into the basement. Holy Moley, it's the Mother Lode! And you thought Darrell was going to kill me, didn't you? Well, you will have to stay disappointed. Darrell turned out to be totally legit. After that initial buy, Darrell became my picker. He goes to auctions and garage sales as a hobby. I can't be everywhere all the time so it's nice to have someone out there looking on my behalf.

Darrell likes to do business on his terms, and that's OK with me. He calls me when he has a large group of jewelry and miscellaneous items to sell. When he calls, he wants to meet RIGHT THEN. Sometimes I get the feeling that Darrell's motivation to sell is directly related to his immediate need for cash. I have to buy it all...good, bad and indifferent. Sometimes I get the better of him and sometimes he gets the better of me. It's been a good thing, though, and Darrell has come through for me when I have felt like things had dried up and there was no vintage jewelry to be found.

Would I meet a total stranger at his house again? Probably not. I certainly wouldn't recommend it! I've cultivated other pickers from my goings-about and didn't have to resort to meetings in dark places.

www.midcenturyjewelry.com.