Dr Pepper formula

When what is widely considered to be the original formula for Dr Pepper crosses the auction block at Heritage Auction Galleries on May 13 , the world will finally get a chance to see just what it was that originally gave one of America’s three greatest soft drinks—and certainly its first—that distinctive, so-hard-to-identify flavor.

It will also be the culmination of one of those stories you hear only on radio or TV about a seemingly random find that ends up being a one-of-kind treasure.

“I was driving back home to Tulsa from a business trip in Texas when I stopped to look in some antique shops late in the afternoon in Shamrock,” said consignor Bill Waters. That’s Shamrock, Texas, by the way, a little town just outside of Waco. “I’ve always been a rare-book and manuscript aficionado, so the woman at the place brings out an old box of stuff. It was a neat old medicine-bottle crate with an old book stuck in a plastic bag wedged in the back of it.”

Waters bought the notebook, not knowing what was in it, but knowing that it came out of the estate of L. B. Woods, who at one point owned and operated a shoe store out of the same space as the Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas, well known as the birthplace of America’s first soft drink, Dr Pepper.

“Two months later, I was actually getting ready to list it on eBay, trying to figure out how to show people what I had there,” Waters said. “I thought I should say something about the store it came out of, with reference to that store at one time being the Old Corner Drugstore. I popped it up on Google, and the first thing that came up was Dr Pepper. I started saying to myself, ‘wait a minute.’”

Old Corner Drugstore

Within a few days, however, Waters knew what was going on and realized that what he had in his possession was a notebook containing the original formula for “Dr Peppers Pepsin Bitters,” or Dr Pepper, written in the hand of its inventor. That notebook has now made its way to Heritage in Dallas and is one of the highlight lots of the company’s May Political & Americana Auction.

“It’s an exciting thing, obviously,” said Mary Beth Webster, collections manager at the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco. “We hope that somewhere along the line, someone would see fit for this rare and important piece of history to reside here at the museum for others to see and for its research potential for both Dr Pepper and Waco.”

The humble creation of pharmacist, and University of Texas graduate, Charles Alderton, an employee of Wade B. Morrison at the Old Corner Drugstore—circa 1885—Dr. Pepper was welcome refreshment to the harried citizenry of Waco, then a major cattle and train transportation hub.

What gave it that distinct flavor, alternately sweet and spicy, became a source of great debate over the course of the next century across Texas and the nation. Only Alderton and Morrison knew, and soon the syrup was parlayed into a soft-drink empire that, for a time, rivaled the market share of competitors Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola. If that market share has since diminished, the curiosity about that distinguishing taste has not.

The notebook in which the Dr Pepper formula was written

“It’s safe to say that the formula represented in this original notebook is not the same formula that Dr Pepper uses today,” said Tom Slater, director of history at Heritage. “The original formula called for ‘denatured rum’ and vanilla, among other things. The Dr Pepper Co. insists that the current formula contains neither of these things. Still, though, this is an amazing piece of American pop culture and commerce, not to mention its secondary value as a great piece of Texana.”

The formula is written in Alderton’s unassuming hand, on pages 14 and 15 in a notebook labeled “CASTLES FORMULAS.” Morrison, who bought the drugstore from John W. Castles at some point in 1883, hired Alderton in 1884. While experimenting with different soda formulas in the store, Alderton came up with a unique flavor that both he and Morrison found to be to their satisfaction. More importantly, when they tried it on the public, they found excellent results. The exact date of Dr Pepper’s conception is unknown, but the U.S. Patent Office recognizes December 1, 1885, as the first time it was served.

“Dr Pepper is not only the first of the big three American colas,” said Slater, “it’s the only major soda invented west of the Mississippi. It’s a native Texan.”

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

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Campaign button sales as a predictor of election results? Jim Warlick, Political Worthologist has been conducting this unscientific poll since 1988 and his results have accurately predicted the president every year except for 2000. WorthPoint’s Dan Borsey caught up with Warlick at the Atlantique City Show in Atlantic City, New Jersey to find out who the next president will be according to the USA Button Poll.

WorthPoint – Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Jim Warlick.
(http://www.worthpoint.com/worthpoint-worthologists/jim-warlick).
The results are based on his historically accurate, but unscientific,
USA Button Poll. Since 1988, his poll has correctly predicted the winner
for every presidential election except for 2000. The poll was based on
thousands of button sales at political events, nonpolitical shows, sales at
Washington, D.C., locations and political conventions since late June.

Warlick is a member of WorthPoint’s expert Worthologist team. WorthPoint
(http://www.worthpoint.com) is an Internet-based data-and-media company that
offers a vast database of sales records on art, antiques and collectibles.
WorthPoint helps collectors understand the worth of their items and provides expert advice on how to preserve, buy and sell them.

“Campaigns may have gone high-tech, but old-fashioned political-campaign
buttons are as popular as ever, not only increasing in value, but helping to
predict presidential elections,” said Warlick. “In over 40 years of
collecting and selling campaign buttons, I have never seen such interest.
The possibility of electing the first woman president or the first African
American drove many to people to purchase those candidates’ buttons that
otherwise may not have been the case.”

Warlick notes that while Obama merchandise is highly popular, John F.
Kennedy memorabilia is still the most prized. Other popular presidents
include Franklin Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight
Eisenhower.

What makes a button valuable? According to Warlick, the popularity of
a president, the quantity of buttons produced and the design content are key
factors. Buttons with photographs are always more sought after by
collectors. Buttons that include both the presidential and vice-presidential
candidates are called jugates and are highly prized, especially if they
include photographs of the candidates.

As for the most valuable button, that distinction goes to Ohio Gov.
James Cox and former Assistant Navy Secretary Franklin Roosevelt. They ran
against Warren Harding in the 1920 presidential campaign — before Roosevelt
was stricken with polio. Although six different Cox and Roosevelt designs
were created, it is now believed that all were just manufacturers’ samples
and were never ordered in large quantities. Of all six designs, only 50
buttons are known to exist. In a private sale a few years ago, a 1-1/4-inch
Cox and Roosevelt jugate went for a reported $135,000.

For would-be button collectors, Warlick offers the following advice:
“Casual collectors should choose a candidate they like or admire and enjoy
studying. Investors should choose based on past sales history, quality of
button and historical significance of that particular election or
candidate.”

In addition to getting campaign-button information from sites like
WorthPoint, Warlick recommends contacting the American Political Items
Collectors (APIC), an organization devoted to the collecting of political
memorabilia.

About WorthPoint
Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Atlanta, WorthPoint
(www.worthpoint.com) is an Internet-based data-and-media company that offers
a vast database of sales records on art, antiques and collectibles from more
than 400 auction houses. Members can share their insights, knowledge and
passion and build collecting communities. WorthPoint helps collectors
understand the history and value of their items and provides expert advice
on how to preserve or sell them. While it does not facilitate the bidding of
any items, WorthPoint provides information about upcoming auctions at its
partner auction houses.

A Pennsylvania coin fancier sent in three different hub doubled die varieties on the reverse of the 2007-P Wyoming state quarter to the National Collectors Association of Die Doubling. Here is another oddity to watch for, and perhaps hold onto for future investment return.

All three of the doubled die pieces involve the lower portion of the saddle horn, where a secondary image of that design element can be seen to the south to a greater or lesser degree.

These double dies, like most all others of the 21st century, are restricted to the very center of the design and believed to be the result of a tilted die that was seated into proper position by the pressure of the hubbing process.

Tilted Hub Doubling restricted to such a small area of design within the center region of the die might also be possible due to the hub being backed off after the blank being reset into the hubbing press properly and hubbed again.

Even in uncertain economic times like these, good customers are looking to increase their collections. Having a buyer in mind before we buy an item greatly reduces the time it will take to sell it. When our time in the Antique & Collectible Business is spent servicing past customers, we won’t have to give away our found treasures at low prices. If we can find the right items for our existing customers, we’ll be able to turn our money quickly and keep it circulating. This should be one of our main goals.

At least 75% of the sales in the higher end Antiques and Fine Arts are made between private individuals.

Since I introduced Lotton Glass as the “next” Tiffany, many people have asked me to call them if I ran across a nice piece of this wonderful glass. Well, this happened two days ago. One of our 31 Club members let me know he wished to sell a very special John Lotton 15” vase. I knew of a customer who just might be interested for the right price. Bingo. Another sale made and everyone is happy.

As the 31 Club grows larger, private sales between members will increase. In private sales, the seller will receive more money for items, and the buyers will pay less. That works for me. How about you? I think we’ll have a large number of very satisfied customers.

The average sales price for items sold in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace is beginning to increase. We are seeing more sales averaging $3,000 – $4,000 thousand and fewer items selling in the lower prices. You’ll make more money dealing in higher end items, and if you read my previous blog, you’ll understand just why the higher end, more rare items are where we want to be, especially in uncertain economic times.

Members of the 31 Club Are on the Hunt for Great Items.

Right now, I can mention several items that there have buyers just waiting for members to find the right piece for them. These include paintings by Carl Brenner, Patty Thum, Paul Sawyier, Pauline Palmer and Harvey Joiner. (By the way, we are working on acquiring one of Joiner’s paintings that’s presently in Canada.) Customers of ours are looking for more great glass by Charles Lotton and John Lotton. A customer is looking for three Springfield Rifles to present to each one of his sons. George Ohr Pottery and Rookwood Pottery have buyers at 31 Club waiting for the right piece.

Utilizing the 31 Club Wish List in combination with our Associates Program will catapult your profit making ability. Let’s see how this works: The Wish List gives you the opportunity to advertise the items you want to buy at no charge. Free Advertising. Say you’re wanting to buy Rookwood Pottery, but you’re only able to purchase $300-$400 items. Along comes someone who sees your list and that you buy Rookwood, but they have a rare piece and want to sell it $2,000. You know you can sell it for double that or more, but you don’t have the $2,000 to buy it. Are you going to throw away a perfectly good buy? No.

That’s when you use the club’s Associates Program. We buy it, we sell it, and you get 35% of the net sale. Let’s plug some figures into that. Say we netted $4,500 when we sold that Rookwood vase you called us about. You’ll have made $1,575. And you never invested a dime or did anything to sell it.   What if you found an item we could buy at $20,000 and we netted $45,000 on its sale. You’d make $15,750.  Think hard about the possibilities. I’ll be glad to hear from you when this hits you over the head. When it does, feel free to share your excitement with me at info [at] 31corp [dot] com

Or, simply contact me through the contact button on this site for any questions you might have. Now, go take on this fine day.

www.31corp.com

 *******

Treasure Hunters: You Find It. We Buy & Sell It. You Net 35%. Partner Up with 31 Club on High Quality Treasures You Find. We Do the Rest!!

Sellers: Sell Your High Quality Items for LOW FEES at 31 Gallery & Marketplace. Keep More of Your Money.

Buyers: Buy High Quality Items for FAIR PRICES at 31 Gallery & Marketplace. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Professionals Making More Money than they Thought Possible. 

My 220 Page Book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your Membership. Plus You Get FREE MENTORING with Daryle. Join Today! Or E-Mail us at info [at] 31corp [dot] com

Autumn is here, and it’s a busy time for yard sales, flea markets etc. These events are all great ways to get items to resell but the best things get snapped up fast and these sales can be very competitive.
Here are top ten tips to get the upper hand when buying. Don’t take them too seriously ;)

1. Get up early enough to switch the signs around, if your competition can’t find the sale, they aren’t competition anymore, now are they?
2. If you can get to the sellers before they’ve had their first cup coffee, you are ahead of the game.
3. If possible, bring a small child to offer a quarter on everything. Train them to go after vintage Barbie dolls and GI Joes.
4. Practice holding your heart with a faked shock look on your face when you get a price from a seller.
5. When you know there are enough people within earshot, I find this phrase helps. "How much is this Flow Blue cream pitcher with the furry spider inside it?"
6. Here’s another helpful phrase, this one is a twist on an old cliche. "My Gramma used to have one of those, in fact she had it right in her hands when she died."
7. Remember that small child mentioned earlier? The little imp can be used to distract other buyers by throwing up, crying, etc.
8. Pull out a hand full of change before asking how much a big ticket item is.
9. If it means getting in the basement or attic, inform the sellers you buy EVERTHING if it’s the right model or style, old tires, National Geographics. You never know what else you’ll see when you get in the house, the trick is to get your foot in the door.
10. Be so damn nice that people will have a hard time refusing low ball offers.
While this article was written in humor, I have actually seen each of these techniques used in action! Please feel free to comment with your favorite yard sale absurdity!

Thanks for reading,
AW

The author can be found at www.auctionwally.com 

The Auctionwally Network

The Examiner.com

Brimfield – my pretty goofy set-up where I signed copies of my book. (Can’t complain. It went very well and I ran out of books very early.)

Special thanks to WorthPoint, a website for collectors and antique experts, who came and chatted with me and video-taped a brief discussion on my snowman collection and my insights. I’m sure I could learn alot from them but since we’re on the subject I’ll just touch on the subject before I go in-depth in a later post.

The way I see it, there’s really two divisions of snowman collecting; kitsch, which makes up 35% of all church sales and then there’s collectibles like Christmas ornaments from the ’50s and earlier and paper goods (like old book illustrations dating back to 1790′s, postcards from turn of the century and trading cards from the 1880′s and such). Of course there thousands of other materials to find a snowman on but it’s case by case as to whether the item would enhance your collection. The world’s largest collection is in Germany and made up of about 11,000 items. But my smaller collection of 800 is far more historical and interesting because of the much better kitsch-to-collectible ratio. Anyone can amass a large snowman collection strolling through any flea market on a given Sunday morning. More interesting is finding examples of the snowman in less common scenes (eg. a HTL, hold-to-light postcard of Santa Claus driving an automobile and running over a snowman) or depicted in a more serious way (no Frostys). In other words showing the snowman more as a form of folk-art and less a salesman for clothes or toys (unless the product is something unusual, like this asbestos ad). Some good examples from my own collection can be seen on top of my writing blog. Happy searching and please feel free to ask me any questions as I am a certified snowman expert.

How does your Antique Business Bank Account look today? If there’s money to buy, this is the time to be very patient with your buying. The economic winds are shifting and time is needed to see where these winds are headed. Members of the 31 Club are advised to be patient and wise in their buying and not to be too venturesome for the moment.

The Economic Shift May Leave Only One "Out" For Many People.

I foresee a tremendous amount of merchandise coming to the market in the short term, as people find their portfolios decreasing in value while their expenses escalate. This may leave only one option open for many people — selling off the items of value they have treasured.

A Likely Flood of New Treasures.

A likely flood of merchandise coming to market can cause the value of many things to suffer a temporary dip. You don’t want to get caught with items you can’t sell. Be willing to really do extra research before you buy during these periods of economic uncertainty. Your knowledge will lead you to items that will sell under any economic condition.

So what sells well during times of economic shifts?

The rare and the unusual will always be sought after regardless of economic conditions. But don’t kid yourself — the collectors of the rare and unusual are savvy. After all, while the rest of the nation might be experiencing tough times, they aren’t. They must know a thing or two, wouldn’t you say? In this economic shift, their investment savvy will tell them to take more time to search out the real treasures and purchase at a good price.

Restrict Your Buying to Keep Your Money Moving.

Now is the time to restrict your buying to items that are still trading on a regular basis today. During this time, the best buys you will ever make will be found in the short term. Buy it right, sell it quickly, keep your money moving.

A Real Example from 31 Club Sales.

The Civil War Letters that were just sold by the 31 Club sold very quickly. Why? Let’s begin by examining their value. The information I was able to uncover through research showed me the largest lot of letters written by a Civil War soldier, sold publicly, was a little over 40 letters, written by a Union Soldier. The lot 31 Club sold was a lot of 147 letters written by a Confederate Soldier and are considered more rare and desirable than that of a Union Soldier.

The content of this Confederate Soldier’s letters held much information about were he was during certain battles and mentioned the time when General Lee had to recruit “Negro soldiers” to fight for the South due to his dwindling troops. From the tone of this particular letter, one gleans that this event didn’t make the soldier very happy. This kind of historical and at-the-scene information is what you’re looking for in material from the war. I seriously believe that within a year or two, a book about these letters will find its way to the market.

I’m sure you now realize why this first hand historical information from a Confederate Soldier’s perspective has great value, regardless of what the economy is doing. This is the reason why they sold so quickly. It isn’t like a painting painted by a fairly good artist that a prospective buyer might consider waiting a bit for because the price might come down. The buyer of the Civil War letters knew there was one chance to buy. If they waited, someone else would own them.

So, What Should We Search For?

If you spend your money buying more common items you are unable to quickly turn, where will your funds come from when something rare comes your way? Be patient in your buying right now, and strike while the iron is hot. Make a serious effort to search out the more rare and unusual that can be quickly sold. No, we may not be buying as much as we could buy at times when people are upbeat nor when selling something doesn’t take as much time, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is the quality and rarity of what we purchase.

Remember the Purpose of Working the 31 Club’s Model Before You Buy.

 Compounding Your Money!!! If you can compound 31 times, all your financial desires will be beyond met. If you can even compound 15 times, I’m willing to guess your financial desires might still be met. If you’re buying items you can’t quickly turn, you eliminate the compounding factor and minimizing your opportunity to progress and meet your financial and lifelong goals. Patience, perseverance, research, and smart buying will work in your favor in any economic climate. Take an offensive position against the shifting economic winds.

What To Do When You Find a Rare Item You Can’t Afford to Purchase Right Now

Contact me at 31 Club. Club Members can take advantage of the 31 Club Associates Program when they come across rare or unusual items but don’t have the money in their buying budget. We buy it, sell it, and the member makes 35% of the net sale. Questions? Ask me at info [at] 31corp [dot] com or call me at the club at 847-784-8544.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership.

Treasure Hunters: You Find It. We Buy & Sell It. You Net 35%. Partner Up with 31 Club on High Quality Treasures You Find. We Do the Rest!! 

Sellers: Sell Your High Quality Items for LOW FEES at 31 Gallery & Marketplace. Keep More of Your Money.

Buyers: Buy High Quality Items for FAIR PRICES at 31 Gallery & Marketplace.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Professionals Making More Money than they Thought Possible.  Join Today at www.31corp.com  Or E-Mail me at info [at] 31corp [dot] com and tell me you want more details. Or just give me a call! 847-784-8544 

Videographer: Scott Shactman
Editor: Alison Harder

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Civil rights leaders and events are the latest proposal for quarter dollar coin designs.

Rep. Watt D-NC introduced legislation to establish circulating quarter dollar coins with reverse designs that are emblematic of some forty prominent civil rights leaders and important events.

Selection of the leaders and events would be made by the Secretary of the Treasury in conjunction with the Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Five coin designs would be issued each year, the first thirty-two designs being completed within two years after the legislation is enacted, with the remaining coins to be completed within two years after the first coin is issued.

Coins would be issued in Uncirculated and Proof qualities as well as a silver composition of 90 percent silver with 10 percent copper.

A silver bullion coin duplicating the quarter dollar designs would be struck in a diameter of 3 inches and weighing 5 ounces, containing .999 fine silver. The coin’s fineness and weight would be incused in its edge.

Among the suggested themes for the proposed Civil Rights quarter dollars are the Little Rock Nine, commemorated here on a 2008 silver dollar.

I’ve been an eBay seller going on 11 years, I love what the company has helped me do with my business and it’s largely responsible for the success of my Internet presence. One could argue that I owe eBay a lot.

I’ve paid back a lot over the years, and not just in fees. I wrote pro-eBay articles and talked up the company in my podcasts. In short I was as much of an evangelist for the site as anyone. And I do hope the company can get back on track, but I have to ask:

eBay, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?

I just got an an automated call this morning from eBay, “seller Auctionwally, eBay would like to make you aware that it is making more new changes to make listing more affordable and instill buying confidence in eBay.” Uh-oh.

eBay, for the past two years you’ve rolled out a multitude of controversial changes that have made people who sell unique items, such as antiques dealers, furious. You’ve confused those that sell new stock, and sent a stampede of booksellers over to Amazon.com out of frustration at their items not showing up in well in your search engine.

Nothing stays the same, I realize that. But those of us who sell online are bombarded with changes we can barely keep up with.

To roll out an enormous amount of changes is risky practice at best, to roll out so many CRITICAL changes, is risky and confusing to all who would use your site. To roll out so many changes and announce that more changes are coming after your base is begging you to stop, is risky, confusing, and smacks of desperation.

Let’s look at other changes and what I see as the problems with them.

• You’ve stripped one of the core features that eBay was founded on, the duel feedback system. When you did this, your response was, “Well everyone else has only buyer feedback.” Exactly.  The results, sellers are disgruntled and look for other platforms to sell on. There are none as good as eBay. Not a big loss yet.
• Last year you announced a fee decrease for sellers,..Yippee! The results, it was a PR nightmare for your company when sellers found out that you were only decreasing listing fees, and taking more on the back end, in effect, rewarding those who list junk that doesn’t sell and whacking successful dealers with higher commission fees. I personally didn’t mind the higher commission fees, but it looks like the move is clogging up eBay’s search engine with junk. And don’t try to sell a fee increase as decrease, we’re not stupid.
• You put in place a very complicated DSR (detailed seller rating) system that no one, even eBay by it’s own admission, can figure out. This tool has had major crashes and has not been able to accomplish it’s goal. The results: Everybody says, “Huh?”
• After much user angst and public outcry, the leaders in your company, John Donahoe and Lorrie Norrington, announce that we should get used to changes, more are coming and we won’t recognize eBay in a year from now. The results:. More eBay sellers leave the site, and still don’t find a better platform to sell on. BUT, sellers start  building their own sites! They are taking what they’ve learned from eBay and using it to brand themselves. They’re using sites like Worthpoint.com, EveryplaceIsell.com , The Vintagelist.com and  The Auctionwally Network to get advice on how to become independent sellers.
• eBay announces that in the near future, it will only accept electronic payments. OUCH!  The results: eBay gets a two-fer on this one, they manage to tick off sellers AND buyers! Not only is there blowback about having to cowtow to PayPal, but there is potential for a disaster as sellers with a huge ammount of listings have to scrape other payment options that may be referenced in each description. While it’s true that a seller can change payment options with a flick of the switch, they will have to delete manually any reference to those options if they are in anyway referred to in the item description. For example, I have in my desrciptions the following statement, “A check or money order will need to clear before shipment.” This statement is a violation of this new policy and will have to be scraped from every listing, or I lose the listing.  What about the poor sap that has 100-500 store listings they have to edit?!
• eBay announces yet another price change is in the works, I’m not kidding. They say the new fee structure will encourage sellers to list more items with the fixed price format. The results: The   blogosphere lites up with rumors and speculation that eBay is doing away with it’s eBay stores. Is there any truth to this? Who knows, but it could very well be as the company has gained a reputation for being a loose cannon with it’s willy-nilly site change attitude.

Don’t get me wrong, I still sell on eBay, I will always maintain an eBay presence and wish the best things for it. But I’m an old school Yankee Auctioneer, you can’t hardly shut me up once I get going, (ask my poor wife about that).

The way I see it, I have a responsibilty to call ‘em as I see ‘em. I’m a passionate evangelist for brands and services that go above and beyond, but I’ll never stand by and cheerlead for any one that so obviously seems to work against its users’ best interest.

I often get asked, “Who do you think will beat eBay?” I reply, “eBay is the only one that can beat eBay, and these days it looks like they’re doing a pretty good job of it.”

Thanks for reading,

AW

This first-of-its-kind centralized online media network will help companies, agencies and media buyers market to leading online art, antiques and collectibles Web sites through a single point of contact. Founding members WorthPoint, GoAntiques and TIAS.com believe that the AACMN will provide a unique way to target an upscale, hard-to-reach population with disposable income, as well as a wider middle-income demographic.

The AACMN currently reaches 1.5 million unique visitors per month and is expected to grow rapidly as other businesses join the network.

“The goal of WorthPoint is to help our customers make money,” said WorthPoint CEO Will Seippel. “The same is true for the AACMN. Our online network will help advertisers use existing resources to reach fans of art, antiques and collectibles. As our network expands, we anticipate the AACMN will deliver even more value through even greater economies of scale.”

“The average GoAntiques user is successful, well educated and has an appreciation for the arts,” said Jim Kamnikar, president of GoAntiques. “The AACMN will help advertisers target a highly valued audience.”

“Our new partnership with WorthPoint and GoAntiques creates an unprecedented opportunity for advertisers seeking to connect with high-end consumers,” said Phillip Davies, president of TIAS.com. “The AACMN does not only benefit merchants, auctioneers and show promoters. Advertisers such as automotive, insurance and pharmaceutical companies can cost effectively target this sought-after audience.”

For more information about the AACMN, send inquires to sales [at] worthpoint [dot] com

About WorthPoint

Atlanta-based WorthPoint Corp. (http://www.worthpoint.com) is an Internet-based data-and-media company that offers a vast database of sales records on art, antiques and collectibles. Founded in 2007, WorthPoint has quickly become the world’s largest social network for researching the worth of antiques and collectibles. WorthPoint helps collectors understand the worth of their items and provides expert advice from its team of Worthologists on how to preserve or sell antiques and collectibles.

About TIAS.com

TIAS serves approximately 160,000 unique customers a day. About 510 merchants sell through the TIAS system, listing well more than 600,000 items for sale online. The company has been building e-commerce systems for merchants who sell antiques and collectibles since 1995. Sites affiliated with TIAS.com include CollectorOnline.com, Curioscape.com, Earthling.com and AntiqueArts.com.

About GoAntiques

Founded in 1994, by Kathy Kamnikar as Antique Networking, GoAntiques is the oldest antiques and collectibles site on the Internet. It offers more than 600,000 items from more than 1,300 dealers in 31 countries and the world’s largest antiques-and-collectibles price guide, PriceMiner(R). GoAntiques logs nearly a million visits and thousands of transactions each month and has more than 350,000 registered members. WorthPoint recently announced plans to acquire GoAntiques.

News Contact:

WorthPoint Corporation
Steve Johnson
(877) 734-7735 x9019 (O)
(703) 798-5236 (C)
steve [dot] johnson [at] worthpoint [dot] com

There is little doubt you are familiar with Tiffany and Galle glass, but did you know these companies also produced pottery?

These are not common items, and their value is also uncommon. If a nice piece of Galle or Tiffany glass becomes available, most people will know what it is. The same can’t be said of their pottery. When you become familiar with their pottery marks, you’ll be a step ahead of the pack.

Many companies produced items aside from their main lines that are often overlooked. Very simply put, people, including dealers, are not aware of these anomalies. At the 31 Club, we are on the hunt for pieces that may not be easily recognized. As members advance through the club program,  their hunt for valuable antiques and art will soon take them into the higher end of the market. And here, it’s important to be knowledgeable about what items from a particular company are rare.

Just to give you a taste of this, Kovels Price Guide lists two items for Galle pottery, both figures. One is priced at $2415 and the other $5175. Tiffany listings include sixteen pieces ranging from $200 to a high of $8,800. And, Today’s Photo is a Tiffany Vase that, back in 2003, sold for $11,000 through Buchard Galleries in Florida.  Imagine what it might bring today.

Several years back, when I was previewing items at an auction, my eyes fixed upon an unassuming piece of pottery. When I examined it, lo and behold – there was the Tiffany mark, LCT, all hooked together. I couldn’t believe my good fortune.

As I hovered near the piece, I overheard a couple of dealers discussing the vase. “Can you believe they would let fakes like that in this sale,” one said. “Anyone would know the piece isn’t Tiffany.” I had to turn away to keep from asking them whether or not they’d ever seen Tiffany Pottery before. When the auction commenced and the vase was offered, the auctioneer announced they didn’t guarantee the piece to be authentic. (I’m sure he’d heard a complaint from those two dealers about fakes.) 

At first there was no interest in this Tiffany piece, but finally they got a $100 bid. I made sure I sat on my hands in this early stage, but I can state with no hesitation, I was extremely anxious. When the bidding slowed at $150 I put my card up at $200, and that bid was followed by one at $225. I bid $250, and finally the auctioneer said, “SOLD.” I couldn’t believe I had just purchased a real piece of Tiffany pottery for $250. You see, most people have never seen one of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s pottery pieces. This vase sold a few months later just over $5700. Not bad for a “fake.” You may be fortunate enough to find some of their “fakes” also, ha ha.

What sweet little treasures these pieces can become, especially others think you are a fool for bidding on them or buying these pieces at house sales.

Treasure Hunters — Partner Up with 31 Club on high quality treasures you find. You Find It, We Buy It, We Sell It, You Net 35%.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. E-mail us at info [at] 31corp [dot] com to find out more. My book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE when you join the club plus more. www.31corp.com

As hoped for, Chris McCallion the producer of Mothballs had a full tent for the Brimfield premier of his feature film about the antiques trade called Mothballs.
I’m not a movie critic but I know what I like and the flick was a lot of fun, it kept everyone in the tent laughing and at times, shocked them.
The antiques dealers stereotypes in the movie were nailed by Chris, as I looked around at the people watching the movie I saw them reacting wtih agreement and beaming amusement.
The story takes place in Brimfield itself, it’s a comedic and at the same time accurate look at our business. How can you go wrong when you have an Alien, a little person, a kangaroo and a magic box?
I don’t want to give too much about the story away because Chris hasn’t actually released the film for distribution yet, but I bet that when you see it you recognize most of the characters in the story as those you see every day in flea markets, antiques shows and auction halls throughout the country.
What we saw last night, was a rough cut, Mr McCallion hopes to have the final version out soon. Once the final cut is ready I hope to have some available at auctionwally.com
All of the dealers were happy to see one of our own aspire to such heights and were delighted to see a movie about our line of work. It’s about damn time we get a little attention!
Chris’s Mothballs movie wasn’t the only class act of the night though. There are some people who should be thanked for their generous spirit. Here’s who they are and how they helped.
Worthpoint.com provided the screen
The extra large viewing area was provided by the two dealers inQua Quaker Acres, booths 14&15 of the show,
Brain Harvey has booth 14. He makes the coolest bird houses I’ve ever seen. They are fashioned out of automobile license plates. Each is numbered and Brian has a network of people who call in when birds arrive in spring and are thus registered with an address!
He makes them to order and will build one out of license plates from your home state.
If your a bird watcher why not give Brian a call at (207) 369-0237
Thanks to Brian, we had a comfortable place to sit, free popcorn and pizza!
From Mason-Dixon Memories -1-860-388-3137
Booth 15 was Jim from Jim’s Cartoon Glasses and Related Items a Divisioin of Mason-Dixon Memories. Jim has an awesome selectionof cartoon items.
He’s in Old Saybrook, CT at 1-860-388-3137 or 1-860-388-2867. Whether your looking for Looney Tunes or Sylvester & Tweety, I’ll bet Jim has it. Give him a call.
Thanks to Jim as well for the space, popcorn and pizza as well!
When my friend, Dan Borsey from Worthpoint.com heard about the movie, he generously donated the use of the Worthpoint extra large display screen for the viewing. Without it, the tent full of us would have been huddled around a 22 inch screen trying to see and hear.
These are all people who had a long hard work week, and yet jumped at the opportunity to help a fellow dealer turned movie producer. I was proud of us all!
If you visit Brimfield in May of 09, please take a minute to seek out these people and shake their hands.
Maybe I’ll see you then!
The distribution details for the film haven’t been worked out yet, but Chris has promised to give me a heads up when they are ready, and I’ll pass along the information in this column and at Auctionwally.com

“KITCHEN TABLE” ANTIQUE PISTOLS SET RECORDS AT ROCK ISLAND AUCTION

Three world records result from sale of a collection by man trying to buy a car for his elderly mother.

Rock Island Auction Company in Moline, IL was a busy place in September, 2007 following a major three day firearms sale and it would have been very easy for the telephone receptionist to dust off another caller looking for a free appraisal. However, the experienced receptionist knew a key phrase when she heard it and she immediately transferred the call to Acquisitions. The phrase? Colt Belt Paterson.

The caller just wanted to get an idea if the Colt was worth enough to buy his mother a new car. Acquisitions asked if he could send a photo and inquired of the condition. Yes he had a photo and the condition – new in the original box. Too good to be true but the photo confirmed the identity and the condition – flared grip, square back cylinder with all accessories in unpolished new condition in the original case. And, as if that weren’t enough, the original photo was accompanied by the photo of a Volcanic lever operated pistol made by New Haven Arms in 1857. That was all it took.

Auction owner Patrick Hogan was on the airplane on Monday morning to check out the new finds in Pennsylvania. Over the kitchen table the owner told Hogan a local collector had offered $8,000 for the entire collection that had belonged to his stepfather. When his independent research turned up a possible value as high as $75,000 he called Rock Island for confirmation. Hogan confirmed the estimate and told him it could sell as high as $275,000. The Volcanic from the photo turned out to be brand new and the owner asked Hogan if he was interested in the old box the gun came in. “Did you want it? I was going to throw it out as it is battered, would you like to see it?” Hogan’s jaw dropped “You have the original box?” As of that time there was only one original box known. This now makes two. The box itself could bring $30,000 plus the $100,000 + value of the pistol. Did he have any more? During this visit in the morning the son continued to bring out one fabulous piece after another setting them before Hogan on the kitchen table, guns from the mid-1850’s through the 1860’s cared for by the stepfather, a true collector.

The items were consigned to Rock Island and included in the December 8,9,10 catalog and sale. Throughout the sale the auctioneers would mention as each piece of this collection came up for sale “Here’s another kitchen table gun,” delighting the attentive crowd who knew the story.

The Colt, circa 1837-1840, touted in the Rock Island sale catalog as “The Finest Colt No. 3 Belt Model Paterson Known,” bearing serial number 51, was the top lot of the December Rock Island sale hammering down at a new world record of $414,000 including the buyer’s premium. The Volcanic in the original box likewise set a new record at $143,750 and a factory engraved Remington Double Derringer in the original box brought home a third world record for the collection at $46,000.

In all the Pennsylvania collection from the kitchen table exceeded the original collector’s offer of $8,000 by over 100 times, grossing $850,00 for the woman who merely wanted a new car. Now she has her pick. Rock Island also set some records in December with the largest single sale in its history and the largest grossing year in the history of firearms sales.

For more information call (800)238-8022 or visit the website at www.rockislandauction.com.

The Implemenatation

The transition required for any movement’s continuing relevancy, that from art to industry, would have to wait a few more years until the cabinetmaking son of a German immigrant, Gustav Stickley (1858-1942), was ready for it. Following Hubbard’s example, Stickley went to England for inspiration even though by the time he got there, William Morris was already dead.

Nevertheless, Stickley returned to America committed to producing a line of furniture based on the principles of the founder, handcrafted and grounded in honesty and simplicity. But Gustav was a realist. He knew that he had to adopt modern factory methods to his idea. He just had to keep it under control.

Gustav Stickley eventually was successful in producing a line of furniture that embodied all the tenets of the original Arts and Crafts founders except one. His furniture was not handmade by individual craftsmen. It was closely supervised and had a lot of handwork done on it, but it was essentially made in a factory using the latest technology and machinery available. After he opened his United Crafts shop in 1898 in Eastwood, N.Y., he introduced a line of “Craftsman” furniture through Tobey Furniture Co. of Chicago. The line was sold without his mark, bearing only the Tobey label and the phrase “The New Furniture.”

Stickley—This is the most famous mark of the entire Arts and Crafts period, Gustav Stickley’s cabinetmaker’s compass, motto “Als Ik Kan” and his signature. (Fred Taylor photo)

By 1902, Stickley was retailing his own self-marked line and was in direct competition with two of his furniture-making younger siblings, Leopold and John George. The brothers incorporated L&JG Stickley Co. in Fayetteville, N.Y., and produced furniture based on Gustav’s designs and those of Frank Lloyd Wright but with less attention to the original Arts and Crafts precepts and more attention to production runs and marketing. And there were other major players in the hottest new game in town besides the Stickleys and Tobey. Grand Rapids weighed in with Limbert and Lifetime and hundreds of factories across the Northeast and Midwest, including those of Larkin and Marshall. Fields turned out boxcar loads of “Mission” and “Arts and Crafts” furniture and accessories.

Early Stickley Brothers work adhered closely to the pattern set by older brother Gustav.

By 1916, Gustav had given up, driven into bankruptcy by competition from those less attuned to the quality and integrity of the product. Brothers L and JG assumed his debts, took over his shop and his designs, and continued in the Arts and Crafts furniture business for a few more years. But America was growing tired of the mental discipline required to adhere to the movement’s line, the starkness of the designs and the declining quality of the mass-produced offerings. And entry into World War I did nothing to lighten the mood.

The most popular of the famous “elastic” stacking bookcases made by Globe-Wernicke were Mission style made of oak.

As the war drew to a close in 1918, so, for all intents and purposes, did the Arts and Crafts Movement, a victim of its own straight-line severity and lack of flexibility in adapting to the new age in this country. In 1922, L&JG Stickley Co. introduced its new line of furniture, the Cherry Valley Collection, based on traditional New England designs. This final surrender of Arts and Crafts by the family largely responsible for its dominance in America signaled the total emergence of a new era that also harkened to an earlier period, America’s colonial past, embodied by the Colonial Revival.

One of the most popular forms of the period was the couch with arms that were even with the back in height. It was called a “settle.”

And yet the original reformist movement, by falling into bed with the very ideals it despised and sought to supplant—factories and mass production—actually succeeded in fulfilling one of its earliest stated goals. That being providing the working middle class with a line of well-made, reasonably priced, comfortable and sturdy furniture. Social irony at its best.

– Fred Taylor is the American Furniture Worthologist and an expert in furniture restoration. He’s published numerous articles on antiques on WorthPoint and in “Antique Trader,” “Chicago Art Deco Society Magazine,” “Northeast Magazine, “Victorian Decorating and Lifestyles,” “Professional Refinishing” and “The Antique Shoppe Newspaper.” Read more about Fred on his Worthologist profile, and check out his book “How To Be A Furniture Detective” and Fred and Gail Taylor’sDVD, “Identification of Older & Antique Furniture” on their very informative Web site, Furniture Detective.

Other articles by Fred Taylor:

Identifying Wood Species—Part I

Identifying Wood Species—Part II

Identifying Wood Species—Part III

A Fortune from the Kitchen Table

Understanding Antique—The Arts and Crafts Movement Pt. I

Maybe it’s understandable why a nice guy from Kansas, who has a batch of really interesting collectibles, might go postal after being saluted by a president of the United States.

Daron Clinesmith is a postman in El Dorado, Kan. Nothing unusual about that. But years ago, before he retired from the United States Air Force, Daron spent three-and-a-half years helping protect the most famous airplane in the world: Air Force One.

Daron joined the Air Force in the early 1980s and was immediately assigned to Point Mugu Naval Air Station in California, near Ronald Reagan’s Western White House at Rancho del Cielo.

During his tour of duty with Air Force One, Daron got to know President Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan. And he found time to put together a collection of Air Force One memorabilia, everything from matchbooks and playing cards to candy jars filled with the president’s famous jelly beans, models of Air Force One and a framed photograph of Air Force One signed by every president from Richard Nixon to Bill Clinton.

But Daron’s most treasured collectible is a photo taken at the U.S. Air Force base in Bitburg, Germany, on May 5, 1985. President and Mrs. Reagan were stepping onto the tarmac to greet German Chancellor Helmut Kohl when they spotted Daron at the foot of the ramp. In uniform, Daron instinctively saluted the president. Reagan flashed his famous smile and returned Daron’s salute. As it happened (and of course nothing happens by accident), one of Daron’s Air Force buddies, who was standing nearby, captured the moment on film.

Reagan’s salute

Now a photograph of that presidential salute hangs in the cabin of the replica Air Force One that is on display at the American Presidential Experience in Denver, which is being co-sponsored by WorthPoint. Daron takes time off from his current civilian job whenever the American Presidential Experience goes on tour and relives his days on Air Force One.

Daron on the Air Force One replica

Daron eventually retired from the Air Force and returned to his hometown in Kansas where he went to work delivering mail for the United States Postal Service. But that moment in Bitburg, Germany, almost a quarter century ago, provided Daron with his own very special American Presidential Experience.

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