It’s opportunity time for those of us in this business and for those collectors who have the cash to buy. I’m not saying we should hurry on out to spend our money. It’s opportunity only if we are diligent in our hunt for treasure and select the very best. When we find it, we should take the chance and offer a price that will best assure a substantial profit. I’m not suggesting we be unfair, but rather take into consideration how long it might take to sell that item at the price we’ll need, and to consider if it doesn’t sell at that price, how much further we might have to drop the price days or months down the road in order to move it. These are very uncertain times, and when we’re buying now, we’re taking a bigger risk. That risk needs figure into our offers. Merchandise is only as valuable as the price someone will pay for it. And, right now, it’s anybody’s guess what that price will be a week, a month, or six months from now. By all means, adjust offers to the present market conditions, weighing the risk carefully. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see how much a Mark Rothko painting or an Andy Warhol will sell for today, in light of this Wall Street fiasco. Whoever has cash, can become king of the hill right now.

This week, a woman who has a wonderful Porfirio Salinas Texas Bluebonnet painting, called looking to sell it. I asked her what she thought the painting was worth. She told me,“$25,000.” She might have been right on target a little while back, but not post Wall Street meltdown. The last Salinas, same size as hers, sold for $16,000, and that is a new listed figure. After commissions, the most she could expect would be about $12,000. I explained this to her, and I gave her another place to check further. I haven’t heard back from her yet, but I’m certain I will.

The only way that painting will bring more than $12,000 is at auction. In that scenario, the wait will be several months, and by then, there is no telling what market conditions we will be facing. I just happen to have a buyer interested in purchasing a Porfirio Salinas. At the right price, I could sell the painting very quickly, and she could have cash in her hand.

You might be asking, “Why not pay a little more for the painting and be sure that you get it?” Here’s why: The next call might be an even better opportunity, so why should I hurry to tie up my money? Then, Bingo! The next call was from a person who has some of the best Lotton Glass I’ve ever seen. If the price is right, I will buy it.

When we are dealing in upper end items in the Antiques and Fine Art Markets, it doesn’t take too much of an effort to tie up a considerable amount of money. The rewards in this business can make our lives a lot easier, if we’re careful. Always keep track of where you are in the money department. Know what you can commit and what the risks are. And remember – there is always the Associate Program available to 31 Club members if you find a treasure but don’t have the funds to buy it yourself.

There is a large amount of quality items likely coming to market in the days ahead. I already see some of them coming. At this time, we might not need to spend so much time trying to find items that others have missed. This present and coming market will allow us to pick and choose what we want to buy, and at what price we want to pay. It’s looking like a buyer’s market. Our prices should be adjusted accordingly. Don’t make an offer unless you seriously intend to purchase the item. The seller just might surprise you and say “sold,” and you’ll need to buy. Remember the rules in which we conduct our business. If you need a reminder, or you want to know more about how to triumph in the antique and fine art business, it’s all in our club guide book – “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles.” 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!!

After I posted yesterday’s blog about the Whirligigs sought after by collectors, I guess my mind started going back to the days I spent growing up on a farm. Before I knew it, I was researching Windmill Weights. Maybe windmills were on my mind because of the need for this country to find new energy resources. Maybe the windmill images from the T. Boone Pickens commercials were forward in my mind. Only the Good Lord understands the intricacies of my mind. But, boy! I’m glad I did the research. I always thought windmill weights were in the form of animals, birds, moons, or stars, but I was mistaken, and I got quite the education on these folk art collectibles.

In case you’re not as old as I am, I’ll provide a little background info to understand the historical interest in windmill weights. Yesteryear, in parts of rural America and other parts of the world, many farms used windmills to capture the power of the wind to pump water out of wells for use on their land. Windmills also provided the energy to pump well water to fuel the early locomotives. Grain, especially in Europe, was ground by the energy provided by windmills. These windmills had many moving parts, of course, and a windmill weight was one of them.

Today, these weights are very collectible, valuable, and make great folk art. And there are lots of collectors who’d be grateful if you found a real beauty for their collection.

There are four different kinds of windmill weights – the Tail Weight, the Governor Weight, the Spoke Weight and the Regulator Weight. The Tail Weights are the most decorative of all.

There are hundreds of windmill weights to find, and they are still out there in the old barns and sheds. And some are quite valuable. Many of the weights you’ll find are painted, but I learned that this was usually done after the weight had out-lived its usefulness and later became a piece of folk art.

Many times paint is used to disguise a reproduction, however there are many ways to distinguish the real thing from a new reproduction.The best way is to look for rust. When these weights were used, they picked up sand in the rust, and this is what made the finish on the older weights. Watch for holes in the weights. They shouldn’t be straight up and down on the real ones, rather tapered. Any damage can quickly reduce their value.

I was fortune enough to run across the book, Windmill Weights, by Rich Nidey and Don Lawrence. I took a look at a site with some info on their book, and boy – what a head full I got.

I know you’re waiting for some price examples, so here they are:

A Black Bull with white writing, 18X24 inches, $920. Horse standing,white paint,16 X 17 inches, $920. Rooster, writing, Power & Pump Co. , 13 inches, $1495. ARooster by the Elgin Co., 15X19 inches, could bring you over $5000 today.

Today’s Photo comes from Ames Hill Antiques and this 15 inch star weight made by the U. S. Wind Engine & Pump Co. Batavia, Ill. c, 1890. is mounted on a tiger maple stand and has provenance to a Minnesota farm. It’s priced at $2250.

I think you’ll agree that these nifty items are worth looking for.

There is an endless stream of items people collect, and if we find them for collectors (or for ourselves) our coffers will be filled. An old saying I recall says, “Go where others have feared to go.” 31 Club says, “Look where others have failed to look.”

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.

Daryle’s 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

If I told you a whirligig could bring in some big money, would you know what a whirligig is and how to spot one?

I always teach members of my antique business club that the money in this business is made in the rare. The rare and desirable will keep your money turning, and a whirligig falls into this category.

So what is a whirligig? Think motion. Think action. Then, consider our past as a farming culture. When we were mainly farmers, birds in the fields, pecking away at crops was a real problem. Farmers needed something to scare off the birds without having to constantly have someone on the lookout who could to run out into the fields and wildly flap their arms to get rid them. Enter the whirligig. It’s a type of interesting and creative folk contraption made by a farmer on his time off from the fields, to solve the bird problem. Many will call it a toy, because it brought much delight to children, as well as to adults, but this contraption was designed with a purpose.

Most of these interesting contraptions are made of wood, but they can be made of almost any material. They have moving pieces, and when the wind blows on them, it creates an action. They might remind you of windmills — folksy windmills.

I have seen figural whirligigs whose arms spin and the head moves. These are rather simple, but there are others depicting a person sawing a log or a woman churning butter. With these, you are beginning to touch upon the higher dollar whirligigs. They weren’t actually meant to scare off the birds, but rather to enjoy. These are the ones whose dollar value has escalated so much. The number of these pieces that have survived till now is limited. To the avid collector of these artistic creations, the hunt for them is a labor of love.

Unlike items like duck decoys, whose value escalates when it is signed by a particular artist, whirligigs don’t have to be signed for them to be valuable; the value is in the design.

Here is an example of some whirligig values: Two men turning a fan, articulated limbs, 13X18 inches, valued at $690. 20th Century 12” man wearing black jacket and blue trousers,$1380. Policeman, one arm and band leader the other arm, 20 inches, wooden, $3300. And, a man wearing a pealed hat, blue jacket, and red vest, 21 inches, $6325.

While there are reproductions, a close look will tell you the differences. Look for signs of new paint, modern screws, no patina, poor workmanship and materials not of the time.

There are so many items that have the potential to bring big money, but first we have to know what to look for. If you come across one of these during your hunt, I hope this blog will come to mind. And, if you’re successful in buying it, you might just keep a whirligig for a while before selling it just to amuse yourself.

*******

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.

Daryle’s 220 Page Book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your Membership. Plus You Get FREE MENTORING with Daryle.

Register Today! Or E-Mail us at info [at] 31corp [dot] com or through Daryle’s Worthpoint e-mail.

You have a clock on your computer, by your bedside, and even in your car, but the one on your wrist is the one that can bring a smile to your face. Wrist watches as time pieces have kept us on time for many decades and lately, their value has gone through the roof. And while you might be familiar with names like Rolex and Cartier, have you heard of Patek Phillipe?

Wrist watches can bring hundreds of thousands of dollars, and their owners may have little idea to their value. I’ve purchased a box lot of watches with up to 25 individual pieces and later discovered there was one worth $2,500 while the others only had values from $25 – $100. But, when they were purchased for a grand total of $500, this was a fantastic purchase.

Older time pieces have been passed down through the family with little thought as to their value. Often a person will sell these watches for $25 because it doesn’t have a band. Of course with rare exceptions, these bands if they had one would have no value anyway.

You can check for prices on watches on eBay’s completed sales or on the Internet for auction results at the major auction houses. There are also price guides for watches you can purchase. I encourage you to find a guide and buy a used copy. I promise you, if you study the watch guide, you will run across a watch that will bring you many times the money you paid for it. I used to wonder why some of the dealers took so much time examining boxes of what I thought were worthless time pieces. Now I know the truth. There was gold in them there boxes.

I am often able to buy old watches for $5 or $10 dollars that have 10 to 18 carat gold cases. The value alone of the gold can be several hundred dollars on these pieces. Most people would think that the jewels in a watch would have the most value, but in truth, they are almost valueless compared to the gold. If you happen to be extremely fortunate, you might even find a watch in a platinum case. Then you can really celebrate.

What makes a watch valuable? First is rarity. Then, several other factors come into play such as the manufacturer, age, materials (platinum, gold, silver or other) condition, and whether or not it is all original or designer piece.

With the price of gold and platinum where they are today, you must always figure in the value of the case, and then real money can be made just from the case alone, if it is 18K gold or higher. Any platinum watch will bring some money.

If you can find a vintage watch with its original band, buckles, its box, and all the original papers, you’ve found yourself a real winner, and it will command a large premium over comparable watches that are missing these items.

Have you seen the ads in your local paper where a company will take out two or more full pages in the paper purchasing old watches? Can you imagine the cost of these ads? Well, they aren’t in the business of losing money, so there must be great profits to be made in this material. Why not learn from these people who come into your area, advertise in a big way, and then make away with huge profits. They should be at a disadvantage, because in most cases, we don’t trust strangers. So in reverse, they do know you and hopefully you have their trust, so this business could be yours. You can get this business by placing a small ad at the same time they’re running theirs, but say you are a local buyer.

Be sure to add watches to your list of desirable things to watch for because they are perhaps one of the potentially profitable items that I can think of. And they don’t take up much space. Tick, tick, what a great sound.

***

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Join Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club.

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Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club Blog

Did you ever spot a painting but kept on walking because you couldn’t find out who the artist was?

Sunday, at the Chicago Antique, I purchased a small oil painting in a wonderful gilded leaf frame for $120. Cindy asked if I knew the artist, and I told her I didn’t. She asked me why I bought it. Cindy isn’t afraid to ask questions because she wants to learn. I told her I bought it because it’s signed, so if I can figure out who the artist is, I might have found a treasure. Now, I didn’t buy just any signed painting. It was very well done, and it also had a wonderful gilded leaf frame that was worth more than I paid for the painting.

I also purchased a very nice signed watercolor that was also very well done. I couldn’t pass it up for $30. I researched the name on the Internet and have e-mailed the artist to verify that it is her work. If the e-mail comes back positive, it could make my month.

Did I start out looking for a $30 painting? Not at all. Truthfully, I had more like $5,000 on my mind, but this $30 painting could bring a couple thousand. That ain’t so bad, as this country boy would say.

Go to our Fine Art Gallery and look at the Paris Street Scene painting by Jean Faurege. It just sold for $5,000 because it has the quality of an Edouard Leon Cortes or an Antoine Blanchard. No, you won’t find Faurege in Davenport’s or on AskArt.com, but his work is outstanding. True collectors can appreciate it for what it is.

By the way, you did hear me correctly. This painting sold right here on our Marketplace for $5,000. This could have been your painting.

A 31 Club Member called yesterday to ask me about several paintings they spotted, of which only one had any interest. It was what she called a “couch painting.” But, after hearing her describe it, I knew that it should be purchased at about $50, and that had been the price that was in her mind to offer. At $50, she couldn’t go wrong. I’m hoping she acquired it because it might turn out to be a real find.

When you see a painting, you must judge the quality of the piece before you pass it by. No, you can’t pay $5,000 for an unidentified painting, but what about $100 or even $200. This may well be the best buy you make for a while.

The secret is to be able to examine an item and make a quick decision on what to do next. Time can quickly pass by and indecision will cost you money. Even an occasional mistake can be quickly overcome by correct decisions made quickly before someone else beats you out.

I have seen people pay hundreds of dollars for a potato that looks like some special person, knowing full well that the potato will shrivel up and rot after a short period of time. This makes me feel confident in buying items that I think are well worth the money, because I know they won’t shrivel away.

Thursday, I’ll be leaving for the Smokies for ten days, but I’ll have a cell phone and computer if you need me, and also Cindy will be there to serve your emails and calls.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Join Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club.

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets that help you increase your profits. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle’s Strategic Business Plan. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club, today.

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Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club Blog

Just a few weeks ago, William, a new 31 Club Member, made the statement to me that he didn’t know anything about Antiques or Fine Art. Today, he’s purchased several paintings at great prices and the 31 Club is his partner on two paintings he located in Houston. William has taken me at my word. I’ve said I’d mentor. I’ve said my readers can call me. And, William calls me while he’s out in the field. I can safely say, William hasn’t bought a single piece without first checking with me. I can also safely say that there’s no other place you can receive this kind of help. We offer this help to all 31 Club members.

William’s call to us yesterday resulted in the purchase of his latest find, and he decided to take us up on our offer to partner up through our Associates Program for this new piece. You see, he called me when he found a painting he thought had possibilities. (As he always does.) It was priced at $400. I asked him some questions about the piece and then did a little research on it. Turns out, the artist was from Chicago. Wow!

“We’re interested,” I told William, “But, let’s try to bargain for it.” I was soon giving the lady my credit card number and purchased the painting for $240. Bingo. I have no doubt that here in Chicago, this painting is worth more than double that price.

These stories can be your stories. When more of you get out into the field and take advantage of what I’ve offered you, you’ll turbo charge your life in this business. So, let me hear from you.

Vicki, one of our very first members, also called me yesterday, and what a pleasure it was. She found one of the most unusual vases I’ve come across lately. This Tressemanes & Vogt 13” tall double handled vase with a black and white nautical scene, signed “Merriman,” is a name I am familiar with. I’ll have to do my home work on this piece. I believe it could be very special.

She showed me a painting she bought by signed, “Beaman.” I knew instantly this was a winner. After some research, I was sure of it and am certain the painting will give her about 300% return on her investment. Not bad.

Vicki, like William, is out there looking, and that’s why they’ll have success in this business. The 31 Club can help you in every other way, but we can’t do the looking for you. When you find something, give us a call, and we’ll help you from there.

Members are sending me auction flyers to take a look at almost every day, and it makes me so jealous that I’m not able to attend some of these great sales. When members send me this kind of information, I tell them the pieces that I’d be interested in if I were attending. From that point, it’s up to them to evaluate each piece, making certain there isn’t damage that I can’t see in the photographs.

I’m working very hard on acquiring a collection of wonderful items, and I’m hoping to be able to report their purchase to you very soon. We’ve added some fantastic Native American articles to our inventory recently, and they will soon be appearing in our gallery. We will be posting a Historical Document signed by Patrick Henry, as soon as Cecil gets me the description. Man, this place is jumping lately, and I am looking forward to all our members participating in what could be the most remarkable journey of our lives.

Jeremy’s gotten me very excited about how some of our new website projects will be working and has promised to update the 31 Club’s Spreadsheet, so you can see what progress we’ve made in our own Race to a Million Dollars. Remember, we’re working this plan right along with you, and we started our account with only $100, just like everyone else. The updated spreadsheet will be available on our Members Only site.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Join Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club.

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Daryle’s 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership.

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“I found a wonderful art glass vase at a house sale, but I left behind some pottery and a paperweight and now it’s weighing heavy on my mind.”

Lou Ann, a 31 Club Member who often finds wonderful items at fantastic prices, said that to me last week. I can honestly say that after 40 years in the business, I still ask myself what I might have left behind at a sale. The voice in my head says to me, “That piece of pottery might have been better than you thought, and that painting could’ve turned out to be a real winner, Daryle. Why didn’t you buy it.” I even find myself churning these thoughts in my mind months after the sale. Although I try not to think about what I might’ve missed, I’m only human.

I don’t know if the pottery Lou Ann left behind was special, but at a low enough price, I would have taken the chance since I was already there. However, the real story might have been the paperweight.

Most people know very little about paperweights, so having the knowledge can give us a big leg up on finding that special one.

Paperweights only have had two great periods in their development, first from 1840 to 1860 and then starting in 1952 and continuing today.The most famous companies producing paperweights during their heyday in the first period were the St. Louis Company, Baccarat, Clichy, Bacchus and Whitefriars. Soon after this period, the art of making paperweights landed in America with companies such as The New England Glass Company, Gillinder, Mt. Washington and later Millville.

Try to get a look at some of these early pieces because they are just fantastic, produced with amazing quality. I could spend the next ten pages just describing them, but this would do you very little good, and I highly recommend you buy a few good books on paperweights. Second hand books are just fine. In fact, we’d sure appreciate it if you used our site if you order books from Amazon, because it helps us keep this site up and running. Take a look at this good guide for starters: Collectors’ Paperweights: Price Guide and Catalog

The second period of paperweights starting in 1952 with companies like Lundberg, Orient and Flume, Perthshire, Stankard, Ysart and a name I’m sure you’re already familiar with – Lotton. Lotton’s pieces are going up in value as we speak. Baccarat is producing weights that challenge the early the early ones for beauty. Each of these companies have made outstanding paperweights for the collectors.

Early pieces can bring over $100,000 and it isn’t unusual to find ones priced from $10,000 to $25,000. In fact, it is very hard to find a great example that doesn’t bring over $500. Like almost everything else, when the paperweight market got hot, the fakes and reproductions spilled out into the market place, but most of them are so bad, my nine-year-old can tell the difference.

How do we know what paperweights are worth, and how can they be identified?

Here’s a little secret. Most people pick up a paperweight and look on the bottom, finding nothing and put it back down. But, most paperweights are identified by marks within the weight itself. Baccarat has figures within the canes that even give you the date they were made. Often the maker’s initials are marked within the design of the weight, and you will have to look very carefully to find them. Take time to study every paperweight you see, because just one might put several thousand dollars in your pocket.

Get those books and study them. They will more likely only set you back a few dollars, but owning them could prove invaluable.

Join Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club, today. Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Get FREE MENTORING. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets that help you increase your profits. Learn to Grow Your Money Buying and Selling Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle’s Strategic Business Plan. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers who are making more money than they thought possible.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership.

www.31corp.com

31 Club Member, William, struck again. Yesterday, he called asking about several paintings he was going to see at a local house sale in the Houston area. The first one was a Texas Porfirio Salinas painting, an artist I am very familiar with. It was one of his bluebonnet paintings; a very small one. Since the painting was in Texas, and that’s where Salinas is most popular, I was fairly certain the price would be out of our range. This proved true when we discovered the asking price was $15,000. There was no need to even try to bargain on this painting, so we moved on to the next offerings, and the interesting part of the story was yet to come.

William Fisher was the next artist on our list, an artist from New York. Out of place for Houston, right? After doing research, I suggested offering $200 apiece for three of Fisher’s paintings. We negotiated over the course of the afternoon, but we were unable to come to an agreement on the price, so we passed on these, even though there might have been a little profit there. Remember, we aren’t looking for a little profit.

The last painting was a very modern painting offered for $800. While the artist is listed, there have been only a few of his paintings sold at auction, but I saw that they were all sold for higher than the high estimate. That was about the best news we could have hoped for, and perhaps we could be on to something here. We discovered that there was no other interest in the painting, and after several calls back and forth, we finally settled on a price that satisfied us all — $600. My educated guess is that at a Modern Design Auction or Sale, this painting has the potential to bring in $5,000 or more. Bingo. We made a hit. The painting was purchased through the Associates Program.

Let’s review the behind the scenes steps that brought us to the point that we bought this painting. First, while researching auction prices for this artist, I saw that his prices had climbed recently. Second, when they did sell, they brought more that the high estimated price. Third, the painting was in an area where this type of work was not especially appreciated, generally. This created an almost perfect game plan for us. It took patience to secure this purchase at the price we wanted, and I’m certain it will pay off.

I’d like to tell you who the artist is, but that will come after it’s sold, and I’ve selected two places that we could best sell this piece. Some of you might be industrious enough to figure it out, but, I promise I’ll tell the rest of you later. Depending upon which company we decide to sell it through, the sale will be either in September or November.

The Associates Program through the 31 Club is making it possible for anyone who makes a good find to prosper buying and selling fine art paintings, antiques and collectibles. Come Ride Shotgun With Us.

Join Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club, today. Rub elbows with like-minded 31 Club Members, and Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to Make High Profits and Continue to Grow Your Money Buying and Selling Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. www.31corp.com

I believe that toy model cars will become even greater collectibles than they are today. You see, as designs of yesteryear disappear, these toy models will keep the exciting features of these older cars alive and fresh in our memories. Young people today will never be able to drive in a Cadillac that’s as long as a train, or ride in a Gull-winged Mercedes Benz. In fact, I doubt they’ll ever know they’ve missed something special, and what a shame that is.

Collectible toy and model cars keep climbing in price every day. I’ve written about this before and at that time, I mentioned a toy VW Bus that sold for over $18,000. It seemed to me that this was the exception, until I looked on eBay and found a toy car that sold for $7,200, as well as many others that brought in over $4,000.

Many companies made these toy cars such as Wyandotte, Hubley, and Dinkey Toys. Tooties and the more modern line, Hot Wheels and Matchbox Cars can substantially fatten your wallet. Plus, when you add in the valuable and collectible tin toys made in Japan, you’ll have an unlimited supply to find. If you find one along with the original box, it’s even more valuable. Often, the box is worth as much as the toy. Condition is very important, and the closer it is to mint condition, the higher the price.

There are plastic cars from the 50’s and 60’s that are collectible, tin toys from Japan, German tinplate cars, diecast models, and many more. If you’re a 31 Club Member and you’d like a listing of over 1000 Toy Car Brands E-mail Cindy with your Member Password in the Subject at cindy [at] 31corp [dot] com. She’ll send it by e-mail to you.
If this is an area in the Antique & Collectible world that holds great interest to you and you’d like to focus in this area, there are many collector clubs. These collectors clubs are a great place to sell your items, so you might want to add them to your list and start making contacts. And who knows, you might even meet collectors who are looking to sell their collections. As I’ve said before, forming relationships in this business is essential.

I still have a cast iron racer my Uncle Warren Dee brought for me soon after returning home from serving two terms as a tank commander in the Pacific during the war. He died in a motorcycle accident shortly after his return, so I’m not likely to part with it. It keeps his memory alive for me, but I imagine is has great value today for collectors.

Toy cars are where its at, no upkeep or gas required just pleasant memories and money in your pocket. You can’t beat that no matter how hard you try.

Join Daryle Lambert’s 31 Club, today. Rub elbows with like-minded 31 Club Members, and Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to Make High Profits and Continue to Grow Your Money Buying and Selling Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership.

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So Many Plates! Are They Worth Anything?

Plates, plates, and more plates. In fact, I get tired of looking at plates at every sale I attend. But should I? Is it simply that seeing so many worthless plates have jaded me? I asked myself these questions and then decided to do a little research to get some answers. After having done that, I see that by having such a negative opinion of the “lowly” plate and not even stopping to examine them at the many sales I have attended, I have probably passed up some real treasures in my hunt. Shame on me. I now have a different perspective.

Yes, I have found a few plates worth mentioning, but very few. One worth bringing up is the Saturday Evening Girls plate that I discussed in the book “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and Collectibles.” I found one of these plates as I was on my way to Lake Geneva one Father’s Day, and I paid twenty-five cents for it at a yard sale. The one I found in a stack of plates on the way to Lake Geneva for Fathers Day. Twenty-five cents didn’t seem like much of an investment, so I bought it. It darn well made me happy when it sold for over $300. And now that I think about it, there was the set of fourteen plates I purchased for $150 and soon sold them for over $$1,200. And, wait a second. It just hit me that I did buy a Meissen plate for around $50 and sold it for over $500. Oh, and now this calendar plate just flashed through my mind. The one I bought for $5 and sold for $500. Maybe I like plates a lot more than I thought I did.

You see, this business is like hunting for a needle in a hay stack, but when you find the needle, all the effort becomes worth the hunt. Now that I’ve started back down that road that I’ve traveled, I bet I can remember several other stories of finding different types of plates that have proved to me excellent finds. The oyster plates I bought for $25 that I sold for $375 comes to mind. That’s not so bad. If I totaled up all the money I’ve made from plates, how dare I look down my nose on them. When I took out my latest Kovels Price Guide to look through some examples, I was totally surprised to see what some of these plates were now selling for.

$4,950 for a 1907 calendar plate, (Bristol Steel Fishing Rods, Outdoor Camping Scene advertising plate.) A 1922 Edison Mazda, Egypt, Maxwell Parrish plate for $4,510. I have to admit, this is not bad for one plate. And then there were the RS Prussia and flow blue plates that still bring in top dollar. Yes, this is still an area that can bring us the type of return on our money that we are looking for, because so many people today look on these items as I did , “ the lowly plate.”

Learn more about buying and selling antiques at www.31corp.com

What’s your next move if there are items you want to buy at a house or garage sale, but prices are firm and more than you want to pay?

Do you walk away in search of greener pastures? Absolutely not. You make a lower offer and see if it’s accepted. What’s the worst that can happen? Someone might say “no”?

Do you just pay the asking price? Of course not. That’s breaking all our established rules for success, as well as a guarantee that failure will soon be your partner.

Yesterday, a 31 Club Member called me facing these choices. He had been at a house sale and found many upper end items the first day of a sale, but prices were firm that day.

A 24” x 36” pastoral painting interested him, but he could only describe some of the things I would need to know if I was going to make a phone assessment of the piece. Since prices were firm, I advised him to return to the sale the next day, bringing his camera along. So, back to the sale he went the next day.

Oh, Boy! It’s Leftover Time. Leftover Estate Sale Items Can Be Your Ticket to Success.

Hooray! The painting was still there, and its price had been reduced from $400 to $200. He shot some photos of it, and sent them to me via e-mail. I looked at those pictures, and I realized he had found a treasure. In fact, I had just sold a much smaller painting similar in subject matter to this one; cattle and a stream backed up by beautiful mountains. And, his painting appeared to be better quality than mine, and it was twice the size. Who knows what this might bring in? My painting brought in $2,600 in an Evansville, Indiana sale.

After I looked at these pictures, I got him back on the phone and asked to speak to the lady conducting the sale. We had some light conversation, and then I asked if she could possibly take $100 for the painting. She agreed! No other takers were waiting in line for this piece, and the sale was ending. The company had done the best they could do, and $100 was their best offer. End of story. Or, is it?

Along with my offer of $100, I asked if there were other items not sold. And there were many. In fact, several paintings were left behind; their signatures impossible to read. That is – impossible to read for the person who’d not seen these signatures before. Remember, Knowledge is King, and that where 31 Club comes in. You see, tomorrow, our member is returning to photograph and e-mail me photos of the leftover items. Depending upon what’s leftover, we’ll make an offer at a price we like.

Although this member might not have the funds to purchase all the leftover items we like, the 31 Club Associates Program will buy those items that are beyond his budget, handle the sale, and share a good percentage of the profit with him. It’s a win-win deal for both of us, and we’ll make it possible for the sales agent to close the sale without having any leftover items in inventory to dispose of. That’s win-win-win. The sales conductor will be quite happy, and there could be a few great treasures in there for us. The Associates Program is available to 31 Club Members only, so join today, if you’ve been sitting on the fence.

A Rejection is Just a Problem You Haven’t Found a Solution For.

I ask all 31 Club members to think outside the box. You’ll discover that situations aren’t as they first seem to be, and with a little creativity, you can turn this to your advantage. Countless times, I made offers on items that were rejected, but I continued to shop the sale and found other things to my liking. Before settling up, I’d go back to the items whose offers were rejected and ask, “Why don’t you throw that piece in for what I offered because of the amount of money I’m spending with you.” Very simple, and it almost always works.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. 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.

Yesterday, I shared about European and Early American chairs, but if I was starting to take an interest in furniture today, it would be in the Arts and Crafts Furniture and the Modern Design pieces. This is where the trend is, and that is where we want to be.

Arts and Crafts is already well into the trend, but I think there is still a lot to go. Names like Stickley, Frank Lloyd Wright and Limbert are going to grace our homes for a long time. The young collectors seem to be drawn to this style, so don’t try to fight a trend.

Places to find out more about the Arts and Crafts design era is to view catalogs from Rago Arts and Auction and Treadway Galleries. These two houses seem to be the trendsetters for the Arts and Crafts market. There you will find true values for the chairs and other furniture and objects of art that were produced during this period. They have some of the finest art pottery pieces of this time period, as well. If you get a chance to visit one of their auctions, you’ll get an education that is well worth the time. Buying a few of their back catalogs to use as a source of reference will be a superb addition to your library. Study their websites. They list their sales and even the results of their sales. What a great way to become educated at no cost.

Most of the items that bring the big bucks are made of oak and have a rather straight, minimalistic design, but you can find ones made of mahogany and birdseye maple. These can have a branded mark or cellophane label. Often the cellophane labels are missing, and so unscrupulous people have even reproduced these labels and placed them on items that are nowhere like the items they claim to be.

The area that I am least familiar with is the Modern 20th Century Design Movement. However, when I look at some of the Wright Auction catalogs, I know that it is time for me to step up to the plate and get an education in this area. This market seems to be lead by certain designers and you must know their names and designs. If you do the rewards will be tremendous.

Modern 20th Century Design are those objects of art, lighting, and furniture from about 1920 through the present time, and they continue to be a hot commodity in the collectibles world, especially for the younger generation who grew up during the time period of these great designers.

A lady whose home I went to shared a story about the time she and her husband started house keeping in the 50”s. Today, she was ready to change the way she was living and a friend suggested she call Wright Auctions to get an idea of the values of the items she was tired of. The auction house representative came, and she could see the excitement in their eyes. They hauled off furniture she would have gladly sold for a few thousand dollars. Later, after their auction, she received a check for well over $100,000 from Wright. Now that would be what I consider finding a treasure, even if I had owned it all the time.

Furniture, lighting, and art objects from the top designers of this time have been copied, often rather badly, but it is the designer pieces of this time that are considered works of art, commanding top prices in today’s marketplace. No one has changed the world of Modern Design Furniture and Objects of Art as much as Wright Auction House.

In 2000, founders Richard Wright and his wife, Julie Thoma Wright opened the doors of their auction business, specializing in items from this period. Their business creativity drastically changed the face of business in this area of the market. Julie Thomas Wright, we are sorry to say, has recently passed away, but it was her visionary ideas for this business that propelled this company forward to become today’s standard for Modern Design Collectibles. Today, Wright Auctions is known internationally as the spot to go for the best of these designer items.

This area of Antiques and Collectibles can be the turning point in your career as a buyer and seller. To really make some serious money, spend time studying the Modern movement. Call Wright Auction and ask how to get up to date in your knowledge of this movement. They will be glad to share with you because they want new people to appreciate modern design and this is where they make their money. Call them at 1-312-563-0020 , and they might even have a few old catalogs to share with you.

For those who are following my book and have joined the 31 Club, dealing in these more rare and valuable items is the direction we move toward, step-by-step. You might still be working the lower end steps at the moment, but when you stick with it, continuing to complete each step, soon enough you will find yourself in the position to be buying rare and high end items. Knowledge about these designer items will expand the areas in which you can trade.

Most of my readers know, as a rule, I don’t deal in antique furniture. I’m not much interested in dealing with bulky items that require more than myself to transport, nor do I want to keep the kind of storage space furniture requires. But, I must say, in this case, I’m seriously considering making an exception for some of these fine pieces and the prices they can bring in.

Prices for items by well known designers and artists like Vladimir Kagan, George Nakashima, Ponti, and Paul Evans, can bring in amounts of $40,000 to well over $150,000. You might not recognize these names right now, but I hope you will in the future. If you ran across any of these items in a house sale right now, I doubt you would recognize them, and you’d be passing on a find that could make a big difference in your life.

Tomorrow I’ll continue to examine the furniture market. This study should take at least the rest of this week, but you should be picking up ideas for future study. One way is to get a great cup of coffee at your local book store and browse their selections on furniture. I promise that you will be engaged in conversation quickly with someone who is doing the same thing.

Find out more about our step-by-step program to enable you to work in the more rare and valuable items in the Antique, Art, & Collectible Markets at www.31corp.com

Today’s Links:

http://www.treadwaygallery.com/

http://www.ragoarts.com/

http://www.wright20.com/

http://www.mensvogue.com/design/feature/articles/2007/02/richard_wright

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/March-2007/The-Wright-Way/

http://www.31corp.com.

I have intentionally not written on furniture, because my general rule is that if it is larger than a bread box it is to large for me. You see at 66, I don’t think that I still have the desire to break my back hauling large pieces of furniture. However this isn’t fair to you, if you’re interested in furniture, and so because of this, I’ll do a series on furniture anyway.

The best way to approach these items is by breaking them out into groups. So knowing this I think that I will start with Chairs. It would take weeks to share with you all that is needed to become the expert on this subject but I will try to give you the preliminary facts to get you started.

First, it is a matter of knowing what the true collector is looking for in chairs. Does he collect Modern, Arts and Crafts, Early American or 18th and 19th century European pieces? The material for each of these can give you a start as to their value. Then the workmanship, the designer and the company can place a huge premium on the items you find.

You will usually find that the older European chairs you find will exhibit wonderful carvings and detail. These need to be authenticated by an expert, because any restoration or replacement of piece can change the value tremendously. The dovetailing and the shape of the legs can define what period a chair is from. Before taking on these chairs, be sure to study as many books on their construction and shape as you can. Don’t be fooled by reproductions and this is where depending on the experts comes into play.

Early American is where you can really increase your profits, if you are knowledgeable enough to spot the true antique pieces. The real value comes if there is a tag or mark on the chair that you find so that it can be identified as a pieces produced by a certain craftsman. These can usually be found on the bottom of the chair seat. The experts can tell where a chair was produced by the materials used in their construction because most furniture was product with native lumber. So if the chair was made with wood that wasn’t grown naturally in that area, it is more than likely that it wasn’t made there.

Like the European chairs, the Early American ones must be in untouched condition, nothing added or nothing taken away. Early American chairs have been written about the most. People like to use them in their homes and collectors have a high interest in them. But, know that most of the Early American chairs have also been reproduced.

A short time ago, a chair was sold here in Chicago at an auction house that originally estimated it to go between $4,000-$6,000. It amazed everyone when it was hammered at $22,000. Shortly thereafter, the buyer sold it again in New York. Are you ready for this? He sold it for over two million dollars. Many early examples sell for $100,000 – $500,000.

There is a lot to say about chairs, and I will continue tomorrow on other types.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. 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. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE. www.31corp.com

Yesterday I was in Gettysburg, and looking at all the examples of the best of the Civil War memorabilia made me thirsty to get back in the antique treasure hunting race. Taking a little time off made my competitive passions even greater and truly opened my eyes.

Being as vision oriented as I am, standing on the high ground in Gettysburg looking over the valleys below, my mind could actually visualize the troops coming up the hills. I could actually feel the presence of the spirits of the battlefield. The only other time I’ve felt this was at the Battleship Arizona in Hawaii.

Most of the troops who participated in the Battle at Gettysburg lost 50% or more of their members, and more than 640,000 lost their lives in this war. To consider it another way, you could say that 2% of this country’s population was lost during those four years. Now, I truly understand why so many books have been written about the Civil War, and why so many Collectors want to own a part of this history.

You may assume that my eyes were opened to only the physical side of collecting the weapons of war, but you would be so wrong. How about the items pertaining to slavery? There are many paper items that remain from the days of slavery. There are bills of sale for slaves, reward posters for runaway slaves and even auction bulletins where people were sold as common belongings.

The mid 1800’s was also one of the greatest political eras of this countries history. Campaign buttons and flags were everywhere during the elections of those years. Banners were strung from every building. There were bandannas, photographs, ribbons and many more things that would fetch large sums of money today. Newspapers from those years are very collectible today.

Where can these items be found? It isn’t in Gettysburg, but in Texas, California, Wyoming and most of the states that really weren’t involved in the Civil War. Why am I so sure? If you were to start out looking in the likely places, you’d find they’ve already been found and their values are known. But, as families moved, and items were passed down to family members and families spread out into other states, these items were soon forgotten. As I’ve told you before, it’s very difficult for me to find a great painting by a Kentucky Artist in Kentucky, but I’ve found them in California, Connecticut and Florida. The same reason applies here.

I could give you the prices for some of the Civil War items, but it’s best to do your own research, and then see where it leads you. It will create an excitement and thirst for knowledge within you. My senses for collecting have been heightened by this short break, and now I’m ready to throw myself into finding those treasures that are out there waiting for me. It won’t be nearly as hard now to scan the house sales ads and auction bulletins as it was before this trip.

This may well be a good lesson for all of us. If there are times that you feel just a little burned out, find somewhere you can see the best of the best of an area of Antiques, Collectibles or Fine Art, and go visit that place. I can assure you, my fire has been re-ignited, and you will too.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. 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 ridiculously low membership.

For more information, visit my web site at http://www.31corp.com.

It’s been a fabulous few days in Baltimore. We visited three ships and a submarine in the harbor. But, the highlight of the day was when a Mexican sailing ship pulled into dock with all the sailors in their white military uniforms. The officers had chests full of medals and you could see their national pride. A formal presentation welcoming the captain to Baltimore by some dignitaries followed.

This put me in a “pride of country mood,” so tomorrow we are going to Gettysburg, the one place often cited as the turning point of the Civil War. I have been reminded of my faith in God and Country by this trip and of how thankful I am to be a citizen of the United States of America. Where else could we have had the opportunity to start the 31 Club, a club that is helping so many people?

The Civil War has produced some of the most collectible items that the world has ever known. This is a field of collecting that can be started for very little money, while the better items can command prices we probably never would have dreamed of. A collection can be started with a single bullet from the war era for a dollar or two.

If you find items used in the war, the are plenty of collectors out there and the rewards will astonish you. Confederate and Union swords can bring tens of thousands in the market place today. A single drum at auction might top $10,000 or more. A uniform could top $100,000 if it belonged to the right person, and weapons have no upper limit. I have seen a single button from a uniform bring thousands of dollars. If the items have records to connect them to a soldier, this will double or triple its value.

The exciting news for you is that Civil War memorabilia is plentiful, and there are many books written on the values of these today. This is one of the areas that our members should familiarize themselves with. Price Guides always come in handy like Warman’s Civil War Collectibles Identification And Price Guide and Illustrated Catalog of Civil War Military Goods: Union Weapons, Insignia, Uniform Accessories and Other Equipment

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. 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. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

Get more Information on the Kentucky Frock Coat and many other Civil War items at

www.oldsouthantiques.com/os1317p1.htm

www.oldsouthantiques.com

An hour and a half of questions and answers about how we are turning the antique and collectibles industry on its head will be in store for you when you tune in. Anyone can call into the show and ask questions, so be sure to participate with us by calling 1-646-378-1561. Walt is a licensed auctioneer with 25 years in the antiques/auction business, as well as a Powerseller on eBay. (www.auctionwally.com)

After getting the endorsement for our book, “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles” from Skip McGrath, perhaps the best known authority on eBay, things have escalated at lightening speed. (You can find Skip’s eBay Instruction Products on our website, and I can assure you, if you use any of them, your business will benefit tremendously. www.31corp.com/products.php)

The Auctionwally radio program will expose our business approach to the antiques, collectible and fine art industries and how it can change lives. The vision we formed less than a year ago is now taking shape. It will require super strength by all, including our members, to reach the finish line, but I have no doubts we will. The stories of treasure found and sold according to our plan can make this venture something we will be telling our children about. Each time I receive an e-mail or a phone call from one of our members, I feel your excitement and have confidence that the principles I teach will work for you when applied. Keep the phone calls coming.

I WILL BE OUT OF TOWN VISITING MY SON IN BALTIMORE TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THE BLOG WILL CONTINUE WHILE I’M AWAY BUT PHONE CALLS AND E-MAIL WILL BE ANSWERED ON MONDAY.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. www.31corp.com

I traveled to Baltimore yesterday so my wife, Vickie, could attend a business conference, and Joshua and I could visit with my other son, Lawson. In past years, I went out to look for treasures as she participated in the scheduled events and classes. This year started out different, however.

It was a task being ready for the early morning taxi. We allowed plenty of time to arrive early and get through security at O’Hare – that is, of course, if the taxi showed up. Six calls later to the taxi company, each time being told the driver is five minutes away was not the way to start the day. We finally called another company, but by this time it was 9:30. It was not likely we’d make our 10:30 flight. But, the second taxi company made good on their word, and as we were pulling out of the driveway, wouldn’t you know it — the other taxi appeared. We all smiled and waved goodbye to him as we burned rubber on the way out.

Rushing out of the taxi to check our bags, we were told the plane had already closed its doors, so we spent three hours hanging around the airport before we caught the next flight. Vickie missed the day’s sessions, but we did have a wonderful meal with my older son and his wife once we arrived. I do hope to treasure hunt tomorrow, but I am wondering what could happen next.

When you are visiting another part of the country on a trip, be sure to
look for items that are out of place there. For example, if you are on the East Coast, look for West Coast paintings. By doing this, your chances improve for finding a treasure. Remember, I found the painting by Kentucky artist Harvey Joiner on the East Coast. The market for this painting was in Kentucky. That’s when $240 turned into $3700. That isn’t so bad for a country boy.

On several past trips to Baltimore, I found items that fattened my
wallet quite well. I once purchased a painting from an antique store for $500 that was later sold for $2500. And the store shipped it to me in Chicago. I’ve also found pottery such as Rookwood and Roseville priced to my liking on these trips. I used to have a rule that no matter where I traveled, I could pay for the trip plus turn a fair profit for myself by selling the things I bought on the trip. As your knowledge increases, you should be able to do this, too.

PS : I hope to hear from a lot of you on Monday on the AuctionWally BlogTalkRadio Show at 8PM Eastern Time.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. 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. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

Take a look at our Gallery of Fine Art Paintings by Listed Artists, here.

This past weekend, I saw Rosville and Weller pottery well overpriced at an estate sale and wondered how anyone could turn a profit if they purchased these pieces at those prices. This is not the first sale I’ve seen this. In fact, this seems to be the norm today, and the reason why so many dealers are having a hard time selling their inventory. At the Arlington Park Antique Show I attended last month, it seemed to me that items such as Grueby, Newcomb and Rookwood were priced out of sight. I wonder if perhaps these pieces are being purchased by dealers at prices too inflated for today’s markets.

The secondary market should set the prices for us to use as a guide when we purchase, and if we find pieces priced even beyond that, where can we hope to go with them? Yes, the best are bringing record prices, but that isn’t so when it comes to the medium or lower priced items.

A new name that might bring you great returns, should you find a piece is Frederick Walrath. Walrath was an exceptional potter and his work is coveted by the most serious collectors of American Art Pottery. Walreth died in 1920, and his better vases can easily command five figures and his less serious pieces will bring in the hundreds. The pieces I’ll be discussing are the ones he produced in Rochester, New York, however he did work at one time for the Newcomb Pottery Company of New Orleans.

His work is marked Walrath Pottery” with a mark that looks like a cross bow between the two words. This is the kind of item that most people will pass, or have very little knowledge of what its true value should be. When you find a special piece of Walrath, this is the time to be patient and check all your connections before pricing it on the market. Here is where you can really compound your investment. While others are struggling to break even on the more known pieces like Roseville, Weller and Van Briggle, you will have your money ready for those special pieces of Walrath when the opportunity presents itself. Patience will be your guide to success.

This weekend was a prefect example of what I am talking about. Thinking I was going to buy several items at a sale I attended, my plan wasn’t fulfilled. I made a pass at several items that would have been good buys at the price I offered, but my offer wasn’t a deal maker. I only purchased one piece from this sale, keeping my other funds in my pocket for another day.

I knew the Rookwood lamp at this sale was exceptional, and I knew I had to own it. But, even as sure as I was that I’d found my treasure for the week, I called a good friend in Cincinnati to confirm my judgment. He assured me that the lamp was a fantastic buy. In my judgment, this piece is very special and should go to auction for the best results. Remember, we aren’t in a hurry because the compounding of our funds will create wealth for us, not the quantity of pieces we buy and sell.
So add Walrath Pottery to your growing list of things to watch for. By now, if you have followed my blog, that list should contain several items that could change your prospective of this business.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. 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. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

Take a look at our Gallery of Fine Art Paintings by Listed Artists at http://www.31corp.com/marketplace.php

Who would have ever thought to check the backyard before going into the house at an estate sale? But after reading this blog, I’ll wager you’ll consider it. The only time I recall prices catching my attention for Garden Furnishings was at some of the Red Barron Auctions in Atlanta, Georgia where there were huge fountains, statues, and urns large enough for a person to hide inside. These furnishings were usually so large, you would have had to own a mansion to use them. Prices were also large, with some items going as high as $250,000 or more. But, naturally, there are much smaller items to be found other than the grand pieces from these great estates of yesteryear.

Garden furnishings have been popular for centuries. I can still see those beautiful gardens in the old movies about the Roman days. Gardens have been the property of the wealthy in Europe for thousands of years. In this country, Since we began to duplicate the lifestyles of the Europeans, the ladies of the South have had formal gardens. If you close your eyes for a moment, you’ll be able to image a Southern Belle, dressed in that large hoop dress with a very stylish hat and parasol walking among a formal garden of her plantation. These images bring back a completely different style than we experience today.

“Snap out of it Daryle, and stop that dreaming,” I just told myself. So it’s to get back to the real world and back to treasure hunting and making money, because there’s some serious money to be made today in Antique Garden Furnishings.

At an estate sale, when you enter the back yard and take a seat on that cast iron bench to scan the property, make sure that bench isn’t a Fern shaped 19th Century 59-1/2 inches long valued at $3,500.

What should you be looking for in that yard? How about a bronze figure like a little boy and girl reading a book by M. Geiss, valued $4,000 or more. Your eyes might then settle upon a cast iron fountain, decorated with birds and leaves. In today’s market, this fountaint might bring $15.000 to $20,000. Urns were always a great part of the beautiful gardens, so how about an 1880’s cast iron urn featuring angels for a mere $25,000. Other items are hitching posts, sun dials, birdbaths, boot scrapers, objects of art, and architectural elements like finials and wall brackets. My, oh my, there certainly are wonderful things besides flowers in a garden. Do some of your own research on the Internet and see what you learn today.

One of my friends told me the story of a sale he attended and after going through the entire house, he completely struck out. That was, until he was leaving and noticed two large green urns on the porch. He returned to the house and asked if the urns were for sale. I guess he caught them off guard, because they told him, “Well, I guess you could have them for $50.” He quickly paid the price, and rushed out, needing some oxygen in the worst way. Like lightening, he managed to get those items into the car. You see, on the bottom, incised twice, was the word “Teco”. Need I say more?

Join 31 Club today. Can you get FREE MENTORING in the Antiques, Collectibles and Fine Art Markets anywhere else but here? www.31corp.com

You’ll learn Inside the Industry Secrets. We’ll teach you how to make high profits grow your money by leaps and bounds buying and selling only antiques, fine art, and collectibles with the strategized plan found in my 220 page book,31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles. It’s FREE with your membership.

Join today at www.31corp.com

Vintage McCoy Pottery Vase with Leaves recently sold on eBay for $43.99. There were 7 bids.
It does my heart good when I see something I have taught come true with my own eyes. In this case, finding treasure where other people dare not to trod makes a great subject for today’s blog.

Two days ago, Marsha, a 31 Club Member, called and asked if I would go with her to see some pottery that someone had placed a classified ad about. The vision of Teco, Grueby and Newcomb began dancing through my head. I could see that one special piece just waiting for us. Instead, Marsha told me the ad in the paper said 100 pieces of McCoy pottery, a lower end pottery, and the asking price was $500. Needless to say, my balloon was deflated rather quickly, but I agreed to go with her if she would pick me up.

She arrived within the hour, and we began our journey together. When we arrived at the location, I perked up when I saw it was familiar to me. I had attended many calls from this particular neighborhood, and most of them had been very profitable.

We were greeted warmly and invited in. McCoy Pottery was everywhere and the better pieces McCoy produced dominated every room of this gentleman’s home. In the basement there were over a hundred pieces of McCoy, perhaps ten pieces of Shawnee Pottery, and one oyster plate. These were the items he was interested in selling.

He told us what some of the better pieces would bring on eBay, and he was correct. This man knew his pottery. When I calculated the total, I could see the overall value could easily bring about $2,000. He knew this, too, but said he simply didn’t want to bother with them. He was so right on the money that I felt strange in asking if he would take less than the $500 he was asking — but you know my rule. Thankfully, he supplied the courage for me when he mentioned that he hadn’t had any other visitors. I offered him $400. What a fantastic gentleman. He said if we agreed to take them all, he’d let them go for $400. Marsha had herself a deal.

Marsha and I headed back to the car to get some packing materials, and I asked her what she thought the profit on the pieces would be after she had sold them all.
“Maybe a thousand dollars,” she said. I asked her how she arrived at that figure. “I think I should get a least $10 a piece for them, don’t you think?” I didn’t want her to get too excited, so I told her that with the Shawnee pieces, it will probably be closer to $20 a piece. She was thrilled. Then I asked her, “What about the oyster plate?” She asked me what I meant. “The oyster plate will bring you more than you paid for all the other pieces,” I told her. She looked like a deer in the head lights. I can’t wait to see her final total after selling them all.

The ad for this pottery was in a public paper, but no one answered it. Why? I’ll take an educated guess and say that people saw the word “McCoy” and figured it wasn’t worth much. That was my initial response. Boy, were they wrong. This is an example of what I meant when I’ve told you never miss an opportunity to visit someone’s house. Many times when I’ve gone on a call, I didn’t end up purchasing the items I went to see, but walked out with some of the greatest treasures I have ever purchased. When you go on a call where there is no competition, you can take your time looking, and this is where your skills and knowledge come into play. You see, I immediately spotted the oyster plate and knew that we were going to make the deal.

It took Marsha a couple of trips to pack up all the items, but she got them all. I wish her well in selling them and advancing up the 31 Steps.

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