The Thrill of the Hunt: Netting a Rare Butterfly Table
A few years ago, Steve Fletcher—the lead auctioneer of Skinner Auction Gallery in Boston—had just accepted a glass of water and stepped down from the […]
Have a Yen for Goofies, Ringers and Igloos? — You’ve Been Bitten by the Button Bug
In a St. Louis hotel elevator during a convention, several women were talking about the judging of their trays of heads when a man asked […]
Simple Tips Can Help You Salvage Keepsakes After a Fire
A fire can have devastating effects for anyone. Now, imagine your collection of art, antiques or collectibles suffering through a fire. A horrible thought. While […]
Card Tables You Don’t Fold Up and Hide in the Closet
When you think of a card table, does your mind take you back to those cheaply made vinyl-covered wood metal contraptions with the folding legs […]
The Celery Vase: A Prominent Way to Serve an Exotic Vegetable
According to the early nineteenth century writer Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin in “The Physiology of Taste,” gastronomy required “intelligent knowledge of whatever concerns man’s nourishment.” Brillat-Savarin’s […]
‘Hey, Taxi!’ Cab Service on a Small Scale
The taxi cab is a common sight on the streets of any city. For small-scale die-cast collectors, the humble cab has been made available over […]
Bugs with an Eye for Art: Insects Can Destroy Art and Antique Treasures
I have had customers come to me with oil painting on which they recently noticed small holes developing near the edges of the canvas and […]
Napkin Rings the Final Touch on a Finely Set Table
Sterling silver napkin rings in Rococo design (left), engraved flowers and scrolls with an entwined C and P (center) and with pie crimp edges and […]
Big Ben: The Iconic London Landmark Appears on Thousands of Collectibles
Big Ben is probably the most famous clock in the world, and is one of London, England’s best known landmarks. Actually, Big Ben is not […]
Sheffield and Silver Plate: What to Look For
The social background for the discovery of the methods of plating on copper used in the Sheffield process is quite interesting. It was a time […]