This 9-inch, 1897 Coca-Cola advertising item is thought to be the first tin lithographed tray produced by the company. It sold for $95,000 (plus an 18-percent buyer’s premium) at the Schmidt Museum auction in in Elizabethtown, Ky. on Sept. 18, 2011.

This year, Coca-Cola marks the 125th anniversary of the creation of the famous beverage, first introduced as a fountain drink in Atlanta, Ga., in 1886. The popularity of the sparkling refreshment was aided by a merchandising frenzy, as thousands of mass-market advertising collectibles were produced over the years. Promotional items—such as ice chests, calendars, thermometers, serving trays and the like—served a practical purpose and were therefore not often discarded. Holiday-themed items were packed away to be used the next year. Signs were durable and made to last outdoors. So today’s collectors have a wide variety of memorabilia to choose from.

The Coca-Cola Collectors Club was established in 1974. It is an independent and non-profit organization that has almost 2,700 members worldwide and more than 40 local chapters spread across the United States and Canada. Members enjoy special merchandise offerings, monthly newsletters and networked markets for buying and selling. They can attend national and regional conventions. The club also enables people with a common interest in Coca-Cola collectibles to share their enthusiasm with local activities.

To celebrate the 125th anniversary, I interviewed Dennis Bardin, president of the Coca-Cola Collectors Club. Dennis was kind enough to answer questions after spending the week in Elizabethtown, Ky., attending a festival for the Mid-South Chapter of the Coca-Cola Collectors Club. The festival coincided with an auction of Coca-Cola items at the world-famous Schmidt Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia , which houses the largest privately-owned collection of Coca-Cola items in the world. The museum is planning to auction off the collection over the next few years and 650 items hit the block over the weekend of Sept. 17-18. That auction exceeded all expectations, achieving a whopping $3.3 million dollars in sales.

Liz Holderman: Hi Dennis, thanks for visiting with me. I’m excited to learn more about the Coca-Cola Collectors Club and also about collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia. But first, tell me about your experience at the auction last week

Denis Bardin: We—my wife Donna and I—picked up a 1940s cardboard poster that was actually in the top two on our “want” list. I felt we paid a market price, so we were happy. On the other hand, many common items easily found at organized shows sold for well above market prices. Of course, the rare items brought premium dollars.

Like many collectors, Dennis and Donna Bardin decorate their home with vintage Coca-Cola memorabilia.

Holderman: Your club’s 37th Annual National Convention took place this summer in Atlanta. What were some of the events at the convention and how many people attended?

Bardin: Our annual convention spans a week and includes events such as business meeting, silent auction, regular auction, trading center, social night, luncheon and/or brunch, memorabilia show and sale (the only event open to the public at no charge) and a farewell banquet. We had 1,100 registered for the Atlanta convention.

Holderman: Did the club do anything special to celebrate Coca-Cola’s 125th Anniversary?

Bardin: Our June 2011 newsletter carried articles relative to the 125th milestone and we had special items during the convention as well.

Holderman: Where and when is next year’s convention?

Bardin: Springfield, Mo., July 3-8, 2012.

Holderman: Which of the national chapters is the largest? Which chapter is the most active?

Bardin: We have approximately 40 active chapters under the National Club. Many host annual events, as well as periodical meetings. The Atlanta Chapter most likely has the most members of all the chapters.

Holderman: How have Coca-Cola collectibles changed over the years?

Bardin: Great question. The only actual “change” to collectibles themselves would be the mass-produced, “made for the collector’s market” items, such as polar bears, ornaments, cookie jars, commemorative bottles, reproduction items, etc. These types of items can be found at most any retail outlet, yet to a vintage collector, these items don’t play a role in collecting.

Holderman: What are the most popular collectibles?

Bardin: From a vintage collector’s standpoint, I would say cardboard displays, clocks, thermometers, tin/porcelain signs, wooden display signs, machines and on and on. Again, however, these are all true, vintage items, pre-1970, that were made to advertise the Coca-Cola Company and its product.

Holderman: What are some of the rarest collectibles?

The Bardins have collected a wide variety of vintage Coca-Cola advertising.

Bardin: Early, turn-of-the-century items such as paper and cardboard signs, trays, window displays, etc. Late 1890s through 1920 or so, to me, would be the rarest items.

Holderman: Is there a particular collectible that everyone covets?

Bardin: I would have to say no, since vintage collectors all seem to have different tastes and/or a certain focus in their collection.

Holderman: Can you comment on how restoration affects collectible value?

Bardin: That’s a tricky subject, yet it depends on the piece. A rare item from the late 1890s or early 1900s that needs restoration would enhance the piece and its “advertising art” appeal to collectors. But items that are more easily found in the collectors’ world, perhaps not so much. My wife and I prefer original condition items versus repainted, restored, touched up, etc. I would add, however, that collectors who like to have items restored/repaired/touched up should take “before” and “after” pictures for future use.

Holderman: What are some of the more commonly reproduced or counterfeit items that collectors should avoid?

Bardin: ALL of them! When organized collecting took off in the 1970s, there were many such items made to take advantage of the market. From various cast iron items, to fake trays, fantasy items, to quality “copies” of items and on. Many collectors have been fooled and/or mislead. Vintage collectors need to do their homework and research to stay up on the market.

More than two-thirds of coca-Cola collectors go for the vintage items.

Holderman: Are there any rules of thumb for recognizing a reproduced or restored item?

Bardin: Some collectors’ guides over the years have devoted sections to reproduction and fantasy type items, which is a great help. That said, as mentioned before, you have to do your homework and question items that do not appear to meet vintage advertising qualities.

Holderman: Have values increased or decreased over recent years? What is the current trend in collectible values?

Bardin: Without regard to the recent Schmidt auction, I would say, overall, values of vintage items have dropped in response to the economic situations we have gone through over the last 6-8 years. That said, quality, near-mint items still bring good prices.

Holderman: How has the Internet affected values?

Bardin: Both ways, I feel. Rather than traveling to a show, auction or convention, you can now sit at home and buy collectibles. Sometimes there are deals to be had, yet there are so many items people list on Internet auction sites that do not sell because there are others listing the same items—too many to choose from. On the flip side, a collector might be willing to pay a higher-than-market price because they did not have to incur expenses to travel to a show, auction, etc.

Holderman: Do more people collect vintage Coca-Cola items or new items?

Bardin: Our club had this question on a survey two years ago and our member’s response was 67-percent vintage items, 33-percent newer items

Holderman: Tell us about your personal collection. What items are in it? Do you have a favorite?

A 1950s Vendo 23 machine, similar to the one the Bardins hold dear.

Bardin: Donna and I collect vintage items. We have many serving trays, cardboard displays, clocks, thermometers, early fountain glasses, machines, tin/porcelain signs, etc. No favorite, yet 1,000 or so second favorites! Just kidding. Yet, we have always said if we could only keep one piece, it would be our 1950s Vendo 23 machine. That is because our daughter, Leslie, and her friends grew up having this machine around and they all thought it was so neat to be able to buy a cold Coke for 6 cents! Dropping in the coins, turning the knob, grabbing that cold bottle and opening it right there was just too much fun!

Holderman: Where do you like to shop to add to your collection?

Bardin: Auctions, flea markets, Internet, collectibles shows and, of course, our club’s annual convention and local chapter events.

Holderman: Where and how do you display your collectibles? Are they in one room or all over?

Bardin: Our collection is primarily in an oversized game room with 12-foot ceilings that was actually built for that purpose, yet items can also be found in the halls, kitchen, entry way, family room, upstairs, study, patio—get the picture?!

Holderman: Your collection looks fabulous! You have a great variety and I love the way you have it displayed. What advice would you give to a first-time collector?

Bardin: Do your research. Join our club if only to talk to long time collectors, as we love to share our knowledge with others. Use collectors’ guides. Buy what you like, yet buy nice, clean items if at all possible.

Holderman: Thank you so much Dennis! This was a great way to learn more about Coca-Cola collecting.

If you are interested in joining a chapter of the Coca-Cola Collectors Club, check out its extensive website. You can also contact its president, Dennis Bardin, at joinccclub [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Liz Holderman is a Worthologist who specializes in collectible books.

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A cast iron eagle—not to be confused with the Maltese Falcon—is the promotional mascot of the White Eagle Oil Company.

Large iron or bronze eagle figures or statuettes like the one pictured left are generally “architectural salvage” from 19th-century buildings and monuments scheduled for demolition. Most date from the 1840s through the first quarter of the 20th century.

Unless there is a foundry mark or a provenance regarding where they came from, assigning a maker or exact date is unlikely. Most were not custom made pieces, but ‘stock’ patterns, and a foundry would offer the same bird in a variety of sizes from its inventory depending on the client’s needs and pocket book.

In the case of this one, bearing a great resemblance to the Maltese Falcon used in the 1941 Humphrey Bogart movie of the same name, its origins are well known. It’s a cast iron mascot used by the White Eagle Oil Company.

The White Eagle Oil Company had crude oil production and refining operations in Kansas and Wyoming, and at one point, the company had some 1,800 service stations in 14 Rocky Mountain and Midwest states. White Eagle was in business until 1930, when it was purchased by the Standard Oil Company.

These eagle mascots were used to draw customers to the White Eagle stations during the 1920s. They could be found at the pumps, the service bay doors, on the roof or at the entrance as can be seen above. While they were originally painted white, most over the years have been either stripped or repainted numerous times.

An early White Eagle gas station still survives in Osage City, Kansas.

Today the majority of these birds are sought after by petroliana collectors and most trade hands at auction these days, where they often sell in the $1,200-$1,800 range.

Mike Wilcox, of Wilcox & Hall Appraisers, is a Worthologist who specializes in Art Nouveau and the Arts and Craft movement.

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The artwork on these Northwestern Litho Co. Milwaukee art nouveau bock beer posters, circa 1912-14, reflects the fashions popular at that time. Collecting vintage and antique advertising offers a wide variety of categories, which means there is usually something ti interest everybody.

During the past 50-plus years, Early American advertising has become quite collectable. The diverse variety of items in this field is nearly endless, making early advertising an area that truly has something for everyone. The appeal increases steadily as new and innovative promotions are added to the market place. This field of collecting has a relatively broad historical span, beginning with the period just after the American Civil War through present day, but many collectors choose to focus on a particular type of product or advertisement. Coca-Cola and other soft drink product advertising are among some of the more avidly collected items, as are ads for farm machinery, automobiles, tobacco products, beer, whiskey, guns and ammunition, fishing equipment and much, much more. In fact, it appears that there are collectors for nearly every type of advertising offered for sale.

These Cello Match Safes featuring Standard Oil and Tiffin Wagons would expected to fetch $250-$350 at auction.

While advertising is big business in America today, it certainly isn’t new business. The idea of placing product logos on seemingly unrelated items reaches back into the 19th century, where companies such as Tiffin Wagons would place their logo on a range of items, including match safes. Just like today, companies placed their logos on useful items such as wall clocks or glassware for both home and saloons, which were given to businesses so that every time you ordered a beer at your local tavern or checked the time at your neighborhood store, you’d see the company identification.

Still, in spite of the wide range of items, certain pieces are more desirable and marketable than others. Some of the most sought-after items in the advertising field are porcelain enameled metal signs, chromolithographed metal signs or chromolithographed paper posters. The artwork on these signs and other types of advertising reflects the fashions popular at that time, and typically the earlier and more colorful the sign or poster, the more valuable or desirable it will be.

Once common retail display items like this Flexees Flexaire women’s undergarments countertop display is rarely seen today.

Another of those countertop display items is this ironstone Buckeye Root Beer extract dispenser, circa 1890-1910.

Although rarely used in current day advertising, retired counter display pieces and product dispensers, such as Flexees Flexaire cast plaster countertop display, or Buckeye Root Beer Extract counter dispenser are also hot items with collectors. Similar items recovered from old country stores, such as counter top cabinets for spools, old hardware store nuts and bolts cabinets and large floor-model display cabinets also find their way into advertising collections.

Advertising collecting offers a truly equal opportunity hobby. Many people choose to collect items related to a certain product or a certain brand name, but an advertising collection can also be built around a particular location, pastime or event. Advertising truly can be found in all shapes and sizes, at all prices, and in all places, so it is a wide open door to the world of collecting! Take a look around your kitchen, and you might just be surprised.

Dr. Wes Cowan is founder and owner of Cowan’s Auctions, Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio. An internationally recognized expert in historic Americana, Wes stars in the PBS television series “History Detectives” and is a featured appraiser on “Antiques Roadshow.” He can be reached via email at info [at] historicamericana [dot] com.

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This cardboard diorama for Mayo-Skinner Automatic Windshield Cleaner, graded 8.5 out of 10, sold for a surprising $5,060 at the Fall Peotone Petroliana & Advertising Auction on Oct. 16, 2009.

PEOTONE, Ill. – A dazzling cardboard diorama, advertising Mayo-Skinner Automatic Windshield Cleaner and graded 8.5 on a 1-10 scale for condition, sold for $5,060 at a Fall Peotone Petroliana & Advertising Auction held Oct. 16 in advance of the annual Fall Chicagoland Advertising Show in Peotone.

“The diorama was just a great piece with great graphics, in all-around good condition,” said Dan Matthews of Matthews Auctions, which facilitated the auction “It also showed that cardboard advertising signs can command high dollar prices at auction right along with gas globes, lenses, porcelain signs and more glamorous items.” The diorama, measuring 27 inches by 32 inches by 12 inches, had minor damage at the edges.

Some 440 lots changed hands at the sale, which grossed a little more than $250,000. The event drew 125 people, while about that many bidders participated online, via Proxibid. An additional 25-30 people bid by phone, while more than 20 bidders left bids by fax and other means.

“We were very happy to take the online bids, but there’s nothing like selling to the room and by phone,” Matthews said.

“The auction did about as well as we expected,” Matthews added, “but how we got there wasn’t what we expected. Some of the lots we figured would bring top dollar ended up selling flat, while other items we didn’t think would do too well sold for way more than their high estimate. It made for an interesting day. And the good news is, people came to spend their money. Bidding was very spirited.”

Following are additional highlights from the sale (all prices quoted include a 10-percent buyer’s premium):

The top lot of the sale was this Marine Gasoline 15-inch lens in metal globe body, garnering $10,450.

• The top lot of the sale was a Marine Gasoline 15-inch single lens in metal globe body, with speed boat graphic and graded 8.9 for condition. It soared to $10,450. Also, a Hancock “Cock ‘o the Walk” 15-inch single lens in metal globe body, with rooster graphic and graded 8.9, brought $7,979; and an Oldsmobile Service 42-inch double-sided porcelain sign with crest logo and great gloss hit $5,170.

• A Conoco Gasoline 26-inch double-sided porcelain sign with soldier graphic, graded 8.5 and with good color and gloss, garnered $5,500; a Paragon Gasoline 25-inch double-sided porcelain sign with truck, derrick and refiner scene, both sides graded 7.5, with pole and generic base, changed hands for $6,600; and a (Red Indian) Gasoline Motor Oil single-sided 60-inch porcelain sign reached $5,500.

• A Buick Valve-in-Head Authorized Service double-sided 42-inch porcelain sign, marked Walker & Co. (Detroit) breezed to $4,400; an updated Refiners Gasoline Motor Oil double-sided porcelain sign, 36-inch (not 42-inch), graded 9.5 and with super color and gloss, attained $3,300; and a Studebaker Authorized Service double-sided porcelain sign, 42-inch, both sides grade 9, hammered for $3,025.

Hancock “Cock o' the Walk” 15-inch single lens in metal globe body, with rooster graphic, sold for $7,979.

• A Wesco 48-inch single-sided porcelain sign with big “W” and jet logo, graded 8.9 and with good color and gloss, fetched $4,125; Liberty Gasoline 15-inch lenses in original metal globe body with original “GILLCO” sticker, the body lenses rated 9, went to a determined bidder for $2,640; and a White Eagle Full Feather milkglass one-piece cast globe, graded a near-perfect 9.5, made a respectable $2,200.

• An 18 inch by 21 inch McColl-Frontenac (Red Indian) Products single-sided die-cut porcelain sign, graded 9 and marked P&M (1946) crossed the block at $3,740; a Weed Chains “As Necessary As Gasoline” single-sided tin price board sign, 24 inches by 17 inches and graded 8.9, rose to $3,575; and a Wings Ethyl Gasoline porcelain point-of-purchase sign, 6 inches by 7 inches and graded 9, hit $2,970.

• A spectacular Texaco Gasoline Motor Oil 42-inch double-sided porcelain sign with black “T” and both sides graded 9.5, with hanging ring, coasted to $5,225; a Dodge-Plymouth “Dependable Service With Dodge Trucks” double-sided porcelain die-cut sign, 48 inches by 48 inches, both sides graded 9, reached $4,620; and a Waverly Motor Oil double-sided porcelain die-cut curb sign hit $3,300.

Oldsmobile Service 42-inch double-sided porcelain sign with crest logo and great gloss was hammered at $5,170.

• A Mobil (Flame Socony) Vacuum Bottle Gas double-sided porcelain sign with iconic Pegasus horse bracket (sign 17 inches by 30 inches, Pegasus 32 inches by 25 inches) sold as one lot for $2,750; Frontier Gas “Rarin’ to Go!” 13.5-inch display lenses on a glass globe body, graded 8.5, commanded $2,750; and a Texaco metal globe, dated 1938, both sides graded 9 and with clean fields, made $1,705.

• A Hupmobile 8 & 6 double-sided porcelain sign, 24 inches by 35 inches, graded 7.5 on display side and 6.75 on reverse side, went for $2,090; a Standard-Vacuum Oil Co. Kerosene Oil porcelain flange sign with elephant graphic and Arabic lettering, 18 inches by 25 inches, graded 8.5, realized $1,760; and an updated, medium detail White Eagle milkglass one-piece cast globe, 9.5, made $1,430.

• A Johnson Gasoline Motor Oil double-sided porcelain sign, 48-inch, graded 9 (display) and 8.9 (reverse), with chrome hanging ring, achieved $2,750; a Rolling Ridge Polled Herefords (Paul Greening, Owner) double-sided porcelain sign, 48 inches by 60 inches, both sides graded 9+, sold for $1,100; and a Texaco Motor Oil “Free Crankcase Service” single-sided porcelain sign, 30 by 30 inches, rose to $880.

Dodge-Plymouth “Dependable Service with Dodge Trucks” double-sided porcelain sign brought in $4,620.

Matthews Auctions’ next big auction is coming up quick—an Absolute Petroliana & Gas Pump Auction slated for Saturday, Nov. 7, in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

For more information about these auctions, call (217) 563-8880, e-mail to info [at] matthewsauctions [dot] com or visit the Matthews Auctions Web site.

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Before proceeding, I must inform you of my role in the numbers-tossing game. In the course of my career in the antiques and collectibles field, I have authored or edited 40-plus price guides. I do a dozen more appraisal clinic appearances, affectionately called “guess-the-goodies” clinics when I do them, in the course of a year. I host “WHATCHA GOT?”—a nationally syndicated antiques and collectibles call-in radio show—that airs on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. EDT and is streamed live on the Internet. On the show I “guess-the-goodies” without even seeing the objects. Well, “That’s Entertainment,” the song states.

I try my best to provide reliable information—emphasis on reliable rather than accurate. Accurate is a term that defies definition when applied to antique and collectible value. An accurate price at one moment may be totally invalid the next.

Try as I might, though, I do not get the price right every time. I did not get a 100 in every test I took in high school and college, either. Just recently, I blew a value call on “WHATCHA GOT?” A listener called the show’s toll free number, 800-259-5791, and asked about a ceramic Cheadle luncheon set. I did not recognize the pattern name as one of Royal Winton’s chintz patterns and provided her a value for a 1950s generic ceramic luncheon set. Fortunately, Ian from Toronto, who listens to “WHATCHA GOT?” on the Internet, immediately e-mailed me urging me to revise my answer to reflect the value for Royal Winton chintz. I raised the value considerably.

I do the best I can. So do the Antique Roadshow appraisers, albeit I find myself disagreeing with their valuations more frequently now than I did in the past. The pressure to find an object that is “show worthy” has become highly competitive. I understand their desire and need to push the envelope, so they are selected for on air time, especially given that the Antique Roadshowdoes not reimburse the appraisers for their expenses or time.

Because of my participation in the numbers-tossing game, I am aware of the potential for abuse. As I already have pointed out, mistakes happen. I apologize for my mistakes and I can be forgiving of others’. I keep my mouth shut and comments stifled. More than I should, sometimes.

But when I do get mad, my dander rises. It happened recently, on July 25, when I was looking through the lead stories of AOL’s homepage and came across a picture of a 1954 Superman lunchbox captioned:

“A 1954 Superman lunchbox broke records when it sold for a whopping $11,500 in auction. Though most vintage lunch boxes won’t score a sliver of that price, many good-condition carriers still hold their weight in worth. Here’s a countdown of classic lunchboxes’ blue book value. Who knows? You might have some cold hard cash collecting dust in your attic!”

If the person who wrote this caption has a college education in English/Writing and, heaven forbid an MFA in Creative Writing, he wasted his money. What does “sliver of that price” or “weight in worth” mean? These phrases are not creative writing. They are pure crap. Their false cleverness is enough to make a sensible reader gag. Poor writing aside, the phrase “blue book value” raised my hackles. There are no blue book values in the antiques and collectibles business. Values float. There are several Blue Books (see bluebookinc.com) in the trade. My recommendation is that the owner of these titles considers having his attorney contact AOL and demand it stop abusing the phrase Blue Book, Inc., it tries so hard to honor.

An example of the 1954 Superman lunchbox in question.

I often share auction prices realized with my “WHATCHA GOT?” listeners. Someone getting $11,500 for a lunchbox is worthy of comment. However, when I researched the auction on the Internet, I discovered the 1954 Superman lunchbox in question sold in a December 2003 MastroNet, Inc. auction. An identical 1954 Superman lunchbox sold on eBay in mid-2006 for $4,649, suggesting the market fell by more than 50 percent in less than three years. Who knows what the value is in these tough economic times. Given this, what is AOL doing touting the $11,500 value?

The answer is that AOL was using a list of values from lunchboxes.com, a site devoted to selling lunchboxes: “Here you will find rare, all-time classic lunch boxes from the glory days of yesteryear – maybe even the one you carried to school as a kid. These boxes are the originals, and all post-1960s lunchboxes in mint or near-mint condition . . .”

What do all these lunchboxes have in common? The answer is that they had not sold by the time they appeared on AOL.

Their appearance on AOL was a blatant infomercial disguised as a factual presentation of lunchbox prices. As it has already has been proven, a buyer who is willing to comparison shop can find these same lunchboxes at far more affordable prices.

Shame, shame, shame on you AOL for posting deceitful information. Now that I understand what you have done, how can I trust any information that appears on your site? You tossed around these lunchbox price numbers without any concern for their accuracy. The tragedy is that your subscribers accepted them as gospel. Hopefully, the owner of lunchbox.com gave you a handsome commission for any boxes sold in the month following their appearance.

The values that accompanied the lunchboxes pictured on AOL are referred to in the trade as “feel good” numbers, numbers tossed around indiscriminately by appraisers and others to avoid the resulting pain from telling the truth. No appraiser will ever say “it’s a piece of junk,” albeit he may think it.

There is an appraiser I know of—who uses an academic degree in her moniker—who is renowned in the trade for the most ludicrous feel good numbers imaginable. Her reputation is such that local auctioneers often refuse to sell any item that she has appraised. Why? When they do, the final value is often less than half of what she told the owner. When this happens, the owner blames the auctioneer and not the appraiser for his misfortune. The appraiser is supposed to be the expert. How could she possibly be wrong, especially since she charged so much for the appraisal?

In addition to her blatant use of feel good prices, this appraiser also specializes in misidentifying objects. I speak from personal experience. Individuals who have taken objects to her to be appraised have brought them to me for a second opinion. Alas, on these occasions, I must play the heavy; the person who tells them that (1) what they have is not what she told them and (2) it is worth nowhere near the value she assigned.

It is not difficult to understand why she does what she does. It is good for business. Audiences love her, especially when she discovers hidden treasure after hidden treasure in the material presented to her for appraisal. She reaffirms the “it is worth a great deal of money” dream. It is a great dream, as long as the person never needs to wake up.

There are thousands of Halls of Fame. None exists for the antiques and collectibles field. It is for the best. It would generate too much controversy and ill will. What the antiques and collectibles field does need is a Hall of Shame, an institution in which those who harm the trade can be enshrined. The appraiser I’ve been carping about above tops my list of candidates for the inaugural class of inductees.

The careless tossing about of numbers in the antiques and collectibles field is endemic. It is part and parcel of how business is done. It is a lesson everyone active in the trade must learn. The only defense is to question every number. Check and double check. Do background research. Try to understand from where the value came and the length of its validity if reliable.

Finally, beware of any individual who takes a God-like approach to the numbers. Even when an individual provides qualifiers, be suspicious. Dreams, hopes, and aspirations in the antiques and collectibles field, especially in the area of values, are a far cry from cold, harsh reality.

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Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet. Check out his Web site.

You can listen and participate in “WHATCHA GOT?,” Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show on Sunday mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern Time. It streams live on the Genesis Communications Network.

“SELL, KEEP OR TOSS? HOW TO DOWNSIZE A HOME, SETTLE AN ESTATE, AND APPRAISE PERSONAL PROPERTY” (House of Collectibles, an imprint of the Random House Information Group), Harry’s latest book, is available at your favorite bookstore and via Harry’s Web site http://www.harryrinker.com.

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected letters will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Photos and other material submitted cannot be returned. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5093 Vera Cruz Road, Emmaus, PA 18049. You also can e-mail your questions to harrylrinker [at] aol [dot] com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered. Please indicate that these are questions for WorthPoint.

Copyright © Rinker Enterprises, Inc. 2009

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Brimfield, Mass., is a small New England town with a population of about 5,000 or so. Settled in 1706, it shows its traditional New England quaintness rather well. It has its large, steepled church, and with the leaves of autumn or the snow of winter, looks the part in any Norman Rockwell painting. And then for one week every spring, fall, and summer, the population doubles with 5,000 antique dealers converging on Brimfield to create the “Antique Capital of the United States.”

I had the most unique opportunity to go antique hunting with Will Seippel, CEO and founder of WorthPoint.com, and to learn about furniture and other things that caught his eye. Will is quite the collector himself, and he finds the most fascinating items.

That is certainly true today as I accompanied Will on his antique rounds at Brimfield. We came across dealer John Eagle, who specializes in a most unusual collectible—the face jug.

“These particular face jugs are all done by a gentleman called Bill Flowers from North Carolina,” Eagle says. “The slaves used the devil motif for their grave markers because the Africans believed that that would scare the evil spirits away.”

Will mentions that the origin of the face jug goes back to the early slaves in the southern United States, particularly in the Carolinas. “The makers are generally known of the old face jugs and can go up in value to tens of thousands of dollars,” Will says.

The ferocious and exaggerated faces on a face mug may easily drive the evil spirits away, but while I found them fascinating, I was ready to move on myself. That’s when Will came across something just as unusual and just as collectible—the early condom tin.

“When you come to Brimfield, you never know what you’re going to find,” Will says.

The condom tins of the early 19th century particularly are sought after primarily for their high-quality artwork. “These are extremely collectible. I have seen condom tins go up to $4,000,” Will says. Because the use of condoms in the early 20th century was strongly discouraged, even unlawful in places, the manufacturers needed to create artful names and colorful packaging to promote their product through the 1920’s. Now, of course, they are highly collectible ranging in value from less than $100 to several thousands.

And speaking of marketing, Will came across an unusual pair of advertising signage not normally seen in the United States—the male and female oil drips used as logos for Esso.

Esso was used as a brand for the Eastern States Standard Oil company after the breakup of the Standard Oil company under John J. Rockefeller in 1911. The Esso brand itself began its use in 1941 in the Eastern States, but because of litigation, was replaced by the current Exxon brand in 1973. Today, the Esso brand is primarily used only overseas. One oil drip logo sign featured in the Worthopedia sold at auction for $110 in 2006.

Walking with Will Seippel at the fields in Brimfield has allowed me to see all manner of antiques and collectibles through the eyes of a consummate collector. I’ll certainly look at condoms differently, that’s for sure.

To watch a video of Will Seippel’s tour of Brimfield, click here.

To see an example of n Esso sign with oil drip logo from Worthopedia, click here.

Tom Carrier is a general Worthologist, with an expertise in a wide variety of subjects, including vexillology, or the study of flags.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

If you’re one of those folks who wears a sweatshirt in December that says “Let It Snow,” then you should be talking to Bob Eckstein. He has had such a fascination with the snowman that he not only has a unique collection of snowman memorabilia, he has written a book about them.

Eckstein first amassed a personal collection of about 1,200 antique paper and historical objects—probably the world’s largest known collection of snowmen. Many are advertising memorabilia, such as Snowman brand ‘Can’d Ice’ that “cools everything,” and magazine covers featuring the snowman for its winter editions. There are also postcards from the turn of the 20th century featuring the snowman to sell ice or to illustrate children at play in the winter. There are plastic snowmen on skis, Christmas ornaments, some made of paper mache, others used for holiday decorations.

“The book began about six years when I decided I wanted to solve a big mystery: Who made the first snowman,” Eckstein says. “I’ve talked to top professors and leading historians on the subject and I’ve learned that the snowman has this amazing history. I started initially that the snowman would originate at the turn of the century or with the movies or with TV.”

Instead, he says, he discovered that the snowman can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The colored images of early depictions of snowmen show them as part of the illuminated manuscripts of the era, drawn to illustrate an aphorism or to define a part of the written story. Over time, the snowman is depicted as benign or wicked in children stories, too.

However, by the early 20th century, the snowman, particularly in postcards, has been depicted as a drunkard or a womanizer, and used increasingly in advertising something cold, like beer. “This is known as the ‘Dean Martin Years,’” Eckstein says. A plastic snowman he has holds up a plastic bottle of Oertel’s Lager Beer, circa 1950, for example.

But with the environmental issue of global warming and the disappearance of ice from the world’s glaciers, the fate of the snowman may be meeting its inevitable end. All we will have left, like the life of dinosaurs, are books that show the evolution of a once common feature of everyday life, like “The History of the Snowman.” Perhaps, in time, there will be a museum of the snowman, too, right next to the museum of the tree. Not any time soon, I hope.

So, it’s true that whatever you collect, whether it is fine art, classic cars, or snowmen, it all has to start somewhere. Eckstein’s book “The History of the Snowman,” with its warm side as well as its cool side, makes me want to find snow and relive its ancient history by building a snowman, right next to the snow angel. And I’m cool with that.

By the way, the world’s largest snowman was created in Bethel, Maine, in 2008. Technically, it’s not a snowman, but a snowwoman, as “she” stood 122 feet, 1 inch tall and was named in honor of Olympia Snowe, the senior senator from Maine. Global warming isn’t winning yet.

Watch a video of Bob Eckstein discussing the history of the snowman here.

Tom Carrier is a general Worthologist, with an expertise in a wide variety of subjects.

WorthPoint: Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles.

It’s an extraordinary moment that stamps an exclamation point on hundreds of years of shameful history. Slavery. Jim Crow laws that segregated buses, restaurants and restrooms. Separate-but-not-equal schools. Restricted civil rights and liberties. All of which served to make blacks second-class citizens.

It took decades upon decades of sacrifice and sit-ins, lawsuits and lynchings before President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. And one man who championed the movement and gave his life to it was the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Collectibles and memorabilia shed light on an era

Collecting artifacts and memorabilia from the Civil Rights era helps preserve and contextualize both the facts and the emotions of this complicated time. Few commercial dealers have tackled the topic like Syl Turner, owner of the Broad Street Antique Mall in Chamblee, Ga.

Syl Turner

For two decades, Turner has maintained one of the nation’s largest commercial inventories of Black Americana collectibles. Online, Turner also operates the BlackHistoryStore.com and offers items on GoAntiques.

He has several King-related historical items on GoAntiques in the weeks leading up to the MLK holiday.

Interest in Black Americana grows

Turner said interest in King collectibles spikes around the holiday. But King collectibles—and Black Americana generally—have been steadily growing in importance and price. The holiday and the Obama inauguration draw extra attention to what’s available, but it’s a category that has transcended any particular event, he said.

“I see a little spike in activity around the King birthday, but that’s about it,” Turner said. “The additional interest actually continues through February because that’s Black History Month.”

The slain civil-rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate was born Jan. 15, 1929, but a national holiday and day of service honoring him is on the third Monday in January. It was observed for the first time on Jan. 20, 1986. Speaking of the importance of service, Dr. King said, “If you want to be important— wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But, recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s a new definition of greatness.”

King collectibles are difficult to come by even though he was a prolific writer, Turner said, because his widow, Coretta Scott King, and others “exerted direct control” over most of his documents.

Most King documents in institutions

More than two years after Mrs. King’s death, most of the large collections of King documents and personal effects are in institutional collections.

In 2006, Morehouse College—King’s alma mater—acquired 10,000 items from the King family for an undisclosed sum raised with the help of a private coalition of business and civic leaders. Sotheby’s, which had announced an auction date for the collection, estimated it would command up to $30 million.

The collection includes items ranging from canceled checks, to a term paper King wrote as a student at Morehouse, to a draft of his most famous speech, “I Have a Dream,” delivered at the 1963 March on Washington.

Anti-Vietnam speech outline withdrawn from auction

In December 2008, the King Center in Atlanta prevailed upon Sotheby’s to withdraw from auction three important King documents that singer Harry Belafonte sought to sell. Valued up to $1.3 million, they included an outline of King’s first speech opposing the Vietnam War and notes found in his pocket following his assassination.

“There’s not much out there for the average collector,” Turner said. “A handwritten letter is very difficult to find because most are in the hands of institutions.”

More commonly available are collectibles related to significant events in King’s life and items related to his family. Recently, Turner sold a 12-page program of installation services of King as Pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala., on Oct. 31, 1954. The church was the headquarters of the Montgomery bus boycott that propelled King into the national spotlight. The program was in excellent condition and commanded $3,500.

Turner has acquired several other examples of King-related items, often from parishioners at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta where King was co-pastor with his father.

For example, Turner is offering a rare eight-page Ebenezer Baptist Church bulletin dated June 30, 1974. During that service, King’s mother, Mrs. Alberta King, was shot and killed at the organ console by a deranged gunman as worshippers recited the Lord’s Prayer. Her husband, Martin Luther King Sr., was the pastor. The program has handwritten eyewitness notes of the murder, including the comment, “Worship began on Earth; completed in Heaven.”

Ebenezer Baptist Church program

Inside program

Another collectible related to King’s parents is a 1984 funeral program for Martin Luther King Sr. listed in near-mint condition. “It was in a lady’s Bible and looks like it came right off the press,” Turner said.

MLK Sr.'s funeral program

One of the larger collectibles is a limited-edition poster commemorating King’s life by artist Edie B. Eisenberg. The 40-by-30-inch poster is designed as an American flag and features famous King quotes. It is listed in excellent condition. “I don’t think it was ever circulated,”

Memorial flag poster

Also rare and unusual is a 20-page program for the Coretta Scott King Freedom Concert Program on May 23, 1965. The concert was presented by the Philadelphia Beauticians’ Association at the First African Baptist Church in Philadelphia.

Freedom concert program

Turner isn’t the only GoAntiques dealer with MLK collectibles available this month.

Alan Radwill of Guaranteed Autographs is offering an autographed copy of Dr. King’s 1964 book, “Why We Can’t Wait.” He used a fountain pen with blue ink to sign the title page.

"Why We Can't Wait"

Autographed page

Antique Goodies of New Zealand has a Martin Luther King, Negro Funeral Home advertising fan. Advertising fans were often distributed at funerals as a way to stave off the heat.

Funeral fan

Lake Murray Treasures has a gold-tone, filigree-metal double picture frame. On one side is a photo of Martin Luther and Coretta Scott King, on the other Robert Kennedy. Between them is an electric clock.

Clock

If you are interested in viewing Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, click here for a 17-minute video that includes it, or click here for a video with only the speech.

WorthPoint—Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

You bet!

New Year’s resolutions should be achievable and make sense. Here are some:

1. Plan what you want the antique business to do in the upcoming week.  I have a friend who tweaks his antiques-business operation each Sunday evening. He is constantly changing how and where he buys inventory, displays it, advertises, etc.
2. Replace things that require your attention.  A computer that locks a jammed cash register or an employee with baggage distracts you from important chores. Replace them.
3. Become active in an organization that will benefit your antiques shop.  The chamber of commerce will provide many contacts. The historical society will put you in touch with people who have an intense interest in antiques.
4. Manage your time.  Study what you do daily. Keep written track of how long things take. When it’s in front of you in black and white, you’ll easily see if you’re wasting time. It may have become a cliché since Benjamin Franklin said it, but that doesn’t make it less true: Time is money.
5. Improve business promotion.  We all have ideas for business promotion. However, the cost of consulting with a promotion expert will be returned many times.

Make New Year’s resolutions few and simple. And then keep them.

– Jim Sturgill is a director of WorthPoint and founding partner of Sturgill & Associates LLP, a DC and Baltimore area CPA firm.

More Jim Sturgill Dollar & Sense columns

Tax Day: Mileage Pays

More Mileage Cents = More Dollars for Antiques & Collectibles

Estate Planning—Antiques, Collectibles & Greed

Estate Planning: Stop Squabbling, Save the Family

Financial Turmoil: Antiques Hold Value

Buy Antiques Now, Have No Regrets Later

Financial Turmoil: Antiques Hold Value

Gift Annuity: You Give, Then Receive

Make Profit Your Holiday Mantra

WorthPoint—Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

Reaching out to regular customers is the first step. It is hoped that your friend has a mailing/e-mail list of previous customers. If she does not—a majority of dealers do not—she needs to start one immediately. Customers like to shop where they feel welcome and appreciated. Continuing contact strengthens both these concepts.

Repeat customers, especially those who are collectors, are the one certainty in these difficult economic times. These individuals are hooked—they love to buy antiques and collectibles.

Seek out customers

Your friend can no longer afford to wait for customers to come to her. A monthly newsletter should be launched. It should focus on new merchandise and include collecting, decorating, display and care tips. Every e-mail address saves 42 cents in postage and reduces printing costs.

Advertising is expensive. Yet, your friend needs to set aside money for it. The first investment should be a business sign that is easily readable from the road. Create an attractive yard sign if zoning permits.

Your friend is a merchant, identical to those selling clothing, home décor or firearms. Study other merchants’ promotion ideas and adapt them. Consider joining the local chamber of commerce. In tough times even more than in good times, local merchants support each other.

Offer creative sales and promotions

Run sales and special promotions. David Lindquist of Whitehall at the Villa in Chapel Hill, N.C., runs an annual name-your-own-price sale. There is only one rule. David has the right to say no. When he first tried this, he expected customers to ask for discounts as high as 50 percent or more. Much to his surprise, the highest request he received was one-third off his sticker price. The average discount-price request was less than 25 percent.

Dave uses a times three-plus markup. Hence, even at a 50-percent discount, he is making money. Items flew out the store. David governs his final sell or no-sell decision based on how long a piece has been in inventory—the longer the time in inventory, the higher the acceptable discount. His initial sale far exceeded his expectations. The concept is so successful that regular customers mark their calendars a year in advance. David scheduled the first sale in his worst cash-flow month. It is now one of his best.

Three steps to improve sales

Reaching out also involves getting out. Few antiques shops survive relying solely upon through-the-door buyers. First, the primary reason to own an antiques shop is not to sell but to acquire. You want locals to come to you when they plan to dispose of their antiques and collectibles.

Second, an antiques shop is only a base of operation. Economic survival requires cash flow from multiple sources. Your friends should select five to 10 antiques shows, half within a 100-mile driving radius and the other half farther. Adding new buyers to the customer base needs to be your friend’s primary goal. Sales are a bonus. A photo album of merchandise that remains behind in the shop should occupy a prominent place on one of the tables.

Finally, your friend needs to be aggressive in making herself visible in the community. Civic and other clubs always are looking for speakers, especially those who will appear for free. Develop a 30-to-40-minute talk, and put out the word. There will be plenty of takers. Join one or more civic clubs. Do volunteer work for organizations with high traffic, e.g., the public library. Volunteer at Goodwill or a charitable “white elephant” shop. Not only will you get some great buys but some leads, as well.

In conclusion, the worst thing your friend can do is sit in her store and lament. The solution is to get up and do something. Anything is better than nothing.

_____________________________________________________________________

Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet. Check out his Web site.

You can listen and participate in “WHATCHA GOT?” Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show on Sunday mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern Time. If you cannot find it on a station in your area, WHATCHA GOT?” streams live and is archived on the Internet.

“SELL, KEEP OR TOSS? HOW TO DOWNSIZE A HOME, SETTLE AN ESTATE, AND APPRAISE PERSONAL PROPERTY” (House of Collectibles, an imprint of the Random House Information Group), Harry’s latest book, is available at your favorite bookstore and via Harry’s Web Site.

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected letters will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Photos and other material submitted cannot be returned. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5093 Vera Cruz Road, Emmaus, PA 18049. You also can e-mail your questions to harrylrinker [at] aol [dot] com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered. Please indicate that these are questions for WorthPoint.com.

WorthPoint—Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

Poster Artists: Alvan “Hap” Hadley

By Allan Maurer

Born in Illinois in 1895, Alvan Cordell Hadley, known to history as “Hap,” created posters for some of the best-loved silent movies, as well as some early talkies. The few original examples that have survived bring astronomical prices at auction, while the reproductions of these classics are some of the best-sellers in the marketplace.

The best known of Hap’s work are his posters of Buster Keaton’s 1927 classics, “The General” and “College,” and Charlie Chaplin’s 1928 Oscar-winning film, “The Circus.” Christie’s East sold the only known surviving original of the three sheet for “The General” at auction in 1994 for $46,000. A restored one sheet of the “blue style” poster for “The Circus” recently sold at auction for better than $13,000.

Hadley’s soulful depiction of the Little Tramp reflected his background as a caricaturist and cartoonist. He began his career during World War I working as an official artist for the Marine Corps, producing propaganda-laden cartoon strips. After the war, he settled in New York City where he dabbled in acting, appearing in the review “Greenwich Village Follies of 1920,” as well as a silent feature directed by George Irving, “Floodgates” (Lowell Films, 1924). His advertising agency developed a reputation for designing the covers of sheet music, including “Show Me the Way to Go Home,” a popular hit in 1925.

Hap’s first known movie poster is a depiction of Clara Bow as the female boxer in “Rough House Rosie” (Paramount Famous Laskey Productions, 1927), surrounded by cartoon faces, all with black eyes. His career continued for some 30 years, during which time he produced movie posters and film titles for all the major studios in Hollywood, especially MGM.

During the 1930s, Hadley produced posters for a number of Howard Hughes films, including “Hell’s Angels” (1930), starring Jean Harlow, and the controversial “Cock of the Air” (1932). Paper from these productions occasionally still shows up at auction. The only known original poster from “Cock of the Air” recently sold for $5,600 at Christie’s London, while a window card from “Hell’s Angels” brought about the same price this year.

Other Hadley posters from less high-profile productions fetch more modest prices. A window card from “Laff It Off,” a 1928 Broadway stage production, recently auctioned for $96. A one sheet of Hadley’s poster for “Reform Girl” (Tower, 1933), featuring rather grim-faced images of Noel Francis and “Skeets” Gallagher brought just $215, while the slightly more attractive poster for “Cheating Blondes” (Equitable, 1933) sold for over $800.

In the 1940s, Hadley created the huge likeness of Roy Rogers seen on billboards during the Republic Productions Roy Rogers publicity campaign and widely reproduced in rodeo magazines.

Hap Hadley died in Los Angeles in 1976.

WorthPoint—Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

Hand drawn movie posters

By Allan Maurer

The magazine Architectural Digest has an interesting piece about the hand-drawn chalk and paint movie posters by staff artists Charles Reese Collier and Sid Smith for Loew’s Grand Theatre on Peachtree Street in Atlanta.

Lowe’s, which showed primarily MGM films, hosted one of grandest premieres in movie history, that of “Gone With the Wind,” on Dec. 15, 1939. With the theatre exterior transformed into a replica of Ashley Wilkes’ Twelve Oaks Plantation, 30,000 Atlanta citizens greeted star including Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Leslie Howard and others.

Herb Bridges, who collects memorabilia associated with both the book and the film, one day received a call from the owner of about 70 of the original handmade Lowe’s movie posters, which had been in storage for more than 60 years.

The collection include posters from “Lady of Burlesque,” the 1943 film based on stripper Gypsy Rose Lee’s novel, “G-String Murders,” from “The Outlaw,” the notorious Howard Hughes-produced western introducing Jane Russell and her equally notorious bosom, and from “The Yearling,” among others.

For art from the collection see, click here.

These items are coming up for auction on November 15th. and 16th. in Kyoto.
The first item is a Korean teabowl. It doesn’t look to be exceptionally old. The minimum price is 10,000 yen. It measures 15 cm by 15 cm by 7.5.
The next item is a set of 10 underglaze bowls. They have a pattern that is called tako kara kusa, best described as a swirly pattern. They measure 7.5 cm by 7.5 cm by 1.3 cm. The minimum price is 5,000 yen.
The last piece is a framed advertising poster from the Cascade Beer company. It measures, with frame, 72 cm by 115 cm, and has a slight rip. The minimum bid is 35,000 yen.

Experts Say James Bond Memorabilia Value is Rising

By Allan Maurer

Reuters reports that the value of James Bond memorabilia has “shot up.”

“There is a high level of collector interest in original Bond movie posters,” Astrid Zweynert writes.

While posters from the first James Bond film sold for around $100 British pounds ($164.47) a decade ago, now they sell for as much as 7,500 pounds (a whopping $12,336.76).

You can read the report here here.

If you are a collector of circus posters, like this 1922 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey poster of a clown in white make-up, you'll want to be able to tell the authentic article from the reproductions.

So you’ve just found the most amazing circus poster online and want to bid on it. Or maybe you are thinking about buying one at an antique mall. How do you know it is real? Could it be a reproduction? You aren’t sure. What can you do?

Size is the first clue about whether or not a poster is original. The majority of collectible posters are one-sheet (28 inches by 42 inches) or half-sheet. But posters also came in larger sizes — three-sheet, six-sheet, nine-sheet, 16-sheet, 20-sheet, 28-sheet and many other sizes. One of the largest ever produced was for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, a gigantic 108-sheet billboard.

The circus poster reproductions seen most often are the six printed in 1960 by Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin and the vast assortment printed by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey beginning in the early 1970s and continuing through the early 1980s. Those are the ones we will concentrate on in this article. Some of those posters are shown above.

Al G. Barnes Circus Tiger Riding Elephant

Circus World Museum posters

The posters printed by Circus World Museum measure 13 ¼ inches by 19 inches each. If they haven’t been altered it’s easy to identify them because in the lower left border it says “Copyright 1960 Circus World Museum.” But I have seen these in antique shows with that line trimmed off and being passed off as original. Sometimes they are neatly framed and matted. The posters were originally sold as a set in a folder that said “Old Time Circus Posters – Six Colorful, Authentic Reproductions – Each Resplendent and Spectacular Reproduction is an Eye Feast of Beauty That Captures All the Unparalleled Magnificence of the Original Poster.” The titles and images of the six posters are:

Ringling Bros. – Army of 50 Clowns
Barnum & Bailey – Peerless Prodigies of Physical Phenomena . . .
Barnum & Bailey – The Meers Sisters
Al G. Barnes Circus – Tiger riding on an elephant
Adam Forepaugh & Sells Bros. – Automobile Double Forward Somersault
Forepaugh & Sells Brothers – Hippopotamus & Rhinoceros

Ringling Bros. – Army of 50 Clowns

Barnum & Bailey – Peerless Prodigies ...

Barnum & Bailey – The Meers Sisters

Adam Forepaugh & Sells Bros. – Automobile

Forepaugh & Sells Brothers – Hippo & Rhino

Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey posters

In the early 1970s Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey began reproducing many of their historic posters. They were advertised as “The Only Antique Posters Authorized by The Greatest Show On Earth.” These reproductions were sold at the concessions stands on the traveling shows and by mail as advertised in the souvenir program book. They were also sold in the gift shops at their theme park, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus World, which opened in 1974 in central Florida near Disney World.

Beginning with the 100th Anniversary Program in 1970, some of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey programs had poster reproductions inserted in the program book. These varied in size, but were about 16 inches by 20 inches. It’s easy to identify them because they were folded in quarters and have staple holes where they were inserted into the program. They continued this for several years.

In 1970 the 100th Edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey souvenir program advertised a set of four posters measuring 26 inches x 17 inches for $3.98 per set. Those posters were:

Barnum & Bailey – Tiger Head – Blue Background
Barnum & Bailey – 1000 Skits by 50 Original Clowns
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – Giraffe Neck Women from Burma
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – Dainty Miss Leitzel

Barnum & Bailey – Tiger Head, Blue Background	Barnum & Bailey – 1000 Skits by 50 Original Clowns
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – Giraffe Neck Women	Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – Dainty Miss Leitzel

Individual Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey posters

Starting in 1971 individual posters could be ordered from the souvenir program book. They were advertised as approximately 24 inches by 17 inches. All of these posters had an order number printed in the lower corner which begins with the letter “P.” Here’s a list of these posters:

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – Chariot Races, Blue Background

1897 – Ringling Bros., Three Famous Aerial Artists

P-103 – 1935 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – Chariot Races – Blue Background
P-104 – 1897 – Ringling Bros. – Three Famous Aerial Artists
P-105 – 1904 – Barnum & Bailey – The Great Florenz Troupe
P-109 – 1921 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – Polar Bear – Red Background
P-113 – 1938 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – Gargantua the Great
P-114 – 1938 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – Terrell Jacobs & Lions
P-116 – 1888 – Ringling Bros. – Portraits of the five brothers
P-117 – 1927 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – May Wirth
P-118 – 1933 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – Felix and 99 other Famous Clowns
P-123 – 1904 – Barnum & Bailey – Blue Ribbon Winners – High Jumpers
P-125 – 1917 – Barnum & Bailey – Clown Standing over Tents – Blue Background
P-127 – 1920 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – Worlds Biggest Menagerie – Elephant Head & other Animals
P-128 – 1916 – Barnum & Bailey – By the Hair of their Heads
P-131 – 1900 – Barnum & Bailey – Clown Band – German Text
P-132 – 1915 – Barnum & Bailey – Great Groups of Trained Wild Beasts including Mlle. Adgie
P-136 – 1928 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – Crouching Lion
P-137 – 1895 – Ringling Bros. Mlle Elena
P-141 – 1922 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – White Face Clown on left
P-143 – 1916 – Barnum & Bailey – Pallenberg – Bears That Dance
P-144 – 1913 – Barnum & Bailey – Great Free Street Parade
P-146 – 1916 – Barnum & Bailey – Roaring Tiger Head
P-149 – 1936 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – Seated Clowns with Circus on their backs
P-152 – 1900 – Ringling Bros. – Portraits of the five brothers
P-153 – 1897 – Barnum & Bailey – Portraits of Barnum & Bailey
P-155 – 1932 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – 5 Big Herds of Performing Elephants
P-157 – 1903 – Barnum & Bailey – Miss Helen Girard
P-158 – 1906 – Barnum & Bailey – A Whole Horse Show
P-159 – 1925 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – Chariot Races- Red Background
P-162 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – Giraffe Neck Women
P-202 – 1883 – Buffalo Bill’s Wild West – Featuring Indians

1904 – Barnum & Bailey; The Great Florenz Troupe	1938 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey; Gargantua the Great
1938 – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey; Terrell Jacobs & Lions	1888 – Ringling Bros. – Portraits of the five brothers

]]> http://www.worthpoint.com/blog-entry/circus-posters-%e2%80%94-authentic-or-reproduction/feed 166 http://www.worthpoint.com/blog-entry/100-horror-film-posters http://www.worthpoint.com/blog-entry/100-horror-film-posters#comments Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:42:07 +0000 Allan Maurer http://blog.worthpoint.com/?p=2375530

100 Horror Film Posters

By Allan Maurer

Now here’s a treat. Andrew Lindstrom’s blog “Well Medicated” displays 100 horror film posters.

My favorites include “Tarantula,” “Planet of the Vampires,” “Day of the Dead,” “Nosferatu,” the rare “Dracula” poster, “Robinson Crusoe on Mars,” and the unusual “Invaders From Mars” poster. The 1950s original version of “Invaders From Mars” was consciously designed to reflect a child’s nightmare vision of the world. Sure did work on me. I had nightmares for months after seeing it, despite the clearly visible zippers on the costumes the Martians wore.

Lindstrom includes lots of other posters, classic and modern.

This is an unusual collection, not the run-of-the-mill posters usually seen from any of the films he includes. You’ll surely have your own favorites.

Go take a look, but don’t droll on your keyboard…

Universal Horror: The Bride of Frankenstein

By Allan Maurer

Beginning in the silent era with “Phantom of the Opera” and “Hunchback of Notre Dame” with Lon Chaney, Sr., Universal Pictures made a series of classic horror films starring the Frankenstein monster, Dracula, the Werewolf, the Mummy, and the Invisible Man that ran through the 1940s.

Posters, lobby cards, glossy stills, banners—just about any memorabilia from these films—pull top-of-the-line prices that range from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars. While the original 1931 “Dracula” and “Frankenstein” are creaky, as well as creepy now, collectibles from either bring very high prices in good condition.

All of the Universal horror films featured excellent special effects for their time, relying solely on makeup, camera trickery and the occasional animation. All also had a certain spooky poetry that makes them standout even on repeated viewing today.

“Bride of Frankenstein,” (BOF) directed by James Whale and the first sequel to his “Frankenstein,” is considered by most critics and most fans, by far the best of these horror masterpieces. It’s the one in which the monster talks and meets the old blind man in the woods; a scene parodied to laugh-out-loud perfection in Mel Brooks “Young Frankenstein” in 1974.

BOF included a stirring score by Franz Waxman, memorable performances from Karloff as the monster and Elsa Lancaster as his scream queen bride.

Ernest Thesinger played a campy mad scientist who has created a tiny King, Queen, ballet dancer and other miniature people he keeps in jars. He shares a cigar with the monster saying, “It’s my only vice…”

The creation of the bride during a thunderstorm exceeds even the original monster-comes-alive scene in the original, Waxman’s music lending it all a grandeur seldom matched since.

Even stills in “lesser” condition from BOF sold for more than $70 each recently, and an insert sold for $33,000, while many other items ranged from a few hundred dollars to $3,000 or more for almost any poster or card in decent shape. A single lobby card sold for more than $12,000.

Abbott & Costello Meet the Monsters

By Allan Maurer

There are those who felt the series of Abbott & Costello meet the monsters films that began with “Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein” in 1948 and continuing through “Abbott & Costello Meet the Mummy” in 1955 were an inglorious end to the Universal Studios monster series.

The first, in which they encounter the Frankenstein monster (played again by Glenn Strange, who never quite gets the pathos Karloff brought to the part), Dracula (Bela Lugosi), the Wolf Man, (Lon Chaney, Jr.) and at the end, the Invisible Man, is the best. “Pulp Fiction” director Quentin Tarantino, has more than once expressed his admiration for it, and I agree that it’s both funny and scary.

There is nothing funny about the prices posters from their meet the monster films bring, though. Movie paper (posters, stills, etc.) from the series, which includes “Abbott & Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Boris Karloff); and “Abbott & Costello Meet the Invisible Man,” regularly draw auction prices in the hundreds of dollars or much more for single items.

A linen-backed 1-sheet from “Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein” sold for $5,400 at auction this year. An unbacked original sold for $3,700 and a Spanish version of the poster for $675.00. An 8×10 still form the film went for $275.

By way of contrast, 1-sheets from “Abbott & Costello Meet the Mummy” sold for from $1,300 to $546 from 2000 to 2005.

Curse of the B Horror Movie

By Allan Maurer

Back in the 1942, RKO studios gave producer Val Lewton a piddling $150,000 and a title, “The Cat People.” Lewton made up for the lack of a decent special effects budget by keeping all the suspense scenes wrapped in shadows.

“The Cat People” is famous for its creepy swimming pool scene, which stills sends shivers up my spine with its creative use of sound and suggestion. The film also introduced what would later be called “The Bus,” in which a woman who believes she is being followed by… something, is startled by the air brakes of a bus stopping at a corner. Even when you know it’s coming, if you watch it in the dark, you’ll jump.

Many horror film directors still use a version of “The Bus” today, making us jump at loud sounds that are red herrings.

Lewton would make nine more films for RKO, including “Curse of the Cat People,” which was really a sweet story about a little girl with an imaginary friend and not a horror story at all, and three films that gave Boris Karloff two of the best roles of his career in “Bedlam,” and “Body Snatcher,” which also starred Bela Lugosi.

The poster from “Curse of the Cat People” is often used as an example of how misleading film art can be regarding the actual content of a film.

Lewton’s other films included “The Ghost Ship,” “Isle of the Dead,” “The Seventh Victim,” “The Leopard Man,” and “I Walked With a Zombie,” all notable for their ability to conjure fear from shadows and sound and nearly nonexistent budgets.

Lewton hired directors who would later achieve fame and acclaim, including Jacques Tourneur, Mark Robson, and Robert Wise.

Always appreciated by critics such as James Agee, novelist, film critic and author of the script for John Huston’s “The African Queen,” Lewton was the topic of a recent new documentary narrated by Martin Scorsese, shown repeatedly on Turner Movie Channel and available as an extra in the Val Lewton DVD set.

Posters from the Lewton films took another leap in value the last few years, partly as a result of increased attention, but also just due to growing appreciation for how well these spooky films hold up today.

Many 1-sheets, half-sheets, and lobby cards from Lewton’s films sell for several hundred dollars each, and I noticed prices on the rise this year.

An insert from “The Cat People” sold for $1,250 in 2004 and a 1-sheet sold for $675 as far back as 1997. It’s still possible to pick up some less desirable (image-wise) lobby cards for under $50.

One-sheets from “Body Snatcher,” starring Karloff and Lugosi, sold for $1,200 to $1,500 this year. Almost anything with either Karloff or Lugosi generally brings higher prices for any type of movie paper, including original stills.

Universal Horror: The Wolf Man

By Allan Maurer

The “Wolf Man,” stars Lon Chaney, Jr. as doomed Larry Talbot, who, bitten by a werewolf, turns into a beast every full moon and kills. Chaney portrayed the tortured Talbot not only in the 1941 film that introduced the character, but also in the Frankenstein series, including “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man,” “House of Frankenstein,” “House of Dracula,” and finally, “Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein.”

My favorite of all these sequels is “House of Frankenstein,” which starred Karloff as a mad scientist rather than the monster (who is played by Glenn Strange), the Wolf Man, played by Lon Chaney, Jr., a hunchback (J. Carrol Nash), and Dracula (John Carradine).

Touches of poetry run through the script, including this bit of verse about the Wolf Man: “Even a man who is pure at heart and says his prayers at night, can become a wolf, when the wolf bane blooms and the moon is full and bright.”

A set of lobby cards from “The Wolf Man,” sold for from $80 to $2,300 each (the later for a title card) in 2004. A set of eight went for $3,450 back in 1997. An insert sold for $3,000 in 2004. Prices have not gone down since then.

A single still from “House of Frankenstein” sold for $168 this year (2008), while a title card (lobby card) went for $4,000 four years ago, and an insert for more than $6,000 the same year.