Being the type of person who thinks “if you want something done right, do it yourself,” I searched the Internet for any information at all on repairing/sewing furs. I could find absolutely nothing on the subject and couldn’t even find a book on fur manufacturing. The best I could do was buy a package of leather needles at the sewing store, which I figured would be effective when sewing through a very thick fur. I examined many furs to try to understand the construction, as well as studying the way they were stitched, from the seams, to attaching the collars, to the way the linings were hand-sewn into the garment. I also scrutinized the actual repairs that were done on my minks, noting how they were done and taking special notice of the things I thought could have been done more neatly. I really believed that I could do it better than a professional furrier, so I took a deep breath and plunged into the world of fur repair.

What I Did

To attach sable pelts to a coat, I threaded a huge leather needle with quadruple thread and, my fingers aching, I kept sewing until the job was done.

My first project was to re-do a repair that was done by my furrier. He was supposed to have re-attached the dangling fur pelts that were hanging from the ends of a Sable stole. He had sewn them on so loosely and unevenly that I was very displeased. I nervously cut out his stitches, leaving me with four Sable pelts on the table, completely separated from the main body of the stole. I threaded the huge leather needle with quadruple thread, since I had seen that the thread the furrier used was a thick cord type, rather than the usual sewing thread. I began sewing the first pelt to the end of the stole, blowing on the fur to get it out of the way of the thread as I pulled it tight.

I seemed to have some kind of instinct as to what to do to make the stitches invisible. It was very difficult, as the pelts were doubled and had some kind of batting inside them. The needle had to pass through four thicknesses of fur and batting in order to be attached. My fingers aching, I kept sewing until the job was done and was rewarded with a perfectly sewn stole with pelts so tight that no amount of pulling would loosen them. I was tempted to show the furrier but thought better of it, as I didn’t want to insult him or seem arrogant. However, I was extremely proud of my accomplishment, which gave me courage to attack other repairs on my furs.

What You Can Do

I was rewarded with a perfectly sewn stole with pelts so tight that no amount of pulling would loosen them.

When sewing a fur, here is how to proceed: Use a special leather needle, available at any sewing store. You will need a needle-nose pliers, thimble, thread and scissors. To attach one piece of fur to another, pin it in place to hold it while you sew. Insert needle and thread, pushing the needle through the pelts with the thimble. When you have enough of the needle to grab on the other side, take the pliers and pull it though. Before you completely pull the thread tight, blow and brush the fur out of the way of the thread so it does not get caught. If it does, use the needle to pick it out of the stitch, flicking the fur back and forth with the needle. Brushing the fur with the fingers will smooth it over and hide the stitches. Continue until you are finished and tie off the thread, again pushing on the fur and blowing it out of the way. You want the stitches to be buried deep in the fur so you will never see them. Cut the thread, leaving it long so you can separate the strands and tie them several times, then carefully cut it deep within the fur, but be careful not to cut the fur. Better to leave the thread a little too long than to cut the guard hairs because they won’t grow back!

If you need to sew a seam or tear, use a thin needle, as the torn skin is delicate and a thick needle will damage it further. Using a double thread, gently put the needle into the skin, but not too close to the edge or it will likely tear out and you will not be able to repair it at all. When you pull the thread, do so gently and very slowly to see if it’s holding. If the repair is in a spot that will have a great deal of stress, you can sew it lightly, then glue a leather patch on the reverse side of the pelt (which will require you to open the lining). Then you must re-sew the lining, copying the original method you will see when you examine the lining edges. The stitches of the lining are taken from inside the lining and attached to the fabric strip which you will see is sewn to the edge of the pelt. The lining is not sewn to the skin itself, but to the fabric strip. Make the stitches as tiny as you can and you should have an invisible repair.

Easy Fixes

If you are repairing Broadtail lamb, you should open the lining and sew it in from the back to hide the seams, and then close the lining back up.

Another type of damage you can easily repair is the wear on the edges of a Persian lamb. Very often there is fur worn off, resulting in the ivory-colored skin showing through. Simply get a bottle of leather/shoe dye in the correct color at your local shoe repair shop or shoe polish section of the supermarket. If there is no dauber in the bottle, use a cotton swab to dab the color on the ivory skin. Use it sparingly and let it dry completely before wearing. You will be surprised and pleased at how the damage blends in and it makes the piece completely wearable.

Persian lamb very often has little splits where the curls peel back from the skin. You can correct this by using glue. This is the only time I will recommend gluing a fur, since in most cases, it will show and you will permanently damage the hair if the glue gets on the fur. To repair the loose Persian lamb curls, use tweezers to hold back the curl from the skin. Take a dot of white glue on a toothpick and put a tiny amount on the skin. With the tweezers, gently press the curl back onto the skin. Voila! You have done another invisible fix. Persian lamb is one of the easiest furs to patch as well. If you find yourself with an actual hole in the fur, you can cut a piece from an old damaged garment made of Persian Lamb. These are easy to find on online auction sites and are usually titled “craft cutters”. Cut a piece a little larger than the hole, place it in the opening and sew it to the perimeter of the hole. The curls will hide the stitches. If you are repairing the flatter type of Broadtail lamb, you should open the lining and sew it in from the back to hide the seams, and then close the lining back up. Persian lamb is the most forgiving fur when it comes to repairs!

Yet another type of damage is something being stuck in the fur, like a spill or something sticky. Using a pet brush will usually correct this. Very gently brush the substance from the stuck-together fur and you will have a uniform nap once more.

Use Your Imagination

This fur had a monogram that had been horribly chopped out of the lining, leaving a huge, gaping hole. I used black satin blanket binding from the sewing store to make a patch and put my own monogram on it.

There are other types of damage I have fixed simply by using my imagination, like opening a lining, rolling the damaged edge of a mink stole inward and re-sewing the lining to the shortened fur edge. It totally hid the damage and no one would ever notice anything had been done. Another time, I had a fur from which the monogram had been horribly chopped out of the lining, leaving a huge, gaping hole. I used black satin blanket binding from the sewing store to make a patch (the edges were already finished on two sides), or you could cut a piece of pretty fabric to cover the hole. Machine hem the edges into a neat square or rectangle. You can decorate the edges by sewing on a fancy trim or brocade ribbon, as I did. You can then use iron-on initials to make your own monogram, then you can either hand or machine-sew the “patch” into the lining. Again, nobody would ever know there was a hole there before you did your magic! Make the patch as pretty as you can, embellishing with trims and pearls and it will become a really special part of the garment, one which you will actually want to show off rather than hide. If you are really into details, stencil your initials onto the patch, and then sew tiny pearls to the outline to actually make a pearl monogram! Talk about unique!

When you have a special fur that you love, find ways to make it wearable by repairing it yourself. You will have the satisfaction of saving money, acquiring a new skill, using your imagination and saving your prized fur in the process.

Sharon Maxwell-Yamamoto is a Worthologist who specializes in vintage clothing and accessories.

WorthPoint: Get the Most from Your Antiques and Collectibles

On Jan. 20, Warlick’s forecast—as well as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s dream of racial unity and reconciliation—will come to fruition as the inauguration of America’s first president of African-American descent is held on the Capitol steps before the eyes of the world. Obama’s unprecedented presidency will resonate throughout history, and undoubtedly, the material evidence of his victory, swearing-in and presidency will be treasured for generations to come.

As the owner, producer and curator of the American Presidential Experience’s InauguralFest and with his store, Political Americana, located literally just down the street from the White House, rest assured that Warlick will be at the center of Tuesday’s events (and the inevitable flood of “Obamabilia”) as an estimated crowd of two to five million will be in Washington, D.C., as Obama takes the oath of office.

Crystal paperweight with 2009 inaugural seal

Presidential memorabilia, like many collectibles, can serve as social barometers and indicators of an ongoing narrative describing the times we lived in, are living in and will live in as the future approaches. It is little wonder, then, that “Obamabilia” speaks to messages of hope and change in a dark economic and geopolitical climate.

Jim Warlick’s work in the political-collectibles field as a retailer and an acknowledged authority has helped to preserve this ongoing narrative. From saving campaign literature in childhood to selling buttons at the 1980 Democratic National Convention and on through the opening of his Political Americana store, Warlick’s involvement with political collecting has been lifelong. He has parlayed his keen understanding of the presidency’s significance into a success measured more in the preservation of America’s political heritage and the extension of the presidential experience to everyday Americans than in sales or personal gratification.

Autographed Obama picture

“I’ve always been a student of American political history,” says Warlick. “Being a part of political campaigns and collecting early American political memorabilia, I’ve learned more about American history than I ever did in school. Collecting and documenting political memorabilia is a great way to preserve American history for future generations to share and learn from.”

Those visiting D.C. next week will have an opportunity to share in Warlick’s passion as part of the larger festivities that will be occurring throughout the nation’s capital not only at his Political Americana and five official souvenir store locations selling inauguration memorabilia, but also at the American Presidential Experience’s InauguralFest. As did visitors to the American Presidential Experience in Denver last August during the Democratic National Convention, those attending InauguralFest will get a hands-on look at three centuries worth of presidential memorabilia and collectibles including scale-model replicas of Air Force One and the Oval Office.

A John-John pose in the Oval Office replica

From an exhibit of First Ladies’ gowns to one of the infamous Florida voting machines that introduced the phrase “hanging chads” to the world, the range of exhibits that Warlick has curated tells not only the story of the American presidency but also of the nation itself—a story that will reach one of its defining climaxes as the son of a white Kansas woman and a black Kenyan man accedes to the most powerful office in the world.

First Ladies' gowns

It is a historic moment in American history, and Jim Warlick will be there as it happens to collect, identify and share the significant artifacts that will capture the spirit of this turning point in our national, cultural and social narrative.

The American Presidential Experience’s InauguralFest is located at the old Washington Convention Site at 1001 H. St. NW Washington, DC (Metro Center subway stop). It is open every day from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Jan. 16 through Jan. 23 and from 9 a.m.-5.p.m. Jan. 24. For tickets and further information, visit the InauguralFest Web site.

The Political Americana store is located at 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20004. Four other locations selling official inauguration memorabilia are in Washington, Virginia and Maryland. Visit www.officialsouvenirs.com, www.politicalamericana.com , email info [at] officialsouvenirs [dot] com, or call 202-737-7730 for more information.

Other articles about Jim Warlick and political collectibles:

Jim’s WorthPoint Worthologist profile

Jim’s WorthPoint blogs

Warlick profile by Mark Jaffe

Top Obama collectibles

The American Presidential Experience

WorthPoint at the American Presidential Experience (video)

Jim Warlick’s Political Americana (video)

WorthPoint—Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

Examples of Bakelite

It started with a cardboard box at a garage sale purchased for $1. In the box was a plastic jewelry set—a bracelet, ring and earrings—all in polka dots. That was the beginning of Maggie Turnipseed’s collecting Bakelite plastics. “There is something about the quality of the pieces. They are very smooth, and they come in a rainbow of colors,” said Turnipseed, a WorthPoint expert on a wide spectrum of collectibles and antiques from hatpins to Victorian jewelry to cast-iron doorstops.

“I wish I could collect just one thing, but I am always finding something new,” said Turnipseed, who is an antique dealer and an accredited appraiser of antiques and residential contents with the International Society of Appraisers. Her specialties are decorative arts, Victoriana, Victorian and Edwardian jewelry, American art pottery and Mexican sterling.

Bakelite wasn’t in her résumé, but Turnipseed applied her tried-and-true technique to the new collectible. “That’s how I usually start. I buy something that catches my eye, and then I try to learn everything I can about it,” she said. “The learning is the most fun.” For Maggie’s blog on Bakelite, click here.

It all began in the 1970s when as a college student Turnipseed became fascinated with hatpins. The pins at 9 to 18 inches (big enough to secure a large hat in thickly piled hair) were stylish and often decorated with gemstones and porcelain. “They were part of an elegant age, although they were really made to hold on a hat,” Turnipseed said.

Antique hatpins

Collecting something as small and obscure as a hatpin in the days before the Internet was a challenge, but over the years, Turnipseed continued gathering them, and today some hatpins sell for thousands of dollars. For more information on them, visit the American Hatpin Society.

From hatpins, Turnipseed moved on to chatelaines, purses worn on the waist that are the forerunner of the lady’s handbag; tussie-mussies, cone-shaped, flower holders carried by Victorian ladies; tea balls, the delicate, little metal-and-silver infusers for brewing tea; and Victorian jewelry.

Chatelaine

“If there is a theme here, they are all very feminine items from the Victorian and Art Nouveaux eras,” Turnipseed said. They can also be described as the art and artifact of a genteel lifestyle now long gone.

The tussie-mussie, or nosegay, for example, had both practical and romantic applications. In the more odiferous Victorian Age, a time of soot, open sewers and carriage-horse droppings, the nosegay, held in hand by a finger ring, could provide a scented burst of relief. The flowers were also signs and symbols—the Langue of Flowers it was called. Pansies signified loving thoughts, mint warm feelings, ivy friendship. “Just think of putting the wrong flower in your tussie-mussie and sending the wrong message!” Turnipseed said. Click here to learn more about tussie-mussies.

A tussie-mussie

Among Turnipseed’s newest collections is Victorian jewelry, which just like the Bakelite, began with acquiring a few random pieces that caught her eye. “It is the story of my life. I go to an antique show and get distracted. I should wear blinders,” she said.

Again, as she did with Bakelite, Turnipseed embarked on the study of Victorian jewelry, collecting books and price guides. “You just read and read,” she said. “The Internet has also made a big different because now you can see pictures of so many items.”

At the moment, Victorian jewelry and Victoriana are a buyer’s market. “Victoriana just is not ‘it’ right now,” Turnipseed said. It is a cautionary tale of the fickle nature of the collectibles market. “Art Deco and midcentury are hotter because that is what the young are collecting, if they are collecting at all.”

So Victoriana may be in that soft spot between really old and rare and really trendy and really a good buy. “I am hanging on to my collection,” Turnipseed said. “One day the market will turn. I’m betting on it.”

WorthPoint—Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

Ellen Malcolm, founder of Emily’s List called it “a proud moment in our nation’s history.”

Great Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown deemed it “inspirational.”

There were reports of millions of joyful people dancing in the streets from Bogotá to Naples to Shanghai to Chicago.

Bushmen in the Kalahari Desert slaughtered cows in honor of the occasion.

The Sun (UK) found one weeping German celebrant who said, “In my lifetime, the world’s people have never felt closer.”

Former South African President Nelson Mandela called the event “monumental.”

It “Unleashes a Flood of Hope Worldwide,” proclaimed a New York Times headline.

Obama’s historic inauguration

This is just a tip of the reaction to Barack Obama’s election as 44th president of the United States. On January 20, this man whose mother was a white woman from Kansas and father a black Kenyan will be sworn into office on the steps of the United States Capitol.

It estimated that anywhere from two to five million people will jam Washington, D.C., to witness history being made as the first African-American takes the presidential oath of office.

And without question, the inauguration will produce a raft of collectibles. The question for collectors is how to tell the difference between items that will only have sentimental or commemorative value and those that will be true historical keepsakes.

Luckily, there is a way to tell the difference.

New York Post day after election

The first rule of collectibles is if there are many of them, their value is reduced. When Barack Obama defeated John McCain, scores of newspapers trumpeted historic headlines, some are still being reprinted and sold as commemoratives. Because there are so many of them, their value will be limited. This will be also true for the scores of inaugural newspaper editions.

Conversely, if there are few items, their collectible value will be higher. Lead-crystal vases featuring an engraved inaugural seal from the best glassmakers in the world, for example, will continue as a long-term investment as a historical and highly prized collectible. The sticker price will reflect that, as well.

If you want a head start on long-term collectibles, buy things with the official seal of the 56th Presidential Inauguration Committee. (Some presidents have served more than one term and therefore, have had more than one inauguration.) These are items officially recognized by the only committee chosen by President-elect Barack Obama to oversee and pay for official inaugural events, such as the inaugural balls. Over time, these items, from specially designed pins by renowned artist Ann Hand to glassware, jewelry, posters and all manner of memorabilia, will be the items most collected, and they all will carry the official seal of the committee in their design.

Glass paperweight

Then there is the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies comprised of members from the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate who are responsible for the swearing-in ceremonies and the congressional luncheon. The official programs for these events, particularly the swearing-in, will have a clear long-term collectible value. In fact, it is safe to say that the programs for this transformational inaugural will be especially valuable over time.

Inaugural mug

There are other official inaugural items that will be highly sought after by collectors, such as the official inaugural badge. Since 1933, the two dozen or so official police units operating within the District of Columbia have issued specially created police badges for use during the inaugural period. The early ones are very rare, while the more recent ones continue to be highly valued. Press credentials, military items, signage, anything out of the ordinary such as the cardboard No Parking signs attached throughout the city are highly collectible long after the event, too.

“In my store, Political Americana, we are fortunate to have all kinds of inaugural souvenirs from a simple button, badge, lapel pin, tote bag, T-shirt and coffee mug to the official inaugural medal and glassware,” says Jim Warlick, owner of Political Americana and WorthPoint Worthologist for political items. “Our full-scale Oval Office will also provide you with the opportunity to have your picture taken behind a replica of the Oval Office desk the new president will use.”

Obama inaugural T-shirt

Mary Brenneman, WorthPoint content director, sees significance in collectibles beyond their collecting value. “I find it fascinating that collectibles can serve as harbingers.”

She points out that Warlick predicted back in the spring of 2008 that Obama would win the election because his collectibles were outselling Hillary Clinton’s and John McCain’s combined.

So be you Democrat or Republican, Libertarian or Independent, now’s the time to look to the future and search out Obama inauguration collectibles.

WorthPoint-Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

The answer is, you can, if you are willing to pay couture prices to buy the designer goods which incorporate the different types of Persian Lamb. There have been stories of Persian Lamb being a cruel fur because it required the killing of a pregnant ewe in order to get her unborn lamb. That is debatable; however, these stories have made it a less acceptable fur to wear. For those who admire and wish to acquire Persian Lamb, vintage is the way to go.

Persian Lamb is a beautiful fur. It’s warm, rather sturdy and can be sporty or dressy. It comes in different curl patterns, depending on the age of the lamb from which it was taken. But this one is faux, although the collar is white mink.

Persian lamb was very popular from the early 20th century until about the 1970’s, with the popularity waning a bit after that. It was still found trimming suits and coats; however, full Persian Lamb coats were not easily found after that time, hence the value of a vintage Lamb coat.

There are many vintage coats around, usually dating from the middle of the last century. But, there are also many manufacturers who developed fabrics that mimic the genuine article pretty well. Many people are fooled by the faux furs, and even those who sell vintage clothing are often not experts in the field and simply believe what they are told when they buy the garments from estates.

The term “Persian Lamb” can refer to many different types of lamb fur, sometimes called Astrakhan, Karakul or Broadtail. All of these refer to lamb, but at different ages after birth (or even before, taken from stillborn lambs). The type I will address in this article is the curly type, which is taken from the lambs when they are about 10 days old.

Faux Persian Lamb is easy to spot, if you know what you’re looking for. This is another example of a faux fur coat with a mahogany mink collar.

Faux Persian Lamb is notorious for being passed off as real. The very first Persian Lamb piece I ever (mistakenly) bought was faux fur, and I quickly learned how to tell the difference. I have even seen real and faux furs all labeled as genuine fur in a vintage store, simply because so many people just don’t know how to tell which is which. When I told the owner how to test it, she refused to look and said I was wrong, so I most certainly did not buy from her. An on-line seller once told me that Persian Lamb was shorn from the live animal and then sewn in a curl pattern on a fabric backing, so that’s why, although he “found the fabric between the curls, as I said he would, the coat was definitely real Persian Lamb.” I’m afraid he was in denial about how furs are made.

There is a lot of misconception out there, so to find out if the fur is genuine or faux, read on.

If you are buying a fur from a shop, do the following (or if shopping online, ask the seller to do these tests and look for these things):

• Look at the fur under a strong light and part the curls with your fingers. If you see a woven black fabric between the curls, it’s faux fur. Real Persian Lamb has a smooth hide, which is covered with the hair, and the curls will be much harder to part. The curl pattern on a faux fur will appear to be too uniform, indicating it to be machine-made, while real fur has a much more random pattern of curls.

• Next, beware if a seller claims a lamb coat has absolutely no flaws at all. Persian Lamb will nearly always have a bit of edge wear at the back of the neck, cuffs, pocket edges, front edges and around fasteners. The wear will appear to be ivory-colored hide showing through where the fur has worn off. There will usually be tiny areas where the curls have split from the hide, showing ivory-colored skin in little spots (which can be repaired by dabbing with black leather dye).

• Finally, a faux Persian Lamb fur is rather lightweight, while the real thing usually weighs a ton.

Genuine Persian Lamb looks like the example on the left, while the example on the right is faux Persian Lamb with a faux fur collar.

Sometimes you will see a coat with tiny, nubby curls, and the seller or price tag may also state “Persian Lamb.” This is not fur at all, not even faux fur, but a wool fabric called “boucle.” This was a very popular fabric in the 1950’s, often called “Poodle Cloth,” but it is also confused with Persian Lamb.

I can look at a picture and instantly know if it’s real or fake. I can also pick one up without looking at it and know the same. If you are interested in Persian Lamb, you can learn this too, but you must do the tests and compare before you buy. Faux fur has its merits, but you should not buy unless you know which one you are getting. Good selling points in favor of the faux fur are that you don’t have to keep it in cold storage, it’s cheaper to clean, it’s sturdier and you can wear it in the rain.

Be aware that the faux Persian Lamb coats are usually accented with rabbit fur collars, while the real ones are made with mink collars (although there are exceptions). The faux Persian Lamb jackets you will find with the label “A Winter Product” almost always have a black Rabbit collar, black velvet buttons with loop closures and no furrier’s label. Sometimes this style has no label at all.

This little cropped coat is a common example of a faux Persian Lamb product.

This little cropped jacket (above) is  very common, and you will see yourself coming and going in it, so I only recommend this if you want something to wear running around town. The care label, which you will never find in a real fur, will state “Clean by Furrier Method Only, no Steam.” If you see that, you can be sure it’s not a real fur. Many people misunderstand this label and think “Furrier Method” means it’s real, while it actually means that the fur should be treated as if it were real. The names “Safari,” “Sportowne,” “Borgana” and “Miracurl” are a few of the most widely-known names of manufacturers and designers of faux fur garments.

These are examples of labels of faux Persian Lamb products. They often say “Clean by Furrier Method Only, no Steam,” which is true; this is how to treat a faux Persian Lamb product. But that doesn’t make it genuine Persian Lamb.

Isn’t it funny how a fur that has become so unpopular could be so greatly sought after in a faux fur version? It seems that people really do want the look of Persian Lamb. After reading this article, I hope those of you who wish to have the real thing can now identify it, acquire it, wear it and love it. I know I do.

Sharon Maxwell-Yamamoto is a Worthologist who specializes in vintage clothing and accessories.

WorthPoint: Get the Most from Your Antiques and Collectibles.

Royal blue beaded cardigan.

 

This is a guide on how to choose vintage clothing, how to wear it, what to avoid and WHY to collect it.

First of all, what is vintage clothing? Some people differ on the definition, but generally, if you look it up, you will find this:

“Vintage clothing is a term for garments originating from another era. Generally speaking, clothing older than 25 years is considered to be vintage, though opinions vary on this definition. Many sellers of vintage clothing consider even more modern pieces to be ‘vintage,’ provided that they are particularly representative of the era in which they were made.”

I tend to agree that 25-years-old and older constitutes “vintage”… until I do the math and realize that the clothes I wore in my “heyday” are now included within this timeframe. Personally, I classify clothing from 1970 and older to be vintage, until we go backward far enough to become “antique.” All too soon, those clothes I still have from the 1980’s will truly be vintage, and then I myself will have become “antique!”

There are several avenues one can explore in the search for vintage clothing, the most common being estate and garage sales, vintage clothing and thrift stores, and the ever-popular online auction sites, the latter being the largest and most convenient venue for buying and selling vintage items. No matter where you go, there are a few things you need to know in order to be able to discern the difference between trash and treasure.

First, unless you have the skill and time to spend refurbishing a vintage piece, avoid things with stains, holes, fraying of seams and linings, or missing parts (beads, sequins, buttons, etc.). Above all, if you get a whiff of mothballs, run the other way. No amount of washing or dry cleaning will remove that smell. The same goes with smoke, unless it’s very faint and you are not bothered by it. Fur, in particular, will never let go of unpleasant odors, so don’t buy something with the promise that “dry cleaning will take those stains and odors right out.” If a seller/shopkeeper tells you that, run, or click out of that site—nobody can truly know if a dry cleaning will remove a stain and old; “vintage” stains never come out, in my experience. Mild yellowing can be soaked out, but be prepared to change the water over and over many times, for about a week, using many scoops of Biz. All that work, and there is still no guarantee of success.

A leopard pattern coat and outfit

So, if you are set on wearing your vintage clothing as soon as you buy it, in addition to the aforementioned, look for the following things:

• Items with no wrinkles in the linings, indicating the item may never have been worn.
• Crisp labels, with no stitches out, again an indication that an item was very gently or never worn.
• All buttons and hooks/eyes sewn tightly, not hanging, yet another sign of an item being new/old.
• Linings not hanging below the outer garment fabric (eliminating the need to re-hem).

Fit is very important when debating whether or not to buy a vintage garment. If it’s too tight and you buy it just because it’s adorable, you may very well tear it under the arms or across the back shoulder seams due to the fabric being old and possibly not as strong as it was when it was new.

Many people look at vintage clothing and say they like it, but can’t imagine themselves wearing it. My answer to that is that there is no special time or occasion to wear vintage; these things are meant to be enjoyed, and one need not be wearing vintage from head to toe in order for it to make sense. My idea is to wear simple, well-fitting, understated clothing as the basis for the outfit, such as a black or neutral skirt or pair of slacks with a simple top or sweater. A fabulous vintage beaded cardigan, swing coat, fur jacket, collar or boa, along with a pert little vintage hat and special purse, can be plenty to identify you as a lover of vintage clothing and draw lots of attention and compliments. A vintage brooch and earrings and pair of glasses or lorgnette (for menu-reading), or using a vintage compact and lipstick can make one stand out at the dinner table as well.

You don’t have to be a size 2 to wear the above-mentioned items, but lucky you if you are! “Wiggle dresses” are all the rage now, but sadly, I have a bit too much “wiggle” to wear those vintage dresses. That is why I specifically concentrate on outerwear and accessories to satisfy my vintage appetite.

A lorgnette with chain.

As far as knowing what to “collect,” do your homework and look, look, look BEFORE you buy. True collectibles will be clearly indicative of an era, such as the sharp shoulders and fitted silhouette of the 1940’s, the swing coat of the 1950’s, the ring collar of the 1960’s, all things that will make people recognize that what you have is truly vintage and prompt them to say, “they don’t make ’em like that anymore!” You may see an item you like, then discover that it’s everywhere and not really unique, so don’t make impulse buys unless your gut tells you it’s special. If you buy everything you see that you like, you will end up with a lot of very ordinary things and not have money for the big special one that is probably around the next corner.

Everybody wants a bargain, and sometimes you will hit the jackpot and pay next to nothing for something fabulous, but there are times when you will understand that a high price must be paid for the uniqueness of an item in mint condition. If it makes you feel like a star when you put it on, fits like it was made for you and makes the other people around you say “OMG,” you MUST buy it! There are times to bargain and times when you should just pay, grab it and run before somebody else does.

Lastly, people ask WHY we should wear/collect vintage clothing. I think that by acquiring and caring for a vintage item, we honor the person who carefully kept the beautiful treasure for so many years. For me, there is a sadness as well as happiness in collecting these things. I always silently apologize to the original owner for taking her precious things, but then I promise in my heart that I will guard and care for her treasures and show the world the beauty of the past by wearing and using them. Vintage clothing is history, and we must study it, collect it, and never forget it.

Sharon Maxwell-Yamamoto is a Worthologist who specializes in vintage clothing and accessories.

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Throughout presidential campaigns, especially in the 19th century, many unusual items have been offered with the images of the leading candidates and their campaign slogans. This is a silk scarf created for the 1892 campaign of Grover Cleveland and Adlai E. Stevenson. (Stevenson was the grandfather of the Democratic standard bearer in 1952 and 1956, Adlai Stevenson.) It shows the images of both candidates and the slogan of “Tariff Reform.” Somewhat scarce in such good condition, what was the final auction price realized in 2005?

A. $176
B. $90
C. $252

Some bloomin’ collectibles

An English woman packed away stockings she inherited from her mother. Now 82, Mary Youings decided to put them up for auction with a listing of £150 to £200. (That’s approximately $265 to $350.)

Imagine the former teacher’s surprise and delight when the gavel came down at $14,000. Oh, did we fail to mention her mother wasn’t the first owner of the stockings? That would have been Queen Victoria. The BBC reports that the “auction house believes the quality of the hand stitching, the black and white two-tone silk finish and the fact they include the Royal Crest is evidence that they were worn by the queen in the 1870s.”

Fifty-inch bloomers once worn by the queen brought in $8,000 at the same auction near Derby, England.

Fired-up collectibles

At least Queen Victoria’s collectibles were in good shape.

Rock ’n’ roll legend Jimi Hendrix had a penchant for, well, getting fired up during performances. Hendrix was filmed burning his guitar at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. In the same year, he torched his Fender Stratocaster guitar while performing in England.

Somehow the damaged instrument ended up the garage of the parents of Hendrix’s publicist, Tony Garland. More than 40 years later, Garland came across the guitar and didn’t some hmmming, wondering if it was worth anything.

Try $497,5000 of worth something, according to the Associated Press. Other items sold at the same London auction were the Beatles’ first contract with manager Brian Epstein ($426,000), Elvis Presley’s application to carry a concealed weapon in California and as an added bonus, a set of his fingerprints ($81,740), a bathrobe worn by John Lennon in the 1960s ($7,000) and a silk scarf Margaret Thatcher sported in 1979 ($700).

Collectibles auction tinged with sadness

Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor was killed in a home invasion last year in Miami. Last weekend, contents of his Washington-area estate were put up for auction with proceeds going into a trust fund for his infant daughter who was reportedly left out of the will.

One attendee told the The Washington Post that he was “tore up” by Taylor’s death and was “getting goose bumps talking about it now.”

There was wide array of items from a couple of bars of Irish Spring soap to a 9-mm German handgun. Interspersed among the fishing poles and Fabreze were only a few true collectibles, a rack of custom Cowboys/Redskins billiard balls for one, a signed Redskins football for another.

Joyce Brooks of Brooks auctions reported that $7,375.50 was raised for the fund. The Brooks commission, she said, is between 30 and 50 percent.

Recently on Ebay I noticed an unusual change to the official seal of the vice president, 50 gold stars surrounding the central eagle on a white background. Everything was correct except for the 50 gold stars.

According to Executive Order 11884 creating the official seal of the Vice President on October 7, 1975, the seal of the vice president did not authorize stars surrounding the eagle. Only the seal of the president shows that.

Perplexed and wondering if there was an official change, I contacted the military office of the vice president which handles the official seal and I was assured that no change to the official seal of the vice president has been authorized or contemplated at this time.

Therefore, the cuff links shown on Ebay as official are not official government-issue cuff links. In fact, it is very difficult to get a pair of cuff links engraved with the signature of Vice President Dick Cheney on the reverse. His office simply does not give them out on any consistent basis. So much so, that I don’t even have a photo to put up along side the one’s above for comparison. The official seal of the Vice President will have to represent the cuff links for now to show that a circle of stars do not surround the eagle.

Simply stated, the official white ‘cobalt’ cuff links of Vice President Dick Cheney do not show the circle of stars around the eagle. Any internet buyer or collector should be wary of any attempt to insist that these are official. It is also very difficult to find official presidential or vice presidential cufflinks or other jewelry at a price of only $45 or so. Their retail or collector value is usually around $200 a set and more.

You look good. Very good. Crisp, white shirt with cobalt blue studs and cobalt blue, official presidential George W. Bush cuff links to match. Black tie and tux. Wonderful overcoat and cashmere scarf. Your new shoes shined to perfection. Limousine waiting. Your date is matching perfection. Ready to attend the President’s State of the Union speech? Good. Tell me, though, are you wearing the real George W. Bush?

What, you ask? Your cuff links, of course. There is an 8 to 1 chance that your cuff links are a knockoff. If you so much as attempt to show them off with your State of the Union buddies, they will know. You don’t need that, so let me show you how I know your cuff links aren’t authentic – just so you know.

First of all, look at the box they came in. Official presidential cuff links are not packaged in a plush, dark blue leatherette case with gold trim and a gold, silkscreen, presidential coat-of-arms inside. Second, the outer, dark blue, cardboard box with the same gold, silkscreen coat-of-arms isn’t authentic either. Your cuff links, my friend, were probably reproduced by an offshore, commercial company and sold to outlet stores, on online auctions, and directly to collectors as authentic — but are really what we euphemistically label as ‘commemoratives.’ Or reproductions. Or fakes.

The cobalt blue, presidential cuff link was introduced by Richard Nixon in the 1970s. They are very stylish with the dark blue background and raised, bas relief presidential eagle in gold, surrounded by 50 inlaid gold stars and gold roping around the edge (the early ones from Nixon to Reagan didn’t have this roping). These early ones are extremely rare. Presidents gave sets of these special cuff links only to the most deserving of individuals. Still do. There are other styles of cuff links that are given out more often, but not these.

Because of their rarity and beauty, these cobalt blue, presidential cuff links proved more popular. Everyone had to have them. So I can see why you would want them. And so, beginning in Bill Clinton’s second term or so, we’ve noticed that this most rare of presidential gifts was becoming rather plentiful. They were being offered everywhere all of a sudden at very high prices. How come? They were being manufactured and made available outside official channels.

So, what do the real ones look like, you ask? Quite the same, I’m afraid. I said they look alike, but you can tell the difference easily. First of all, the authentic cuff link itself is heavier and thicker than the ‘commemorative’ ones. On the reverse side, the signatures of George W. Bush are supposed to be engraved horizontally, not curved like yours are. The ‘G’ and the ‘W’ are not connected, they are separate. The correct, engraved signature connects the ‘G’ and the ‘W’.

Therefore, you now have five ways to tell whether your cuff links are ‘commemorative’ rather than authentic.

- One, the inner box is not supposed to be a dark blue leatherette,
- Two, the outer box is not supposed to be a dark blue cardboard,
- Three, the cuff link is very light in weight and smaller,
- Four, the signature is curved instead of horizontal, and
- Five, the ‘G’ and the ‘W’ are separated.

Wait, I didn’t say how the real cuff links are packaged? You’re right. I didn’t. Just like the program ‘McGyver’, they always left out one important step so their on-screen escape sequences couldn’t be duplicated at home. I’m going to be like McGyver and not show you what kind of box the authentic cuff links come in so they won’t be duplicated and be confused with the authentic ones. Sorry.

Still, wear the ‘commemoratives.’ Nothing wrong with that. They look great on you. Just don’t show off, that’s all. Those with the real things will know.

But, if you are caught with that “knowing look,’ you might say that, yes, these cuff links are great, aren’t they? Well, they aren’t the real things, of course. No, I don’t want to wear my real ones outside in case they might be lost or damaged. Much like your date’s diamond necklace. Then, move fast.

NOTE: If you are paying less than $100 for a pair of presidential cobalt cuff links, they are fake. Authentic cobalt presidential cuff links are very rare and can cost upwards of $250 a pair. Also, any president before Richard Nixon did not produce cobalt cuff links. Lastly, sometimes the manufacturer ‘forgets’ to remove the small piece of metal between the eagle’s wings and the olive branch and between the eagle’s wing and the arrows of war, like the photo above found on Ebay. That is a sure sign that the cuff links are ‘commemorative.’

Confederate belt buckles can be valued at thousands of dollars – a fact which has spurred an interesting pastime – digging for buckles. While record collectors refer to searching for valuable vinyl at stores or sales as “digging in the crates,” “digging for buckles” in the southern United States literally means grabbing a shovel and unearthing a specific part of, say Tennessee, for example.

This excerpt was taken from a fine article called “Collecting Confederate Belt Buckles” by Amanda Young (http://www.go-star.com/antiquing/confedbuckles.htm):

“Digging for buckles requires patience, knowledge, and even a bit of luck. About a month ago, Steve and others were digging for buckles in Dallas, GA when one of his fellow diggers recovered a square buckle with rounded edges 15 feet away from where Steve was searching. The worth of the buckle ended up being around $4,000. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of where you’re standing.”

Belt buckles, like jewelry, are gender specific and generally easy to maintain or to restore. Masculine lifestyles are reflected through personalized buckles of various time periods that often are representative of an occupation, region, or organization.

Military, police, fire service, western, and youth group buckles have long been popular belt buckle themes. Rarer, are multi-function buckles containing cigarette lighters, knives, and guns. Secret groups like the Masons had their own buckles and so did the Secret Service. Boy Scout buckles can be a collection in itself, as can cowboy buckles.

Men’s buckles are often regional – Mexican belt buckles are a distinct tradition and Japanese art buckles are interesting as well. Confederate buckles are quite the collector’s item.

In the first inauguration of a freely chosen president of the United States in 1789, President-elect George Washington appeared in  New York “…dressed in deep brown, with metal buttons, with an eagle on them…”, according to William Maclay, a Pennsylvania Senator.   As would happen in decades to come, merchants saw a chance to sell souvenirs of the occasion and they would be clothing buttons similar to the ones worn by the president-elect.  Many versions were created.  Some carried Washington’s initials “GW”, others had slogans such as “Long Live the President”, or designs of eagles and stars.  One popular version was a link of thirteen chains representing the original thirteen states at the time.  The photo shows a few of the designs from a collection since sold at auction.  To find an authentic 1789 inaugural clothing button takes a very special knowledge of the many designs.  Visit http://moscow2.pld.com/kirk/CobbGW/FULD.TXT for a quick course and a complete PDF format of the clothing buttons known to exist.   Be aware.  There are many reproductions being sold as authentic on public as well as private auctions and sales.  However, a true original could bring $2500 to $4500 at auction.  Some common ones are still available for several hundred dollars, though.

The next pair are considered true 1st pattern because they actually saw a fair amount of use in Vietnam. They resemble the later jungle boots with the exception of the following differences:
I. They were issued with shoe laces rather than round boot laces
II. The metal vent grommets on the sides are inverted and concave
III. They lack nylon web ankle and other reinforcements
IV. They have black leather trim across the top of the boot and up the back of the heel

The pair in my collection is dated 1962, but most found are 1963 dated.

The 2nd pattern jungle boots are similar to 1st pattern with the exception of the following changes:
I. The metal vent grommets are no longer concave and inverted. They resemble the vent grommets on all later patterns.
II. They no longer have black leather trim across the top of the boot and up the back of the heel. The leather is now replaced with nylon web.

The pair I have in my collection are 1965 dated, but I’ve had examples that were 1964 dated.

The 3rd pattern jungle boots have the following changes:
I. They are now issued with boot laces (rather than the shoe laces)
II. They have nylon web ankle reinforcements
III. They began to have spike resistant soles to protect the feet from punji sticks. Some boots have this feature while others do not.

The pairs I have in my collection are dated between 1966 and 1968.

The 4th pattern jungle boots incorporated a “Panama” sole to replace the waffle sole.

There are some subtle differences within the various models, but that is due to manufacture differences and my point is to illustrate the major differences.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.