10. The Accelerating Loss of Friends

I interpret friends in its broadest meaning. My friends include people, periodicals and institutions. The same applies to loss. Loss is more than death or demise. Loss also involves departure and absence.

Early today, I opened my travel address list for Portland, Ore. Jeff Hill, the publisher of a West Coast trade newspaper who passed away on Sept. 17, 2002, was still included. It seems like only yesterday when Jeff and I were sitting in his living room discussing developments within the trade. Except for Chris and Chuck Palmer and a few close friends, I wonder who else remembers Jeff, one of the most brilliant analyzers of trend the trade has known.

The loss of individuals one knows is a consequence of growing old. Keeping a list, even thinking about it, can lead to depression. Names such as Susan Bagdade, Ralph Kovel, Norman Martinus and Sam Pennington come immediately to mind. What does not come easy is a list of individuals who have replaced them. How many giants can the antiques and collectibles trade lose before the impact is measurable?

[Author’s Aside: My short list is the proverbial tip of the iceberg. A full list would include many more than 100 names.]

Consolidation reduced the number of publishers specializing in antiques and collectibles titles by more than two-thirds in the 1990s and early 2000s. Hence, the demise of any consolidator or survivor has serious consequences. When Random House reduced its House of Collectibles title line—especially price guide titles—little concern was raised. It was assumed other trade publishers would pick up the slack.

The loss of Collector Books was a major blow. Collector Books served the middle portion of the collecting marketplace. Several of its ceramic and glass titles were the bibles for their respective collecting categories. Authors, such as Gene Florence, exited gracefully. The Schroeder family has my admiration and respect for the contributions they made to the antiques and collectibles field’s knowledge base and for staying the course as long as possible. Collector Books will be missed.

“Antiques and Collecting Magazine, formerly Hobbies, has merged with Collectors News, re-emerging as Treasures. The Graham family—Dale (who passed away in February 2010), his wife Francis, and his son Gregory—were an integral part of the trade for more than half a century. It is hard to imagine the trade without them.

Connie Swaim just announced her retirement as a full-time editor at AntiqueWeek. Kyle Husfloen, who served as editor for The Antique Trader when it was under the capable ownership of Ed Babka, and later Landmark and KP Publications (F+W Media, Inc.), now lives in California and contributes only occasionally.

There is a fine line between waxing nostalgic and becoming maudlin. Concerned that I am crossing this line, it is time to move on.

9. Changes in the Price Divides within Collecting Categories

Pricing within an antiques and collectibles category has never been linear. Prices divide into levels or plateaus. In a new collecting category, the number of levels between the bottom and top are few. As a collecting category grows in sophistication, the number of pricing levels within it increase. A major collecting category, where the high-end unit price is in excess of $100,000, can have more than a dozen pricing levels.

Price levels enable buyers (collectors) to enter the marketplace at affordable price points—“something familiar, something peculiar, something for everyone,” borrowing the opening lines from lyrics for “A Comedy Tonight.” The number of buyers involved is one of the measures of a collecting category’s strengths.

The concepts of scarcity and rarity were redefined in the past five years. Many items once consider scarce by collectors proved to be extremely common. In some cases, the number of pieces entering the secondary market flooded it, especially at the bottom and in the middle.

Collecting involves bragging rights. Collectors want to own examples their counterparts do not. When everyone owns the same things, the fun and collector interest vanishes. When a collecting category is thus impacted, the collector exodus is greater at the bottom and middle than the top. The wealth divide between the wealthiest Americans and the middle and lower classes is a perfect analogy, especially when one factors in the declining number of middle class Americans.

The middle price levels in collecting categories are shrinking. In some instances, they have or are disappearing. The possibility exists that in the future, there will be some collecting categories where the only collectors are those focusing on the top one to three percent of the objects in the category. Since the number of buyers for middle and low end material will be minimal, prices will plummet in order to attract buyers.

8. Consolidation Counter Revolution

The antiques and collectibles trade witnessed consolidation throughout the industry in the 1990s and early 2000s. Large media corporations bought trade publications and publishing companies. Several added show venues to their holdings. The vertical holdings company seeking to capitalize on the savings consolidation offered appeared to be the trade’s future. While Landmark and Krause were American corporations, DMB World Media was British based. Foreign invasion does not always have to be military.

Consolidation also occurred within the auction community. Sotheby’s went on a buying spree. Even Bonham’s entered the arena. Individual and regional auction companies fell prey to the lure of quick and easy cash. Who can blame them?

What all these buyers failed to recognize is the personal, individual nature of the antiques and collectibles business. Antiques and collectibles is an industry where individuals want to deal face to face, not with a phone bank of callers based in “God knows where.”

A counter revolution is underway. AntiqueWeek and its sister publications are back in the hands of Gary Thoe and his wife. The field breathed a collective sigh of relief when the news was announced. Ted Hake, Dan Morphy and others regained control of the auction firms they helped create. DMG World Media has sold some of its consumer shows and is in the process of selling others.

Consolidation still rears its ugly head, albeit now in the form of alliances rather than outright purchase. Greg Martin, who broke away from Butterfield & Butterfield to create Greg Martin Auctions, is now aligned with Heritage Auctions. The jury is out on whether the maxim of “there is strength in numbers” will apply.

When I assembled my Top 10 list, I pledged to myself to hold the series to two columns. It will not happen. The series will be three columns in length. I never feel the need to justify my actions, although I offer an occasional explanation. Since no general history of the antiques and collectibles trade exists (there are several high-end histories) nor am I aware of anyone writing such a history, I view “Rinker on Collectibles” as a chronicler of the trade’s journey through the latter half of the 20th century and first part of the 21st. Hence, I favor length over brevity.

Finally, now that readers see where I am heading, I want them to have more time to send their recommendations for the top portion of my Top 10 list. E-mail me at harrylriker [at] aol [dot] com.

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

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” 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..

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Pond Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You 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. 2012

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Steiff’s “article number 4328,” also known as Snobby Poodle, has become one of Worthologist and Steiff collector Rebekah Kaufman’s greatest treasures.

Every enthusiast has extra-special items in their collections—a certain piece that just take a Gold Medal for its rarity, design or simply the story behind the piece. Here is one of those treasures from my hug of more than 700 vintage Steiff collectibles.

The item:
One thing that all enthusiasts share—regardless of specific passion—is the utter and sheer delight of coming across something incredibly rare and unexpected. Something so out of this world that once it lands with you, it just brings your collection, and your enthusiasm for collecting, to the next level. Such is the case with the most boringly named Steiff “article number 4328,” also known as Snobby Poodle.

What we have here, besides a series of numbers, is Steiff’s 28-centimeter, three-ways jointed (head and arms) black mohair poodle named Snobby. She is in the “begging” position, meaning that she is looking at you in such a way to suggest that you should share whatever you are eating with her. This poodle has longish mohair on her legs, arms, ears and muzzle, and short mohair on her body trunk and head. Her face is detailed with lovely, hand-blown tri-colored (white, brown and black) almond-shaped glass eyes, a black hand-embroidered nose, an open peach felt-lined mouth, and a dark pink felt tongue.

Her history and design legacy:
Very little is known about this particular poodle design, as she does not appear in any standard reference books. Clearly, she is based somewhat on Steiff’s classic “Snobby Poodle” design that was introduced in 1953 and appeared in the line through 1974 in 10, 14, 22, 35 and 43 cm. Classic Snobby was produced in gray, black or white mohair, was five-ways jointed, and had a little, round red felt tongue. Her coat was cut in what Steiff refers to as the “modern trim,” meaning that her limbs, face, tail tip and head crown were long mohair, while her body and neck were short mohair. Classic Snobby proved so popular that she was soon being produced in as a riding toy, a puppet and as a soft, curled up resting animal. However, “Classic” Snobby did not have a distinctive, open mouth or a long, protruding tongue.

Why she’s so special to me:
Back in the summer of 2005, I had the wonderful opportunity of attending the 9th annual Festival of Steiff Auction, an event that is held annually in Giengen, Germany—the hometown for the Steiff Company. This auction—a paradise for vintage Steiff enthusiasts—features rare and sometimes never-before- seen Steiff treasures from around the world; all for sale to the highest bidder. One of the lots, #035, was particularly appealing to me, as I had never seen this Steiff dog before. The catalog read:

“Snobby Poodle (1956-57) Item no. 4328, this begging poodle is 28 cm tall. It was manufactured for only two years as an exclusive item and this is the first and only sample we know of. Head and forelegs are jointed, open mouth with felt tongue. Very good, unplayed with condition, with button, minimal remains of the ear tag, and chest tag “Snobby.”

Of course, it was love at first sight and I thought with her €250 estimate, I might have a shot at bringing her home without having to declare bankruptcy. I guess a few other people felt the same way, as this superb Snobby sold for close to €1,700 that evening! I left the auction a little heartbroken but determined to add this blue-ribbon beauty to my collection at some point, someday.

Fast-forward six years. I was browsing an online sales portal and looking for unusual Steiff treasures when I came across a listing for a black, sitting “Steiff looking” poodle with an open mouth and almond eyes. Could this be the elusive Snobby from the auction? After a few e-mail exchanges with a photo or two—my deepest hopes were realized! Here was another one of Steiff’s Snobby 4328 models, albeit in somewhat less pristine condition. I made an offer, it was accepted, and I was on cloud nine! When she arrived, I noticed that she was missing her original red leather collar, didn’t have any ID, and both ears needed to be restitched to her head. But no worries, dog-gonnit, I had indeed scored this most unusual Steiff rarity from the 1950s!

A close-up of Snobby Poodle’s hand-blown tri-colored (white, brown and black) almond-shaped glass eyes, a black hand-embroidered nose, an open peach felt-lined mouth, and a dark pink felt tongue.

Her value:
It is most challenging to value items that have limited comparisons or are rarely seen on the collector’s marketplace. So many things go into the actual “value” of an item: general global economic conditions; the number of people vying for the item at any given time; the condition of the item relative to others like it; what else is on the market at the same time; where it is being offered for sale, etc. Clearly, a Steiff auction in Germany during robust economic times calls for high prices. On the other side of the coin, one of these standing Steiff Snobby poodles was offered as part of a lot of four Steiff dogs at the 2010 Steiff Christie’s Auction. Including the buyer’s premium, the quartet brought in a relatively modest $1,286.

That all being said, something is worth what someone will pay for it. Steiff rarities will always generate interest and will without a doubt appreciate over time. It is my best guestimate that this dog today values in the $400 to $600 range.

Rebekah Kaufman is a Worthologist who specializes in vintage Steiff and other European plush collectibles.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

The June 1, 2000 issue of “Science Daily” contained an article that discussed how the brain “fills in blanks” to help us see and interact with objects by inserting missing information. The scientific concept involved is perception theory.

Perception theory principles apply to the antiques and collectibles trade in numerous ways. I hear countless stories from individuals who tell me about examining and purchasing an object only to get it home and discover a crack, chip or defect they overlooked during the initial inspection. When buying jigsaw puzzles, I have to exercise care if the puzzle is assembled, placed on a dark cardboard, and shrink wrapped. If I look straight at the puzzle, I occasionally overlooked one or more missing pieces. Correcting what my eyes see, my brain fills in any missing pieces. Nature abhors a vacuum. So does the human mind.

Holding and examining the object at an odd angle or against an unfamiliar background is the method used to avoid seeing missing defects. The mind only corrects defects and missing information when the eyes view objects in the traditional/standard mode.

I keep ample reading material in the room where I usually find myself on a daily basis with time for reflection. AARP The Magazine is one of these resources. The May/June 2011 issue contained an article by David Kestenbaum entitled “Why We Fall for This.” It is worth reading.

The article focuses on behavioral economics, “which explores how money plays tricks with our heads.” The website Investopedia defines behavioral economics as: “The study of psychology as it relates to the economic decision-making process of individuals and institutions. The two most important questions in this field are: 1. Are economists’ assumptions of utility or profit maximization good approximations of real people’s behavior? 2. Do individuals maximize subjective expected utility?” Investopedia goes on to explain: “Behavioral economics explores why people sometimes make irrational decisions and why and how their behavior does not follow the predications of economic models . . .”

Is this scientific fact or hooey when applied to the antiques and collectibles field? The answer is fact.

[Author’s Aside: I debated for months whether or not to write this column. I was a strong supporter of Mark Chervenka’s efforts in providing the trade with authentication information that informed us how to differentiate between period pieces and reproductions (exact copies), copycat (stylistic copies), fantasy pieces and fakes. At the same time, Mark’s efforts also provide information to manufacturers and fakers about how to correct the faults in subsequent production, thus making the authentication process more difficult. It is the perfect example of damned if you do and damned if you do not.

The same applies to what follows. By identifying and discussing several marketing traps and pricing tricks that fake out the brain, I am providing a methodology that unscrupulous dealers and others in the trade can employ. Since caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) governs the antiques and collectibles industry, I decided that to beware, one must be aware.]

Kestenbaum utilizes a cause and effect approach in his “Why We Fall for This” article. He notes: “Companies exploit . . . brain scrambling effects to get us to buy things we don’t need. The good news: If you see them coming, you can use the same tricks to save money—and make money.”

Using a high price to make a lower price seem reasonable even if it is not is one of the traps Kestenbaun identifies. He cites the example of a restaurant wine list that contains a $200 bottle of wine, which no one is likely to order, so that bottles of wine priced around $100 seem reasonable.

Applying this concept to the antiques and collectible field, especially at antiques malls and antiques shows, is easy. When examining merchandise in a booth or showcase, the first thing I check out is the merchandise pricing. Is it what I expect? If not, is it high or low? How do prices on one object relate to the others?

Aware of the above example, I recall numerous booths and showcases where there were one or two high (also read “over”) priced objects that made the values on the other objects in the booth or showcase appear more reasonable than they were. Whether the sellers deliberately utilized the above behavioral strategy is open to question. My friend David Lindquist of Whitehall at the Villa Antiques always advises me “to give a dealer the benefit of the doubt.” I prefer to consider dealers far smarter than David would like me to believe.

I was victimized by a variation of this trap early in my buying career. While attending a show, I saw numerous objects that I would have liked to own priced at or slightly more than $100—at the time, a challenging sum. When I encountered objects I desired priced between $35 and $45, I bought eagerly. At the end of the day, I had spent more than $400 on my “reasonably priced” purchases. I learned to add up my purchases as I made them to maintain a firm grasp of how much money I was spending.

There are two methods to avoid this trap. First, do market research before buying. Understand the scarcity level and the price-point spread of the collecting category and object. Second, know what you are willing to pay and do not pay more. Kestenbaum suggest that you pick an object at a set value—a concept known as a price anchor—and use it as a reference point. Compare what you are buying to the price anchor. Is paying more worth “the show” value?

Another behavioral trap is loss aversion. Once we own something, our concept of its value increases. “The pain of losing outweighs the joy of winning.” Every month I receive letters and e-mails from individuals telling me they purchased an object at venues ranging from an auction to an antiques show to Goodwill and asking me to tell them what it is worth. Since they just bought it, they obviously know what it is worth. However, once they own it, they become obsessed with the concept that it has to be worth more than they paid for it. Everyone loves a bargain. I have lost track of the number of times that I have had to tell a person that he/she paid too much rather than too little.

The same applies to my use of the phrase “you should have kissed the hand and taken the money” at appraisal clinics. It is not difficult to tell when I provide a disappointing value. The owner’s eyes are a giveaway. When I ask what the problem is, the owner says, “I was offered three times that amount five years ago.” “Why did you not sell?” I ask. The owner’s response ranges from “if that person thought it was worth that much, I knew it had to be worth more” to “since it is now five years later, the object has to be worth more.”

Kestenbaum notes that in the stock market, “we tend to hold losers too long and sell winners too early.” The same applies in the antiques and collectibles field.

What was just described also relates to another behavioral trap. The lure of a huge payoff overshadows low-odds situations. Everyone in the trade, from collectors to dealers, is out for the kill, the cheap purchase that sells for hundreds of thousands. Dreams, not reality, is one of the primary commodities sold in the antiques and collectibles industry.

Behavioral science most certainly has more to offer in terms of understanding how the antiques and collectibles trade operates than those examples offered above. I welcome any additional connections from readers who are behavioral anthropologists, economists, psychologists, or sociologists. Send your observations to harrylrinker [at] aol [dot] com.

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

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” 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..

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Pond Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You 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. 2012

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

A piece of pottery that features a fern and leaves and the letters “E.S. U.S.A.” When searched in the Marks database, we discover the mark if from Ernest Sohn Creations, which contracted with Red Wing Potteries to produce two lines of dinnerware items in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

WorthPoint has launched a new Marks & Library website to provide two new services for antiques dealers and collectors—WorthPoint Marks, for detailed information on identifying artist, manufacturer and makers’ marks, and the WorthPoint Digital Library, which contains content covering a wide spectrum of history and background on specialty items.

The WorthPoint Digital Library contains roughly 130 antiques and collectibles titles from F+W Media, offering detailed information on a wide range of collecting topics, while WorthPoint Marks offers a database with more than 40,000 marks and hallmarks for ceramics, metals, glass and other categories of antiques and collectibles. Both services will continue to add new reference books and marks monthly.

Will Seippel, CEO and founder of WorthPoint, said the company has plans to include visual recognition-based searches, a first in the industry. “That will make WorthPoint the undisputed leading resource for marks information as well as value data,” he said.

Subscribers to the Digital Library will be able to track their reading and place books or articles on their personalized reference shelves, bookmark pages, highlight passages, keep notes and—for some of the books—purchase printed editions.

The WorthPoint Marks and WorthPoint Digital Library will be offered as standalone services to begin with and will be integrated with the main WorthPoint site at a later date. “We would have preferred these services be integrated with WorthPoint.com right now,” Seippel said, “But our subscribers told us they wanted access to them immediately and are willing to wait for integration.”

The new WorthPoint sites are available on a subscription basis, starting at $12.99 per month for WorthPoint Marks, while the WorthPoint Digital Library is available at $14.99 per month. Existing WorthPoint subscribers will be offered a discounted subscription, and there is a free trial available to test-drive the services before subscribing.

The Marks and Lirbary website will also feature new content, including overview articles on how to look for and use various marks, as well as articles on how to find and use specific marks, such as the “Kite” or “Diamond” marks used on British ceramics in the mid to late 19th century.

For a tutorial on how WorthPoint’s Marks & Library site works, view this video:

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

In a weekly columnist’s terms, 25 years is a lifetime. Although 45 when the first “Rinker on Collectibles” appeared in “Joel Sater’s Antiques & Auction News,” my level of naiveté still astonishes me. I remember pooh-poohing a friend who advised me to think twice about undertaking the responsibility of a weekly column: How much trouble can it be? I replied. As the Dutch proverb states: “We grow too soon old and too late smart.”

Having recounted “Rinker on Collectibles” history in past columns, I have no intention of repeating it. It is this intense desire on my part to avoid repetition that has made writing “Rinker on Collectibles” a challenge. Offering fresh insight or reinterpreting something written previously in a new way was easier when writing text columns 15 years ago than now.

[Author’s Aside #1: Dana Morykan has edited, proofed, and made suggestions for improvement to “Rinker on Collectibles” for more than 20 years. Her contributions deserve recognition. Dana also is the webmaster for harryrinker.com. I have instructed Dana to post Column #1,040 on there for those readers who wish to learn more about this column’s history.]

Another “Rinker on Collectibles” column challenge is its length. Weekly columns typically range between 600 and 750 words. I decided I would rather write what I wanted to write rather than restrict myself to a specific word count. “Rinker on Collectibles” averages between 1,250 and 1,500 words per column. I try hard not to think about the possibility that I actually have written 50 rather than 25 years worth of columns.

According to friends, the tone of “Rinker on Collectibles” has changed, especially since I married Linda eight years ago. While I deny my supposed mellowness, I am aware that I have become less adversarial and more focused on providing suggestions to assist the survival of the antiques and collectibles community in these difficult economic times.

In the months leading up to the writing of this column, I have wrestled with the question of when “Rinker on Collectibles” should end. When asked about this in the past, I jokingly responded: “My goal is to outlast Connie Swaim.” Although still listed as managing editor on the masthead of AntiqueWeek, Connie now spends more time working at a pet shelter than in AntiqueWeek’s editorial offices. I felt safe using Connie as an improbable departure goal. She is younger and someone, I felt, who was so in love with the trade that “burn out” was impossible.

My two other stock responses to when “Rinker on Collectibles” will end are: (1) when I no longer have anything valid to offer; and (2) when it stops being fun. As indicated earlier, it is becoming more difficult to find text column topics. My “stew list,” a list of column ideas about which I am thinking, used to consist of 15 to 20 topics. Now, five is a high number.

[Author’s Aside #2: Several leading cartoonists have taken a six- to 12-month hiatus, running previously drawn strips while spending time relaxing and refreshing themselves. I have rejected similar suggestions from my editors and plan to remain defiant. When it is time to end “Rinker on Collectibles,” it will end.]

This is hardly a fun time in the antiques and collectibles business. Times are tough. Anyone who does not admit this is a fool. Survival is the order of the day. While I never thought of fun in relative terms, it is. The antiques and collectibles trade still is fun, perhaps not in the same way it was in the 1980s and 1990s, but fun nevertheless. The people and stories associated with the trade make it fun. Both remain plentiful and apparent.

Early in my career, one of my goals was to write “Rinker on Collectibles” for 20 years. When I reached that milestone, I revised the goal to 25 years. Having met this goal, what happens next?

In the Freshman Seminar I just finishing teaching at Davenport University, I helped my students set short-term (2 to 5 years), intermediate-term (8 to 10 years) and long-term (15 years) goals. When you are 18 to 20, these ranges are realistic. The view changes when one is 70. If realistic, goals are shorter.

“Quit while you are ahead” and “you have run a good race” kept repeating in my mind as Column #1,300 neared. Fortunately or unfortunately, time will tell, my pride (or ego) is such that I am not ready to concede that “Rinker on Collectibles” is finished. While I occasionally dread the weekly deadline, I am not ready to give it up.

A goal of five more years is not realistic. I am not ready to assume this burden. An additional year is too short. What is an achievable number?

[Author’s Aside #3: My accountant has been after me for years to set a retirement date. When I moved to Michigan, I had to dissolve Rinker Enterprises, Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation. This necessity provided the leverage for my accountant to insist upon a retirement date and my creation of a retirement plan. I agreed. I will retire in 2026, when I turn 85. A plan has been put into place to make this possible.]

Column #1,500 is my next “Rinker on Collectibles” goal. It will require another 3 years and 10 months to reach. If I am going to achieve it, I need help from my readers. First, I need suggestions for text columns. What topics would you like me to explore? E-mail your thoughts to harrylrinker [at] aol [dot] com.

Second, as “Rinker on Collectibles” approached its 20th anniversary in late December 2006, I wrote two columns focusing on the Top Ten changes in the antiques and collectibles field between 1986 and 2006. They were in ascending order of importance:

10. End of Collecting as a Hobby
9. Developing of a Collecting Consciousness
8. Grading Revolution
7. Value Revolution
6. Consolidation—Newspapers, Periodicals, Publishing Houses and Shows
5. Information Explosion
4. Globalization of Collecting
3. eBay
2. Collectibles Achieve a Life of Their Own
1. Demographic Changes

Although only five years have transpired between 2007 and 2012, the impact on the antiques and collectibles industry during these years has been profound. I am in the process of finalizing a new Top Ten list identifying events and trends that chronicle this change. My intent is to write a series of two “Rinker on Collectibles” columns focusing on this list.

Once again, I am turning to my readers to ask for their input. What events and trends would you put on the list? E-mail your recommendations to harrylrinker [at] aol [dot] com.

Finally, “Rinker on Collectibles” would not have existed for 25 years if not for you, its loyal readers. I express my profound thanks and gratitude for your support, encouragement, and occasional disparaging remarks. The primary goal of “Rinker on Collectibles” was and remains to create thought and discussion within the trade. I look forward to continuing to do this.

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

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” 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..

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Pond Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You 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. 2012

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

An early Steiff Teddy Bear, circa 1909.

Nothing is more exciting for a Teddy Bear enthusiast than discovering or owning an early Steiff (button-in-ear) brand cub. Steiff launched its charter catalog of playthings in 1892, but it was not until around 1902 that the “modern” five-ways-jointed Teddy Bear as we know it was introduced; he was string jointed. A few years later, Steiff began experimenting with internal metal rod jointing. By 1905, Steiff began manufacturing its jointed Bears with a cardboard disc system, a process still used today.

So how do you identify a Steiff Bear from the early 1900s through the 1920s? Although dating and valuing Steiff can sometimes be more of an art than a science—given the handmade nature of the items and production variations—these general rules usually hold true:

Distinguishing Characteristics
The majority of early Steiff Bears from this time frame were made from blond mohair. They were also produced in white mohair. Far fewer were produced in dark brown mohair and just a handful were made in black. Mohair is a fabric that is made from a base of cotton material that has fine strands of wool woven through it, much like a hooked rug. Most early bears were stuffed entirely and firmly with excelsior (wood wool), although Steiff did sometimes use kapok (a lighter, natural stuffing) in some of its early bears. Excelsior makes a “crunchy” noise when hugged, while kapok is much softer.

A 6-milimeter button with the elephant was issued in 1904 and 1905.

An example of the 4-mm button, issued from 1906 to 1920.

Button
All Steiff animals from 1904 left the factory in Giengen, Germany, with a metal button in their ears. The earliest button, from 1904-1905, is 6-milimeters across and has a little elephant on it. From late 1905 through 1906, the button is 6mm and blank. From 1906 through the mid 1920s, the button is 4mm and has the word “Steiff” with the last “f” in “Steiff” trailing backwards to the letter “e” in “Steiff.” And from the mid 1920s through the mid 1930s, the button is 8mm and has the word “Steiff” with the last “f” in “Steiff” trailing backwards to the letter “e” in “Steiff.”

Ear tag
The earliest Steiff ear tags are white and made from paper or a light linen material. They appear, or appeared, on items from 1905 through 1926. In 1926, Steiff changed the ear tag color to red. Then in 1934, the ear tag became yellow and remained so until the early 1980s, when Steiff replaced the fragile material with a more durable cloth version.

A bear with a red ear tag, which was first used in 1926.

An early Steiff chest tag, protected by a plastic sleeve.

Chest tag
Although Steiff used a variety of sewn-on cardboard tags on their items from 1897 through 1904, the first wide scale use of Steiff chest tags appeared around 1926. These were in the form of a round white cardboard disk with a metal frame and appeared through 1928. From 1928, the Steiff chest tag became more colorful and detailed and featured a happy, angular yellow Bear face and the name of the Steiff item printed in red on the tag. This style appeared through 1952.

Face
Early Steiff bears have jet black wooden, or “shoebutton” eyes that are set deeply into its face. From the mid-19-teens, black-and-brown-pupil eyes were available at a premium. In general, early Steiff bears have relatively long, pointed snouts. As for facial stitching, blond bears have black noses and mouths, while white bears have brown noses and mouths. The typical earliest nose from 1905 is stitched like a bar, with a few stitches in the middle reaching down to join into a simple V-shaped mouth. From a collector’s perspective, the most interesting vintage Steiff bears are the “center seam” examples; at the turn of last century, every seventh bear that Steiff made had a seam down the center of his face to make the most efficient use of the expensive mohair fabric.

An example of a Steiff Teddy Bear, circa 1920.

Proportions
Early Steiff bears have relatively consistent proportions. In general, their torsos are twice as long as their heads. They have long, narrow limbs. When standing, the fingertips of these Bears extend down to their knees. Their feet are long and narrow and they are in a ratio of 1:5 to their height. They also have a very pronounced back hump.

Size
Early, classic style Steiff mears were produced in 10, 15, 18, 22, 25, 30, 32, 35, 40, 46, 50, 60, 70, and 115 centimeters, measured standing, although their product identification number (sometimes legible on the ear tag) referred to their seated size.

Rebekah Kaufman is a Worthologist who specializes in vintage Steiff and other European plush collectibles.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

By Christmas 1990, Benners-Lee perfected Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) 0.9, Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), a Web browser (World Wide Web), HTTP server software and several other programs, all of which made the World Wide Web available to users across the globe. The initial participants were university science departments, primarily physics and scientific labs such as Fermilab and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The first International WWW Conference was held in May 1994. The commercialization of the WWW occurred between 1996 and 1998.

Although I should, I do not remember when I obtained my first e-mail address, signed up for Internet access or registered my first domain name. It occurred sometime in the mid-1990s; that much I am certain. If true, it was less than 20 years ago. We have come a long way, baby—with apologies to the 1968 Virginia Slims advertising slogan.

As “Rinker on Collectibles” approaches its 25th anniversary, I am reflecting more and more on developments that have impacted the antiques and collectibles trade during the last quarter century, attempting to understand their historical evolution, analyzing their present-day relevance, and contemplating—even trying to predict—the role they will play in the future. A recent conversation with Lenore Dailey, a dealer who supplies the Victorian era jewelry I gift to my wife Linda, about how she plans to use her individual website versus her participation in a storefront website opened my little gray-cell floodgates (if you do not understand the analogy, read a few Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot novels), putting the role played by the digital age under my investigative magnifying glass.

It is hard to remember and difficult to imagine life without the World Wide Web. While aware there are pockets of resistance among my fellow senior citizens and individuals and countries to whom access still is unaffordable, the future is the digital age. Adapt or die, this time with apologies to New Hampshire.

The 15 years of the commercial World Wide Web have been a roller coaster ride, especially in the antiques and collectibles trade. The list of failed antiques and collectibles ventures numbers more than a hundred. Longevity often was measured in months rather than years. My regret is that I did not keep a list of these failed enterprises. Who remembers Kaladen.com or eAppraisals.com?

When measured in human terms, maturity occurs in the late teens or early 20s. Infant and juvenile (adolescent) stages precede maturity. Digital maturity occurs much faster. EBay’s maturity took less than 10 years, Facebook even less.

Lenore is in the process of building a website. When I asked how she planned to use it, her response was: “for information purposes.”

“Do you not plan to list your inventory for sale?”

“No. My website will introduce viewers to my services and be an archive for some of the pieces I have sold in the past. This will familiarize customers with the type and quality of merchandise I carry. I am going to use an Internet storefront site for my shop.”

I needed to think about this. My reaction was Lenore was making a mistake. I cited Jane Clarke’s Morning Glory Antiques as a classic example of a website that educates, sells and archives material. Dozens of sellers have developed sophisticated websites that attract a growing customer base and sales.

My website—harryrinker.com—also is designed to educate, sell books and other services, and archive material. Although well-designed and filled with information, it generates little new business. Book sales are abysmal. The problem is twofold: traffic and “free” users. Visitation is modest, largely because I do little to no promotion. All the information on the website is free. When individuals are used to receiving material for free, they resist, even refuse, to pay for it.

Further, is the website as a concept outdated? In this Social Media Age, it makes more sense to spend time developing a page on Facebook, writing a blog and learning to Tweet. While virgin territory to me, it is the playground of my Davenport University students and grandchildren. It is time for Opa (Grandpa) to get with the program.

I agree with Lenore’s decision to open a shop on one of the storefront sites. I applaud GoAntiques, Ruby Lane and TIAS for their survival. For the past 15 years, they have been beset by rivals, most of which disappeared in less than a year. In the digital age, it is essential to join those with staying power.

I am aware that I did not include eBay on the storefront list. There are antiques and collectibles dealers who have storefronts on eBay and who are doing well. However, eBay has essentially turned its back on the antiques and collectibles community. The community is too small a percentage of the large eBay pie for eBay to pay attention.

The movement of collectors’ clubs and price guide sources to the Internet continues apace. Specialization is the key to digital social networking. Collectors prefer interaction with those who share their interest. The internet allows information to be posted as soon as it is available and e-mails and conversations to take place immediately as opposed to once a year at an annual convention. Collectors’ club websites are becoming more sophisticated. The Glass Insulators Collectors’ reference page is the website I cite as a prototype.

The Golden Age of the printed price guide, general and specialized, is past. The age of the printed antiques and collectibles price guide is nearing its demise. Price guides are going digital. WorthPoint has proven its ability to survive in the general sector. Artfact is one of several specialized fine art digital price guides that have proven themselves. WorthPoint now has an app (application) that allows it to be downloaded to iPhones. The site also recognizes that its long-term success depends on developing an education component, a situation that storefront sites, such as Ruby Lane also practice.

My Davenport University online teaching experience last summer and the use of digital resources in my in-seat teaching this past semester has opened my eyes to the untapped digital opportunities still available on the internet.

Websites such as iAntiqueOnline show the potential but also the problems of developing viable social networking within the antiques and collectibles community. Collectors and others in the trade clearly like to share and converse. The eagerness for information has increased not decreased because of the internet. The difficult remains how to develop a platform that allows this to happen and generates a profit for those who build and maintain it.

The antiques and collectibles trade needs its own version of YouTube. However, one in which the information is vetted rather than free flowing. The amount of antiques and collectible misinformation has increased exponentially as a result of the World Wide Web.

While I have Skype loaded on my computer, I fail to use it effectively. I plan to change this in 2012. I will launch a monthly Skype chat in spring 2012. Having utilized chat rooms in online courses, I quickly learned the disadvantages outweigh the advantages when typing is involved. The 10-finger typist controls the chat. The host is often five to 10 questions behind, especially if he/she is not a 10-finger typist. Besides, I like to see the faces of the individuals with whom I am talking. Skype allows that.

Finally, the World Wide Web is an educational tool. This past semester, my Davenport University students read several articles arguing that the internet has negatively impacted how people read and ultimately think. There is no question the Internet has changed how we acquire, absorb, and retain information. Those who pride themselves as educators within the antiques and collectibles trade need to study these concerns and utilize the new methodologies.

The digital age of antiques and collectibles education is in its infancy. One of my goals in the decade ahead is to help it achieve its maturity.

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

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” 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..

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Pond Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You 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. 2011

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Recently, I talked with someone—I cannot remember the occasion or with whom—about the growing desire among individuals to own the newest/latest digital device. The person called the phenomenon the First Adopter concept. A first adopter is an individual who is obsessed by the desire to own something the moment it is released for sale.

The video game Modern Warfare 3 (MW3) was the focus of our conversation. Block-long lines of gamers formed at game shops and Big Box stores in anticipation of the game’s Nov. 8, 2011, midnight release. In its first five days, MW3 grossed more than $775 million in worldwide sales, breaking the record for any book, electronic game or movie. The previous record holder was the electronic game Call of Duty: Black Ops which grossed $650 million in its first five days of sales. Gamers quickly installed the game. XBox Live recorded 3.3 million concurrent users on Nov. 8, the first day of WM3’s release. I was not one of them.

I do not own an Xbox or PlayStation. I have never played an electronic game. Harry Jr, aged 45, plays electronic games. My grandchildren Izaak (13), Sofia (6) and Marcelo (4) play them. An obvious conclusion is that I am growing out of touch with my son’s and grandchildren’s generations. Do not laugh. I am seriously considering this possibility.

I ignored electronic games because I saw no long-term collectability for them. Time proved me wrong. The Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y., is home to the International Center for the History of Electronic Games. The collection contains more than 8,000 electronic (computer) and video games, along with an extensive paper ephemera collection of electronic and video game memorabilia.

Last week I asked the Davenport University students in my ENGL110 (Advanced Composition) class to discuss how their generation differs from the generations of their parents and grandparents (forget me; I am a member of their great-grandparents generation). The conversation quickly turned to the digital divide. When I asked how many owned a copy of MW3, more than half the class raised their hands. I did not ask them how many had successfully completed the game. I did not want to know, albeit I now have strong suspicions as to why several are behind in their homework assignments.

Readers are aware of my constant search for connections between the outside world and the antiques and collectibles business. When introduced to the first adopter concept, the mental light bulb illuminated in my mind.

You do not see something until you look for it is a trade truism. As I considered the possible connections for the first adopter concept, I came across Henry McCracken’s article, “Reinventing the Wheel. A former Apple exec. builds a better thermostat,” in the Dec. 5, 2011, issue of Time Magazine(Vol. 178, No. 22). The last paragraph reads:

“For a thermostat, Nest is pricey at $249, but the company estimates that utility bill savings can cover the cost in less than two years. … Early adopters have already made it a hit. It’s sold out through the end of 2011, and units are fetching $899 and above on eBay.”

Where is the sense in this? This is a mass-produced item. Since it sold out, it obviously will go back into production. Once units reach store shelves, the price will be $249 or lower. Why would anyone in his right mind—a state not always true of those in the antiques and collectibles field as well—pay $899, more than three times the retail price, just to be one of the first individuals to own an example? This is another example of today’s instant gratification driven society.

When did America reach this point? While my short-term memory may be shaky, my long-term memory is fine. My generation, which grew up between 1948 and 1960, did not have a first-adopter mentality during our youth and early adulthood. In fairness, neither did the members of the Age of Aquarius.

There were some first adopters among us, but they were exceptions. My uncle Bill Rupert always had to own the latest electronic gadget. He bought one of the first commercial wire tape recorders. The device earned him two months in the sun from the youngsters in my extended family. As children of Depression- and World War II-era parents, novelty was amusement but not appreciated. Great thought and consideration was given to each purchases. They had to be practical and last. Patience resulted in reduced prices. Hand-me-downs were as commonplace as new.

There were kid fads. The 1950s TV cowboy craze is an example. However, few children acquired a hoard. Parents bought sparingly. Items ranging from clothing to toys were expected to last for years and not weeks.

When did this change and who was responsible? When determining responsibility, I am a fan of first looking in the mirror. When I do, I see my face. My generation is responsible. We forgot the lessons our parents taught us. We wanted our children to have everything we did not have. Denial was not an option.

We indulged our children, not because they wanted it but because we wanted it for them. The number of toys in the toy box tripled and quadrupled. New replaced hand-me-downs. New soon became synonymous with trendy. You were a good parent if your child had the latest hot outfit or toy of the moment.

The 1983 Cabbage Patch Kids doll craze is often cited as the advent of the “hot toy” era. When supply failed to meet demand, a new breed of individual—known affectionately or contemptuously, depending upon one’s point of view—as the toy scalper arrived on the scene. The secondary market exploded in the month before Christmas, fueled at first by newspaper advertisements and a few years later by eBay.

I am delighted that my children were adults and my grandchildren not yet born during the hot-toy era. As a result, I watched and chronicled but did not participate. The pressure on parents to make certain their child was one of the chosen recipients (a polite term for first adopters) was enormous. The 1996 Tickle Me Elmo craze was the first adopter toy craze at its worst. Fortunately, common sense prevailed soon thereafter. The 1998 Furby craze marked the end of this era.

Collector/limited-edition manufacturers relied on the first adopter mindset to fuel the adult market for a wide range of products. Collector bells, ornaments, plates and whiskey bottles are just a few examples.

The first adopter concept reached disease status during the Beanie Baby craze. First adopter is primarily an adult malady. Speculation was the germ that spread the contamination. The collapse of the secondary Beanie Baby market reintroduced a level of sanity, at least for the present.

In the 2010s, the first adopter concept is short-lived, thanks in part to continual design and technological changes. Obsolescence occurs in weeks and at best months. The next new record-breaking product is often only days or weeks away.

The short attention span of the MTV generations calls into question the future collectability of almost all first adopter objects. Who cares about the first pocket calculator or the portable computer? A few examples will be preserved in private collections and museums. The landfill is the final resting place for the other 99.99 percent.

And so it will be with MW3 and all the record-setting electronic games that follow. In 15 years, the Xbox and PlayStation will be replaced with new technology. They will join Atari, VHS tapes and CDs as quaint remembrances of things used by past generations.

Excuse me while I turn on my late 1930s Philco console model radio, tune in a local radio station (no NPR; the radio only has an AM band), and reminisce about the good old days.

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

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” 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..

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Pond Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You 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. 2011

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

“I have been watching a tea set for more than a year. The seller is asking $419. A well-known collector with lots of knowledge in that area tells me he would pay $125. But, the seller says she had it appraised for $350 several years ago, so she wants $350—never mind that values have fallen as the economy crashed. This is just one example.

“Some folks have told me that if I truly want it, I should just buy it. But that is ridiculous. I do not mind paying a ‘I must have it’ premium, but I cannot (and would be stupid) to overpay by hundreds. So I do not buy.”

Congratulations, Shawn. You have more will power than most. I have been an “I must have it” victim on multiple occasions. I am not alone. It is a sad day when desire overrides common sense.

I learned early in my buying career to track objects. As spring antiques shows returned for fall appearances, I noticed the same objects that I had seen in spring booths reappeared in fall booths. They often were in the exact location in the display. I was not naïve or gullible to believe the dealer’s claim that: “I sold the one I had in the spring and was lucky to find another. I bought it and am delighted to offer it for sale again.” When I checked the price, it always was identical to that asked for the object six months earlier. The price tag had an aged quality. Few dealers rotate merchandise. They continue to display the same object, trusting the good Lord to send them a buyer. Perhaps, “sucker” is a better word choice.

Once I understood this, I studied other sale venues from flea markets to antiques malls. The same thing occurred. An object remained in the same location in an antiques mall booth for months, even years. Given this, the buyer has no incentive to buy. While there are multiple possibilities to explain why the object has not sold, the most obvious is that it is overpriced.

[Author’s Aside #1: Unsold object longevity can be determined several ways: (1) spotting the object’s shape in a dust silhouette on a shelf after picking it up for inspection; (2) the object is covered with dust [be careful; dust also hides defects]; (3) the sale tag is dirty and discolored from exposure; and (4) the writing on the sale tag is starting to fade or has faded.]

I have tracked objects as long as two year before I have approached the owner and made a counteroffer. I lost count of the number of times the seller said no, holding on to the belief that ultimately he will find a buyer willing to pay the price he asks. Any money is better than no money is a maxim that is only reluctantly applied by antiques and collectibles dealers.

As an appraiser and one who often is asked to evaluate appraisals done by others, I discovered long ago that there are unscrupulous appraisers who provide values they know will make their clients happy rather than realistic prices that disappoint. A number of these individuals serve as hosts or experts on the current crop of antiques and collectibles cable reality television shows.

When an owner of an object, whether collector or dealer, hears or sees a value that pleases him, that number becomes a benchmark in his mind. This becomes the minimum value an object is worth. Anything less is unacceptable. Any offer below that number is an insult.

The result is a hodgepodge of overpriced and overvalued merchandise that constitutes the inventory of a dealer when he (or God acting on his behalf) reaches the decision to go out of business. I love going to an auction of a dealer’s inventory. Merchandise usually sells for 10 to 20 percent of the sticker price. Had the dealer been willing to accept reasonable offers and/or adjusted his pricing to reflect existing economic market trends, the dealer would have sold his inventory while still breathing

[Author’s Aside #2: While I have no firm proof, many dealers feel an object is priced correctly only if it does not sell. If it does sell, the dealer becomes suspicious, often convinced, that he undervalued the object. Although this logic makes absolutely no sense, it remains a staple in the trade.]

There are no minimum or maximum values in the antiques and collectible trade. All objects have no value except for the brief instance when they are sold. Value is what someone is willing to pay. The dealer selling the teapot thinks someone will pay at least $350 and has every right to ask it. He also has the right to die with it, which is likely to happen in this instance.

There is a group of dealers identified as nostalgia merchants. Nostalgia merchants prey on individuals desiring to recapture their childhood memories. These individuals are not collectors. A memory is triggered. The buyer wants to relive it immediately. Instant gratification is required. Patience, comparison shopping and common sense are cast to the wind. The person pays whatever the dealer asks.

I first encountered this while talking with a dealer who specialized in 1950s and 1960s cap guns. The prices asked on his sales list were double to triple those I encountered in the field. When I asked if he actually received these values, he assured me that he did. When I asked why, he informed me that he was selling to a one-time—not a repeat—customer. The person who came to him was willing to pay whatever it took to buy back his childhood treasure immediately.

This “I must have it price” is the modern equivalent of the old “buy it now, you may never see it again” price. Until the 1980s, collectors had limited buying opportunities. Antiques shows occurred twice a year; three times if an area was fortunate. A day’s drive through the countryside to visit shops happened four to six times a year. Collectors and others were so delighted to find something they sought that they bought it immediately. While bargaining was practiced, the practice was minimal.

In the 2010s, buying opportunities abound. Antiques malls and the Internet provide a daily fix. Buyers understand that most objects were mass-produced and the survival rate is high. Even if the buyer wants it immediately, the Internet offers the opportunity for immediate comparison shopping. There is no longer any need to overpay.

As Shawn demonstrated, the “I must have it” price is now a personal price. The sophistication of today’s buyers allows the buyer, not the seller, to determine the “I must have it price.” The price on the dealer’s sale tag is no longer a starting point, let alone absolute. Rather, today’s buyer places it in context with what he is willing to pay—and not one penny more. If the seller is not ready to come down to the buyer’s price, no sale occurs.

In fairness, Shawn showed that desire can cloud the process. He was willing to consider an “I must have it now” premium. Once again, control of the process remained with Shawn. He determined what the “I must have it now” price was. The only role the dealer had in the transaction was to accept or reject Shawn’s offer.

As a collector, Shawn recognized that the balance of power in the sales equation has shifted in favor of the buyer. While an advocate of a win-win buying scenario, I am a realist. Power in today’s antiques and collectibles market rests with the buyer with cash, not the dealer with the merchandise.

In these tough economic times, with no signs of relief on the horizon, dealers need to ignore what they paid or for what someone appraised their objects and do what it takes to sell them. Cash, any cash, is better than no cash. Any sale is better than no sale.

Buyers are voting with their pocketbook. A shut pocketbook is a vote of no confidence, something the antiques and collectibles trade can ill afford.

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

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” 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..

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Pond Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You 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. 2011

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

A blue tourmaline, just one little item in Laura Belfiore’s collection of gemstone specimens, crystals, minerals, meteors and fossils in all of their forms.

Passion, energy, excitement. The thrill of the hunt. It seems that everyone infected with the collecting bug shares these same traits! True enthusiasts—or “über-collectors” —spend endless hours building their perfect collections and becoming experts in their areas of interest. To celebrate this form of remarkable commitment, WorthPoint is initiating a series of interviews with über-collectors from across North America so we can all learn what makes them, and what they collect, so interesting. Our third conversation is with a woman from the East Coast who specializes all forms of ancient and natural earthly—and beyond—treasures.

WorthPoint: Please tell us your name, where you live, and your profession.

Über-Collector: My name is Laura Belfiore and I live in Pleasant Valley, N.Y. Besides my full-time job as a mother to my 19-month-old daughter, I also operate two separate shops online at Esty.com: Yesterday’s Sihlouette, in which I sell vintage items, and Dumb Bunny Designs, where I sell gemstones and handmade jewelry. Whenever I can, I also freelance for a local online news publication. I’m a pretty busy gal!

WP: Wow, it sounds like it for sure! Please tell us about what you collect and why you are interested in it. How many of these items do you have in your collection?

ÜC: I collect gemstone specimens, crystals, minerals, meteors and fossils in all of their forms. I prefer “rough” natural pieces, but there is plenty of room in my heart for those stones that have been polished, faceted, carved, etc. The only things I don’t seek out are man-made specimens or stones that have been color-treated to enhance their original appearances.

‘Surrounding myself with fossils and crystals that have taken hundreds, thousands or even millions of years to grow helps me put into perspective the short time any human actually spends on earth, and serves as a quiet reminder of my own mortality.’

What fascinates me the most about collecting these items is their natural beauty as well as the environmental influences and intricacies that cause their creation. Holding a fossil in my hand that is 350,000,000 years old is equally intriguing, and gives me a sense of being connected to all that has come before me. Surrounding myself with fossils and crystals that have taken hundreds, thousands or even millions of years to grow helps me put into perspective the short time any human actually spends on earth, and serves as a quiet reminder of my own mortality. I would estimate that I have more than a thousand individual pieces in my collection, with hundreds of different stones represented in multiples.

WP:It sounds like your collection has a wonderful spiritual nature to it! Can you tell us how you got interested in collecting these natural treasures?

Laura Belfiore, über-collector of gemstones, minerals, fossils and such, with one of her favorite collection displays. Laura began collecting when she was 17 and has since put together an impressive collection.

ÜC: I always collected rocks as a child, as I’m sure many of us did, but I didn’t get serious about it until I was about 17. I began dating my boyfriend, who is also a collector, when I was 20 and I then set out on a mission to trump his impressive collection. (And I think I might have done it)! I got into selling gemstones in 2003 to help finance the cost of building my own collection.

WP: That makes a lot of sense; it is not uncommon for enthusiasts to “morph” also into dealers for financial and collecting reasons. So, given your very impressive collection, what are your favorite top three items in your collection, and why?

ÜC: That’s like asking me my favorite Grateful Dead song; how could I ever pick when they’re all so different and beautiful for their own reasons? Plus, often times I forget about a piece only to have my love for it reborn when I open a case I haven’t peeked into for a while.

That all being said, here are a few pieces in my accessible collection that I’m particularly enjoying at the moment:

A rainbow of gems from Laura’s collection.

(From R to L) Pink Cobaltoan Calcite, Green Pyromorphite, Amethyst Geode with Apophyllite, Rutilated Quartz, Smokey Quartz Cluster.

The first is a fossilized Mercinaria clamshell (about 4 million years old), filled with golden yellow dog’s tooth calcite crystals. A friend from college mined a bunch of these herself in Florida and graced me with one for my collection. I love it because it’s a full shell. A lot of the ones you find for sale are portions of the clam; this one is complete with both top and bottom halves still intact. There’s a small hole in the side of it where you can peer in to see these perfectly pointed golden crystals filling the clam.

The second piece is a small piece of blue Tourmaline. This was one of my first pieces of Tourmaline added to my collection. It’s a beautiful specimen, but my adoration for it comes from the story behind it. When I first began vending gemstones, I was working a music festival and a young man who had had a little too much to drink that afternoon visited my booth and left his book bag behind. I put it to the side and figured he’d be back. When he returned the next day he was relieved to be reunited with his bag, and proceeded to open it and pull out a case of some of the finest gems I had seen at that point in my life. He then offered me my choice of the case’s contents as a reward for the safe keeping of his bag.

Thirdly, I have a piece of Cobaltoan Calcite from Africa that’s amazingly awesome. For starters, its bright pink—the “girly-girl” in me loves that. Secondly, besides the fact that is an uncommon specimen to begin with, the piece exhibits a druzy formation atop a botryoidal growth. What that means is there’s a ton of tiny pointy crystals that make the piece sparkle like glitter in the sunlight and those crystals are growing on top of bubbly circles.

Phantom Quartz and Tourmalinated Quartz points. No two are ever the same.

(From L to R) A few of the most fun pieces to show off: Two pieces of Fulgurite, the product of lighting striking sand. The sand takes the shape of the bolt when the extreme heat turns the sand to glass; pink Halite, more commonly known as salt; Orpiment, a.k.a arsenic; and a 4 million year old fossilized Mercinaria clamshell with interior yellow Dog’s Tooth Calcite.

WP: Such amazing specimens and the stories behind them are equally, as, well, sparkly, (in the best way possible!). So, how do you display your collection? Do you keep everything out at the same time, or do you rotate displays?

ÜC: At this point I keep most of my collection packed away. Smaller pieces are stored in sectioned plastic cases like what people might use to keep beads or fishing lures in. Medium sized pieces go into stands with drawers, like those plastic drawers people will keep in their garage filled with nuts and bolts and such. Larger pieces are stored in gun cases or tool cases. I do keep some of my collection on display, mostly medium sized specimens. Large pieces take up too much room to keep them out, and if you try to display too many small pieces dusting will become a nightmare. It’s better for the specimens to keep them packed up anyway because over time dust and sunlight can severely damage certain ones.

WP: I didn’t realize that about dust and sunlight. They don’t seem to be good for just about any type of collection it seems. So, how do you stay current with what is happening in your area of interest and expertise? Are there meetings or events you attend or publications or websites you regularly read?

ÜC: I travel to a lot of shows where I meet other vendors like myself, and that’s a great time to “talk trade” and keep up on what’s going on with the scene. Personally, I find it hard to extract accurate information online and have found word-of-mouth to be my most reliable source. For identification and general information purposes, websites such as the Mineralogical Society of America is a good reference for rough stones and the Gemological Institute of America is good for those looking to learn more about more precious stones such as diamonds and facet-quality gems. Both sites are a trustworthy starting point to begin your research and each offer many links to additional resources. As far as events go, the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is an event like no other that I have ever attended. I am looking forward to returning to it again in 2012.

Keeping individual pieces in bead boxes keeps them safe and clean.

WP: Tell us a brief story about how you went out of your way to get a very special item for your collection.

ÜC: I think it involves trespassing, so maybe I shouldn’t say.

WP: Gotcha. Is there a “holy grail” item you would love to add to your collection?

ÜC: I’m not sure if it’s possible to occur in nature, but I’d love to have a specimen with garnet, aquamarine and peridot growing all together on the same matrix. That’s mine, my daughter’s and my boyfriend’s birthstones.

WP: Well, if it’s out there, I have no doubt you will find it. Please let us know when you do! Laura, it goes without saying your collection and passion really rock out . . . thank you for sharing both with us today!

Are you an über-collector? E-mail us at news [at] worthpoint [dot] com and tell us about your collection and we may feature you and your collection in an upcoming article.

Rebekah Kaufman is a Worthologist who specializes in vintage Steiff and other European plush collectibles.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Before creating Rinker Enterprises, my antiques and collectibles education and research center, I spent more than 15 years in the museum field serving as director of archival research for Historic Bethlehem (Pa.), executive director of The Hugh Moore Park National Canal Museum (Easton, Pa.), executive director of The Historical Society of York County (Pa.), and executive director of The Montgomery County (Pa.) Federation of Historical Societies. I actively recruited objects for the collections of all these organizations. Did the object meet the museum or society’s mission statement was the primary consideration in deciding whether to add the object to the collection. Condition played a role, but not always a primary one.

Almost 40 years have passed since my museum career ended. I cite this as a caveat for what follows, since my museum memories are distant ones. I have no memory of discussing the concept of “museum quality” with my colleagues in that field. Although I was not involved in the prestige museum world, I doubt if it was different there. Having visited the open storage study collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, I was surprised to see so many common, ordinary decorative art pieces were included in the collections. Clearly, museum quality does not mean the best of the best even at the finest museum.

Since museum quality is a commonly used term in the trade, it seemed logical to assume a dictionary definition exists. According to wordnik.com, “Sorry, no definitions exist.” According to a Jan. 14, 2006, posting on Ship Modeling Forum: “It all depends on you ask. It’s a term that is bandied about these days, but like the old saying goes, ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ ‘Museum Quality’ is a subjective appraisal with no official definition within the museum community.”

A museum is a building where objects, such as works of art or historical items, are kept, studied, and/or displayed. An object or museum piece is one example housed in the museum. It is false logic to assume that because an object is included in a museum collection, by definition of inclusion it becomes a museum quality object. It is only one of thousands of objects in the collection.

In attempting to define museum quality, two primary questions need answering. What museum sets the standard? The standards of the Art Institute of Chicago are different from those of the Cockroach Hall of Fame and Museum in Plano, Texas. If they were not, I would worry. Likewise, quality is subjective. Quality is an excellent measure used to judge similar objects. The qualities used to judge a painting differ from those used to judge an action figure. Quality is specific, not general focused.

Is there not a museum for every object? At first thought, this concept seems ludicrous. There must be millions of objects not found in museums. My response is similar to those individuals who say to me, “I have never seen one like this before”: Where have you looked? Between historic homes, historic sites, historical societies, museums (public and private / general and specialized), it is easier to find a collection that contains an example than one that does not. If you accept private collections as a museum type, the odds of finding an object in a “museum” increase astronomically.

At the high end of the antiques and collectibles marketplace, museum quality is equated with investment grade, another ambiguous term. The assumption is that the more valuable an object, the more likely a high-end museum will display it. In an era when individuals will spend $179,250 to acquire the green wool beret worn by John Wayne in “The Green Berets” or $5,200 for one of Marilyn Monroe’s bras, it clear that monetary value is the wrong criteria to judge any degree of quality, museum or otherwise.

In the middle decades of the 20th century, museum quality was equated with aesthetic quality. Albert Sack, in his “Fine Points of Furniture: Early American” (Crown Publishers, 1986), introduced the “good, better, best concept.” Using the elements of construction, craftsmanship, decoration, design and finish, Sack provided guidelines to rank pieces and explain why similar pieces of furniture from the same era varied in desirability and worth. Sack’s assumption was that only the best belonged in museums and the finest collections.

While Sack made a convincing case for applying his criteria to eighteenth and early 19th-century American furniture, his criteria fail when used to determine the quality of many decorative art objects and almost all collectibles. Is there a good, better, best Barbie, Matchbox car, or jigsaw puzzle? Finding a cadre of collectors to agree on a quality ranking scale is impossible.

In toy collecting, museum quality became equated with the best conditioned, often MIB (mint in the box), and most desirable example known. While this criteria works for toys made prior to 1940, it fails for post-World War II toys because of the high survival rate of mint examples. The heightened level of collector consciousness following 1980 resulted in collectors buying and preserving toys in off-the-assembly-line condition. Any played-with post-1980 toys are not collectible, quality or otherwise.

Museum quality factors in the decision to refinish or restore an object. Collectors and dealers tout museum quality finishes and paint. The implication is that a museum would not accept a piece that has been refinished, restored or repaired. When asked to express my opinion, my concern is about the scarcity of the form and its relevance to a museum’s collection. More than 95 percent of the time, I tell the person to restore and/or refinish the piece. Although I recommend an object be restored or refinished to as close to its period appearance as possible, I do not get upset if another course is chosen. The person who owns the object has the right to decide its destiny.

Frame shops advertise museum quality framing. In the course of my museum career and subsequent museum visits, I have encountered horrendous framing on documents, paintings and prints. There are times when the period frame does not do justice to the object it encloses.

Manufacturers, wholesalers and dealers in reproduction art, prints and sculpture tout the museum quality of their products. The implication is that a museum would be happy to replace the period piece with one of these copies. Do not bet on it.

Museum quality is a favorite term that appears in the literature of collector- and limited-edition material, such as bells, figurines, plates and ornaments. The value implication is simple: If a museum would display an object, it has a premium value above objects that would not be displayed. If this is the case, there are thousands of museum quality pieces selling on eBay for less than $5.

In summary, museum quality is a meaningless term. It is a marketing tool used to imply an extra inherent value in an antique, collectible or contemporary object. The person who falls for the ploy is a fool.

Those who continue to use this term should be admonished. It demonstrates ignorance; not knowledge. Like genuine, original and real, museum quality is a term whose disappearance would enhance the overall quality of our trade.

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

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” 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..

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Pond Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You 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. 2011

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

The new WorthPoint Shopping Assistant appears on the right side of a Worthopedia search results page, showing items similar to the searched item that is currently for sale.

WorthPoint has launched another feature: the “Shopping Assistant,” a widget that helps collectors find and buy what they are looking for.

The reason we are launching the WSA is because WorthPoint has many visitors who wish to buy items for which they have been searching, as well as obtain price data and other information about them. This new service allows us to address this need, adding value for our visitors and subscribers. We have elected to do this on a partnering basis, so we will be adding ecommerce partners to the WSA network.

When you use WorthPoint’s Worthopedia to look up an item, the Shopping Assistant will search the Internet to find similar items currently for sale online. That means if you search for something like a tea table on Worthopedia, the Shopping Assistant will give you a list of several tea tables listed on eBay, GoAntiques and eventually other online stores. The Shopping Assistant will appear on the right-hand side of the search detail page.

The matching is accomplished through keyword extraction + category search from that particular detail page, and up to 20 items will be listed in the widget.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Über-Collector Jennifer Frankhouser of Marysville, Wash., who collects Steiff stuffed animals, with her small Jocko chimpanzee that she bought after earning money all summer when she was 9.

Passion, energy, excitement. The thrill of the hunt. It seems that everyone infected with the collecting bug shares these same traits! True enthusiasts—or “über-collectors” —spend endless hours building their perfect collections and becoming experts in their areas of interest. To celebrate this form of remarkable commitment, WorthPoint is initiating a series of interviews with über-collectors from across North America so we can all learn what makes them, and what they collect, so interesting. Our second conversation is with a woman from the Northwest who specializes in vintage Steiff (German button-in-ear brand) collectibles.

WorthPoint: Please tell us your name, where you live, and a little about yourself.

Über-Collector: Hello, my name is Jennifer Frankhouser. I am 23 years old and live in Marysville, Washington. I am a domestic engineer, and my hobby is reselling various antiques and collectibles at a local antique store.

WP: I understand that you have a fantastic Steiff collection and are really passionate about the brand. Can you tell us what about these items you really like, and a little about your collection?

Ü-C: I have been collecting Steiff animals since I was 9. Today, I have more than 400 different animals in my collection. In addition to collecting the company’s soft plush and mohair items, I also own a wooden Steiff racecar, wagon and scooter; several larger, wheeled riding animals; as well as an F.A.O. Schwarz tree house store display.

Ever since I was a little girl, I had a huge love for toy animals. Steiff’s animals are so lifelike and uniquely made; the minute I was introduced to the brand, I immediately fell in love with it. In particular, I found the company’s choice of materials, including mohair, felt and velvet, particularly appealing and attractive, even as a child. Some people collect only bears, or limited edition pieces, but I collect any and every kind of Steiff animal that I can get my hands on.

WP: Please tell us how you got interested in collecting Steiff treasures.

Ü-C: Ever since I can remember, my parents have been keenly interested in antiques and collectibles. As a child, my parents would take me to antique stores, and we would spend the whole day looking for treasures. My parents both had their different interests. My dad collected vintage oil lamps, while my mother collected toys from the Baby Boomer era. Early on, I didn’t collect anything, but my parents thought it would be nice if I also caught the collecting bug. When I was 9, during one of our regular antique outings, I saw several vintage Steiff animals behind a glass case at a local antique shop. I fell in love with them instantly! I became intrigued with the idea of collecting Steiff. I checked out every book at the library about Steiff, and truly immersed myself in any and everything Steiff.

Collecting Steiff is a real passion of mine. I can’t thank my parents enough for encouraging me to find something special to collect of my own!

WP: So collecting really seems to be a “family affair” with you! That is wonderful. So, what are your top three favorite items in your collection, and why?

Ü-C: My top three favorite pieces in my collection are:

A 1960s-era Steiff green snail named “Nelly.”

No. 1: One of my top three items would include a vintage, 1960s-era Steiff green snail named “Nelly.” It is 10-cm in size, with a velvet body, two plastic antennas and a plastic shell. It took me 15 years to locate one, as these are fairly rare and hard to find. Over the years, in the Steiff community, Nelly snails have been considered rare because the antennas are so delicate and their brief time in production—from 1961 through 1963 only. I had to include one in my collection because of its unique characteristics and rarity.

A vintage, 80-cm chimpanzee named “Jocko.”

No. 2: Another favorite item in my collection is a vintage, 80-cm chimpanzee named “Jocko.” He is fully jointed and made from brown mohair, and just happens to be the largest Steiff item that I own to date! Just like the Nelly snail, it took me nearly 15 years to locate one, as his large size makes him so hard to find. He is by far my most favorite piece in my collection because of his size; I love being able to dress him up in costumes during the different holidays, such as Halloween and Christmas.

A 35-cm vintage lulac-style Zebra.

No. 3: A third favorite of mine would have to be my 35-cm vintage lulac-style Zebra. Steiff’s lulac style animals have very long arms and legs and playful, joyful personalities and looks. This unusual Steiff zebra was produced in the ’50s. It is made of mohair and felt, and it has long dangling legs. In all my years of collecting Steiff, I have never seen this piece in any identification books, websites or articles. After consulting with many other Steiff enthusiasts, I am certain that this is an extraordinarily rare and uncataloged item! I adore him because he is so unique and mysterious, and also has such a sweet face and exaggerated long legs!

I love the thrill of the Steiff hunt. And, collecting rare pieces—such as this zebra—and learning more about them is certainly one of the highlights of my collecting experience.

WP: Those sound like such marvelous pieces and it is easy to understand why they would be among your favorites. How do you display your collection? Do you keep everything out at the same time, or do you rotate displays?

Ü-C: I currently devote one whole bedroom in my house to my Steiff collection. There, the majority of the items are displayed in a large glass cabinet. Overall, I tend to keep my rare and most precious pieces in this protective place to guard against dust and over handling. Select items are also placed throughout the house on shelves, dressers, bookcases and other surfaces. Every room of my house has several Steiff pieces amongst my décor. These are displayed year-round.

During special occasions, such as the holidays Frankhouser decorates her home with some of her favorite items.

During special occasions, such as the holidays, I really enjoy decorating my home with some of my favorite items. This sometimes means removing precious items from the glass cabinet. For example, at Halloween, several of my animals wear costumes or hats. At Easter, various animals wear bunny ears and hold eggs in their laps. During Christmas, I set up an artificial Christmas tree and tie strings around my tiny Steiff animals. This turns them into holiday ornaments and enables me to create a Steiff-themed Christmas tree. Each piece plays a specific part in creating a warm holiday atmosphere that I hope to continue for years to come!

I love to rotate different pieces when I change the décor in my house, that way I get to enjoy a new piece every time.

WP: Your home sounds like a wonderful living museum! How do you stay current with what is happening with Steiff and the Steiff collector’s world? Are there meetings or events you attend or publications or websites you regularly read?

Ü-C: The way I stay current in with Steiff is by constantly doing research. I own several Steiff identification and value guides, and I frequently review them so that I am prepared when considering purchasing new pieces for my collection. That way I know a good deal when I see one, and I can also help other collectors who may have questions or an interest in Steiff.

Besides literature, I actively seek out the friendship and advice of other Steiff collectors. We frequently share stories about our great finds and share photos with one another. It is amazing what all you can learn by talking with fellow collectors. And the Internet and e-mail has made this all so easy and possible. I have only been collecting for 15 years. To be able to connect with people who have been collecting for more than 30 years can give you extra insight and experience!

I am also really active with social media as a way to stay current. A huge way that I stay connected with Steiff collectors is by participating on the Steiff Facebook fan page. I also read Steiff websites and blogs, which are updated regularly and are a great way to learn about both new and vintage products.

I also am very involved with the “real life” Steiff community. I go to Steiff-sponsored trunk shows every spring and fall. At these events, Steiff reveals new line items. I also enjoy speaking with Steiff representatives there; they always update collectors on Steiff industry news. I am also a member of the Steiff USA club.

WP: It sounds like Steiff is a very important part of your life for sure. Would you please tell us a story about how you went out of your way to get a very special item for your Steiff collection?

Ü-C: When I was 9 years old, I wanted to purchase a small Steiff Jocko Chimpanzee at a local antique store. The monkey was so adorable, and at the time, I didn’t own anything like it in my collection. The minute I saw it, I was determined that I had to buy him. However, the monkey was very expensive and at the time, I only had a $3 allowance. Realistically, there was no way that I could buy the monkey under normal circumstances.

Wanting to encourage my interest for collecting, teach me how to manage money, and the meaning of being in debt, my mom arranged a lay-away play with the storeowner, a friend of hers. She negotiated a deal that would allow me to purchase the monkey in several small payments. I was to give the storeowner, $3 every week for as long as it took to pay off the monkey. In return, the owner would not sell the monkey to anyone else. I would be able to take the monkey home once the he was paid in full.

I worked very hard that summer to pay off my monkey. I had a lemonade stand every afternoon, and flagged down the UPS deliveryman and mailman to buy my lemonade. I would even try to sell my old toys at a garage sale. I created construction paper signs that read “Unite mom and monkey! Anything helps!” As you can probably tell, I was very determined to pay off my debt quickly so that I could finally bring my monkey home.

Frankhouser’s Jocko monkeys and Steiff wagons and scooters.

As the months past, I would write notes and deliver them to my monkey at the store. These would read something like, “Don’t worry monkey, mommy is working hard to pay you off so you can come home!” And to my surprise, the store owner’s son even wrote back “as the monkey,” saying how excited he was that I was adopting him and that he in return couldn’t wait to come home and live with me.

That experience is very important to me, even to this day. I so appreciate my UPS delivery man and mailman for buying my lemonade every day that summer, my mom for setting up the payment plan with the owner, and the owner’s son for sweetly writing to me as my monkey. I will never forget what an impact they all had on the purchase of my first Steiff monkey. That is a treasured story that I will never forget! I was a really determined girl and I was going to do any and everything to pay off that monkey quickly!

WP: What is the “holy grail” Steiff item you would love to add to your collection?

Ü-C: For me, this would have to be a vintage 8-foot tall, or life-sized or “studio” giraffe. I’ve always loved how realistic the studio giraffe appears, as well as its massive size and impressive height. The coloring and detail is absolutely breathtaking. I would love to arrange large Jocko chimps or Teddy bears on the giraffe’s back as if they were riding on him for a special display. The studio giraffe is an iconic, classic piece and loved by collectors of all ages and stages. Someday I’ll adopt my studio giraffe; that’s a promise!

WP: And it just sounds like you may have his display location already picked out in your home for sure! I have no doubt that someday soon you will be welcoming one to your Steiff hug.

Jenny, many, many thanks for your time and sharing your Steiff collection, enthusiasm, and passion with us!

Are you an über-collector? E-mail us at news [at] worthpoint [dot] com and tell us about your collection and we may feature you and your collection in an upcoming article.

Rebekah Kaufman is a Worthologist who specializes in vintage Steiff and other European plush collectibles.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

As a septuagenarian, I no longer am faced with contemplating the question: how do you know when you are old? The question is answered every time I look into the mirror. I am old. There is no escaping it.

When I lecture, I joke that one method of determining that you are old is discovering that the things with which you grew up are now in museum collections. My childhood memorabilia has been part of museum collections for decades. I have revised my thinking. When your childhood things are in a museum’s collection, you are ancient. When your children’s things are included, you are decrepit. Several of the 12 finalists were marketed when my children were teenagers.

I am decrepit.

The National Museum of Play, formerly The Strong Museum, is among my favorite museums. I identify with Margaret Woodbury Strong, its founder. She understood piles, and she created some big ones.

The National Toy Hall of Fame, established as part of A. C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village in 1998, was acquired by The Strong Museum in 2002. The members include generic toys such as the ball, cardboard box, kite and stick alongside brand-name toys such as The Game of Life, Mr. Potato Head and View-Master. While Buzz Lightyear and Woody are nowhere to be found, I would not count them out long-term.

The National Toy Hall of Fame deserves applause for the lack of gender bias in the toys featured among its inductees. While toy collecting is heavily male driven, even when doll collecting is included, toy play is more sexually equal. Barbie stands beside G.I. Joe. The Baby Doll, Easy-Bake-Oven, Raggedy Ann and Andy, and the Teddy Bear demonstrate respect for the distaff side of the play equation.

I find myself drawn to objects that “speak decade,” objects closely identified with a specific time period. The decade does not have to be a decade I favor. I remain current in the trade because I work hard to identify objects that speak to the generations that preceded and follow me.

Writers take liberties. As such, I am going to twist Christopher Bensch’s request for play comments into a desire for me to share my thoughts about the 12 2011 finalists.

As I get older, I have increasing difficulty with generic terms. While I realize the possibilities are endless, if I ask an individual to describe and/or draw a ball, a cardboard box, a kite or a stick, I suspect the end result would agree 75 percent of the time. This would not be the case with the dollhouse. Each person sees the house differently—style, layout and construction material. In addition, adults own dollhouses. While it is true that some adults play with toys, there is an implied sense that National Toy Hall of Fame is about childhood toys and this should remain its focus.

If true, this allows a challenge to Dungeons & Dragons on similar grounds. Harry Jr. began playing Dungeons & Dragons when he was in his teens. He turns 45 this year and still plays Dungeons & Dragons. At best, Dungeons & Dragons is on the teenager/young adult cusp of childhood toys. Adventure games are not members of the National Toy Hall of Fame, nor ever should be.

When lecturing about toys, I often refer to the Big Five Baby Boomer Toys—Barbie, G.I. Joe, Hot Wheels, Legos and Matchbox. Barbie, G.I. Joe and Legos are members of the National Toy Hall of Fame. There is no question that Hot Wheels deserves to stand beside them. Matchbox’s absence from the finalist list is troubling. I have no desire to see Matchbox slip in under a generic “die-cast” category. Like Tonka Trucks, already a member, Matchbox is worthy.

Why do I have the feeling that Jenga is a politically correct addition to the list? I would hate to think it has anything to do with throwing a bone to Hasbro in acknowledgment of its dominance in the current toy marketplace. Icon-status, longevity, discovery and innovation are four criteria for admission into the National Toy Hall of Fame. I favor the first two over the latter two. The only way Jenga slips in is under the innovation designation. The selection committee could have chosen better.

As a populist, I question the pogo stick. Although it was around when I was a youth, I never saw the same play devotion among its users as I did for those who owned bicycles, a Hall member. Sofia and Marcelo, my grandchildren, own a pogo stick and bicycle. They ride their bicycles. The pogo stick gathers dust in the corner.

Although the puppet would not be among my final two choices, it did make my final five list. While my puppet play was limited, I witnessed ample puppet play among my contemporaries and subsequent generations to see the merit and value of this toy as a finalist. Sofia and Marcelo have puppets and they play with them.

It is not clear who the target audience is for remote control vehicles—children or males who still want to be children. R/C vehicles are clearly a male toy, a charge that can be leveled against Dungeons & Dragons, Hot Wheels and Transformers. The problem is longevity, not the male focus or the generic nature of the category. My observation is that the play attention factor for R/C vehicles is measured in days or weeks at best. The novelty wears off quickly. I do not see R/C vehicles as long-term toy play memories.

Rubik’s Cube is similar to liver and onions. You either love it or hate it. I hated Rubik’s Cube. Cousin Buck was a genius at solving it, which was another reason I hated it. Toys that frustrate and are not fun have no place in the National Toy Hall of Fame.

Simon arrived on the scene in 1978, far too late for my childhood game playing days. I do not remember buying it for my children. I have seen it played. I think Sofia owns an example, but I have to check. My observation is that it is a “craze” game—a game that is bought, enjoys a brief period of intense play, and is then relegated to a forgotten space in a closet, on a shelf in the basement or bottom of a toy box.

As much as emotion and passion should play a minimum role in the selection process, I am not able to avoid them in respect to Star Wars action figures. The action figure’s replacement of the vehicle as the No. 1 toy in the toy collecting category in the 1990s is the most significant collecting change in the toy collecting category in the 20th century. In one sense, I am delighted the selection committee did not create a generic action figure category, something it could easily have done. Instead, the inclusion of Star Wars action figures represents an understanding that there are subcategories within the general category that deserve special recognition. While toy collectors will never agree on the exact degree to which Star Wars action figures contributed to action figures replacing vehicles as the dominant boy toy, all agree the role was critical. Whether 2011 should be the year when Star Wars action figures enter the National Toy Hall of Fame is debatable. What is not is whether they should be so recognized. Star Wars action figures belong in the Hall.

So do Transformers. But, this is not their year. This may not even be their decade. While an iconic toy for their generation, they still need to stand the test of time. I have no doubt Transformers will. The maxim all things come to those who wait applies.

Twister made my Top 5 list. It was more a heart than mind vote. Like so many other games, it quickly tends to find its way into storage. Yet, it also works its way out generation after generation.

The final decision for the 2012 inductees already has been made. I wrote this column more to get my thoughts in order for next year than any attempt to impact this year’s decision. For several years, I considered submitting my ideas for the finalist list but never did anything about it. Next year I plan to be proactive. Who will lend their support for pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey?

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

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” 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..

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Pond Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You 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. 2011

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Rob Bertrand, über-collectors, is building a 500 Home Run autograph collection. Here are his first 11 signed baseballs.

Passion, energy, excitement. The thrill of the hunt. It seems that everyone infected with the collecting bug shares these same traits! True enthusiasts—or “über collectors” —spend endless hours building their perfect collections and becoming experts in their areas of interest. To celebrate this form of remarkable commitment, WorthPoint is initiating a series of interviews with über collectors from across North America so we can all learn what makes them, and what they collect, so interesting. Our first conversation is with a gentleman from the Midwest who specializes in all things having to do with sports.

WorthPoint: Please tell us your name, where you live and your profession.

Über Collector: Hi, my name is Rob Bertrand. I am from Alliance, Ohio, and for my day job, I am a content developer.

WP: Rob, tell us about what you collect and why you are so interested in it.

ÜC: I collect sports cards and memorabilia—things like balls, bats, uniforms, tickets, uniforms and programs. As a passionate sports fan, they connect me to the athletes and the games. I’ve always loved art, graphic design and photography; sports cards in particular blend all this into one element.

WP: How many cards and pieces of sports memorabilia items do you have in your collection?

ÜC: Wow, that’s a tough question. Hundreds of thousands would be about the best I could do to quantify it.

WP: Wow, that is incredibly impressive! I can’t even imagine how anyone could keep track of that volume of treasures. So, can you please tell us how you got interested in collecting these items?

ÜC: I collected as a kid and, as most boys do once they enter adolescence, my interests turned to other things. About 12 years ago a friend asked me when the last time I had been in a card shop, and had I seen what they were doing with cards these days. It had obviously been years and when he showed me some of his collection, I was instantly hooked.

WP: What are your favorite top three items in your collection, and why?

A portion of Bertand’s Cal Ripken Jr. collection.

ÜC: Another tough question, and hard to answer given the diversity of things in my collection. When it comes to cards, they would include:

1. My 2001 Upper Deck SP Legendary Cuts Shoeless Joe Jackson Game Used Bat Card. This card has an actual piece of a baseball bat used by Jackson on it! I cherish this card because he is arguably one of the greatest players to ever play the game, despite his alleged complicity in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. As a White Sox fan, to own a piece of a bat he used during his career is just incredible.

2. My 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan Rookie Card. I grew up knowing how great of a pitcher Nolan Ryan was and watched him pitch countless times. As the only player to have seven no-hitters and retire as the all-time strikeout king, owning his rookie card brings a smile to my face.

3. 2005 Donruss Throwback Threads Babe Ruth Game-Used Bat and Jersey Card. This card has small pieces of Ruth’s bat and uniform on it. To me, this Babe Ruth card is simply epic. How many people can say they own a piece of the Babe’s game-used jersey and bat? I don’t have the kind of deep pockets necessary to acquire those rare treasures in their entirety at auction. But to be able to own just a tiny piece is quite a thrill!

In addition, an important component of my overall collection is my group of single signed balls from the 500 Home Run Club. These would certainly qualify among my very top collection favorites. They are a work in progress, but I have 11, including Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, Reggie Jackson, Mike Schmidt, Harmon Killebrew, Willie McCovey, Eddie Mathews, Frank Robinson, Eddie Murray and Frank Thomas.

WP: Wow! I can understand why these items are so special to you. Many of them appear in the Worthopedia as well—so congrats on your great taste and eye for investment! Many people who have great collections like yours also are methodical about their presentations. So, how do you display your collection? Do you keep everything out at the same time, or do you rotate displays?

ÜC: The display is constant with new items periodically being added. I have an organized office with displays for my favorite players—they include Cal Ripken Jr., Nolan Ryan, Michael Jordan and Walter Payton. I also have space for my favorite Chicago sports teams, the Chicago Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Sox and Cubs.

WP: Would you be so kind as to tell us a brief story about how you went out of your way to get a very special item for your collection.

The Chicago Blackhawks section of Bertand’s collection.

ÜC: Absolutely! I was attending a Chicago Blackhawks playoff game. At intermission I headed off to the rest room. I was standing there and out of the corner of my eye saw someone step next to me. It was former Blackhawk goalie Ed Belfour! I said, “Mr. Belfour, I’d shake your hand . . . but now doesn’t seem like the appropriate time!” He chuckled and we both went about our business. The bathroom was crowded and I lost sight of him. I washed my hands and rushed into the concourse, frantically scanning the area to find him again. I saw him and ran up to him. I introduced myself and asked him to sign my ticket. And, he did!

WP: Rob, what is the “holy grail” item you would love to add to your collection?

ÜC: That’s an easy one. Without a doubt, the 1914 Cracker Jack Shoeless Joe Jackson sportscard. It is an extremely popular card that commands tens of thousands of dollars in almost any condition on the secondary market.

WP: Many, many thanks for your time and best of luck in finding your 1914 treasure! One’s out there with your name on it, for sure!

Are you an über-collectors? E-mail us at news [at] worthpoint [dot] com and tell us about your collection and we may feature you and your collection in an upcoming article.

Rebekah Kaufman is a Worthologist who specializes in vintage Steiff and other European plush collectibles.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

The only thing that saddens me about becoming a septuagenarian is that I am no longer a sexagenarian. There is something sexy about sexagenarian, besides its obvious first three letters. My parents were old in their 50s. They thought and acted old. My generation, the pre-Baby Boomers who grew up in the late 1940s and 1950s, established that their 60s were a time in which hormones governed their lives and life remained filled with challenges, fun and excitement. Sixty is not old; neither is 70.

I never accepted decade shift as a chronological definer. The world did not experience a shift in anything except a calendar page between Dec. 31, 1999 and Jan. 1, 2000. Nothing magical happened to me between Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. I was the same person the day after my birthday as I was the day before. Officially, I was a year older. Because of the way Americans calculate birthdays, I already was 70 for 365 days. I began my 71st year on October 1. Hence, as each day passes, I am 70 years, ___months and ___ days old.

[Author’s Aside #1: The last sentence above reminds me of the information found on funeral cards and tombstones. The dead certainly do not care. A reasonable person can do the mathematics provided the day, month and year of birth and death are known. Having just written this, I just experienced a “eureka” moment. I have no desire to have a standard tombstone epitaph. My tombstone will feature a picture of my NOITAL license plate beneath which is the caption: “His License Plate Said It All.” Why stop there? I am going to have a digital clock installed that provides the exact number of days, hours, minutes and seconds since I died. While I will not care, hopefully it will bring a smile to some.]

There are several links between my birth year and my career in the antiques and collectibles trade. I assumed the editorship of “Warman’s Antiques and Their Prices” in 1981. Although my museum/historic site career began in 1966, when I was 25, I date my involvement in the antiques and collectibles trade from the “Warman’s” editorship. Hence, I have been part of the industry for 30 years. If asked how long I have been around, many in the trade would offer a much higher number. No problem. When I am not doing the mathematics, it seems longer to me as well.

My weekly “Rinker on Collectibles” was launched in 1986. It will celebrate its 25th anniversary this December. In 1986, column 1,300 was not even a glint in my eye. Now, it is 12 weeks away. The next milestone is column 1,500. I am carefully considering if this is a mountain I wish to climb at my “advanced” age.

I learned that I would become Home & Garden Television’s “Collector Inspector,” when I was 60. I had just finished celebrating my 61st birthday when the first show aired. I was “batching” it at the time, living at The School, the former Vera Cruz (Pa.) Elementary School. While I was not a Hippie in the Sixties, I had three great years in my early 60s.

While most careers have a built-in obsolescence—the older you become, the less valuable you become—an antiques and collectibles career acts just the opposite. Knowledge in the field is cumulative. The longer you are in the game, the more you learn; the more you learn and the more valuable you become. Whether a person becomes a national treasure, font of wisdom or whatever term applies depends on his/her ability to stay current. I am loathe to quit, not wanting to waste the knowledge that I worked so hard to acquire and unwilling to pass up the opportunity to keep learning more.

Some individuals grow old gracefully. Do not count me among their number. Thirty years ago, I was one of the trade’s young bucks. Now, I am among its old farts, although flatly denying any connection to the industry’s traditionalists—once a renegade, always a renegade.

[Author’s Aside #2: The fact that one can be a young buck at 40 is one of the many curiosities in the antiques and collectibles trade. While there are old-timers who entered the trade in their 20s, most began their careers in their mid-30s to early 40s.]

While I still think and act young, I am not moving as fast as I once did. I take medication for cholesterol, diabetes and gout. So far, my blood pressure is fine. I am overweight. Hence, my stamina is not what it used to be. I am paying for the good life this industry has given and continues to provide me.

I am losing more and more friends to the grim reaper. Two decades ago, I thought little about this. Those passing away were a generation ahead of me. Now, they are my age or younger. It is my generation’s turn. We are the senior citizens of our industry. When it is your turn to hold the torch, it is hard to let go. I have not been as conscientious as I should have been in identify and befriending the next generation of industry leaders. The problem with being on top is that it is too much fun.

I was in my 50s when I first put forth the concept that collectors stop collecting in their early 60, hold on to their collections for another decade and begin disposing of their collections in their early to mid-seventies. As I begin my 71st year, I am proof that the concept is valid. I assumed that I would be the exception—collect until I die; and, to some extent, I will be. However, I no longer collect with the enthusiasm of 10 years ago. I sold The School and am downsizing my holdings. Linda’s and my house in Kentwood is full. There is no more room; and, Linda has put her foot down on our buying another house in the development just to house my things.

As I have grown older, I have become more attuned to the passage of time, a commodity that seems to go faster the older one becomes. Sofia turned 6 in June. Was she not born yesterday? Has it been 11 years since I celebrated the turn of the century? Time’s increased speed has had a serious impact on my “To Do” list. Projects take longer to accomplish than earlier. Linda argues that I take on too much. My schedule always has been overcommitted, but I accomplished it by working long hours and sevens day a week. Nothing is work when you love doing it. Now, I can no longer work into the early morning hours as I once did. Overnighters are out of the question. I do not want to turn back the hands of time, just slow them down.

I multi-tasked before multi-tasking was popular. As I have grown older, it has become harder. While I am more than willing to blame it on the demands created by modern technology, I know the problem is me. The desire is there, but the mind—not the body in this case—is weak.

In my early 60s, I was current and tuned into each new generation as it arrived on the collecting scene. This changed over the past five years. I am having trouble identifying with the Millennials. In the past, I discovered linkages between my generations and those that followed. The Millennials are different. Trying to understand them better is one of the reasons I returned to the college classroom. This semester I am teaching freshman seminar, public speaking and writing. Although I interact with the Millennials, it is clear there is a major disconnect in interests. I am trying hard to grasp their lifestyle and media interests. My concern is that this is a “silent” generation of collectors. It has no interest in establishing a long-term relationship with things. Buy it new, use it, buy an updated version as soon as it becomes available and discard the old, even if it works.

Ten years ago, I was in age denial. While I want to think I still am, I am no longer certain. I find myself thinking more and more about my age—not a good thing.

To end on a positive note and, as I stated earlier, I have no intention to age gracefully. If anything, I plan to become more cantankerous, opinionated and obnoxious. I will not ever give up this crazy business and the objects associated with it.

If there is a God, I am going to die buying an antique or collectible, not selling. If this fails, I will settle for a moment when I am in the process of sharing my thoughts about the industry. Maybe my tombstone needs a third feature, a line reading: “Grumpy and Stubborn to the End.”

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

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” 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..

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Pond Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You 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. 2011

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Steiff’s 15- and 22-cm early post-war, five-ways jointed pandas. Note how different each one appears, despite originating from the same pattern!

With Steiff pandas, things are pretty black and white. Collectors just can’t get enough of these rare bears and, as a lifelong enthusiast, I have to admit, they are among my favorites as well.

This is mainly because each one has a look and facial expression all unto his own, despite originating from basically the same pattern Steiff is best known for its Teddy bears, so it is no surprise that its classic panda bears are designed and produced with the same understanding and respect for design, appeal, quality and scale as those of its traditional Teds. Let’s take a look at Steiff’s pandas from the 1930s through the early 1970s—Steiff’s “panda prime time”—and see what makes these black and white beauties so special from the collector’s perspective.

Steiff pandas made their debut in the Steiff line in 1938. By 1939, they were being produced in 15 and 30 centimeter sizes. This especially endearing design was five-ways jointed and made from black and white mohair plush. Their faces were detailed with brown and black pupil eyes, a black, hand-embroidered nose and an open, peach-colored mouth. The black circles around their eyes were created by hand airbrushing. It is interesting to note that unlike most other Steiff bear designs, Steiff pandas had flat, broad “toddler style” feet that allowed them to stand straight up on their own. They also had downward-curving paws. These design details very closely resemble those of “Teddy Baby,” another wildly popular design Steiff introduced in late 1920s. These first pandas were produced through 1942.

Steiff’s darling 15-cm, pre-World War Two panda bear.

The success of its first, early panda design inspired Steiff to produce more pandas in the line as soon as the factory reopened for business in the late 1940s following the Second World War. As they did with a core group of proven and popular products (such as Molly the Puppy), Fox the Fox Terrier, and Fluffy the Cat), Steiff produced the identical models that were in the line pre-war just to get products they knew would sell into the marketplace. In the case of the panda, Steiff started making the prewar design again, but only in the 30-cm size through 1950.

Then, in 1951, Steiff updated its original panda design slightly and started producing it in 15, 22, 28, 35, 43 and 50 cm. From 1951, the company used grey felt on the paws and soles; from 1956 onward a suede-like grey rubber material was used instead. The smaller pandas had velvet-lined mouths while the larger ones had felt-lined mouths. It is interesting to note that Steiff also updated the felt paws and soles of its somewhat similar Teddy Baby design to this same suede-like rubber material around the same time. This five-ways jointed panda pattern appeared in the line through 1961.

Steiff's super-sweet “cozy” or “floppy” sleeping panda, produced from 1954 to 1961.

In the early 1950s, Steiff introduced a new series of floppy or “cosy” style sleeping animals that remained in the line through the end of the 1960s. These animals were all prone, softly stuffed and designed as sleeping companions for children. Steiff took its most popular designs of the time—including Zotty the Bear, Cockie the Cocker Spaniel and other favorites including poodles, tigers, cats and elephants, and created resting versions from them. Of course, a panda was produced as part of this series. Fashioned in 17 and 28 cm, Floppy Panda was unjointed and made from black and white mohair. He had an open, felt-lined mouth and stitched, black “sleeping” style eyes. This precious and much-sought-after design appeared in the line from 1954 to 1961.

Steiff’s relatively rare panda standing on all fours is a collector’s favorite from the 1950s.

Our next Steiff panda deserves a standing ovation. In 1955, Steiff introduced its first standing-on-all fours panda. He was 12 cm, head-jointed and made from black and white mohair. Although clearly based on Steiff’s beloved pre- and post-war panda design, he has a closed mouth. His sweet baby face is detailed with black-and-brown-pupil eyes and a black, hand-embroidered nose and mouth. All standing pandas left the factory wearing a red leather collar with an original little brass bell. It is interesting to note that he has peach-colored felt feet, while his five-way jointed cousins produced at the same time had grey feet. This particular Steiff panda was remained in the line through 1958 only and is considered quite rare from the collector’s perspective.

Blink and you might have missed the smallest-sized panda Steiff ever created. For more than 100 years, Steiff has had a very special relationship with the high-end toy store F.A.O. Schwarz. As a product of that partnership, Steiff has created many exclusive designs for the retailer. One of the most beloved of these items was a palm-sized panda. This 11-cm panda was made from black and white mohair and had tiny black-bead eyes and a black embroidered nose and mouth. This petite prince was in the line from 1968 through 1972.

Steiff’s 11 cm “bendy” style panda, made exclusively for F.A.O. Schwarz in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The F.A.O. Schwarz panda is a classic example of Steiff’s “bendy” design. A Steiff “bendy” simply means that the arms and legs are flexible via internal wires—but not jointed—while the head is jointed. The “bendy” design debuted in 1965 as a less expensive way of manufacturing tiny bears. And why is this so? Disk jointing (the traditional way bears were assembled) is quite time and labor intensive, and even more challenging on bears of small scale.

It goes without saying that pre-1970 Steiff pandas have a tendency to create pandemonium among collectors. At the 2010 Steiff auction at Christie’s in London, only four lots out of more than 650 included pandas. Of these, two sold at the high end of their estimates, while one sold at about twice the estimate and the last at three times its estimates. Fortunately, not all pandas demand world-class prices, and with a little penny-pinching, most collectors can welcome a good example into their collection. Assuming very good to excellent condition, with at least one form of Steiff ID, the items pictured above value as follows:

• 1938-1942 era pandas can value in the $500 to $3,000 range;
• 1951-1961 era pandas can value in the $275 (15 cm) to $2,000-plus range (35 cm or larger);
• Cozy/Floppy pandas can value in the $125 to $200 range;
• Standing pandas can value in the $150 to $250 range; and
• F.A.O. Schwarz bendy pandas value in the $125 to $250 range.

Rebekah Kaufman is a Worthologist who specializes in vintage Steiff and other European plush collectibles.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Value is relative. I grew up in a black-and-white age; the good guys versus the bad guys. As I grew older, I discovered that shades of gray exist in far greater numbers than do the two primary colors. Rules are no longer as fixed as I earlier believed. While there are scientific truths, antiques and collectibles truths are subjective not objective.

As a youngster, I was taught to value age. My parents—good God-fearing folks—constantly reminded me to “respect my elders,” a concept unequivocally supported by Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16, Leviticus 19:3, Ephesians 6:1-4, and Colossians 3:20-21. I cannot pinpoint the exact day I came to the conclusion that some of my elders were dumber than horse manure, but suspect it was early in my teens. It is a concept that I tested throughout my life and discovered that it applied not only to my elders but also to some younger than me and, occasionally, to myself.

Respecting the past and things associated with the past were corollaries to the concept of respecting my elders, especially if the objects in questions were family heirlooms. My parents’ treasured items passed down through the family. I hold firm to this belief. My children profess to care. My grandchildren could not care less.

Age as value is an integral part of the antiques and collectibles business. From the late 19th century until the final two decades of the 20th century, age was a primary value consideration. Putting aside the philosophical question of how to define old, if an object was old, it had value. The mere fact that an object survived was sufficient to create value.

In a recent column, I wrote that age is no longer a major value consideration. John, a “Rinker on Collectibles” reader, e-mailed his strong objections to my assertion. Traditionally, I ignore my critics based on “I have had my say, they can have theirs.” I make exceptions on occasion and did so with John.

On July 26, 2011, I e-mailed John: “I have wrestled with the concept of age as a value added consideration for a long time. Is the fact that because something is old (survived) enough to create value? I hold that it does not. Does the number of years it survived impact value? Even here, the answer is no.

“While there certainly are cases where age does impact value, they are more atypical than typical in today’s marketplace.”

There are no absolutes in the antiques and collectibles business. There always are exceptions and plenty of them. However, it is possible to identify situations that are typical and those that are not. Given sufficient experience and analytical ability, it is possible to distinguish which is which.

John replied: “I guess we will have to agree to disagree, I go to at least three auctions a week. I sell out of three different antiques malls. I sell to other dealers . . .

“The number of years it [an object] survived impacts value by driving the price up by the fact that less have survived . . . pottery and glass are both great examples I see all the time. Once that piece of Tiffany is broken, the price of similar ones goes up because no more are being made.

“There are other considerations . . . The price of silver is high right now . . . Many things are being melted for scrap making older pieces even more valuable by their scarcity.”

John is confusing scarcity with age. They are two different entities. Scarcity relates to the number of examples that survive. In theory, if 10 examples of one object and 100 examples of another survive, the value for one of the 10 will be higher than the value for one of the 100 objects.

When tested, this theory fails more than it passes. First, a collector or buyer needs to exist for the object. “There is a collector for everything” is a myth. In the 2010s, there are thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of older objects that have no value except for their continuing utilitarian function. Second, if there is a collector or decorator buyer, the object has to survive in a condition that attracted the interest of one of these buyers.

Five years ago, I still was touting a Big Three value theory—condition, desirability and scarcity. Other values such as age or regional were secondary or tertiary values. Today, the Big Three have evolved into the Big One. Desirability is the king of the hill. If there is no buyer, there is no value.

The Internet destroyed scarcity. While eBay shoulders much of the blame, it does not stand alone. EBay is only one Internet antiques and collectibles resale site. Today, there are hundreds of such sites. Within a decade, the number will be in the thousands. The end result is a growing number of instances whereby everyone who desires an example of an older object acquires one. When this occurs, scarcity as a concept disappears.

I can match every example of glass and china that John cites as gaining in value for each piece destroyed with dozens of examples where destruction has no impact whatsoever in the marketplace: an Adams Depression Glass light-pink salad plate; an Ashford pattern glass goblet; a Howdy Doody Welsh’s Grape Jelly drinking glass; a Homer Laughlin Fiesta orange salt shaker; and a copper lusterware creamer are just a few of my opening salvos.

When considering age as a value, one needs to be careful not confuse it with the tertiary values of first and oldest. First, collectors—those individuals who collect the first example of things—fascinate me. Volume 1, Number 1 is a value-added feature in comic books and magazines. Book collectors focus on first editions and first printings. However, do not confuse first with age. The first in any series, even contemporary objects, commands a premium among collectors. If collectors cannot identify the first, they settle for the oldest, for example antiquities. Oldest also impacts the value of coins, stamps, and sports memorabilia. It does not work with automobiles. Just ask an individual trying to sell a working Model T Ford.

In fairness to John, I have been racking my brain trying to identify a collecting category or objects within a collecting category where age is a primary secondary market value consideration. Every time I identify a possibility, another value consideration such as condition—forget desirability—overrides age.

Greg Martin/Heritage Auctions sold an 1836 Colt, ivory-gripped Texas, or Holster Model No. 5, Paterson Revolver for $977,500. It certainly was not the oldest Colt known. The revolver was old, but this was not the primary value factor. Scarcity was not either. Finest known, an older value that rears its head for ultimate unit/masterpieces, and investment, a “new-kid-on-the-block” value, were the values that drove the final price.

John is correct. We have to agree to disagree. Old is not enough. It is not even a starting point when determining value. I wish it was. If it was, perhaps I might find more solace in dealing with the approach of age. Then again, is 70 old?

John Barrymore (you have to be old to know who he is) said: “A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.” I have never regretted my career in the antiques and collectibles business. The never-ending task of trying to understand how this wonderful, crazy market works keeps me young.

As always, your thoughts on this topic are appreciated. E-mail them to me at harrylrinker [at] aol [dot] com.

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

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” 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..

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Pond Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You 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. 2011

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Some of the pieces of Worthologist Rebekah Kaufman's Steiff collection.

What’s it worth? That’s a question we all have when it comes to valuing our special vintage items. Especially during these tough economic times when everyone could use some extra dollars!

WorthPoint was contacted by CBS’s “Inside Edition” to help with a story on selling family treasures. Longtime U.S. and U.K. Worthologist Rebekah Kaufman, who specializes in vintage Steiff and European plush Teddy bears, dolls and stuffed animals, worked with the program to help educate consumers about things they should know about their collectibles—Steiff and otherwise—if they are considering selling them to dealers and other businesses for a cash payment.

Much of it all comes down to “know before you go!” It is imperative that anyone even thinking about moving treasures along knows what they have before considering an offer.

“Working with a WorthPoint Worthologist is a completely solid way to get an idea of what you have and what it’s worth,” said Kaufman. “The $19.99 fee can more than pay for itself many, many times over when it comes to selling decisions. As always, knowledge is power . . . or at least empowering!”

In addition, Kaufman suggests contacting the company that made the item for more information, uploading a picture and description of the item on a few Facebook fan pages that have to do with the item and asking fans for help, posting an inquiry on the WorthPoint or other collectible forums pages, or contacting bloggers who seem to have subject knowledge expertise on the item in question.

Make sure to check Inside Edition on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011 on the CBS network to see the program and to learn more. For more information on vintage Steiff, check out Rebekah’s articles on WorthPoint or on her Steiff blog.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

I assumed Dave would schedule an auction. Prior to moving to western Michigan, I lived in communities where auctioneers are kings-of-the-hill. I have many friends in the business and a high regard for this method of dispersal. I mistakenly assumed auction was the preferred dispersal practice in western Michigan. It is not.

I knew better, but momentarily forgot. During the 10 years I operated my Institute for the Study of Antiques and Collectibles, several attendees came from Michigan. They offered a package of client services that included appraisals, estate sale management and antiques mall booths. Gary L. Miller and K. M. Scotty Mitchell, good friends and owners of Mitchell in Fort Worth, Texas, are estate sale wizards. I have seen them in action and listened to their “how-to” lectures.

Since my primary antiques and collectibles buying sources are flea markets, malls, shows and online, I felt no urgency to investigate the estate dispersal scene following my arrival in western Michigan. I am in the process of correcting this. There are eight auctioneers listed in the yellow pages of the local phone book. While I do not know the preferred day for auction and estate sale advertisements in the Grand Rapids Free Press now, I will within the week.

Aware of my expertise, Dave invited me to “take a look at a few things” before signing a contract with the person who will conduct his estate sale. The number of antiques and collectibles were limited. The contents were contemporary, high-quality furniture and decorative accessories, great fodder for an estate sale.

Two of my favorite estate sale managers are fictional characters: Sharon Fiffer’s Jane Wheel and Tim Lowry. Jane, a garage/estate sale picker and amateur sleuth/private eye, is the central character in the “Jane Wheel Mystery” series, published by Minotaur Books. In reading “Backstage Stuff,” the most recent title (published in 2010), I put the following passage into my “food for thought” folder for future Rinker on Collectibles columns:

“When Margie walked through the house after Jane and Tim effectively turned it inside out and began hanging string tags on the valuables, taping signs to the walls for group pricing of linens or men’s ties, Jane and Tim both knew she would go through the owner’s four stages of dealing with their own estate sale—denial, embarrassment, anger and greed. In other words:

“No one is going to want to buy that.”

“I wouldn’t want anyone to see that.”

“Why wouldn’t someone want that?”

“We should have charged more!’”

Although I thought a great deal about how individuals view their personal property, I have written very little about it. My writing focuses on how individuals view inherited objects or objects bought for collecting purposes.

My observations suggest that individuals see little value in the things with which they live. Objects purchased for utilitarian purpose are functional, meant to be used and then discarded. When purchasing contemporary furniture, household and decorative goods, clothing and other things, little to no thought is given to long-term collectability or resale. Who collects lawn mowers, refrigerators, outdoor grills, New Balance athletic shoes, Champion workout shorts, garden store vases or plastic storage bins? We live in a use-it-then-lose-it environment.

We also fail to value our possessions because they are used. We are a new-minded generation. New is preferred over used. Buy new rather than repair. The hand-me-down era quietly faded from the scene in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Who wants to buy that used thing? I most certainly would not.

We forget that every antique and collectible was once new. Collectors in 2050 will be buying our ordinary and everyday objects. Not everything. Some discrimination, hopefully based on aesthetics and good taste, will prevail.

I have lived long enough to see objects from my childhood become antiques and those from my children’s childhood become collectibles that are approaching antique status. Even though most of my grandchildren are younger than 14, a granddaughter from a previous marriage is in her mid-20s. The toys from her childhood are collectibles.

While there are meticulous individuals who pride themselves on maintaining their possessions in like-new condition, the average individual uses the items he/she owns and accepts the wear and tear that results. Selling one’s household contents in an estate sale exposes a person’s stewardship qualities to the general public. Little wonder there is a period of initial embarrassment and concern. People want public perception to be positive. The seller was a good housekeeper, had good taste and lived in a model home.

During the course of living with their possessions, individuals do not think in terms of resale value. However, when facing the sale, they slowly experience a change of heart. The process follows an identifiable pattern.

Initially, when deciding what will be offered in the estate sale versus what will be sent to the landfill, the owner makes decisions weighted more heavily toward the dump than the cash box. Pings and dinks, even the smallest of blemishes, become magnified. Pleas by estate sale managers to “not throw that out, someone will buy it” are ignored at first—only at first.

Eventually, the maxim “hearing is believing” prevails. Once the owner accepts the estate sale manager’s message that a potential buyer exists for all possessions, he/she becomes a believer. The seller sees his possession in a new light. Value is everywhere. If he/she had only realized this possibility earlier, he/she would have taken better care of the objects.

Those in the trade from auctioneers to antiques dealers to estate sale managers know that the concepts of “why wouldn’t someone want that” and “there is a buyer for every object” are myths. There is not a buyer for everything. There is usually a pile of unsold goods at every estate auction. Box-lot buyers often leave unwanted items in the box behind. No antiques dealer leaves a show with an empty booth. Estate sale managers always have a “what to do with what is left” plan in place.

In talking with Dave about his estate sale, he told me that the estate sale manager prefers he not be present when the estate sale takes place. I reinforced this advice. “You are too close to the objects,” I told him. “The only thing to care about is the final number. You made the decision that you no longer had any use for these things. Let the estate sale manager do her job—sell your stuff.”

When confronted by a seller, whether private individual or antiques dealer, who laments “I should have charged more,” I make two points: First, the object sold. Sometimes it is necessary to state the obvious. Once an object sells, it is no longer the seller’s problem. The seller has the cash. The buyer has the object and now faces the “what am I going to do with it” issue. Second, if the object had been priced higher, it might not have sold.

Money is money. For the seller, cash in hand is better than object in hand. The goal is to sell. Maximizing return is a secondary goal. If an object does not sell, neither goal is achieved.

A great deal of second-guessing occurs in the antiques and collectibles industry. Second guessers live in the past. The antiques and collectibles business is a better place when it focuses on the future.

Although I considered offering Dave my services to vet the prices the estate sale manager put on his items, I refrained. My second guessing, especially since I had not checked out the western Michigan estate sale market, would contribute little.

Curiosity mandates my attendance at Dave’s estate sale—for professional reasons, of course. As for Linda, I still am trying to figure out away to distract her. Any suggestions? We do not need another thing.

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

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” 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..

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Pond Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You 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.

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