Expert Insights
Expert Insights is your gateway to the wisdom of the antiques industry’s most respected voices. Gain invaluable knowledge from esteemed conservators, historians, seasoned dealers, and expert appraisers. This section offers practical tips and engaging behind-the-scenes stories. As you uncover their rich narratives, elevate your understanding and appreciation for these treasures.
Sick Glass and Ways to Deal With It
Content from Antiques Arena, antiquesarena.com. Used with permission. Edited by Judy Gonyeau, managing editor, Journal of Antiques Glass, a material celebrated for its beauty and durability, is not immune to ...
The Summer Treasures Trail: A Cross-Country Road Trip Through Vintage America
For antique enthusiasts, summer marks the beginning of an exhilarating season packed with opportunities to uncover hidden gems. Picture the quaint fields of New England, where charming local fairs revive ...
Jukebox Journeys: Exploring the History, Collectibles, and Musical Impact of a Cultural Icon
by Rob Wolfe At the turn of the 20th century, music took a revolutionary turn with the introduction of records, first made from shellac and later from vinyl. These early ...
Breweriana and Rob Wolfe: A Passion for Collecting
by Rob Wolfe of American Pickers Among the many categories of collectibles I encounter, one that stands out for historical significance and nostalgic appeal is breweriana. This niche area of ...
Collecting Religious Artifacts: Antiquing on a Wing and a Prayer
by Rob Wolfe of American Pickers For centuries, collecting religious artifacts and iconography has been a pursuit that transcends time, geography, and personal beliefs. These objects often hold profound significance ...
Treasures of Christmas Past: Christmas Collectibles
by Rob Wolfe Christmas is a time to create memories, gather with family, and—let’s be honest—for many of us, it’s a time to decorate to the nines. And for a ...
New Markets for Buying and Selling Antiques and Gathering the Stories with the Goods
by Rob Wolfe of American Pickers The antiques market is an ever-shifting landscape with new market entrants, ever-changing trends on what’s in and what’s out, and new ways of monitoring the ...
The Robot Bulldozer, A Flare Product by United Pioneer Company
By Rob Wolfe In the early 1960s people around the world were fascinated with imagining the future that technology could bring. There were many real and Hollywood-created reasons for this ...
The Signs of History
by Rob Wolfe of American Pickers I’ve always loved signs. They can tell you so much about the history of a place, an industry, a specific time period, and more ...
From Tangible to Digital: The Evolution of Collecting in the Modern Era
By Shirley M. Mueller, M.D. Most collectors acquire their treasures through traditional methods – purchasing from dealers or at auctions that specialize in physical items within their areas of interest ...
Key Considerations When Investing in Rare Music Memorabilia
by Laurence Carpenter In my time as a professional music memorabilia dealer, I have committed myself to exclusively handling pieces of the utmost provenance and authenticity. This decision was grounded ...
An Interview with Simeon Lipman: Appraiser, Collector, Entrepreneur
by Judy Gonyeau, managing editor Simeon Lipman is a lifelong pop culture, film, music, art, history, and sports enthusiast, who has been appraising collections, curating auctions and exhibitions, and coordinating ...
RESTORATION or RENOVATION WITH BRETT HOWARD
1. 1940s Mid-Century Modern Art Deco Waterfall Dresser With Mirror, restored with Howard Restor-A-Finish a. Pieces like this can be purchased at garage sales, thrift shops, and antique stores (Usually ...
An Interview with Julian Baumgartner of Baumgartner Fine Art Restoration
by Judy Gonyeau, managing editor On the left, is a delicate portrait of a beautiful young girl. She may look a bit on the yellow side – what some may ...
Identifying Glass In The Age of The Internet
By Glass Specialist Peter Wade It’s a beautiful, sunny day and you decide to go out for a ride and stop by an estate sale. You find a lovely piece ...
Cautionary tales & advice for disposing of art
Anyone who has had to help a family member move or downsize, or been left with the responsibility of emptying an estate, knows the heartache of making the hard decisions: ...
Upholstery Across the Ages
by Leif Johnson, TLC Upholstery, Palmer, MA, interviewed by Judy Gonyeau The true beginnings of upholstery took place in Ancient Egypt. Animal skins and dressed leather was stretched across a ...
One Hundred Years of American Trunk Innovation
By Paul Norton Trunks and travel articles tell a story of adventure and intrigue. The impulse to travel—into town or overseas—required bringing along one’s necessities. As 18th and 19th century ...
Street Clocks & Their Restoration
By Eric Ryback, restorer and owner, Saint Louis Street Clock Company “I never wore a watch. I always depend on public clocks, and stores have clocks, but that is strange.” ...
A Look at Decorative Arts & Antiques Market Trends for 2021
A barometer of what’s hot and what’s not in the antiques trade is Asheford Institute’s annual Decorative Arts Trend survey. Conducted from January 2021 to December 2021 by the research ...
Exploring Antique Technologies: Acing the Autopen – Helping Collectors Feel More Confident with Mechanical Writing
by Kary Pardy Footage from a 1950s 9-second video shows a grey, boxy machine using mechanical levers to exactly mimic the slopes and angles of a person’s handwriting. Since the ...
Exploring Antique Technologies: Leather Fire Buckets – Painted Americana at its Most Helpful
by Kary Pardy Imagine you lived in the 17th or 18th century. Chances are good that you would be surrounded by wooden buildings and that you would be very wary ...
Exploring Antique Technologies: Science and Sparkles – Demystifying your Jewelry Collection
by Kary Pardy How many times have you looked through a jewelry display at your favorite antique shop and was just a bit unsure about the quality or elements of ...
Exploring Antique Technologies: Shaped in Steel – Dissecting the Technology Behind your Edged Weapons
by Kary Pardy There are lots of reasons to be drawn to edged weapons, and their beauty and history are chief amongst them. Each piece carries with it a complicated ...
Exploring Antique Technologies – Saving Scrimshaw: How it’s Made and How to Take Care of It
by Kary Pardy If you’re a nautical fanatic, a coast dweller, or a fan of early American arts, you probably know and appreciate scrimshaw. But what is it really, and ...
