Antiques & Collecting

Thanksgiving will be here soon, and while the best organizers among us may already have everything in place, most of us are probably still working through our shopping lists.

Veterans Day is a time to reflect on American history and those who made it. Fighting in World War I ended with a ceasefire on the 11th hour of Nov. 11, 1918.

Despite the antiquated greeting and old-fashioned art style, this card has familiar Halloween icons you might see on today’s decorations: a child in costume, jack-o’-lanterns, an owl, black cats and a full moon.

Collecting ceramics may be seen as traditional, even old-fashioned, but there is plenty of room for eccentricity.

If a piece of furniture is described as having paw or claw feet, it usually means they were carved or molded. For some pieces, like this table, furniture “legs” and “feet” can be taken literally.

Online grocery shopping and same-day delivery have exploded since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Of course, delivery services are nothing new.

Fall is traditionally a time for harvest, and grapes are one of the fruits frequently picked in early October.

When we reach the autumn equinox, summer is officially over. That doesn’t mean you have to put sunshine and vacation fun entirely out of your mind. Isn’t that what mementos and souvenirs are for?

With its carved giltwood trim and rich velvet upholstery, this sofa would look right at home among the opulent baroque and extravagant rococo styles of the 18th century.

Identifying antique glass isn’t always easy. If you’re lucky, a piece may be marked, like this Phanomen vase, which is signed “Loetz Austria” on its pontil.

Trade unions played a crucial role in establishing Labor Day as a holiday. “Union Made” has long been a point of pride for American industries, as in this sign advertising Sweet-Orr clothing, which sold for $7,380.

Before the use of electric lights, lamps were designed to cast as much light as possible.

Enamel has been used in decorative arts since at least the Middle Ages. It was especially popular in Europe and Asia in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Memorial Day is a time to both honor individual memories and reflect on American history. Designers have drawn inspiration from American history for over 100 years.

Collectibles don’t need to be utilitarian. In fact, many of today’s collectibles have a purpose that has been lost to time.

Perfume is always a popular Mother’s Day gift. It combines luxury and sentiment and lasts much longer than a bouquet of flowers.

May means warmer weather, flowers blooming and more time spent outdoors, especially in the garden. It’s a place to sit, relax and enjoy the view of your beautiful plants and the birds and butterflies they attract.

Textiles are fragile and need special care. Dust, light, insects and moisture can damage them. Antique textiles in good condition are rare and often sell for high prices.

Furniture revivals have taken place since at least the 19th century and probably earlier. New technology made earlier ornate styles easier and less expensive to make — and, therefore, more accessible to the average buyer.

Collectors and makers alike know that there are many ways to decorate silver. It can have an engraved design or monogram. It can be pierced or reticulated with lace-like cutouts.

The Bonhams Skinner auction where this chair sold listed it as a Harvard University Windsor chair, bringing together two icons of colonial America.

To a pottery collector, a mocha mug isn’t meant for a coffee drink. Mocha is a type of decorated earthenware pottery made in England and sold in America in the early 1800s.

Despite the technological and manufacturing advancements of the 19th century, many artists of the time looked to the past for inspiration.

Bicycle Playing Cards may be the most recognizable brand by the United States Playing Card Co. The brand has been around since 1885.

Think of an iconic modern chair and there’s a good chance it was manufactured by Knoll. The company is known for making furniture by notable designers.

Brass inlaid inkstands were not a rarity in Victorian times. This one recently sold for $188 at New Orleans Auction Galleries.

Silhouettes and profile images date to ancient times. Usually limited to the head and shoulders, the shape is a filled solid color attached to a high-contrast background. Featureless, but easily recognizable, they offer fast identification.

Robots may sound like cutting-edge technology or science-fiction dreams of the future, but automated mechanical creatures have captured people’s imaginations for centuries. Animals and music were always popular themes.

Famous names add to the value of an antique, even if we know more about the maker’s work than about the maker.

Popular fiction inspires fashions in real life. The period shows and royal romances on television today have renewed interest in antiques among their fans.

The legal definition of an antique is that it is at least 100 years old. This means the art deco era is officially reaching antique status.

Some collectibles aren’t what they seem at first glance. This green enameled piece that sold for $252 at Morphy Auctions looks like a covered jar.

What comes to mind when you think of Victorian antiques? Silver-plated tableware, delicate porcelain dinner services, early photographs and daguerreotypes, and souvenirs commemorating Queen Victoria herself?

Collectors know that the line between artistic and utilitarian objects is not always clearly drawn. This large, glazed earthenware plate with two stylized faces in profile sold at a Rago auction for $3,120.

Santa Claus is as popular a figure in antique Christmas collectibles as he is in today’s decorations. Most are more festive than this papier-mâché figure.

Do you have fond memories of spending a winter day sliding down a snowy hill? Sledding is a pastime that has been around for a long time.

Toys have been used as advertising premiums for more than 100 years, from the cloth dolls that first appeared in the 19th century and baseball cards initially issued by tobacco companies to Cracker Jack prizes and more recent toys in cereal boxes or kids’ fast-food meals.

Some advertising icons have obvious connections to their brands, like Planters’ Mr. Peanut or the RCA Victor dog with his head tilted as he listens to a phonograph.

Furniture functions stay more or less the same, but styles change according to advances in technology and the whims of fashion.

Part of the fun of antiques is learning about how people lived in the past. You can often find new uses for items whose purposes have become obsolete.

Antique collectors know that styles repeat, pieces can be replicated and design periods can be revived. This stool was made in the 20th century, but its style is from the Empire period, which lasted from about 1815 to 1840 in America.

American companies have used patriotic imagery in advertisements for more than 100 years. It appeals to customers and shows pride in American industries.

When Halloween approaches, it’s time to look into the spooky side of antiques. While there are plenty of antique decorations and toys made specifically for Halloween, you can see related symbols in more everyday pieces.

Playing cards provide innocent amusement: a game with friends, a magic trick to entertain a child, a round of solitaire to pass some time alone. So, what’s a devil doing here?

Shining red and yellow eyes peer from the dancing shadows. This could be a scene from a haunted forest — or a cozy living room fireplace.

Quilting has long been celebrated as an American folk art, and American symbols like flags, eagles and the colors red, white and blue often appear on quilts.

The journey to the North Pole inspired commemorative figurines, souvenirs and games. This North Pole Game has a patent date of 1910.

You don’t often see a jug with openwork around the neck. You could pour liquid in — carefully — but getting it out would make a mess. If you look closely, you can see small holes in the textured rim.

Looking for a little luxury? This figure replicates the hood ornament from Rolls-Royce. In 1909, John Douglas-Scott-Montagu commissioned sculptor Charles Sykes to create a mascot for his car.

“Doctor Yourself,” encourages this cabinet, made to hold the Munyon Remedies in a drug store. The cabinet lists the “remedies” it contains according to the ailments they claim to “Relieve Immediately.”