Useful Links

Rustic23 · 09-23-2010, 07:38 AM

I have a friend that is a big stamp collector. However, he says don't collect anything made for collecting. He considers anything less than 100 years old 'trading material'. He says if you know what you are doing and you stick with civil war and before, you can do ok. He buys stamp collections in bulk from estates and looks for the one or two stamps that might make it worth while, the rest he sells cheap.

Moemg · 09-23-2010, 07:48 AM

My late husband collected autographs when he was younger . Most were not worth anything but in the pile was a autographed picture of Babe Ruth . I sold it for $2600.I still have a baseball autographed by the Brooklyn Dodgers.

harley · 09-23-2010, 08:35 AM

For the last few years I've been collecting Salvation Army receipts.

Back in the Beanie Baby craze, a friend and I were eating lunch at an Indian restaurant. He was talking to me, but I couldn't hear him because I was focused on the conversation at the table behind him. One woman was regaling her table mates with stories of how she had gotten the purple Princess Di bear and how that one alone was going to put her son through college, and on and on. I had to apologise after lunch to my friend for being rude, but it's hard not to watch a train wreck as it occurs.

DW is a collector. Not for value, just because she likes stuff. Or as George Carlin calls it, sh!t. She has Starbucks mugs from the various cities we've visited, Ugly dolls, hands (rubber glove mold forms), ceramic cows in various costumes, all sorts of crap.Plus we've still got all the old hobnail glass and silhouttes her mom had collected. I can't say much, because she puts up with me even though I'm an a-hole, but it's annoying. Now that she's found some active interests, she seems to be cutting back on the passive (collecting). Hope springs eternal.

Khan · 09-23-2010, 09:29 AM

With some small exceptions all that stuff, you spent money and time and research to collect, will end up in a garage/estate sale.

Martha · 09-23-2010, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khan

With some small exceptions all that stuff, you spent money and time and research to collect, will end up in a garage/estate sale.

For someone else to collect.

Circle of life.

Brat · 09-23-2010, 09:41 AM

I notice that anything sold as an 'investment collectible' does not maintain its value over the years. Items that are great design and quality at the time of manufacture have the potential to maintain or increase in value. Those Story Book Dolls probably sold for $10 in the 40s, average $60-$100 in new condition today. Not really great "return on investment" but they brought enjoyment to young girls at the time which also has value.

I too inherited high design California pottery from the 30s, not for sale.

jIMOh · 09-23-2010, 10:03 AM

My MIL collects Hummels. She used to live in Germany and brought collection back with her.

True story, my BIL in his younger and wilder days had a party and broke one of them. He superglued it back together.
2 weeks later my wife is crying (she was younger then too) and her mother asked her what was wrong and she said her brother broke a hummel and superglued it back together.

To this day they cannot figure out which one he superglued- he did that good a job repairing it.

bbbamI · 09-23-2010, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avalon

I have a few guns. I just gave a very nice one away.

Oh...what a lovely thing to do. Handing down an item that is precious to you can be so rewarding.

I'm sure your gift was very much appreciated.

Cattusbabe · 09-23-2010, 10:45 AM

I'm enjoying this thread it is so timely. My sister scored tickets to the the Antiques Road Show last month in Washington DC. It was fun spending time with sis and seeing the behind the scenes of the show.
Basically it is a long, though very well organized gue...say two hours... just the have your 15 seconds with the appraiser. That is about how long it takes to be told that you lugged a worthless piece of crap on a train from Philadelphia. However it was not all bad. I did not have to pay for the appraisal and hubby and I along with sis and nephews spent a lovely weekend in Alexandria Va. Highly recommend King street we had a blast.

CuppaJoe · 09-23-2010, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orchidflower

....

Since a couple folks have mentioned collectible plates, I have a ton of hand painted vintage plates--alot by some lady marked 1903, so they're old. Anyway, this is what I plan to do with mine but over the bed instead of the kitchen or dining room. Just wanted to do something creative with them that was different (scroll down the page for all the ideas). I really like the falling plate appearance of the last set that is over the stove.

Wildly Creative Ways to Use Plates as Wall Decoration «

Thanks for another unique thread, OF.

Love the caption on this one, “Vintage all the way, and as charming as can be.” The stove and window are exactly what I have in the kitchen of my 1912 apt. When I moved in, my first purchase was a stainless steel pot just like the one on the stove but I hated using it. The cabinets were last redone in the ‘70s, and when I added some crockery and especially a CorningWare tea pot for boiling water from the ‘70s, I felt at home there for the first time.

haha · 09-23-2010, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CuppaJoe

Thanks for another unique thread, OF.

Love the caption on this one, “Vintage all the way, and as charming as can be.” The stove and window are exactly what I have in the kitchen of my 1912 apt. When I moved in, my first purchase was a stainless steel pot just like the one on the stove but I hated using it. The cabinets were last redone in the ‘70s, and when I added some crockery and especially a CorningWare tea pot for boiling water from the ‘70s, I felt at home there for the first time.

Joe, this is not your apartment, but a similar one?

REWahoo · 09-23-2010, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haha

Joe, this is not your apartment, but a similar one?

Joe's Apartment?

Here ya go...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw_zUUE4BE0

CuppaJoe · 09-23-2010, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haha

Joe, this is not your apartment, but a similar one?

Similar. Yeah, I know that doorknob, too.

Fortunately, my stove is not right under the window but about three feet away and along the other wall. The one pictured from the article is a recipe for a curtain fire. Don't ask me how I know.