Wedgwood Values All Over the Map

There's a lesson here for smart collectors. See if you can figure out where I'm going with the moral when it comes to Wedgewood china

Piano Babies Cry Cuteness, But Appeal Is Limited

You really have to marvel at the Victorians. To their eye, a blank space was a wasted space. And so they plopped shawls, what-nots, tchotchkes, and all kinds of you name it on any available flat surface. As a result, piano babies, a ceramic conceit of over-the-top cuteness, lounged on pianos or mantels until about WWI.

High Chair Hunters Are A Picky Bunch

High chair hunters look for decorative, preferably over-the-top Victorian examples. Or they go for ones with technical innovations. Basic later chairs are a much harder sell.

Values Could Vary Widely In Hall Pottery Cache

All that we received were images. Period. No info or comment. Because most readers ask for identification and/or value, I assume the above question expresses what the reader wants to know

Authentic Lincoln Papers Are Always in Demand

My family has a letter handwritten by Abraham Lincoln. It appears to be valid, but we'd like to find out for sure. How do we find a credible source?

German Steins Vary Widely in Value

I want to sell these steins but have no idea of their value. They've been in my family for many years and I'm anxious not to make a mistake. Any info?

Vintage Chiefs Blankets Prized By Knowledgeable Collectors

Any info on this chiefs blanket, including how to sell it? I've researched and can't find a pattern exactly like it, but the diamond design seems to fit what I've read about Navajo chiefs blankets from 1880.

Did Saltcellars Come Over On the Mayflower? Probably Not

My family describes the set of 12 individual, lead crystal saltcellars we inherited as heirlooms that traveled to America on the Mayflower. Supposedly, they came with the White family, whose son, Peregrine, was the first child born to Pilgrims in the New World.

Styling Adds Punch and Value to Victorian Table

One, a large, beautifully carved Victorian center table, stands out for its sheer style. It's in the Rococo Revival style popular in the mid-1800s, and dates from that time. The wood appears to be walnut, though it must be seen firsthand.

Silver Mesh Purse Stumps the Expert

My grandmother gave me a silver mesh purse a long time ago. I tried several websites to find the history on it and the estimated value, but no luck.

There's a Difference Between What Seller Asks and Seller Gets

We've said it here before: There is a vast difference between asking and getting. A seller can quote anything, but getting it is another matter. Whenever you see an eye-popping value, consider the source.

Buyers Much Pickier in Today's Collectibles Markets

I wonder if people have seriously thought about the law of supply and demand as it relates to their items. In simplest terms, the idea is that in a competitive market, the price for any item will vary according to relationship between the quantity wanted by consumers and the quantity available. Shifts in the market can affect the classic curve

Collectors: Do Your Heirs a Favor and Detail What You've Got

Collectors have a responsibility to those left behind. Do yourself and your heirs a favor and keep descriptive info with updated lists of values on your objects

Collecting Sports Memorabilia

People buying and selling cards and other sports memorabilia can be found just about everywhere these days, and there's money to be made. But given the amount of fraud, there's also money to be lost if you're not careful. Here's an overview for a winning strategy

Good Vintage Chintz Ceramics Hard to Find

Any info on my Summertime Royal Winton teapot from the 1950s? Bottom marks are Grimwades and Ascot. Any value?

Light Fixtures: Just Don't Make Them Like They Used To

My husband and I found these two discarded lights. They have such style and beauty that we want to refurbish them. We've looked on the Internet to see what they looked like complete, but no luck. Any ideas?

'Jacobean' Chest Real or Repro? Appraiser Can Help

If you cannot wait until Antiques Roadshow filming comes your way (if it does), appraisal is always an option. Perhaps a local dealer who knows very old furniture will do a verbal appraisal at less cost than a written, formal appraisal. Can't hurt to ask.

Square Grand Pianos Sought Again After Century Out of Favor

During the 19th century, more square grand pianos sold in America than uprights or classic grands. Massive and stolid, the elaborate instruments fit Victorian aesthetics. They reached a height of popularity around the 1880/90s. By 1900, consumers rejected Victorian fussiness and many handsome square grands were cut into firewood or discarded. Today, the old relics are again fashionable

Is Yard Sale Masterpiece the Real Deal? Don't Take Seller's Word

I picked up a painting at a yard sale held by a world traveler. I don't see a signature on it, but she told me it was by August Schwabe, a German artist. Value?

Mass-Produced Daffodil Pin Worth a Bundle? Not Likely

My daffodil pin marked 'Danecraft Sterling' was on 'Antiques Roadshow' a few years ago. They said that only five were made. Value?

Survival of Haviland Punch Set a Near Miracle

Old Haviland has a Schleiger number, an identifier to differentiate between the many patterns produced by the maker. Developed by Arlene Schleiger of Omaha, Neb., and continued by her son, the system of pen and ink drawings was developed in the 1940s and '50s. It is a helpful visual reference showing details of each pattern.

Cylinder Music Boxes: 19th Century Home Entertainment System

Before phonographs and 'talking machines,' before records, jukeboxes, Walkmans and I-Pods, homes that could afford one had a floor-standing or tabletop mechanical music box. Large coin-operated boxes stood upright in saloons and arcades.

Vuitton Trunks Are Highly Collectible, so Find a Good Auction House

Today, early 20th-century Louis Vuitton travel trunks and suitcases are immensely popular with collectors. Some actually use them. Others display them as decorative objects