Antique Toothpick Holders

Collecting is one of my passions and toothpick holders as you can see is one of them. When my husband and I got married and were on the look out for antiques, I wanted something special that I could collect. It was toothpick holders, glass, usually over 100 years old and very beautiful in their own right. My mother had a small collection of colorful glass ones that she showcases in her kitchen window and that's what gave me the idea. They are small, just as ornate as bigger pieces of early american pressed glass and wonderful examples of what was created at the turn of the century. In the photo collage above, there is one that is not glass and it is a metal woodpecker. I really wanted this one because my grandfather had one that he used daily. Other than that a couple of Frankoma pottery and a couple of German porcelian ones, they are all glass.

My collection has grown to about 177 that I'm not willing to part with. Duplicates get put away to be sold or are already at the antique mall in our booth. Even this large a collection, no matter how small the items, they still take up a 3 shelf cabinet and a 4 shelf cabinet in our dining room and another shelf in the curio cabinet in the living room. As you can see in the photos below, they are sometimes 2 and 3 deep so it is hard to see them all.

If you are going to start a collection, please do your research and get books to help you determine the worth of the items and to help you keep track of those you have, those you want or those you need. I still have some little gems on my list that I'm not not willing to pay the $200 price tag for, so I settle for my little inexpensive ones and can collect more.

Make a Living Selling Antiques and Collectibles?

Found via Twitter is Rinker's Opinion on this very question on Ruby Lane. My first question when I read the opinion article is who is Harry Rinker...well he has written several books on collecting, hosted the Collector Inspector on HGTV, has appeared on Oprah and Martha Stewart, plus numerous others. So I guess I should know who he is and I do remember those shows on HGTV, but I guess haven't paid much attention lately. If you would like more info about Mr. Rinker, here is his web site http://www.harryrinker.com/harry.html.

May 28, 2009 - 4:46pm

We asked Harry Rinker: Although you do not sell, do you think it is possible for a person to make a living selling antiques and collectibles? What are the keys to keeping an antiques and collectibles business in the black?

Here is his response:
It depends on how you define “make a living.” Most antiques and collectibles dealers are not interested in making a living, at least not in the sense of paying their bills plus a salary and benefits to themselves and others from the profits derived from their antiques and collectibles business. The vast majority of antiques and sellers are part-timers.

There are a large number of retirees who sell antiques and collectibles for the sole purpose of deducting their traveling and living expenses from their income tax, in essence enjoying a free ride from the government as they travel across the United States and abroad. They are not breaking the law, merely using it to their own advantage.

My initial advice to anyone who is thinking of entering the trade is don’t give up your day job until your making at least three-quarters or more of your day time salary. Add to this the concept that you should have six months operating capital in hand before starting.

Whether a person is in the antiques and collectibles business part-time or full time, the primary key to achieving black rather than red ink is to treat what you do as a business. It is not necessary to spend forty hours plus a week to qualify as a business. Some businesses models require ten hours per week, others sixty or seventy.

Start by developing a business plan. If you do this, you are ahead of the ninety-five percent plus individuals who sell antiques and collectibles who do not have or never heard of a business plan. This larger group is known as checkbook sellers. As long as their checkbook has more money in it at the end of the month than it did the previous month, they are happy.

If you would like the complete article, please go to http://blog.rubylane.com/node/921.

As my husband and I do agree with his opinion, there are antique dealers that we know who do support themselves in this business. They work hard...probably much harder than most of us do in a regular office day job. So, if you are planning a career in the antiques and collectibles business do keep your day job.

Vintage Drink Sets

While strolling through one of our local antique malls I found several great drink sets. Some were for wine, other for iced tea or high balls...who knows what they found to drink back in the 60's, and others were just great sets. Of course I took photos and made a collage of them for you to check out. I have a couple of favorites, but the pink glasses with the pitcher I love. It might have something to do with the color, but I can just see using it in the summertime with lemonade.

Goofus Glass

My husband and I were fascinated by this glass when we were buying at auctions and estate sales. You have to be extremely careful when cleaning as the paint is not fired onto the glass. We don't know what factory produced our pieces, but they are unique. Wikipedia has this to say about Goofus Glass:

Goofus glass is basically pressed glass which was cold (un-fired) paint decorated in the early 20th century in America by several prominent glass factories. It was made in considerable quantities and sold originally for very little. It was given as premiums for buying things, awarded as prizes at Fairs, and actually was the first "carnival glass" preceding the iridized product we refer to as carnival glass today. Articles included but weren't limited to plates, bowls, vases, oil lamps, dresser sets, salt and pepper shakers and candle holders. The most common colors used were gold, red, and green with gold usually being the predominant color. Indiana Glass Company in Dunkirk, Indiana was possibly the most prolific producer of this inexpensive decorated ware. It was not known by that name initially, but gained the name possibly because the painted decoration wasn't very durable and people felt perhaps that it was "goofy" or that someone had tried to "goof - us".

More attractive pieces preceding Indiana's offerings existed as turned out by the Dugan Diamond Company and H. Northwood. These consisted of lines of pressed glass known as "Intaglio" and paint decorated opalescent glass. These pieces are the most highly valued items collectors seek today. There are also decorated milk glass objects to be found, a number of which were produced by the Westmorland Specialty Company. While some collectors incorrectly refer to paint decorated opalescent items and milk glass items as "Goofus glass", it is more correct to say that they are "Goofus decorated" opalescent and milk glass, thus the term "Goofus" has come to refer more to the use of un-fired enamel decoration to a piece of pressed glass than to the glass itself.

It is extremely difficult to pinpoint the exact time of start and finish of this exclusively American glass making phenomena (different Mfg.s, different times). It has been thought to have started around 1900 perhaps and surely was all but effectively ended by 1930, although many feel it really ended for all practical purposes as a staple item of the glass factories as soon as the process for iridized glass was discovered and started being produced. There was so much of it made that it continued to turn up for years and is still to be found on EBay. There is no contemporary reference book in print and but one web site which provides the most information available on it.

Here is another photo of one in our collection.

Antiques - Collectibles still useful stuff

Several years ago my husband and I started collecting various antiques. We weren't particular at first as we just bought things we loved, then it happened. We ended up with too much stuff, so much that we had to start getting rid of our precious items. This is when we started renting a space in a local antique mall. For over 7 years now my husband and I have bought, sold and given away all kinds of antique and collectible stuff. I mention the given away part only because of the economic times we are in and that most months we either just make rent on our little booth or we have to pay a little. This makes a good tax write off but not good business, so we go back to the hobby of collecting the things we love.

This blog will be about finding those special items that make a home wonderful and unique. It could be a handmade item from long ago or a collectible that was once a useful home item. I may even throw a few crafty things in here from time to time to spruce up those great finds into something usable for today.

Where to find great used stuff? There are several places, but I'm one that likes to touch and feel before I buy.....you know the saying "buyer beware", this is the case when buying antiques and collectibles on the Internet. I'm not saying not to buy on the Internet, but you need to find a reputable dealer, view the photos closely and ask questions before you purchase via E-Bay, Craig's List or another site. My favorite places is antique malls, estate sales, garage sales and auctions. Check out your local auctions and start visiting them. They have great items that folks have to get rid of and don't want to mess with an estate or garage sale. My husband wrote a comical blog a couple of years ago about attending auctions and how to do it or not do it the way we did, but I can't find the link. I'll look for it again and post it later as it is worth reading.

I'll leave you with this photo from a post on one of my other blogs. These are unusual items that you can find at an antique mall. Some of these are great and some are just bizarre.