Transferware is a traditional ironstone china made by printing an often intricate image on a white background. Learn how to identify and value old china by pattern, backstamps, and style.
Before trying to learn the value of Depression glass, learn how to identify the pattern of your early-20th-century collectables.
Some people paint, some people read, but there are lots of people collecting things as a hobby. If you wish you had more nifty things to display, consider starting a collection. I have some suggestions for you.
If you like history, vintage paper items, and learning about people's lives, try collecting antique diaries. Here are guidelines for collecting, restoring, and selling them.
Sterling silver and silver plate is attractive and collectible. Sterling is valuable for craftsmanship, rarity, and for melting as a commodity.
Antique and vintage plates and their modern reproductions are popular and collectible. A general overview of china dishware, its history, and how to identify patterns and designs.
Whether you inherited it from your great-grandmother or picked it up at an estate sale, your old mirror may be worth more than you realize. It's time to put on your detective hat and look for clues!
Treasures can be found amongst the family crockery. Check the manufacturing mark on the back. Examples include Japanese post-war imports, Chinese Fine China, Fireking USA, Aynsley, and Towerbrite.
So you have this old picture, and you're not sure who it's by. The right name could make all the difference at auction, but just how do you find out who painted your item—and were they famous?
The British mark their silver in symbols. Learn how to read them to properly identify your silver and find treasures overlooked by others who don't know what the symbols mean.
This spectacular ruby-colored, early-American pattern glass can add beauty and interest to your decor, and it is fun and affordable to find and collect.
Most often delicately colored or clear, Depression glass has its own unique look.
Jewelry reflects the taste and attitude of every period in history. There are clues that can be used in deciphering how old your jewelry is. The older and rarer, the more valuable it will be.
Almost everyone has a piece of vintage or antique pottery. If you don't, then you probably know someone who does. Exploring the origins of the pottery is so interesting!
This vintage button guide contains valuable information about different types of vintage buttons, including how to test them to see what they are made from. You'll also learn how to safely clean and care for vintage and antique buttons.
Vintage teacups have an elegance all their own. There is an infinite amount of cup shapes and patterns. So very delicate and beautiful.
Blue Ridge Pottery dishes made in the Appalachian mountains are very popular with collectors. History and information on Blue Ridge Pottery Show and Sale yearly in Erwin, Tennessee
Some antique license plates are worth thousands of dollars, but their price depends on many factors. Learn how to determine the value of old plates.
Vintage textiles are valuable, collectible, and need special treatment for laundering or storage. Cutting whole pieces for home craft projects destroys their value.
Sooner or later, there will be a buyer for just about any item you care to name, but what makes an antique or collectible desirable? What do rarity, condition, and provenance actually mean?
Stoneware is a tough, versatile type of pottery made in the U.S. for 300 years. The antique blue and white spatterware and spongeware is a popular collectible that is still being produced today.
Do you want to know more about that old picture? Is it a valuable watercolour or oil painting? What is it actually worth? How can you research it for free?
Flow Blue is a highly collectible, antique blue-and-white china popular during the Victorian era, known for hazy blue floral, pastoral, or Asian patterns on bright white china.
There is a difference between antiques and collectibles and a difference between price guides and actual value, which is influenced by consumer demand, availability, and the condition of the item.
Antique samplers are delicate and fragile. They must be cared for by someone who knows how to care for old textiles. Here is the story of an old sampler and how I came to learn about its history.
Learn how to identify pottery and porcelain hallmarks and marks.