Me and my dad have got a good collection of antique coins from India. Its from 1900-1975, majority from British Medieval time.
I want to find a place in U.K or U.S where i can get to know actual cost of these coins or if i can put them on auction or can sell them straight away at good price. Please help me out. Its kind of serious as we got some financial crisis.
The established antique dealer will already know his way around Paris, the major cities and the antiques/brocante fairs. However for the small dealer or the individual who may be new to this or on a learning curve, this article endeavours to give some guidance.
There are several places to buy, similar to the UK, so before you go a study of possible routes or places you wish to visit is essential. The magazine I use to establish an itinerary is “Aladin” where you will find ” l’Agenda des Chineurs”, (a list or diary of events). Les chineurs is used rather loosely to cover antique dealer or hunter, professional or amateur. This magazine is full of useful information, their web site is aladinmag.com. You can subscribe or just extract information for the immediate future.
There are essentially two reasons for going to France 1.To buy or 2.To enjoy the ambiance of France and buy some antiques/collectables at the same time. Whatever the reason, it is still necessary to establish where you are going and for how long. Don’t forget France is a big country, albeit well served with motorways but it still takes time and money (tolls, fuel etc.) to travel.
You will need a good up to date road map of France, preferably in book form to make it easy to read in the car, a list and map of the “Departments”. France is divided into about 100 departments and these numbers are used by most people to define where their activity is located, i.e. 66 is Pyrenees – Orientales and the post code will also start with this number, just insert French departments in the search box and you can download the map. So with a good road map and the department map you can start to plan.
You must decide which part of France you wish to visit or you will have to do some research using “L’Agenda des Chineurs” to make this decision. Whatever you choose you must decide if you are visiting shops or fairs, or a combination of both. As far as shops are concerned many advertise in ‘Aladin’, others in yellow pages, “pagesjaune.fr” and there is a very good website at french-antiques-dealers.com. Antique shops are similar to those in the UK, run by professional dealers often specialists: the antique centre as we know it hardly exists. To find brocante shops your search engine is a good source as well as pagesjaunes.fr. Keep asking in hotels, information centres and dealers you meet, they are all full of information about the area.
The decision to visit markets or fairs gives you a wide choice, marches hebdomaires (weekly), marches mensuels (monthly) or any number of fairs scattered throughout France similar to UK. These are listed under ‘Calendrier des Manifestations’ by department, town and type of fair. This is why that department map is so important. Choosing which fairs to aim for depends on your goals, ‘Professionels’ are usually the classic antique fair with specialist dealers or ‘Brocante’ (bric-a-brac), these two are often combined. Vide Greniers (empty loft) like a boot fair, but usually in the street with local inhabitants selling off anything. Foire au Puce is a flea market and may be found anywhere. Deballages Marchands is a large display of merchandise aimed at the dealer and normally there are one thousand or more dealers similar to Newark in the UK. These are often reserved for dealers, but if you have a trade card you’ll get in.
The majority of fairs are at the weekend but like the UK there are some during the week which should not be ignored. The large deballages are during the week. Many fairs are held on public holidays and attract many visitors. Of course you may decide to stay in Paris and visit all the brocante outlets there – many are well advertised and famous like St.Ouen (Clignancourt) open Saturday, Sunday and Monday. There are antique quarters like ‘Louvres de Antiquaires’, in the rue de Rivoli. There are many fairs in Paris advertised in the Aladin magazine. Use your search engine to find antiques, brocante and puces, there is an abundance of information. Don’t forget it is more difficult to find bargains in Paris because it is a Mecca for dealers worldwide.
Having decided your route, check the towns you will pass through and lookup antiques and brocante in pagejaunes.fr., and use the internet. Don’t forget to ask at the hotel you are staying at, the tourist office and other dealers. Sometimes you will discover the odd one not on the main routes. Beware that brocante on tourist routes can mean high prices.
You can combine visits to the brocante/antique shops during the week with weekday fairs. You should be able to plan one or two weeks taking in many fairs and shops as you wish whilst still enjoying the ambiance. After all this you need to look at the costs involved, fuel for the round trip, ferry if from UK/Ireland (go for mid week deals), hotels (wide variation in cost but book if going in the tourist season, sleeping in the car is not a good idea if you are working), Tolls on motorways, (these soon mount up), car insurance for EU travel and don’t forget the contents. EU medical card (free) makes life easier at hospitals and doctors even if you have to pay. You can get reimbursed in the UK.
The economics for the small dealer are clear, if your costs are £1000.00 and you want to sell your stock at double your purchase price you need to buy £1000.00 to break even! You can do your own sums on this, but remember your travel costs are fixed and it is the profit margin that will pay for the trip, as well as giving you some clear profit. However the sums are straight forward, the more you buy, and sell at a profit the more economical the trip will be. Don’t forget you still have to sell it!
Leaving stock in the car overnight is not a good idea unless you are in secure parking (available at some hotels), but take many holdalls and boxes so you can take the stock with you at night Yes, it is worth it! Obviously with large items you must decide the risk.
There are other sources of brocante, antiques and the unusual in, Trocs and a charity called Emmaus scattered around the country. Worth popping in if passing but do not make a detour. These are essentially second hand shops but do often have the odd gem in their “smalls” department. The rules on buying are the same as always, no damage, no repairs and ask is it genuine? I have not mentioned auctions (enchères) which are similar in most countries and there is no reason why you should not go to these. They are time consuming and only you can decide if you can fit them in to your schedule. Again Aladin lists many of these.
Saké is a traditional Japanese liquor made from rice and water. It is produced from a fermentation and filtration process. Known in the west as “Saké” but in Japan as “Nihonshu”, Saké is a general term for alcohol.
The fermented Saké is initially a milky colour but is filtered by pressing through a mesh to produce a clear liquid. The Japanese production of Saké is an ancient tradition with evidence as far back as the 3rd century B.C. As with so many Japanese traditional practices, Saké has its own specialised ceramics. The central shape being the Tokkuri or
Saké bottle
These containers were developed into a ceramic art form and many were produced by small family potteries. The majority were produced as earthenware specifically known to the Japanese as “stone textured”. Very often the brewer ordered the Tokkuri from the potter, who then wrote the name of the brewer in Japanese characters or in flowing script.
As today, when the customer returned the empty Tokkuri to the brewer, he received a rebate on the refill! The Tokkuri were constantly recycled and used for oil, lamp oil, vinegar and for a wide range of domestic uses.
Saké is normally consumed cold in the summer and warm in the winter. Warming is today achieved by standing the now small porcelain Tokkuri in a container of hot water. In earlier times the stone textured Tokkuri were also warmed in hot water but were commonly suspended over a low coal fire to heat the Saké. The Japanese block print illustrated, circa 1820, shows this traditional method.
In the vast Japanese literary tradition, the Haiku or 16 syllable poem is found “in praise of the Tokkuri.
Two Tokkuri
The misty world
Seems to float
Anon
and this haiku by Issa’s – 1824
Living alone
Just one Tokkuri
For drinking away the years
This haiku refers to an end of year drinking party, but in this house, (Issa’s), every day is new years eve!
The Antique & Vintage Table Lamp Co currently have 3 tokkuri table lamps. Two are stone textured in the traditional “Rosuku” shape and one rather elegant smaller version of monochrome glazed earthenware. These “robust and honest” lamps have a timeless ability to fit very comfortably into both the traditional and contemporary interior, being at home in either setting
The traditional wheel potted Tokkuri virtually disappeared after 1945 along with many typical Japanese domestic art and craft form
A 19th century Japanese stoneware sake bottle or “Tokkuri” as a table lamp.
The bold black characters, the name of the brewer
The table lamp on a turned & polished maple wood stand. Early Meiji – Circa 1880 Overall height (including shade) 21″/53cm
We bought an antique bookcase and later discovered it has bugs in it. They are eating the wood and leaving little piles of sawdust. They are very small and brown with little wings – they sort of resemble weevils. (I do not think they are termites.)
How do we kill them? Do we have to get rid of the bookcase? And, are we in danger of them spreading to other pieces of furniture or our hardwood floors?
Please help! Thanks.
Morgan Silver Dollars were first minted in 1874 and they were produced for 30 years ending in 1904. The U.S. Mint then did a limited production of this coin again in 1921 due to an abundance of silver. The Morgan Silver Dollar isn’t named like other coins after famous politicians or business people, but instead is named for the designer himself. Before these coins were available, the Seated Liberty Silver Dollar and Silver trade coins were in circulation, and mostly used for trade with the Far East. These coins were produced with 0.77344 troy ounce of silver.
Morgan Silver Dollars originated around the same time as a silver strike in Nevada. In 1921, there was an abundance of silver, which caused the government to produce one more round of these coins, which are now more famous than the ones produced prior to this time. Collectors and investors both know that the value of these coins is far more than any monetary compensation.
One man in particular began collecting these Morgan Silver Dollar coins throughout his life, and lived as though he was broke. When he died during the 1970s, he ended up leaving over 100 million dollars in his estate, including 400 bags of Morgan Silver Dollars, which each contained 1,000 coins. The coins were apparently purchased for $1 each at the time, but sold for more than $7 million when they went to auction because of their iconic status as the largest known collection in the world.
There are many different Morgan Silver Dollars that have significant value, including many that are stamped with a “cc” mint mark. This mark means that they were manufactured at the Carson City Mint during the Silver strike, making them rarer and more valuable than other Morgans. The most popular years for these coins include the 1889 cc, the 1893 s and the 1895 Morgan Silver Dollar which are highly sought after by those involved in coin collecting.
The Morgan Silver Dollar is now merely a collector’s item, but can be a great investment for those who collect the right coins, or enough of the coins. If you had one of the rare coins that are highly sought after, you may likely learn that it can be worth far more than you paid for it, and you could easily live out your life with the profit from selling these few coins. Many people collect the Morgan Silver Dollar, even though it has no use in society as money because they are still valued as rare collectible coins.
I have over 1000 antique stamps, where/how do I determine the value of them? Is there a website I can look them up on?
Pottery can be used as a classical support for understanding the antique Greek culture and civilization. The graphic illustrations skillfully fashioned on fancy pottery, reflect the manifold aspects of Greek life. The Greek empire from Stone Age to Hellenistic era has undergone quite a lot of changes. These alterations can be examined in terms of seven different eras through which the Greek society has passed. We will discuss in the following paragraphs how the Greek art of manufacturing pottery also underwent changes with the change in the different historical periods.
1 Greek Pottery In The Stone Age-
In the early Neolithic period Greek pottery was unadorned. In the mid Neolithic period people started decorating pottery with red and white geometric patterns. The newly formed and decorated potteries were known as Sesklo wares. Then the Dimni people of Greece in the late Neolithic period made special kinds of pottery which were black or cream in color.
2. Greek Pottery in the Early Bronze Age-
During this period the Minyan ware was found and it was brought by the indo European Greeks. It is a well made ware in a potter’s wheel and is plain gray in color. It also has wide range of interesting shapes and sizes which was not found in the Stone Age.
3. Greek Pottery in the Late Bronze Age-
It was the Mycenean period and the Greeks started making designs on pottery. They made geometric shapes, humans, animals, sea creatures in cream colored background. The Greeks in the late Bronze Age made designs in black or red.
4. Greek Pottery in the Dark Age-
In this age the Mycenean civilization collapsed and so also the Mycenean pottery. People lost interest in the manufacturing of pottery. However this age also came to an end and people began manufacturing pots again. The pottery was made with circular drawings on it.
5. Greek Pottery in the Archaic Period-
In the 900 BC which is the archaic period the potters of Athens and Cornith regained their passion in pottery. In Cornith the artisans festooned miniature pots where the figures of mythical animals had been portrayed. The Athenians started painting mythological tales on their pottery and exclusive tales from Homer’s Illiad.
6. Greek Pottery in Black Figure-
Gradually the clay pots of archaic period took a different picture as the focus shifted from shape of the pot to more and more scenes on it. A new style of painting developed and as a substitute of making human structures on the sketch, the potters now started to make natives in silhouette. The paintings were solely in black color.
7. Greek Pottery in Red Figure-
The Athenian potters in 500 BC, instead of painting the people black prepared the background of the pot black and made images on this black surface with red color. Though the painting was quite difficult the figures on the pot looked more realistic than ever. But 40 years hence the red figure Greek pottery also became extinct.
Greek pottery, as can be seen, went through many evolutionary stages giving us a wide variety of pottery ware, each unique in its own way.
I am planning on using a victorian iron crib. It has been stripped and repainted. We have had a custom mattress made to fit the crib. We live in an old victorian brick home, and have kept all the furniture inside antique. My husband still thinks we should get a new crib.
Most professional and amateur collectors frequently wonder how much their antiques and collectibles are worth, especially those items for home decoration. Putting a monetary value on most family hand-made and even purchased quilts, area rugs and furniture is usually a hassle. There are many ways that such a person can use to determine and ascribe a monetary value to such an item. These value appraisals are usually based on their current market selling price for each item.
Thousand of books are available to help an individual ascribe a value for specific antique items and collectibles. Such books give a person you a sense of what buyers can pay and are therefore suitable sources especially on when to sell, where and to whom. Prices are usually determined by the manufacturer, the place of origin, age and even the particular country in which a person may wish to sell.
A good example is an area rug. If a person has in his or her collection a rare type of area rug, determining its monetary value will be guided by certain specifics. The age of the item is crucial because certain area rugs made in the past decades are very expensive especially French, Italian and Asian rugs made in the 18th Century. The material will also determine the value because essentially Persian, Asian, African rugs among many others are distinctive by their materials. Color schemes and artwork displayed on the area rug also features largely in determining value of the antique piece especially when it comes to Japanese, American and Indian rugs.
Antiques and collectibles can also be valued based on their replacement and or insurance value set by private evaluators during the evaluation stage of a policy cover. Such evaluation usually sets the highest price that can guarantee the replacement of the item if lost during the policy duration. The appraisers always take into account the availability of a particular item against its cost in an outright current market purchase. That is why refinished furniture often loose value if it’s been refinished without maintaining the patina.
The value of an item can also be determined by its condition at the time of appraisal. A patched up rug or creaky chair looses on the price of a good item and that is why it is important to look over an antique before bidding for it during an auction. Such an appraisal especially for a rug involves checking for the nicks, the cracks, the hazing, the rips and the tears. The area rug can also be checked for stains, missing torn-off parts or other kinds of damage that underplays the original design and visual appeal.
Some other antique and collectible items are given more value when they are a part of the authentic original set. Others are priced higher only because they exist as a set piece of particular items hard to find as such. Many places and means are available for a collector to use as a reference guide to establish the value for any home decoration item in his or her possession. The value ascribed as the worth must be what a buyer is ready and willing to pay for the item.