If you are living in one of our colder climate states as I do, spring and garage sales cannot come soon enough. Even estate sales seem to be few and far between in this colder, snowier year. With the seed catalogs arriving in snail mail, we are thinking spring and hoping that a good crop of antiques will follow.

While it is fun and informative to browse antique malls, learning by observing price tickets, checking tags for manufacturer’s names and talking with sales people or an occasional dealer doing restocking, it takes a great effort to find good bargains. That’s the case for either one’s own collection or for resale purposes. Garage sales often have limited amounts of goods but it’s easy to run through 10-15 places on a Saturday morning.

Estate sales offer a much better chance to find goodies, especially if you are willing to dig. Wifey always heads for the expensive collectibles, decorative items and jewelry, usually located within sight of the checkout station and watched over by helpful staff. I am more inclined to start in the garage or basement, where advertising antique tins or stacks of paper are often hiding. And wifey joins me in the basement. It’s always the location where the estate seller places things they have little interest in and will frequently undervalue.

I have prowled through many a basement work shop or root cellar for tins, often buying the canister and discarding the washer, nuts or bolts they contain. (My own workshop is already loaded with full coffee tins.)

Tin collectors are a special breed. Many will purchase an example in poor condition, rather than pass up one that’s not in their collection. While condition affects price, rarity trumps condition every time. Many collectors focus on the artistic graphics on old tin. Tobacco tins are the easiest to find and come in a vast array of shapes and sizes, and with rare exception, if you heard of the brand, it is most likely quite common.

When hunting, check under and around all work areas, peek into medicine cabinets, fruit cellars, pantries, attics, closets and garages. Antique tins hide in all these places. And I have been known to inquire about items not marked for sale, sometimes “Yes” produces a super buy.

Our personal collection is very modest and centers around talcum powder tins. They sit on the sink top in our guest powder room and create the look of the 1930s. Antique tins are handy storage containers. That’s why many survived but where they are stored can also lead to condition problems. Holding “things” on a basement shelf may have saved it from the trash bin but basement dampness can destroy the graphics. Sunlight will fade the colors and proximity to chemicals in the garage can bubble the printing.

Tins are easily placed on shelves, a window sill or on furniture, their bright colors and graphics create a wonderful display. Tins were used for a great many products beside tobacco and powders, including candy and cookies, other food products, chemicals, oils, spices, coffee, prophylactics, hardware items and even industrial components.

Starting a collection requires a small investment, and I suggest that should include a reference guide to acquaint yourself with the relative price structure. This book is our guide to rating rarity with prices in broad terms and reflecting a range of conditions. It’s from Collector Books, a division of Schroeder Publications and is available from on line sellers, just search Google = Antique Tins by Fred Dodge.

Good hunting, and if you have an anecdote on tin collecting give us a comment.

#1 I enjoy reading old magazines. I delight in each discovery, reading my finds to hubby. He is always alerted to my discoveries by the gasp I make. Sometimes, when reading really good issues (typically anything before 1964), I gasp so often hubby will remind me to breathe so that I don’t pass-out… I often wonder if my Lamaze breathing would come in handy at these times, but I’ve yet to remember to try it. (If it works, you’ll be able to identify me at any estate sale by my hee-hee-who-ing.)

As evidence I submit this photo of a vintage magazine. It has 136 pages and there are 32 Post-It notes marking pages to scan. (Note: Some Post-It’s mark sections to scan, not just individual images.) Now you can see why he worries about my gasping.

#2 I enjoy auctions tremendously, but jump a lot at the noises auctioneer spotters make. I’ve not yet wet my pants or anything, but the day is nearing… Thank you, Kimberly-Clark, for Depends, and medical science for pacemakers & oxygen masks; now I’ll never be too old to be attending an auction.

#3 Hubby and I wear hats when out buying at auctions, yard sales, flea markets, and thrift stores. Even our kids have ‘hunting hats’.

My hat is this very noticable velveteen leopard print ‘cowboy’ hat that I got at a yard sale for $1.

Yes, we think we’re cool. Yes, it’s a bit hot, especially in summer; so I am always on the look-out for a lighter-shade (but equally cool — and inexpensive) hat. Yes, we know that by now ‘everyone’ knows we are dealers/collectors and that this could tip our hands. But the fact is we can easily spot each other at great distances.

#4 I don’t often polish my nails because as an ephemera lover I’m often digging through boxes and fear leaving red or other colored marks on the papers; yet I still prefer my nails long. The result is often broken nails which I then fidget with, anxiously, at auctions.

#5 Digging through boxes of old junk, my hand get very dirty. I wash them often, not only for the ‘ick’ factor, but because I don’t wish to soil other objects. Washing them often leads to very dry hands which I should pamper with lotions, but the fear of lotions leaving their traces, especially, again, on old fragile paper, prevents me from doing this. Even at night before bed, because I’m usually too lacking in oxygen from #1 to remember.

#6 I sometimes refer to dust on items in my home as ‘patina’.

#7 I have strange relationships with the ideas of ‘value’ & ‘worth’. As I fundamentally believe the value of anything is only what another is willing to pay, I sometimes take issue with retail and restuarant pricing and wish to dicker. I know it’s socially unacceptable, so I don’t (much to the relief of family & friends), but sometimes I’ll skip those outings due to ‘cost’ — and yet I will pay $5 for a pop and a lukewarm hotdog at an auction or flea market. Their ‘value’ increases greatly due to their proximity to the action.

#8 Sometimes things I don’t really like suddenly become adored simply because someone else is bidding/interested. I know my momma and daddy would smack me with a rolled-up newspaper for my bidding lust, but sometimes I just can’t help myself.

For example, I half-heartedly bid on a box of linens & other oddities, including a plush, handmade Miss Piggy doll. I was quickly out-bid by a mob of Muppet-manic mooches, which left me so upset that I heavily revenge bid on, and won, a later box which also included a similar Miss Piggy. I rationalized the larger bid by speaking of Miss Piggy’s resale return when I sold her. “Obviously, she’s in demand,” I said.

Miss Piggy is still here. I have not yet found the heart to sell her — or even investigate her potential ‘value’ — simply because I must still “enjoy the snot out of her” to get back at the infidels who dared to out-bid me on the first lot.

#9 I used to eschew ‘new’ collectibles, prefering to hunt only for ‘old things’. I told myself that paying retail for the latest release was tomfoolery when there were so many bargains to be had.

#10 I realized my folly in its entirety when I spotted Gene dolls. I can’t always afford them; but darn it, if I could I’d have paid retail (or higher) for each and every one. :sigh:

I then realized that I had adopted this snobby attitude because I needed not only to justify my inability to go after the retail priced collectibles and big ticket items, but to nurse my wounded pride too.

#11 I am fickle. Nearly anything — any collectible category, person, place, thing — can fascinate me and make me thrill to collect it. (Now you know why I was a bit worried about the love of new collectibles — at least before that, there were some limitations.)

#12 I am obsessive. Once I get my teeth (mentally — I don’t put collectibles into my mouth) into any collectible category, person, place or thing, I will ruthlessly research, hunt and track all I can on it. I can’t say I’ll always be able to discover the information, find the object, or be able to buy it if I do; but I’ll always be looking for it.

#13 I’m complicated. Driven by new fascinations as well as old and/or continuing hunts, and often at cross-purposes (such as meeting my girlie-girl needs and my collecting ones, or my conflicted judgments regarding ‘value’), I never quite know where my enthusiasm or bidding paddle will take me.

So now you can easily recognize me at any auction, garage sale, flea market or collector event: I’m the gasping girl in the animal print hat with hands, greatly in need of a manicure, holding onto an outrageously expensive hot dog dickering for a quarter on that box of old magazines. Yeah, that’s me.

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[Please read back here, here and here for previous articles about this year’s Toy Fair, for all of its weirdnesses and delights!]

By now, I’d seen the fancy DC Comics dolls over at the immaculate (but welcoming) Tonner booth, but I had other DC figures in mind - and I knew that they could be found at the showrooms of DC Direct and Mattel.

DC Direct is Time-Warner’s in-house DC Comics merchandising group and toy company. DCD makes action figures, prop replicas, statues, Minimates and other great comic items, all aided by the benefit of having original reference materials and current comic artists at their immediate disposal. They are, after all, the source. They’re responsible for a large number of artist-specific and story-specific action figures, which number over 60 each year, created in (unnumbered) limited editions. While you won’t usually find a DC Direct action figure at your Toys ‘R’ Us, you can find them in comic shops and mall entertainment shops, usually at a price of around $15 per figure. They’re a great company if you want the newest bad guy from a recent and major story arc, but they don’t normally address figures like ‘the most iconic Batman’ in a 6” scale. They will, however, give you a Batman drawn by every notable Batman artist in the past 30 years.

Walking the line between ‘action figures’ and ‘dolls’ is the 13” figure line. These feature large, articulated bodies in cloth costumes, and unlike the small figures, these DO successfully capture characters at their most iconic and recognizable, often also accessorizing them with a bevy of weapons, removable parts and packaging them in a beautiful window box. Past offerings in this size have included over a dozen characters, including Batman, Superman, Robin, Catwoman, Martian Manhunter, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Captain Marvel, Lex Luthor, Two Face and more. Future offerings include The Joker, Harley Quinn, Green Arrow and Bizarro - but the only new announcement for this line during Toy Fair was a re-release of the original, rare Green Lantern figure, which has reached over $300 on eBay since it was released. This new edition will have a slightly different costume, as well as four interchangeable heads, including the basic Hal Jordan mug - with notable GLs Abin Sur and Tomar Re, as well as new fish-headed GL NautKeLoi, rounding out the variety. Sure, these figures are a little too big to fit in next to your 1/6th Sideshow toys, but they’re still fine enough to pass muster as their own thing.

A Wonder Woman figure has been on the drawing board for this line for over two years, with one undecided factor being whether or not she’ll have rooted hair, like a Barbie, or have sculpted hair. I put in my vote for sculpted hair as I spoke to a designer, and everyone else in the showroom chimed in and agreed. I’ve seen my niece’s Barbie-fros, and it would be an unbecoming look for a warrior princess. Plus, the appearance and manufacture of the series’ women should be consistent, and all have had sculpted hair thus far.

We will be getting a large Wonder Woman, though, as a Museum Scale statue. The most eye-catching thing in the showroom was this epic piece, with Wonder Woman standing at roughly 18” tall, wielding weapons and clothed in real fabrics. It’s a beautiful work of art, and it will accompany the previously released Superman and Batman Museum Scale statues. It’s not articulated, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a statue.

Next to her was a 1/2 scale (or, 50% smaller than actual size) Joker bust, which was another impressive and alluring (and slightly creepy) item, designed to accompany the previous Batman bust, also done in the same scale. Both feature details that are luminous and eerily human in person, but photography flattens them. Until you can see the statue’s pores shift in the light, it’s hard to communicate the level of detail in these. Batman’s stubble looks real enough to shave. Or caress, depending on just how you feel about stubble and / or Batman.

And then, we come to the regular action figure lines. 2008 will see the last wave of Alex Ross’ Justice line, rounded out with Supergirl, Captain Cold, Toyman and Batgirl. I’m still geeked out about the Jack Kirby New Gods figures, as well as the line of four ‘Showcase’ figures, which pull from the whole history of DC Comics for favorite artists’ works to turn into figures - including the Superman with three alternate, wacky heads that show the effects of red Kryptonite.

Newly-announced in the All-Star line, which pulls images from both ‘All-Star Batman’ and ‘All-Star Superman’ comics. This line will have the first two Frank Quitely designed figures ever created, those being of Superman and a super-powered Lois Lane. Also in the line will be another Batman and Batgirl, drawn by Jim Lee.

Also newly announced is another wave of ‘Secret Files’ figures, comprised of four Bat-villains : Hugo Strange (in a Batman costume, with an optional Batman head), Poison Ivy, Two Face and a tropical Joker from ‘The Killing Joke’. Slight variations of this Joker and Batman will also be released together in a ‘Killing Joke’ box set, along with a copy of the comic of the same name. Summer convention exclusives promise to be further variants of the same.

It’s also worth noting that DCD has announced a Huntress bust for their second series of ‘Women of the DC Universe’ bust series, all designed by Terry Dodson. The first series, all designed by Adam Hughes, ended at the end of 2007 after a dozen great busts - some of which are worth three times the initial sale price. There are also new Ame-Comi figures happening, based on Donna Troy, Poison Ivy, Hawkgirl, and Zatanna - if you’re into that anime thing.

Here’s some news for World of Warcraft fans : we saw the third wave of figures but weren’t permitted to photograph them. They were great, and the line of four has TWO female figures in it - so run out and buy your Blood Elf chick from the first series now! I’m not a WoW kinda guy, but I like warrior women. My complete collection of Xena DVDs agrees with me.

And Minimates fans, nothing new was on display. Rumor has it that these amazing little guys won’t make it past an 8th wave, which breaks my little plastic heart. If you like them as much as I do, make some noise. It’s a great line, it plays well with others, and the character depth is stellar. I mean, AMBUSH BUG.

[Click here for the full DC Direct Gallery in our Community!]

[Click here for the full Mattel Gallery in our Community!]

After we saw DC’s showrooms, we made our way over to Mattel, who hold the other major component of the DC Comics characters licensing. Mattel takes a different approach to making figures than DCD, so there seems to be enough room for both companies to coexist - inasmuch as Mattel DOES go for the most iconic character appearance possible, and uses a broader selection of recognizable characters that fans have asked for, regardless of current appearances within the comics. Mattel also super-articulates their figures so that they’re very posable (wherein DC Direct uses minimal articulation), and use a build-a-figure system where one can build a 6th, bonus figure if you collect all 5 of the basic figures in a set.

These DC Universe Classics didn’t come with many new announcements, but the display of the next dozen 6” characters was exciting. Wave 1 has been on store shelves for a few months now, and Wave 2 will include Aquaman (modern and classic), Red and Blue Superman (from a brief period a few years ago when he changed his costume), Firestorm (modern and classic), Black Manta, and Harley Quinn, and with parts from 5 of these, you can build a huge Gorilla Grodd. Wave 3 will include Nightwing, Robin, Sinestro (modern and classic), Deathstroke (masked and unmasked), and Hal Jordan Green Lantern. Get five of these together and you can make a huge Solomon Grundy. The makeup of future waves was not yet revealed, but Cyborg and Wonder Woman are definitely in the mix, as 2-up sculptures were displayed of them.

I was surprised by the sudden announcement of the ‘DC Universe Infinite Heroes’ line - a collection of small 3.75” figures spanning an unusual and diverse range of characters. While these little guys don’t yet come close to matching the quality of the large figures, they do seem to have appropriately simple sculpts with basic details, about ten points of pivoting articulation, and hearken back to the classic days of collecting from my youth. Their small size will allow for a larger range of characters to be made in a shorter time, and they’ll also be in scale with your Star Wars and GI Joe guys. That Han Solo / Flash smackdown that you’ve been praying for is about to happen. The reaction to the line has been very mixed, but I’m waiting to see the final product before I pass any kind of summary judgment, as most of the items on display were prototypes. No matter what, I’m getting a Bizarro out of it. Some of the other surprising figures in the lineup were Commissioner Gordon, Mirror Master, Thanagarian Warriors, Black Adam, Batwoman, The Question, and Hush - all of whom are usually second-tier characters at best, and don’t often (if ever) appear as figures.

Barbie collectors, note that a new Black Canary and Supergirl Barbies will be coming out, also! These should sit comfortably with the previously released DC Heroine Barbies of Poison Ivy, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Harley Quinn. All of which are in my closet. Don’t laugh.

Mattel has also made action figures for the upcoming Batman movie, The Dark Knight. While the ‘Movie Masters’ line is meant to appeal to the adult collector with a fixation on accuracy and display, a secondary line will feature the requisite Batman in a handful of impractical, brightly-colored armors with action features. Hello, Ice Lobster Helicopter Rescue Batman! Despite the recent death of Heath Ledger, the actor who played the Joker in this movie, it’s reported that the action figure in his likeness will still be released at this time. I can’t help but wonder what the initial eBay hysteria will be like.

Finally, the kid-friendly Super Friends line doesn’t seem to have anything new to add to it either, as the most recent figures of Cyborg and Hawkman are just now trickling out onto shelves, with nothing more planned. A vehicle or two is on the way, and a series of plush dolls - but nothing too noteworthy for the collector. Cuddleworthy, yes.

These two companies are surely holding off on a few big reveals until April’s New York Comic Con, since most of the ‘new’ information was already a few weeks old. Here’s my vote for ‘Doom Patrol’ anything.

Stay tuned on Saturday for toys from your favorite non-comic book forms of entertainment - if you’re entertained by Hellboy and Heroes. Which I am.

Hubby and I left the house very early Saturday morning to be sure to arrive on time at the Northern Illinois Antiques Dealer Association Show in Rockford, Illinois. The Show opened at 10:00 and we were right on time, but had a line of anxious buyers to contend with. It was their 48th Annual antiques show but our first visit there. And it was certainly worth the drive!

There were 38 dealers in attendance, each one with a nice variety of top-quality antiques. No reproductions here, there was a great deal of integrity in their wares. The set-up was delightful too! The show was held at the Forest Hills Lodge which offered plenty of space, great lighting and with booths open and easy to flow through. The show has been held here for the last 15 years, they know a good setting when they see one!

We inquired at the check-in as to the name of the individual who was managing the show and they referred us to Bob Campbell of The Swan House Antiques. Bob was very friendly and professional and eager to share his knowledge about the Association and its members. He attributed the good turn-out to the agreeable weather and their history of offering quality antiques. Bob and his wife, Jan, do not own a store or lease booth space, but simply do shows, generally 3 or 4 a year. They’ve been members of the NIADA for 37 years.

Many of the dealers at the weekend show were from the area, but there were several we recognized from shows in Wisconsin, including a few members of WADA (Wisconsin Antiques Dealer Association.)
The first booth that we were attracted to was that of Joyce’s Silver & Antiques. She’s been in business for 41 years and sells at the newly re-opened Antique Mall in Rockford, Illinois, located on State Street.

Joyce specializes in silverware and hollowware, much of it in sterling and with a wonderful variety of products. Tea service sets, flatware in numerous patterns, candlesticks, and other fine antiques from England, France and the U.S. Very knowledgeable indeed!

Our next stop was the Blue Clover Antiques booth. It was run by partners Bill Byers and William Miller who have been selling for 25 years, specializing in flow blue ware. They belong to the Flow Blue International Collectors Club. This Club was founded in Rockford, Illinois 38 years ago. At that time there were 21 members. Bill and William were two of those founders. We were told there are about 1,000 members across the United States, England, Europe and Israel. The next show for the Flow Blue International Collectors Club is scheduled for July 24-27 in Rochester, New York.

While their specialty is flow blue dishes, they offered a nice selection of other antiques. Bill is pictured holding up a doll from the 1850s that collectors of black memorabilia would definitely find desirable! Her price was $350 and we thought she was incredible!

As the morning wore on, the crowd continued to grow. We found it challenging to get pictures of more of the booths. We do note the high concentration of primitive items, some very unique such as a metal piece from a prison in Indiana, a 5-part metal hog trough/feeder, signs from many Illinois establishments and on and on.

On a personal note, we were able to add to our growing collection of antique copperware and bought this fish cooker with a magnificent ‘starburst’ pattern. It was made in France in the 1890s and was nicely hall-marked.

I suggested that it could be my early birthday present, but then I always use that as an excuse when I truly “NEED” something!

In turn, I bought hubby two silver pieces. One is a cheese peeler, and the other is a pastry server for impressing our guests when passing out the Krispy Kremes!

It was an excellent show and one we will mark on our calendars for 2009!

The Cold War was a fascinating time in US history: it spanned decades, presidents, and other, more formal wars; it thrived on the public’s fear and the real threat of a potential war that never really happened; it was cloaked in such secrecy that we really don’t know all the details yet, even today. The Cold War’s seeds sprouted during the early years of the Soviet Union, but gained strength after WWII as the USSR grabbed power and spread its Communist ideology throughout the world. As it wasn’t an official war, there were no military medals, and despite the lives lost there’s no memorial — but the threads of the Cold War tie together a huge chunk of 20th century history, from the Korean War to Vietnam to Oliver North to the downfall of the Berlin Wall.

Shortly after the Wall came down, advertisements appeared in the backs of every conceivable magazine selling certified chunks of the Berlin Wall. I actually got to touch one — a high-school teacher had gotten a small chunk and brought it to class one day. They’re still sold and traded on sites like eBay; the wall was 96 miles long, and although much of it still stands (’removal’ of the wall was largely symbolic of the removal of guards along the wall), plenty of tons of concrete were available from the destruction of the parallel walls on each side of the border. This isn’t to say that any chunk of concrete claiming to be part of the wall must be from it. The premium for purchasing a part of the Berlin Wall comes from certification and provenance. As with all ‘found’ collectibles, certification is a must. Some, like the piece to the left, have markings that make it more distinct or carry more history — but many of the pieces are simple gray concrete chunks. Quality and size vary greatly, and price may or may not be proportional — so if you’re shopping for a piece of the Berlin Wall it is wise to shop around.

As a kid who spent his allowance at Radio Shack whenever possible, the CIA’s radio programs have a soft spot in my heart, propaganda be damned. An attempt to undermine the hold of Communism in Eastern Europe, Congress established Radio Free Europe, staffed by Americans under the watchful eye of the CIA, to issue ’soft’ propaganda promoting democracy and the American way. Eisenhower called it the Crusade for Freedom, an umbrella term for all the propaganda in the region. The logo you see to the right (from a print block I once owned, and then sold to a Cold War museum curator) is made up of the hallmarks of the “Crusade for Freedom” — the ‘Freedom Bell’ in the central circle was forged as a symbol of the Crusade, and is located in Berlin. Surrounding the bell is the phrase, “That This World Under God Shall Have A New Birth Of Freedom“. The two quotes on the left and right are “HELP TRUTH FIGHT COMMUNISM” and “JOIN THE CRUSADE FOR FREEDOM”. The first one is a common catchphrase for the Crusade, while the other appears to be for recruitment purposes. In 1950, US citizens were urged to sign “freedom scrolls,” petitions that accompanied the Freedom Bell to Berlin. I believe that this print block was used in newspapers or flyers, encouraging the citizens of Wisconsin to sign the scrolls. Recordings of broadcast, if they were kept, would be considered public domain under US laws, but I haven’t found any at this time. The CIA’s actions weren’t entirely wave-carried; pamphlets were dropped from planes or carried by balloon into Communist-controlled countries, the programs published documents to gain support Stateside, and their own instructional and informative books are still around.

Whether used in the US or abroad, the propaganda (whether it is true or not) produced a lot of recorded materials, the kind of stuff ephemera guys like me love. Civil Defense and Civil Air Patrol training booklets and paraphernalia are available in many forms and formats — while less frequent, finding things like hardhats and geiger counters with “CD” triangle logos on them is still possible. I also once had a stack of the “Fallout Shelter” radiation signs that sometimes still adorned the entrances to the sturdiest buildings in your downtowns. The public fallout shelter program ended in 1992, so these signs are both becoming rare but accessible because any that are left are surplus and not needed. If you work in a building with them still up, a friendly building-maintenance person might welcome the chance to remove the unsightly sign and give it a new home.

As the Cold War was largely a cultural war, its tendrils were in all sorts of other forms. Magazines were full of stories of US/Russian relations. The ad on the right warns against giving our children a country where businesses are controlled by the government, preying on anti-socialist fears. One of the biggest fears — nuclear weapons — spawned book after book theorizing and fictionalizing what actual application of nuclear power would cause. Scientific theorists, from the Space Race to the Arms Race, designed and produced all sorts of technologies designed to protect us from the Reds, or one up the USSR. The result was an era of information meant to run a wedge between us and the other largest world power at the time — a competition that seems almost quaint today, but retains a poignancy that deserves to be acknowledged and remembered.