Vintage Rhinestone Brooch

I was born in the 60’s & regularly going to & purchasing at rummage sales and flea markets in the 70’s, so when the 80’s hit, with all that flashy costume & rhinestone jewelry, I already had a large stash of pretty & unique vintage jewelry pieces. Since the 80’s fashions are making a comeback, I expect costume jewelery and rhinestones will again be popular. But why buy new when you can wear truly unique vintage jewelery like the stunning pieces shown here?

Here’s what to look for when shopping for vintage jewelry — and what, if anything, you can do about some problems:

* Very worn plating; missing parts, bends &/or holes in the metal; sloppy soldering or other bad repair jobs

Very old pieces of jewelry (including many Victorian pieces) which have been repaired have been done so using lead solder, which can eat into the metal below it. If this is an heirloom piece you may want to consider taking it to a professional jeweler who might be able to apply a patch (just like appliqués for clothing). While this may fix the ‘hole’, it usually looks repaired — so if the jewelery doesn’t have any sentimental value, it’s usually not worth the expense and effect.

Vintage Coral Jewelery

While we’re talking metal repairs, not all metal can be repaired. Even if it looks simple, like an earring finding or the loop on a pendant to attach it to a chain, the metal may not be able to be soldered for any number of reasons, such as the metal being too thin to be soldered or the enamel work and stones are too fragile to take the heat required for repairs (especially true with seed pearls & coral, which cannot be removed from the setting to avoid the heat).

Also, it is important to note that when heat is applied, silver, gold, & platinum all develop an ugly, uneven discoloration called fire scale. Polishing away fire scale is easy enough — but this polishing will also wear away any patina, making vintage jewelry look as shiny as new modern pieces. Once done, it cannot be undone.

When considering repairing both costume and fine jewelery pieces it is important that you interview your jeweler(s) to make sure they are accustomed to working with vintage and antique jewelery — and have them address your concerns.

* Green build up, aka verdigris

Caused by moisture (perspiration, swimming pools & other chlorine products, simple water), this green gunk is as unattractive as it sounds and it is damage. Any amount of green appearing on the surface of metal jewelry means that the plating in that spot is gone (see above). However, unlike Barbie’s green ear, this green on your earring can (usually) be removed and be made less noticeable.

Antique Green Rhinestone and Opal Necklace

Gently but firmly use a toothpick, old toothbrush, or even an emery board (not a metal nail file!) to remove the gunk. Some folks also swear by ketchup. I’m told that applying a bit of ketchup on the green area(s) for up to 5 minutes allows the light acid in the ketchup will ‘eat’ the green build up away; because it’s thicker than just applying vinegar, the ketchup stays in place and therefore does not run to other parts of the piece, risking ruining more metal &/or stones. (You can reapply the ketchup an additional two times — but no longer than 14-15 minutes in total time.)

If none of this works, or you end up with the green gone but a rusty looking spot in its place, you can use an oil based craft pen to color-in/cover-up the area.

* Broken clasps, broken strings and chains

Some clasps, such as spring-rings and lobster clasps, can be replaced easily. But if the clasp soldered on, it will need to be looked at by a jewelery repairer to see if it can be replaced/repaired.

Usually suitable replacement chains can be found. Take care that you are taking the size of the loop on the pendant or charm into consideration for both the clasp and thickness of the chain as that’s what must slide over the chain. Sometimes a simple jump ring (or two) can be used to address this issue.

Single and multiple strand necklaces & bracelets with cloth cord, silk cord or any type of vintage fabric may be restrung. Always lay the piece on a towel (or bead board) first and take at least one photo of it before you do anything else. This does two things: 1) you’ll know what it’s supposed to look like when finished, and 2) when you cut & gently pull the strands out, the design will still be intact. More details on restringing jewelery is here; how to restring & knot pearls information here

* Chipped or scratched enamel

I don’t know of anything which can be done with enamel. Ask your jeweler if you already own a piece; otherwise, avoid it.

Vintage Blue Daisy Necklace

* Badly scratched &/or damaged plastic, Bakelite or celluloid

Please see my Early Plastics: Identification and Care Guide for more on dealing with vintage plastic jewelery.

* Darkened or cloudy rhinestones, missing stones, and/or poorly replaced/mismatched stones

Stones, including rhinestones, can be replaced with care. You can gently pry the prongs up and use Acetone to remove the glue. Incredibly detailed information on this is at Sparklz.

To keep your jewelry — old or new — looking it’s best, follow these tips:

* Keep it dry — and most especially away from the swimming pool! Moisture does incredible damage to jewelery, so if your home is very humid, add silica packets to your the drawers holding your jewelry collection. Silica packets are found inside new handbags, in shoe boxes with new shoes, and with other things; ask folks to save them for you.

* Keep it dry & clean. Always put your jewelry on last — after you’ve applied hairspray, perfume, lotion etc. Not only do these products contain moisture, but these products can react with the glues & finishes, including causing stones to discolor and even to pop out.

* Do not toss your jewelery into a jewelery box, drawer or trinket dish. Keep pieces from rubbing (scratching) one another, tangling and catching. (Also, please review tips on caring for old plastics, which have their own special needs.)

* To clean & polish vintage costume jewelery use Sunshine Cloths. They clean without removing platings, washes, most coatings, etc. Note: the polishing cloths used by most fine jewelers will be too strong &/or abrasive for vintage costume jewelery, including the metal parts. Never use parts of the cloth that appear dirty; you’ll only be rubbing the old removed dirt & grime into the piece.

For plastics, there’s Novus Polish Kit: Plastic Polish & Scratch Remover (also works well on Lucite purses & other vintage plastic collectibles).

Welcome Pez preservers, Superheroes hounds, Movie Memorabilia moguls, Barbie Doll delighters, Jewelry junkies, Dinosaur diggers, Star Wars students, Die Cast Vehicle virtuosos, and anyone with a drawer or closet stuffed with stuff. Thanks for bringing your personal interests to CQ, your place to show and share with others your collecting passion.

You are proving many of my peers in the antique business totally wrong. First we heard from them that Ebay would be the death of the sellers’ market, lowering the value of collectibles as more and more items were uploaded for sale. Then came the crash of the Beanie Baby craze – and that we were assured, was the death of all collecting, as many novice collectors/ dealers were caught with vast quantities of the B-B’s, mass produced and declared retired.

The latest pronouncement from the antiques selling community is the lack of collecting by younger folks. That’s because they just want new stuff. Well, gentle readers, collecting is alive and growing and we are here because of your desire to learn and share information on collections, whether new, vintage or antique.

As a youngster I collected sports cards, Cracker Jack trinkets, Hoppy toy guns and a wrist watch, comic books, radio premiums, Lionel trains, and plastic models of cars, airplanes and navy ships. Young girls collected dolls, doll houses full of furniture, stuffed toys, trading cards, 45 records and figurines of dogs and horses. (gee, wish I had my stuff now).

Today my collections are useful or decorative, and sometimes considered over the top. Can you have too many ice buckets? Not me. Sill adding to my Depression glass Modern Tone, cobalt blue dish set? Sure, if the price is right and I don’t have the example already.

I’m accused by friends of having more flatware serving pieces than many good restaurants including a pastry server, cake server, asparagus tongs, sugar cube tongs, olive pincher, grape shears, and cheese shaver. But many were picked up on our antique hunting trips to the South and East coasts and considered souvenirs of those adventures. 

 We ignored each prophecy of the impending collapse of the collecting market, by selling antiques and collectibles on the web, and even with a down economy, collectibles still sell. Collecting is collecting and when the bug bites early, collections grow. So I salute your efforts in hunting for your next addition and hope your plan is to share your finds with the Collectors’ Quest community. And if you do upgrade or switch your collecting direction, you can now take advantage of the new feature on Collectors’ Quest and offer your extra items for sale on the CQ Marketplace. See the tab at the top.

When I find a really good antique store or mall on our travels, I enjoy sharing these finds with all of our collectors. Our recent antique hunting travels have been to 11 states and last year to England. If you have followed some of our adventures I had presented on these e-pages, you may know I have a pattern of showcasing stores or malls that meet certain criteria.

Our plan for the coming year includes hunting adventures to some of our favorite haunts within a day trip from home, and hopefully taking several days to travel to some we have not ventured into. And that’s where I’m asking for your help, to give me some ideas on where to find the best places you have found on your own travels or in your own area.

I’d like to go through Indiana east to Ohio, visit the Rock and Roll Museum in Cleveland, then shop for collectibles on the return trip back to Wisconsin, stopping at the Heart of Ohio Mall, and maybe getting down to Louisville. Another thought included the North Eastern states, since it’s been far too long since we combined antique hunting and lobster eating. And naturally Florida is our normal fall trip.

The type of store or mall we look for need not be on the beaten path, just off a freeway. Those locations are usually found with billboards near an exit, but please include them in your replies if you find them to be a worthwhile stop.

To meet my criteria the place must have a good mix of antiques and collectibles. Staff in good stores are attentive, friendly and helpful, readily opening cases and pointing to like items that may interest us. Booths should be clean and clutter free. Stock rotated so that price tags are not faded to the point wjere it’s not readable. Management should limit items to a certain age or if a mall has newer decorative collectibles or reproductions they should be identified as such and taking a minimum of total space, in separate booths.

Recently we made a visit into Northern Illinois, I had some business in Rockford for my real job and dropped Wifey at the newly reopened “Antiques On East State” (5411 E. State, 815-229-4004) just west of I-90 at State Street exit. This mall and its sister store had closed a while back and had been a favorite for many years attracting customers from great distances. We’re glad to see this one reopen.

After my business meeting and a quick lunch,we headed to another of our favorites, a location we first visited a few years ago and have been back to many times. Wifey said I had not mentioned this location, and wondered if I was trying to keep it as my secret.

The Roscoe Antique Mall located in South Beloit, Illinois is just south of the Wisconsin border, on State Hwy. 75 west of I-90 Exit #1.

We were warmly greeted by owner Gaylene, pictured on the left with staffers Jerry and Bert, at the checkout counter. They helped us find some interesting items, opening locked cases to closely inspect pieces of interest. And boy were they kept busy as we both found so many great treasures.  Of course we can’t buy everything we see, but it’s educational inspecting antiques and understanding their value in today’s market.

The whole mall meets the requirement for our “A” list, and let me just point out some special booths that caught my interest. Kitsch was the theme in this booth, and while not in our current decorating scheme, I like the look. Antique hanging lamps featured near the check-out area. A Masonic goat used in initiation Ceremonies, everyone needs one of these, sits near the checkout counter in an area of many interesting finds.  And other antiques oddities included dental equipment. But that’s what you expect to see in a 20,000 square foot mall with over 100 dealers, with management that only allows items that predate the 1970s, to insure fine items for every collector, every taste, every décor or for the investor looking for a safe investment.

Now I must show you this three chair antique, from a fraternal group and my favorite place to sit while hearing the amount of Wifie’s purchases.

Although meeting Wes Cowan and chatting with him was a blast, the ultimate purpose of the Trash or Treasure events were to get the full Antiques-Roadshow-treatment for the things we didn’t know anything about.   Finding those items turned out to be the most difficult part for us:  while D and I aren’t the most focused of collectors, there’s very little in our house that we’re missing information on.   A few pieces here and there, but if it can be researched we’ve already done the footwork.   We were both surprised and satisfied that Cowan and his peers access the same resources as the rest of us, so it meant we were down to just the ’stumpers’ when it came to the appraisal fair.

We actually had two occasions for Cowan and Farnand to view our mystery items.   First was Friday night, at the VIP dinner.  Fine foods were catered by the museum cafe’s resident chef, local media hob-nobbed, and Cowan gave a short speech before reviewing the items on the front table.

Like last year, there were a lot of nice items, but none of the “$10,000-surprise” variety.  Cowan was, as every time we heard him speak, both charming and unhesitatingly honest.   One of the first items he picked was a European painting that the owner believed was at least a century old.   They learned, however, that while the frame had the darker patina of older wood, the painting’s stretcher was quite new, maybe a few decades old, and the painting itself was most likely a souvenir reproduction of an Italian master.   Another person brought a small reproduction of Whistler’s Mother, and was pleased to find out they paid the right price for it:  three dollars.    19th century books had quality issues and were of minimal value.  A — honestly quite beautiful — carved wood Italian table suffered from being stripped and repaired without a conservator’s touch.

The next day, we spoke briefly with Sue Petry, Public Information Manager for the Plains Art Museum and the coordinator behind the Trash or Treasure event, and she said she had been quite worried over the poor valuations that came out of the V.I.P. Event, concerned that the people who brought their antiques would be disappointed or offended at being told their stuff was not worth much.  Petry was reassured Saturday morning when the woman with the not-so-antique Italian painting was back with something else to glean Cowan’s opinion about.  Much of the entertainment of the V.I.P. appraisal night was Cowan’s friendly handling of the lack of value in some of the items.   He kept the event light and cheerful, without making the owner feel small for bringing in something of minimal value.   An antique book — missing quite a few pages — was worth more than a few jokes from Cowan and kept the audience laughing, including the book’s owner who shared a table with D and myself.  Everyone who brought items in seemed to have more than enjoyed themselves, regardless of the price tag put on their collectible.

As I said, Deanna and I had some difficulty coming up with what to bring to the V.I.P. appraisal fair.  D brought a small 19th century piece of advertising ephemera that Cowan couldn’t add much to what she already knew about it.   I brought in a selection from my 1930s A.O.U.W films, which Cowan said might have a marginal financial worth, but the Library of Congress would probably be quite happy to borrow from me for archival purposes.  While we both enjoyed ourselves at the event, we wanted to bring things to the general-public appraisal fair that would be less of a stumper for Cowan.

Wes Cowan seemed to have more to say about the paintings and artwork at the V.I.P. event, so D and I picked several pieces of art to bring.   Cowan also had commented that folk art was one of his recent favorites, so that also made us adjust our selections.   We picked a silk-and-watercolor piece of Japanese art, a relatively-rare paint-by-number of a bear walking along a mountain road, and the woolie D brought to last years’ Trash or Treasure.

Sue Petrie of the Plains Art Museum also said she was surprised and pleased with the turnout for the Saturday public appraisal fair.    Last year, we arrived a little late and had no trouble getting in line, but this year we had a nearly two-hour wait to get our funky art underneath Cowan’s nose.   We occupied our time with the charity rummage sale, and chit-chatting in the museum cafe.   When our number came up, however, we were ready to take what Cowan had to say about our art.

The first thing he said was, “this is where you’re supposed to say, ‘are you tired of seeing us?’” to myself and D, turning on that wit that we’d seen the previous days.   We knew we weren’t going to hear huge prices from Cowan, but were hoping for more information than anything.     He started with the Japanese silk, and said it was not as finely done as classical Japanese silk-work, but was probably a post-WWII souvenir, and definitely worth around the seventy-five cents we paid for it, give or take a dollar.    When he came to the paint-by-number, he was impressed that we had found the manufacturer, model number, and title: “you know more about this stuff than I do,” was Cowan’s response, which, of course, D is going to get printed on a t-shirt for next time she goes rummaging.

When he got to the woolie we were a little surprised, but it resolved some thoughts we had from the year before.   The Ivey-Selkirk appraiser said the woolie probably dated from the 1930s to 1950s, which the wood stretcher would indicate, but I had thought the materials looked newer and D also thought the style wasn’t as detailed or well-done as other period woolies.  Cowan pointed out that the color and style of the burlap back was very 1960s or 1970s, and his opinion was that the art was done by an amateur as a basic art project using whatever materials they had at hand.  While it moved it to the edge of being called a “woolie,” it is still a piece of amateur folk art, and his price wasn’t too far off of the Ivey-Selkirk appraisal from the year before.

All-in-all, the Plains Art Museum did an excellent job of hosting an enjoyable series of presentations, speeches, dinners, and events, bringing a little chunk of Antiques-Roadshow-style fun or our northern part of the nation.  Everyone we met had fun seeing what an actual History Detective had to say about their show-and-tell selections.  We’re already looking forward to next year!

Trash or Treasure Event At Plains Art Museum, Fargo

It’s that time of year again — the Plains Art Museum is having their second annual Trash or Treasure event.

Hubby and I attended the event last year & had such a great time we were hoping it would become an annual event. Sue Petry of the Plains Art Museum says that along with being a fund raiser for the museum the event raises awareness of collecting and celebrates it. “We had a couple of great finds: a book someone found in a closet in an old house was worth $1,500 for example. People really enjoyed learning more about the things they collected,” she said.

I know we did.

This year’s event began three weeks ago with their weekly lecture series, which are free to the public. I’m not only all about “free stuff”, but as the series focuses on collecting, well, I’m so there.

Last week, October 2nd, the session was The History & Collectibility of North Dakota Cable Pottery, with University of North Dakota Ceramics Professor Donald Miller. The session began with a viewing of UND Clay: The Cable Years, a documentary produced by the UND Television Center, covering the history and legacy of the ceramics department at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

UND School Of Mines Stamp

It’s a fascinating story involving a chemist, the first state geologist, and founding dean of the School of Mines, Earle J. Babcock, who teamed up with an artist, Margaret Kelly Cable; both of them believing that the seemingly limitless supply of North Dakota clay would be a means of economic development, allowing North Dakota to create a pottery industry to rival Ohio and other states with a large pottery industry.

Under Cable’s direction, North Dakota clays & glazes were researched, examined, tested & perfected as part of the School of Mines. Ceramics classes were open to more than UND students, family members of faculty and local citizens were also involved. Because of this, UND School of Mines pottery has many levels in artistry. You have works from the many talented instructors (such as Cable; her sister, Flora Cable Huckfield; Frieda Hammers, Margaret Pachl; and Julia Mattson), talented students such as Laura Taylor Hughes (who went on to start Rosemeade), and average, everyday, folks with not-so-much talent.

Due to the number of years the UND School of Mines was open, from 1910 to 1963, you have many influences: Art Deco, Art Nouveau, and the Arts and Crafts movement. Popular designs feature regional interest such as crocus, prairie rose, wheat, flickertail, ox cart, cowboys, buffalo, horses, & Native American images.

1926 North Dakota Products Vase By Cable

One of the most famous examples of regional designs is the North Dakota Products vase. In 1926, Governor Sorlie asked Cable to create a single vase depicting an amazing number of North Dakota Products: corn, wheat, flax, clover, pigs, chickens, turkeys, cows, sheep, bees, potatoes, sugar beets, lignite coal, Dakota Maid flour, a pumpkin, a flickertail, a wild rose, a lump of clay and a cream can. Cable not only met the challenge, but did so with a stunning example of sgraffito (in which the blue glaze is scratched away to reveal the white of the pottery). While there was quite a demand for replicas of the presentation vase, Cable only made four of these beauties and denied all other requests. Donald Miller brought along one of the four North Dakota Product vases (the one which had belonged to Governor Sorlie). A collector next to me told me that it would likely fetch $25,000.

There I was, inches from it.

Some of the most coveted pieces are called bentonite pottery. Bentonite pottery, created by painting on a slip glazes of red, brown, creme, result in monochromatic yet vibrant works, such as these by Ruth Schnell, a Grand Forks resident who began UND ceramics classes when she was 46.

Bentonite Pottery By Ruth Schnell

Along with the usual conditions issues with pottery, there are several things to know to look for in UND pottery. Authentic pieces will bear the cobalt blue School of Mines stamp — even the most uninspired pinch-pot can fetch $50 to $100, as long as it bears the proper UND School of Mines stamp. Not all pieces are stamped thus; some have a more simple UND stamp. Artist names can be confusing; not all student records exist to cross reference, some women signed their husband’s name, and Cable herself signed her Prairie Pottery pieces with “Maggie Mud.”

Good references are University of North Dakota Pottery: The Cable Years, second edition, by Donald Miller, the heavily illustrated UND POTTERY: a History and Comparative Study of the Art Pottery, by Ken Forester, and the UND North Dakota School of Mines pottery collection website will be adding additional images and information. There’s also The North Dakota Pottery Collectors Society, which has their own “Road Show”.

Sgraffito Vase By Margaret Kelly Cable

Because of this Trash or Treasure lecture series event, I learned much about UND pottery. I have Andy Maus, Mark Ryan, and Rusty Freeman of the Plains Art Museum to thank for that. They are the folks who choose sessions and select lecturers. Maus says the team, “attempts to reflect the diversity and interests of our collecting community and those curious about collecting. As a regional museum, we do whatever we can to reflect the interests, talents and diversity of our community through all of our programming.”

The Trash or Treasure event continues at 7 P.M. tonight, with Discovering the Past Through Objects: Adventures of a Real-Life History Detective, a lecture by Wes Cowan. Yes, the Wes Cowan of History Detectives. He and Danica M. Farnand of Cowan’s Auctions, Inc. are the headliners at Friday night’s VIP Appraisal Dinner and Saturday’s Appraisal Fair.

That means I have three “dates” with Wes Cowan this week!

If I was nervous last year, you can only imagine how much worse it is this year… It’s not like I have any UND pottery to take along.

Intellectually, I know I shouldn’t be intimidated. But it’s Wes Cowan! The kids and I have huge crushes on him. (The kids think I’m cool and want me to get Cowan to autograph a photo or something. How nice that I can really blame it all on the kids!)

The lecture tonight is free and open to the public. And there’s still time to get tickets for Friday & Saturday’s events. As an extra bonus, those attending can watch me stammer & sound like a school girl when talking with Cowan.