The dresses were decidedly not for the common woman. Whether African American or white, she could never in her lifetime wear the beautifully tailored 1890s wedding gown handmade by Mrs. G.W. Wright or the couture…
Category: Clothing
The timeless elegance of pearl necklaces
Posted in Clothing, jewelry, and Uncategorized
On first glance, the old black and white photo was typical – a group of society women fashionably dressed in dark colors staring and smiling straight into the camera. They could have just finished a…
Newspaper-ad illustrations of women’s fashions
Posted in Advertising, Clothing, and Women
The papers had the dingy look of age, throwaways that someone no longer wanted. I could see that even before I got to the stacked sheets at the end of the auction table. But as I approached…
The inherent humor in a pair of clown shoes
Posted in Clothing, and Personal items
The oversized shoes in the checkerboard pattern stood out like the proverbial sore thumb among the drab human foot-sized shoes. The toe was as large and round as the moon, and the heel a slender…
Readers seek hat stretcher & Prohibition medical prescription
Posted in Clothing, collectibles, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, and Personal items
Friday at Auction Finds is readers’ questions day. I try to guide readers to resources to help them determine the value of their items. Sometimes I get inquiries from readers who want to buy items I…
Terrifying 1950s satellite jumping shoes
Posted in Clothing, collectibles, and Toys
The bulky shoes looked like they belonged to the loveable TV character Herman Munster or some other sci-fi monster. They were candy-apple red, a pair of thick metal shoes with round toes, white cloth straps,…
Reader asks about Tiffany belt buckle with witch logo
Posted in Clothing, Personal items, and Reader questions
Friday at Auction Finds is readers’ questions day. I try to guide readers to resources for them to determine the value of their items. I’m not able to appraise their treasures, but I can do…
Old wedding dresses – either still in their whiteness or in an aged yellow – seem to turn up pretty often at auction. The bride has passed on, leaving behind that symbol of one of…
What was the Wilmington Dry Goods store?
Posted in Advertising, Businesses, Clothing, Home, and Women
Friday at Auction Finds is readers’ questions day. I try to guide readers to resources to help them determine the value of their items. Today, though, I have a question of my own. I was…
A painful-looking antique hat stretcher
Posted in Clothing, collectibles, and Personal items
The item looked like the metal plate that medieval torturers would put on the heads of their victims before electrifying them. But on first glance, I surprisingly knew what it was. A hat block. It’s…