I’ve gotten two requests lately from people asking me to determine if their treasured heirlooms are worth anything. I’m not an appraiser, but I do know how to conduct research. So, I agreed to research…
Category: collectibles
Searching for J.N. Wilson’s stereoview cards
Posted in Black history, collectibles, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, and Photos
I got an email recently from a great-granddaughter of Savannah photographer J.N. (Jerome Nelson) Wilson, whose stereoview card of two black boys from the 19th century has been the subject of recent news stories. Tina Wilson…
Buying old dusty bottles of whiskey
Posted in bottles, and collectibles
Would you buy an opened bottle of Seagram’s at auction? How about an unopened bottle caked in dust, looking as if it’s been sitting in an attic or basement untouched for years? Does whiskey…
Nude woman nutcracker – amusing or not?
Posted in Carvings, and collectibles
“Did you see the woman nutcracker?” my auction buddy Janet asked. I had gone through the tables at one of my favorite auction houses and had overlooked it. So I followed Janet to a table…
A bad taste for Nazi memorabilia
Posted in collectibles, history, and Personal items
I don’t get the allure of Nazi memorabilia. Hitler and his SS forces were some of the most vilest people on the face of the earth. So why would anyone want to even touch the…
Leo Moss, black doll-maker from the 1900s
Posted in collectibles, and Toys
I was bathed in the black doll culture last weekend. I was shadowing doll-enthusiast Fern Gillespie at the 21st International Black Doll Show and Sale in Philadelphia as she visited and scouted doll-makers for a…
Spotting auction items in old movies
Posted in collectibles, and Movies
I was watching Bogie and Lauren Bacall in the movie “Key Largo” on cable a few months ago and lo and behold, what did I see on a table: One of those old heavy metal…
Currier & Ives’ repro print of black Civil War regiment
Posted in Art, Books, and collectibles
I was doing a sweep of sellers at a flea market Sunday and came across an oversize book of Currier & Ives Civil War prints. The book opened to one of the most interesting of its reproductions: the assault…
A house full of women
Posted in Art, Carvings, collectibles, and Gallery
I was walking through my house one day, and looking around, realized that I have a lot of women in here. I didn’t notice them because they were chattering among themselves or bumping into each…
Flea market finds & fresh strawberries
Posted in collectibles, flea market, food, and Glassware
I was at a flea market last weekend and got into a conversation with a man who sets up at a flea market a distance from where I live. He has been selling as a vendor…