Messages

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Possibly old picture frame???

« on: August 06, 2014, 07:25:25 am »

I just bought a few similar ones from Italy made of brass.  It's hard to tell in the picture -- no idea what the metal is?  I would suspect brass as well...? 

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Help valuing/identifying old items

« on: August 05, 2014, 06:41:43 pm »

Regarding the magic book, I think the difficulty in selling something like that is the limited market -- it's a small, select group of people who know/care who Mrs. John Le Breton is.  Then, you need them to be collectors as well.  I'm speaking from experience.  I have a fantastic piece in my possession, A Goddess Arrives by Gerald Gardner.  In the occult world, Gardner is a celebrity, considered the founding father of modern witchcraft/Wicca.  The book was pressed and paid for by him in a *very* limited run.  My copy comes with provenance, last sold in an occult shop in London for 1000 pounds in 2004, it's wonderful -- except, the Gardner museum already has a copy, and most people who know he is don't have money for collection pieces like this. 

I looked yours up, and I have a question: does it say 1st Ed. inside the binding?

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Antique Mall location

« on: July 31, 2014, 08:29:07 am »

VoodooDolly: I agree that a busy thrift store would help our traffic but since an antique mall is mostly a 'destination business' would that thrift store traffic result in sales?

I think that it will indirectly increase your sales.  Like I initially posted, it will increase traffic for sure.  Out of that increased traffic, I think you're going to see a steady, small trickle of small purchases.  I also think that, like someone else pointed out, the thrift patrons will tell people about your antique mall -- you're going to be seen and talked about, free advertising.  Word of mouth is what gets me places more often than not.  I can drive by a place a hundred times without going in, but if a friend or neighbor has been there and tells me it's worth the trip, I generally check it out.  More people = more sales.

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Antique Mall location

« on: July 30, 2014, 09:31:42 pm »

I understand your concerns, but ultimately I think that having a thrift store next door to you can only increase your traffic -- traffic but not necessarily sales.  I'm speaking from both points of view, that of a shopper and that of someone just dipping into the business end of things.  Here is what I know: when I hit a thrift store, I'm looking for bargains.  I'm not going there to drop a lot of money.  I would imagine, though, that like any antique mall, yours will have some vendors with some lower-priced items that will be within a thrift budget (the $5-15 range).  What is the rest of the area like (business-wise)?  There are other more experienced sellers on here who will chime in, but that's my brief two cents on it. 

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: hello new guy here ;) NEED any input on this sign .pics included

« on: July 30, 2014, 06:13:18 pm »

You could use the template to make your own repro signs and sell them on ebay if its big enough !!

I was thinking that too, Mart!  Shabby chic some benches, crates, whatever and stencil that on there... 

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: A Japan/Chinese Rosewood and Mother-of-Pearl Inlay Bench Cherry Blossom Sakura

« on: July 30, 2014, 06:12:02 pm »

Being no expert, the characters look Chinese to me.  Pieces like this are common throughout Asia, so you're going to have to go off of the writing.  That's my guess, Chinese.  Maybe you can ask a Chinese or Japanese person to look at it??

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: hello new guy here ;) NEED any input on this sign .pics included

« on: July 30, 2014, 06:04:57 pm »

Hi, Mill Creek. 

It's tough with this, because Western Union Telegraph Co. existed in a pretty large span of time, so pin-pointing a date on this is tough.  How much would you get for it in scrap?  My suspicion is that someone would want this -- it's pretty cool, don't you think? What are the dimensions? 

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Silver Maker's Marks -- Henry Charles Freeman, c. 1900

« on: July 16, 2014, 09:43:29 pm »

http://www.ascasonline.org/newsDICEM43.html

Read here,, I think the third or fourth question,, HCF,,Assayers mark for Christian Fr. Heise, 1904-1932 !! This was in an oval !! Not only are the letters important but what they are imbedded in is too !! Square, shield, oval, ect !! He used the letters arranged like yours !!

That's it, Mart!  You did it -- thank you!  I should have realized that the larger letter would stand for the last name and not the first.  You're the best!

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Silver Maker's Marks -- Henry Charles Freeman, c. 1900

« on: July 16, 2014, 06:46:03 am »

Good morning, KC!  This is what it looks like:

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Antique Questions Forum / Silver Maker's Marks -- Henry Charles Freeman, c. 1900

« on: July 15, 2014, 09:48:37 pm »

I have a serving spoon that I'm fairly certain was made by Henry Charles Freeman.  The mark is far too small for me to photograph, but it's a large letter H with the C and F embedded inside the H.  The assay office stamp is a bit deteriorated, but it looks like an Edinburgh mark, so that is right in line with HCF being the maker.  Here is my question:

Are there ever maker's marks that can't be found on the web?  Thus far web-undocumented marks?

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Victorian Doll Carriage

« on: July 15, 2014, 06:58:59 pm »

Oof...sorry, KC!   

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Victorian Doll Carriage

« on: July 15, 2014, 04:23:03 pm »

Mart, thanks for the input.

It does have a moveable back.  It doesn't recline all the way.  It latches to keep the back completely upright, and when released it goes back about an inch and a half. 

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Victorian Doll Carriage

« on: July 15, 2014, 09:34:06 am »

Sure does.  Thanks!

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Veterinary syringes ?

« on: July 15, 2014, 09:15:05 am »

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2X-SYRINGE-VETERINARY-LIVE-STOCK-BRASS-GLASS-METAL-BB-SUPREME-T-V-L-AUTOVAX-A-/380920904051

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Industrial nick nacks?

« on: July 14, 2014, 08:29:31 pm »

The lantern is beautiful -- but yes, it would be helpful to know what the stamp on there says.  It's not readable in your photo.