ANTIQUES
Kovels Antiques: Gerz brand of beer steins still popular
Beer steins have long been popular. Today’s stein is a beer container with a hinged lid and a handle. The lid was the result of health regulations.
By By Terry Kovel , September 02, 2011
Kovels Antiques: Nursery rhyme was inspired by yarn winder
What’s a weasel? It’s an animal, of course, but in some parts of Montana you might put weasels on your ice cream – because some Montanans call M&Ms “weasels.” And in the 1700s, when the nursery rhyme “Pop Goes the Weasel” was composed, everyone knew the “weasel” of the title referred to a yarn winder.
By By Terry Kovel , August 26, 2011
Kovels Antiques: Coin-operated machines have a rich history
New slot machines and pinball games are designed to look modern and up to date. They have flashing lights and moving decorations and they make lots of noise.
By Terry Kovel , July 15, 2011
Kovels Antiques: Collectors regain interest in Brownies
In the days before Disney, many imaginary sprites that excited children’s imaginations could be found in books. In 1881, Palmer Cox wrote an illustrated story about a group of characters called “Brownies” for Wide Awake magazine.
By Terry Kovel , July 08, 2011
Kovels Antiques: Phrenology inkwells make fun collectibles
Phrenology, the study of the shape of the skull, supposedly could tell the shape of your brain and information about your behavior. The “science” became popular about 1810, years after it was developed by German doctor Franz Joseph Gali, in 1796. It remained popular until about 1840 as a way to understand personality and to help with decisions when hiring employees or choosing a spouse.
By Terry Kovel , June 24, 2011
Kovels Antiques: Stars provide clues to ages of collectibles
Flag Day was first celebrated on June 14, 1889, in a public school in Fredonia, Wis. The teacher thought the pupils should celebrate the 112th anniversary of the official adoption of the Stars and Stripes.
By Terry Kovel , June 10, 2011
Kovels Antiques: Bars, cabinets for liquor often draw top dollar
Drinks before or after dinner have been part of the ritual of dining in America since the 1800s. By then, the wealthy lived in houses that had a dining room, living room and perhaps a parlor or library.
By By Terry Kovel , May 20, 2011
Kovels Antiques: Old carousel figures coveted by collectors
Carousel figures, made mostly in the early 1900s, sell for high prices today. Carousels probably were first made in the 1700s to train spear-throwers, not as enjoyable rides for children. A horseback rider would ride toward a hanging ring and try to put the spear through it.
By Terry Kovel , May 06, 2011
Kovels Antiques: Ayer’s items remain popular with collectors
Deceptive advertising has been a problem for centuries. The “cures” of Victorian times were promoted with posters, trade cards, almanacs, recipe books, calendars and other testimonials.
By Terry Kovel , April 22, 2011
Kovels Antiques: Unusual articles of furniture often uncomfortable
Should a chair be a “conversation piece” or be comfortable? Twentieth-century designers’ chairs can be either, but they’re rarely both.
By Terry Kovel , April 15, 2011
Kovels Antiques: Collectors pay well for older garden gnomes
Gnomes have gone from kitsch to fabulous since they became animated movie stars in “Gnomeo and Juliet.” But they have been used in gardens since the mid-18th century.
By Terry Kovel , April 08, 2011
Kovels Antiques: Magical old toy also helped kids learn alphabet
Educational toys are not a new idea. A rare 19th century “Yankee Schoolmaster” toy was offered in a recent auction.
By Terry Kovel , March 25, 2011
Kovels Antiques: Collectors still enamored by water droppers
Writing by hand took time and skill long ago, before letters were written with pens dipped in ink, with fountain pens or typewriters, or via e-mail on computers.
By Terry Kovel , March 04, 2011
Kovels Antiques: One person’s kitsch another’s idea of stylish
"Kitsch” is a term that refers to something that’s overly sentimental or vulgar or in just plain poor taste. Paintings on velvet of Elvis Presley, plastic pink flamingos and hula girl statues were all once considered kitsch – and laughable.
By Terry Kovel , February 25, 2011
Kovels Antiques: Alphabet plates often included strange images
Opinions change with time. Throughout the past 40 years, it has become popular to “think green.” But our ancestors had to hunt for food and killed buffalo, deer and passenger pigeons, making some species endangered and others extinct.
By Terry Kovel , February 18, 2011
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