KOVELS ANTIQUES
Kovels Antiques: Tin toy market came from rise of middle class
Because the 19th-century industrial revolution resulted in new technology and the creation of a middle class, the invention of tin toys was possible and profitable.
By Terry Kovel , December 17, 2010
Kovels Antiques: Antique censers come in variety of unique styles
A “censer” sometimes can be found at an antique shop, but the word can be confusing. It has nothing to do with a “censor,” the person who decides what is acceptable to be published in books or shown on television. A vintage censer is an old container used for burning incense.
By Terry Kovel , December 10, 2010
Kovels Antiques: Topsy-turvy, upside-down styles popular
"Topsy-turvy” designs, sometimes called “upside-down” or “two-faced portraits,” were a clever idea that found favor in the 1870s and later.
Plates, cups, pitchers, advertising mirrors, advertising cards, vases, comic strips and even books could be made that way.
By Terry Kovel , December 03, 2010
Kovels Antiques: Traditional dining tables have evolved
The last half of the 19th century was a time of creative energy in the United States. Thousands of patents were granted for improvements to household goods, from eggbeaters and apple peelers to vacuum cleaners.
By Terry Kovel , November 26, 2010
Kovels Antiques: Diversity reigns with collectible candy containers
All types of candy containers are popular collectibles – everything from tin boxes to papier-mache figures to figural glass containers.
By Terry Kovel , November 19, 2010
Kovels Antiques: Well-adorned country-store items sell well
Country-store collectibles still are selling well if they’re large, colorful and have unusual graphics or wording. Huge signs made of paper, tin or enamel and giant floor-size coffee grinders are wanted by collectors and decorators.
By Terry Kovel , November 05, 2010
Wain’s feline designs became fierce over time
Surveys show that pictures of cats are more popular than pictures of dogs or horses. So it is not surprising that ceramic cats are popular with collectors.
By Terry Kovel , September 24, 2010
Salt servers had a different shape in past
Eating too much salt is a health problem today, but in past centuries, salt was considered an important ingredient to be treated with reverence. It was traditional to put a large container of salt near the head of the table, where the most important person sat. To be seated “above the salt” was a sign of a person’s rank.
By Terry Kovel , September 10, 2010
Special dishes made to hold sardines in can
The foods we favor have changed as technology has changed. A method of preserving food in glass containers was developed in the late 17th century. Canned food became available by 1813. Fresh salads were not a winter food until the early 1900s, when refrigerated train cars could carry lettuce from California to the East Coast.
By Terry Kovel , September 03, 2010
Collectors seek tea sets made to fit together
Designers working after 1920 created very different looks for many common household objects. For centuries a teapot had a rounded body, a handle and a spout. Twentieth-century designers made modern teapots in angular or biomorphic shapes. Spouts were shorter or hidden and handles could be made of Bakelite or some other new material.
By By Terry Kovel , August 27, 2010
Pedestals from famous makers draw top dollar
Statues and plants were important decorations in the large Victorian home. The designers of the day believed in filling all available space. Pedestals made of wood or ceramics were put in halls and in corners of living rooms and dining rooms. Live plants, especially ferns, were popular. Pedestals were often colorful and covered with decorations.
By Terry Kovel , August 20, 2010
Presidential images in ads draw interest
It made news in January 2010 when a photo of President Barack Obama wearing a Weatherproof Garment Co. jacket was used on a billboard on Times Square. The photograph was taken when the president visited China, but he did not give permission for his image to be used in an ad. Weatherproof was asked to take the picture down and did.
By Terry Kovel , August 13, 2010
Lapel watches a favorite item at auctions
First came the church-tower clock to help everyone in town know the time. Then in the 1500s, a watch on a chain or a ribbon was used by the very rich. By 1700, women could have a watch pinned to a dress as part of a chatelaine that held keys, scissors and other household tools. Later came the traveling clock, then the pocket watch.
By Terry Kovel , August 06, 2010
Wemyss Ware was the rage a century ago
Smiling pottery cats and flower-decorated pottery pigs have been made in Scotland since 1882. Today, both the old and new versions of these pieces are known as Wemyss (pronounced Weems) Ware.
By By Terry Kovel , July 30, 2010
Iron elephant sells for $100 at NY auction
What can this painted iron elephant do? The sleek art-deco design suggests that it was made between about 1925 and 1940. The trunk moves up and down. Think elephants and peanuts because this is a nutcracker. Put a nut in his mouth, quickly lower the trunk, and crack the nut’s shell. Red paint with white and black accents covers the 5-by-10-inch figure.
By Terry Kovel , July 23, 2010
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