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7 Reasons Why People Collect Antiques

As a fan of PBS’ Antique Roadshow, I often find myself pondering what prompted a person to collect the item they are showcasing in the first place?

In the popular show, you get to see a huge variety of collectibles from furniture, to quilts, to decorative collectibles, to fine art, musical instruments and  paper collections.

The show hosts often asks the collector how they came about acquiring the item and the individual stories often vary.  But other than the occasional person, who basically fell into acquiring the collectible by accident (as an heirloom or gift), most of the guests loved and sought after what they collected.

So after a little soul searching, I put together a list of positive reasons why people collect.

  1. Money and Investment or Creating Family Heirlooms

    You enjoy finding and collecting items that you want to leave as part of your inheritance or to make a statement of who you were to future heirs. Usually your collection, will have a dual purpose of not only pleasing you aesthetically but actually have an inherent monetary value that is established by antique experts and similar professionals.  Most collectors in this category collect fine art, furniture, vintage fine jewelry and other similar items.

  2. Collect for Sentimental Value or Nostalgia – Fond memories of the past or your childhood, inspire you to collect those objects that promoted your happiness and the process of collecting these items inspires these positive feelings.  Many vintage or antique collections can remind you of close relationships with loved ones or admired mentors  and the influence that these people had in developing your personal taste and style.
  3. Personal Hobby – The time and attention you put in researching, finding, purchasing, cleaning or restoring your collectibles and then displaying your collection, relaxes and or energizes you.  Engaging in your hobby makes the cares of life seem distant and provides you with a sense of accomplishment and restored energy.

  4. Personal Aesthetics

    Your sense of style draws you to the aesthetics or beauty and rarity of the items you collect. Most avid collectors enjoy finding unique ways to display their personal collections throughout their homes.

  5. Enjoys the “thrill of the hunt” of finding rare items  One of the best parts about antique collecting is the thrill of the hunt.  The expectation of finding a treasure is a big motivator for the collector.  Many vintage or antique collections have been built by  carefully combing through boxes and tables at a yard sale or flea market, a sudden find at an auction, going through listings in the local paper or online (Craigslist…anyone?), or even an unexpected find at a store.  And when you find that item, it’s an awesome feeling!  This is especially true if you have been conducting a search for a long time or if the item is rare.  Acquiring the item or desired collectible, has less of a thrill for this type of collector than the thrill of searching for and finding it.

  6. Enjoys the restoration of antiques and collectibles – Not all antique collectors restore their collectibles, but many develop skill sets that bring added beauty and value to the items they collect.  These collectors enjoy the process so much and with added practice become so good at it, that they soon find themselves giving away their collectibles to grateful recipients and/or selling the items they restore.
  7. Feeling of Community/Social  – Over time, many collectors have individual and highly specialized knowledge about the items that they collect, that they find themselves joining or participating in groups that collect similar items.  And what should be surprising about that?  Many collectors enjoy the conversation regarding a similar collectible, the praise they get for the items they might have collected, and the additional knowledge and expertise they gather  from engaging in discussions with those who have broader collections of similar items.

So there is my wrap up of what I believe are the reasons why people like to collect.  While this blog post doesn’t address all of the reasons why people collect, I think it gives a broad idea of what motivates many collectors and the underlying reason common to most collectors is that they enjoy it immensely.  What motivated you to begin collecting?

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Limoges Porcelain Boxes: 5 Tips to Consider Before You Purchase


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Brief History of Limoges Porcelain

When most people mention Limoges porcelain trinket boxes, they usually realize you are talking about high quality, upscale, and imported pricey porcelain that will be treasured for generations.  But in spite of its expense, this type of porcelain is worth its hefty price as it has retained its value since they began producing porcelain trinket boxes from this region in the 1700s.  The current trinket or pill boxes were thought to have originated from the snuff boxes of the aristocratic Frenchmen of the late 1700s.

It was the  discovery of Kaolin clay near Limoges France in the 1700’s that  created a new industry in France — hard paste porcelain. (Which up to that time was a highly secret manufacturing process and hard paste porcelain was only being manufactured in  China .)

Although they were popular in France, these collectible boxes were not popular in the United States because no means of exporting to the American market had been attempted.

At the time it took traveling to Europe to find and buy the pieces. In the 1960’s,  porcelain importer Charles Martine contributed to the awareness and popularity of the Limoges boxes we see now.

A collector should expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $500 per piece.  Since prices and reputable vendors vary, the following tips should help you in your hunt for these desirable collectibles.

Limoges Buying Tips to Keep in Mind

  1. When trying to set a value on a piece, looking at the quality of the hand painted decoration can be more important than valuing its age or when it was produced.  Keep in mind high quality hand painting adds more value than the work of an unskilled porcelain painter.
  2. Unlike other porcelain pieces, there are fewer reproductions of Limoges porcelain and therefore, a collector can shop with more confidence that the trinket box he or she is buying is likely to be authentic. It wouldn’t hurt however to invest in a few collector books to get as much information about the different styles and designs available during different time periods.  Armed with this information a collector or shopper is more likely to select what he or she wants, pay closer to its estimated value  and to be satisfied with this expensive purchase.
  3. Understand that Limoges does not come from a specific company or corporation by the name of Limoges, Inc.; but is a city and region in France.  Therefore, porcelain that comes from this region can be defined as Limoges porcelain according to French law.  As a result, this beautiful , delicate porcelain was produced by a number of factories in France from the late 1700s until around 1930 when ornate design styles changed to more basic and simple designs.
  4.  Keep an eye out for the words Peint Main or Décor Main which means the trinket box has been “painted by hand” and check and see if the artist painted his or her initials on the box.  Boxes that are marked Rehausse Main are a combination of a decal transfer and hand painted details.  A decal transfer is a specialized design decal that is applied on the porcelain and permanently bonds with the porcelain during the firing process.
  5. Although many companies over the years have manufactured Limoges boxes there are a few which actually own their own Limoges companies and are known as high quality importers and manufacturers. The company names that are associated with exclusive Limoges designs and high quality porcelain are Artoria Limoges, Chamart Exclusives Inc. and Chanille to name a few.

 

Image Credit

Photo courtesy of Antique Helper

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Vintage Circus Collectibles – Collectibles Worthy of A Smile

 

Clown figurines  and other vintage circus collectibles are a popular collecting area for many antique and vintage collectors.  Here’s a little history on the origin of clowns…Clowns have always been a part of many cultures, and the art of clowning has existed for many centuries.

Although clowns in the past, were usually found in the courts of kings and queens ( I imagine everybody needed a laugh from the important matters of state that were part of daily court life) clowns can be traced as far back as the courts of Pharoah.  A pygmy clown performed as a jester in the court of Pharaoh Dadkeri-Assi during Egypt’s Fifth Dynasty about 2500 B.C.  and court jesters have performed in China since 1818 B.C.

When the Spanish Conqueror, Cortez , conquered the Aztecs in what is now the state of Mexico, Cortez was surprised to discover clowns in the court of Montezuma.  It is said that dwarf clowns, and hunchbacked buffoons were among the “wonders” that Cortez took back to Europe and presented to Pope Clement VII.

However, these clowns and other clowns of that time period, with their outrageous dress and crazy antics often wielded power and influence in royal courts, and their role varied from the clowns we know today.

Our modern day clowns can give credit to Joseph Grimaldi (1778-1837) who elevated the art of clowning to a theatrical fine art.  He is credited for moving away from the harlequin type of clown of that day and was the first to use whiteface in his performances.  A superb and engaging entertainer, he developed elaborate tricks and special effects.

Around 1874, two entertainers James McIntyre and Tom Heath developed the tramp characterization with which most people are familiar with.

Although, there is controversy over the exact origins of the tramp clown some say they represented  the traveling “hoe boys,” or itinerant farm workers, who rode the rails from one town to another, often in rag tag clothing and covered with soot. They were known as hoe boys (or hobos).  Famous clowns among this type of character are Emmett Kelly Jr. as “Weary Willie” the son of an equally famous clown Emmett Kelly Sr.

Emmett Kelly was a clown whose fame had become so notable, he was known throughout the world and was designated as one of the World’s most famous clowns.  In 1972 Emmett Kelly, Jr., with help from his manager, established his own national circus.   His circus was the only circus to perform at the White House, not just once but twice—once in 1972 and again in 1973 during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll.

Emmet Kelly, Jr.’s image and the image of other notable clowns are often available in prints, figurines and circus playbills and there is an active collecting community in this hugely popular genre.

Companies such as Lladro, Murano Glass , Flambro and other porcelain companies sell clown and harlequin figurines and other items that range in price from several dollars to a couple of thousand. In addition, there are many groups that collect paper and other circus collectibles from all around the world, some of these groups can be located on Flickr.

However, figurines are not the only objects that circus collectors purchase.  According to Kovels, an antique price guide and collectibles publisher, circus collectors  “look for posters, programs, popcorn bags, paper fans, toys, food tickets and pennants, the older or more unusual the better.

A Barnum & Bailey’s  circus toy (circa 1900s)  is a tin wind-up truck made by Strauss Toys of Germany.  It’s 9 inches long and sold for $360 at a Morphy auction in Pennsylvania.

vintage-circus-performer

In my opinion, I find clown and circus collectibles beautiful and fun as they bring back fond memories of going to the circus when I was a child.  However, there are some people who fear clowns perhaps as a result of so many horror movies that have typified clowns as scary and repulsive.

In addition, not only are clown figurines popular but clown or circus ephemera collectibles are  also very popular, either for party decor, altered art or other DIY craft projects.

In any case, whatever your wallet size may be, you’ll be sure to find a clown figurine suitable to your pocketbook and budget– a memory of a clown or an event that made you laugh!

 

Credits:

Images via Flickr = Double M ~ Mary Margret

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