Month: April 2021

What exactly is End Of The Day enamelware?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn EnamelwareLeave a comment

One of the areas of collectibles that I run into quite are piece made out of enamelware.  It could be tea kettles, plates and even pitchers.  You also never know what color you will run into—it could be white with red trim, blue swirl or even chrysolite!

One type of enamelware that you do not see a lot of is called “end of the day” enamelware.  This type of enamelware has several different colors on it, and it got its name for when it was made—it was made at the end of the workday.

The reason for the different colors on it were because the workers making the piece would take whatever colors they had leftover at the end of the day and make random designs on the piece.

A great example of “end of the day” enamelware is this dinner pail or bucket.  This example dates to the early 1900’s and it has chocolate brown, black, white and gray colors on it.

You can collect “end of the day” enamelware several different ways—two of the more popular ways is the pattern that’s on the item or by the colors on it.

What kind of “end of the day” enamelware items have you run across?

What was introduced in 1929?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn HistoryLeave a comment

For 1929, the year is known for being the start of The Great Depression and the crash of the stock market.  Even with all of this going on, what items were introduced during 1929?

During 1929, Pine-Sol cleaner was invented while both the Tarzan and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century A.D. comic strips debuted.

In January, the comic character POPEYE made his debut in the “Thimble Theatre” comic strip.  Popeye is often credited with encouraging children to eat their vegetables as the character often ate a can of spinach to become stronger in dangerous situations.

The book titled “The Magic Island” By W.B. Seabrook debuted in 1929.  This book is credited with introducing the idea of a zombie into pop culture.

In August, British inventor John Logie Baird began conducting experimental television brodadcasts at the British Broadcasting Company (also known as the BBC).

This is a small handful of things that debuted during the year.  What items have you heard of that debuted during 1929?

What are some tips to remember when you are buying inventory for your business?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Selling tipsLeave a comment

It does not matter if you sell at a swap meet, online or even in a booth in a store—you will eventually have to buy inventory to stock up with.  What are some tips to remember when you are out and about buying items?

When you are beginning to sell, the easiest thing to do is to buy items that you know a good amount about.  When you start to expand your business, you can expand what you know by expanding into other areas (like glassware or even pottery).

When you are buying, keep in mind on where you are going to sell the item.  Heavy items or even items that are large like a 5-foot tall sign will be harder and more expensive to ship if you sell it online—it might sell better in a booth or at a swap meet.

The biggest thing to remember is to know what your budget is.  Things will get out of hand very fast if you don’t know what kind of wiggle room you have in the budget.

This is just a few tips to remember when you are buying inventory.  What other tips do you keep in mind when you are buying inventory?