Tag: Beginning to collect

What in the world is a dummy stamp?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Beginning to collect, History, Paper, Stamps, Tips for the beginnerLeave a comment
image courtesy of wikipedia.com

Many years ago, I attended an auction that sold a huge collection of both coins and stamps.  While I was watching the stamps sell, I heard many different vocabulary words that applies to the stamp collection world, and one of the words was dummy stamp.

So, what exactly is a dummy stamp?

A dummy stamp is an officially produced imitation stamp that is used to train employees.  It can also test automatic machines that dispense stamps.  This type of stamp is usually blank or carry special inscriptions or other distinguishing ornamentation.

In the United States, the Dummy Stamp term relates to test and training stamps.  You will see the term used in the United Kingdom more widely to include the promotional and even sample stamps that are produced by the printers.

Dummy stamps are not intended to be collected, but they do reach the hands of collectors by the postal employees that have access to them.

Have you ever run across a dummy stamp?

What happened in the year 1932?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn History, Tips for the beginner, Vintage, Vintage, Vintage!Leave a comment

Whenever I look on the internet or a reference book that I have to look for information on an item that I am about to sell, I will run across really interesting tidbits about what happened during a certain year.

It could be the debut of a product, something that aired on the radio or television or even something that was captivating and held everyone’s interest for a portion of that particular year.

So, what happened during the year of 1932?

May 25—Goofy makes his appearance in the Disney cartoon titled Mickey’s Revue.

August 8—American Gridiron football was a demonstration sport of the Summer Olympics in Los Angles.

October 1—Game 3 of the World Series saw Babe Ruth hit a home run over the center field wall in the fifth inning.  This became to be known as the famous called shot by Babe Ruth.

November 7 saw the debut of the first science fiction show on radio.  It was called Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

This is just a handful of all the things that happened during the year 1932. What are some of the things that you heard of?

Glassware terms for the beginning collector

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Beginning to collect, Glassware, Tips for the beginner, Vintage, Vintage, Vintage!, Vocabulary WordsLeave a comment

When you dive into the world of collecting, you will quickly find that there are a TON of terms that you will hear.  There could be anything from a service set to cheese dishes.

Here are some of the terms that you will run across when it comes to tableware:

Breakfast set—this set features both a sugar bowl and a creamer that match.

Frog—this is an element that has multiple holes in it that hold flowers upright.  This will be in a vase or console bowl, and they range from small to large in size.  They are also in any color from clear pieces to colorful Depression glass and even carnival glass.

Tumbler—this is an everyday drinking glass.  They have been seen both footed and unfooted, and they also run the gambit in color from clear to every color under the rainbow.

Spooner—this item can be mistaken for a sugar bowl since they are similar.  Spooners do not have lids and are taller than sugar bowls since they are designed to hold spoons.

This is a small portion of the terms that you will run across for tableware.  What terms have you heard?

What are some of the different types of pottery?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Beginning to collect, Pottery, Tips for the beginner, Vintage, Vintage, Vintage!, Vocabulary WordsLeave a comment

When you jump into the world of antiques and collectibles you will see a wide range of pottery that’s on the market.  It could be transferware, stoneware or even art pottery—you really never know what you could run across!

What are some of the different types of pottery that you will find?

Ironstone—this is a type of pottery that made its debut in the UK in the early 1800’s.  It is similar to fine stoneware and was developed by potters in Staffordshire England as a cheaper alternative for porcelain.

Agateware—this is a type of pottery that is decorated with a combination of clays that have contrasting colors.  The name of this type of pottery comes from the agate stone which has different colored layers in it.

Raku Ware—this is a type of Japanese pottery that is traditionally in Japanese tea ceremonies.  The pieces are fairly porous vesels that are a result from low firing temperatures and lead glazes.  The traditional process sees the fired piece removed from the hot kiln and allowed to cool in the open air.

This is a small portion of the different types of pottery that you will find on the market.  What types have you run across?

Great Ideas to invest some money in trying times?  Try silver coins

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Beginning to collect, CoinsLeave a comment

I have been collecting coins ever since I was a kid.  One of the first stories that I heard was that coin hoarding in the early 1800’s.

One of the reasons that led to this happening was the fact that the banking system was not the greatest.  There were plenty of banks that would open up for business and then be out of business within a couple of weeks or months.  Because of the very shaky ground that the banks were on, people were afraid that they would not get their initial deposits back (or anything at all for that matter).

Because of this, people started to hoard silver and gold coins (gold coins were in circulation until 1933 and they had a face value of $1, $2.50, $5, $10 and $20).  It got so bad at one point that the lowly little penny was even getting stockpiled.

The United States Mint (and mints from all around the world for that matter) still make pure silver coins, but they are geared more for collectors and investors alike.

With the price of silver going up, it only makes sense to set a few examples aside to watch them go up in value.  If you play your cards right, you can make a tidy profit on your original purchase price.

What are some of the different types of coins that are made?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Beginning to collect, Coins, Tips for the beginner, Vintage, Vintage, Vintage!, Vocabulary WordsLeave a comment

When you start to collect coins, you will quickly find out that there are different types of coins that you can find.  The strike, what it’s made of or even the shape will quickly jump out at you.

Here is a few of the different types that you can find:

Business strike—this is a coin that is produced for general circulation, and you will find it in pocket change.

Commemorative coin—this is either a coin or medal that is issued to honor an outstanding event (like a bicentennial) or even a person (like Booker T. Washington).

Bi-Metallic—this is a coin that has been made out of two different materials like bronze and silver that have been bonded or fused together.

Proof—this is a coin that has been struck on a specially produced highly polished planchets and dies.  There are even proof coins that can be purchased that are struck more than once on the dies to help accent the design.This is a small look at some of the different types of coins that you can find.  What have you run across?

Madrid Depression Glass and its counterpart

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Beginning to collect, Glassware, Item highlight, Tips for the beginner, Vintage, Vintage, Vintage!Leave a comment

The Madrid pattern has been around since 1932, and it is still being produced today.  The name of the pattern has been changed to the Recollection Pattern, and it is made by the Indiana Glass Company.  There are quite a few ways to tell if the piece you are looking at is a piece from the Madrid pattern or is part of the Recollection pattern.

In 1976, the Federal glass company released Madrid as part of their Bicentennial line.  To help discern this from the original, there is a “76” that has been stamped into the mold.  It is easy to spot due to the size of the numbers and that it is often located near the top edge.

The Indiana Glass company released the Recollection pattern starting in the 1980’s.  Some of the pieces that Indiana Glass has released were never produced by the Federal glass Company.  Some of the molds were even put together.  One example is the mold for the candlestick and fruit bowl were put together to produce a kind of pedestal bowl.  If you happen to run across one of these pieces, look at where the bowl joins with the “base”.  If you see some ribbing inside what looks like a hollow area, then this is a modern piece.

The grill plate is different as well.  The original has been divided into three compartments and the newer one only has two.It is amazing how much of both patterns are here in the Ozarks.  Keep an eye peeled when it come to this pattern—you just might be paying good money for a newer piece.

What are some coin terms that may make you think have different meanings?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Beginning to collect, Coins, Money, Tips for the beginner, Vocabulary WordsLeave a comment

For many years now, I have been collecting mainly United States coins.  When I first started collecting coins, I heard some terms that I thought meant something totally different.

Here are some of the terms that I have heard over the years:

Hairlines—this is not near your forehead; this is tiny lines or scratches that are more often caused by polishing or cleaning a coin.

Field—this is not something full of flowers, it is the portion of the surface of the coin that does not have any of the coin’s inscription.

Bust—the part of a coin that features a portrait on a coin.  The portrait features the head neck and shoulders.

Designer—this is not talking about a line of handbags—this is the artist who has created the coin’s design.

This is just a small handful of the words that you might run across when dealing with coins.  What have you heard of?

It happened in 1947

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Beginning to collect, Item highlight, Tips for the beginnerLeave a comment

It happened on April 15th, 1947, and it happened to be a Tuesday.  The first day of Major League Baseball is a day that people always look forward to, but this year was special.  Spring was in the air, the smell of hot dogs was wafting around, and Jackie Robinson was making his Major League debut.

When Jackie Robinson took the field on this day, he became the first African American to play baseball in the majors.  He succeeded in every way possible, and he eventually found his way to Cooperstown (this is the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame).

When it comes to the collectibles area that features either Jackie’s name or likeness, it is very wide-ranging.  It includes everything from hats to jerseys, ads or even bats and gloves (this doesn’t even begin to cover how much is out there).

One of the areas that is very sought-after are baseball cards.  Not only are they easy to store, but they can also command a very pretty penny.

The downside of the collectibles that feature Jackie Robinson is that there are plenty of reproductions or fantasy pieces on the market that you will run across.  You need to do your homework to see what an authentic piece looks like so that you don’t get taken for a ride.

One of the best ways to tell if the card pictured above is authentic is to look for the TOPPS copyright information on the card.  One of the best areas to find it is on the back of the card where the players stats are.  Another way is to look at the paper stock that the card was made of.  For 1956, TOPPS used paper stock that had no sheen to it, and the card itself is a little bigger than modern cards.  If you have a question about a certain card, lay a modern card over it to compare the sizes.

The picture above shows what to look for about the size differences on the cards.

What kind of Jackie Robinson collectibles have you run across?

What happened in the year 1880?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn HistoryLeave a comment

When I am on the internet looking for some info about an item that I just bought, I often run across things that happened during a certain year.  It’s always fun for me to see what I run across; I never know what I might find.

Here are a few things that I have run across that happened in the year 1880:

January 3 was when Francis Brown, the Irish Jesuit priest that became famous for the last photos of the doomed luxury liner RMS Titanic, was born on this date.

February 2 saw the first electric streetlight get installed in Wabash, Indiana.

March 31 was when Wabash, Indiana become the very first electrically lit city in the world.

November 4 was the day that the first cash register was patented.  It was patented by James and John Ritty of Dayton, Ohio.  They called it “Ritty’s Incorruptible Cashier”.

1880 also saw The British Perforated Paper Company debut a new item called toilet paper.  Not only that, but the English Inventor John Milne also create the modern seismograph.

This is just a handful of what came about in the year 1880.  What are some of the things that you have heard about?