Tips On Antiques Collecting

Advertising Items

1. Watch out for modern soda pop advertising items. There are reproductions (close copies of original pieces) and "fantasy items" (brand new pieces with no old counterparts). Pepsi Cola items is especially abundant.

2. Collectors of advertising items always keep these points in mind: 1) Subject (company); 2) Rarity; 3) Condition; 4) Eye Appeal.

Tips On Antiques Collecting

Artworks

1. A reverse-painted glass object, as the name implies, has the decoration sketched and dien pain tel. d in color on the back or inside. The most delicate examples are the tiny snuff bottles produced by the Chinese. Flat pictures were much easier to produce since the background design was sometimes stenciled on and then filled in with color. The Chinese did such painted pictures and, in the early 19th century, German artisans also produced such works, mainly as human por¬traits. Reverse-painted scenes were also quite often featured in the glass tablets above mirrors during the first half of the 19* century.

2. Currier & Ives prints are probably the most reproduced of any 19th century American lithographs. Read the inscription along the bottom edge with care. Many originals will have the date they were "Entered According to an Act of Congress," but some old ones are undated.

3. One test to help sort the originals from the copies is to use a 10X loupe and examine a small area. If you see tiny dashed lines, it is an original. If you see an overall design of tiny dots, it is a photographic copy. Also, if you can examine it out of the frame, you should be able to detect the watercolor paint on die surface. It will reflect light as it is turned at an angle.

Ceramics

1. Dogs are not the only old Staffordshire pottery pieces reproduced; other animals and even figural groups have been copied. Watch out for overall "crazing" of the glaze (early examples are seldom crazed). Also "firing holes" or vent holes on the bottom of originals are only about W diameter. Modern pieces have much larger holes.

2. The "Wedgwood" Wares Confusion. Most people see the name "Wedgwood" on a piece of ceramic and assume it is a product of the famous Josiah Wedgwood firm that was established around 1769 and is still operating today. Several other English potteries, however, used markings that appear similar. Keep in mind the Josiah Wedgwood pottery uses only the word "Wedgwood" to indicate the firm (note: no middle "e" in "Wedgwood").

Confusing marks include "Wedgwood & Co." (1860 - ), "H.F. Wedgwood & Co. Ltd. (ca. 1954-9), and "J. Wedgwood," the mark of John Wedge Wood (1841-60).

3. Ironstone china is a dense, heavy earthenware pottery that was the everyday tableware of most Americans from the 1840s until around 1910. First invented in England in the early 19th century, huge quantities were exported to the United States. In the 1850s all-white wares with embossed designs were popular, but patterns were also decorated with many transfer-printed de¬signs in dark flow blue and, later, in lighter shades of blue, brown, green, etc. Copper luster trim and designs such as Tea Leaf were long popular as was the Moss Rose pattern.

Much ironstone carries company trademarks that may include other terms for the ware such as "Stone China," "White Granite," "Granite Ware," "Opaque China," "Parisian Granite" and others.

4. Watch out for "fake" R.S. Prussia marks. The new green and red mark has been available on decal sheets for a number of years and can be applied to any unmarked china.

5. Ceramics Primer. A "ceramic" is any object made from clay and fired in a kiln. There are two categories of "Ceramics": pottery and porcelain.

Pottery is usually heavier and denser than porcelain and can be made from several types of clay to produce redware (reddish ware), yellowware (pale yellow) and stoneware (dense grey body). These types were used for more common utilitarian items (crocks, bowls, jugs, etc.) A finer, whiter pottery clay produces earthenware used for better dinnerware and serving pieces. Most must be glazed to hold liquid.

Porcelain is made with special clays, one clay composed of kaolin (china clay), one petun- tze (a fusible feldspathic rock). Porcelain is much finer and whiter than pottery and is also harder. Most pieces of porcelain will be translucent when held to a strong light. All pottery wares are opaque.

The Chinese developed porcelain in the 13d1 century, and it was rare and expensive in the West. The formula was Anally "discovered" in Europe in the early IS01 century and first produced by the Meissen factory in Germany. Porcelain can be glazed to give it a glossy finish or left unglazed, creating bisque. One type of all-white bisque is called Parian Ware for its resemblance to Parian marble.

6. "Nippon" is the Japanese name for their country. When the U.S. Congress enacted the McKinley Tariff Act in 1891, all countries had to mark the country of origin on their exports to the United States. (Markings could be paper labels and weren't limited to printed or stamped marks.) Pieces of ceramic marked "Nippon" date between 1891 and 1921. In 1921 the law was revised and the words "Made in" had to be added to marks. Also, the Japanese had to drop the name "Nippon" and replace it with the English name "Japan."

7. Many people don't realize that the W. Goebel factory made fine porcelain wares, includ¬ing figural pieces, long before it introduced Hummel figurines in 1932. Watch for its printed or impressed early mark consisting of a crown over an entwined "W.G."

Clocks & Furniture

1. Don't be fooled by 20th century copies of 18th and early 19th century furniture. Early pieces will show hand craftsmanship with fine dovetailing, early tool marks and specific design features. More modern copies will generally not have dovetailing, will probably be made of thinner pieces of wood, and 20th century veneering is paper thin compared to early veneers, which can often be seen along drawer edges.

2. The "Morris chair" is named for William Morris, an English designer in Victorian England who invented the original version of this reclining armchair in about 1870.

3. "Mission" or "Mission Oak" are terms often used to describe the very simple, sturdy and angular furniture made during the peak of the American Arts & Crafts movement, ca. 1905-20. The name derives from the mistaken belief that it resembles the rare primitive furniture made for Cali¬fornia missions of the 17th through 19th centuries.

4. The "Eastlake" style of late Victorian furniture takes its name from English author and tastemaker Charles Locke Eastlake, whose book Hints on Household Taste (1868) exerted a great influence in the United States. In fact, he was horrified to find his name associated with the often inexpensive, mass-produced furniture made in this country and sold as "Eastlake."

5. Federal "fancy chairs" remained popular into the 1830s. In 1829 Lambert Hitchcock of Connecticut was the first man to start a factory to mass-produce such chairs. "Hitchcock" chairs could be shipped unassembled or ready to use, and eventually reached markets in far corners of the globe.

Glass

1. Direct reproductions, as well as "adaptations" of Victorian Art Glass, are the bane of many beginning collectors. Keep in mind that, in general, 20Ul century copies will be heavier and more crudely finished than the originals. Check the base for a pontil scar. The best early Art Glass had a polished pontil that left a smooth shallow circle.

2. Even though the colorful iridescent glass from the early 20th century has been called "carnival" for some fifty years, there is no evidence that pieces were ever given away as prizes at old-time carnivals or fairs.

Jewelry

1. Be on the alert. A great deal of brand-new reproduction Art Nouveau style jewelry is on the market today, especially pieces in silver.

Tips On Antiques Collecting
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Collecting Antique Axes

Edge tools are among the earliest tool forms, with surviving primitive axes dated to 8000 B.C.. Early axes were made by "wrapping" the red hot iron around a form, yielding the eye of the axe. The steel bit, introduced in the 18th century, was laid into the fold at the front and hammered into an edge. The side opposite the bit was later extended into a poll, for better balance and to provide a hammering surface.

The handles took on a variety of shapes, some indicative or origin, others relating to function. The length of the handle had more to do with the arc of the swing that was required. Felling axes took a full swing and therefore needed the longest handles. Early axes have their handles fitted through the eye from the top down and the handles remain in place by locking into the taper of the eye, so they can be removed for sharpening.

Later axes, however, have their handles fit through the eye from the bottom up, and have a wedge driven in from the top. This permanently locks the handle to the axe and was much preferred by American woodsmen. Many axes found today had been discarded because the handle was split or broken off. In most cases they can be bought at a fraction of their value and, with another handle, can be restored to their original condition. Most axe collectors have a stock of older flea-market handles that they use for this restoration. Like plane blades, axe handles might have been replaced two or three times throughout the life of the tool. As long as the handle is "proper," meaning, the right shape and length for its function, it won't detract that much from its value.

Collecting Antique Axes

Pricing of antique axes runs the entire gamut from a few dollars to several hundred. Examples of well-made axes would include the Plumb, White, Kelly, Miller and numerous others. Beyond these were axes of sometimes lesser quality, but built to a price, and sold by the thousands. Exceptional examples might include handmade axes, possibly from the local blacksmith, or from a factory that specialized in the handmade article, regardless of price.

There are several types of axes out there such as:

SINGLE BIT FELLING AXE:

This axe is considered the workhorse of the axe family. It is a simple design, varying from a 2 ½ lb. head used by campers to the 4 ½ to 7 lb. head used for forest work. There are heads used in lumbermen's competition that are up to 12lbs.. With the advent of the two-man crosscut saw, and later the power chain saw, tree no longer are taken down by axes. The axe is more a utility tool for clearing branches off the downed tree, and splitting firewood.

DOUBLE BIT FELLING AXE:

Double bit axes always have straight handles, unlike any other modern axe. Almost all axe handles are hickory. Hickory has both strength and spring, and was found very early to be the best for axe handles. Starting in the late 1800's a number of axe manufactures adopted intricate logos that were embossed or etched on the head of the axe. Almost 200 different styles have been identified to date and these have also become an interesting collectible.

BROAD AXE:

The broad axe is not as common as the felling axe, and is a lot larger. It's purpose was to square up logs into beams. It used a much shorter swing that the felling axe, therefore required a much shorter handle. The identifying feature of many of these axes is the chisel edge, that allowed the back side of the axe to be dead flat. Because of that, it posed a problem of clearance for the hands. To keep the hands from being scraped, the handle was canted or swayed away from the flat plane of the axe. This is the feature that should always be looked for when buying a broad axe. If the edge is chisel-sharpened, then the handle should be swayed. As with the felling axe, the broad axe heads have a variety of patterns, mostly a result of geographical preference.

GOOSEWING AXE:

The goose wing axe is one of the most artistic looking tools out there, and it takes it's name from its resemblance to the wing of a goose in flight. It functions exactly as the chisel-edged broad axe, except that the American version has the handle socket more heavily bent or canted up from the plane of the blade. These axes are large and difficult to forge. Many show cracks and repairs and an original handle is rare. Signed pieces, particularly by American makers, mostly Pennsylvania Dutch, are considerably more valuable. Also of importance is the difference in value between American and European axes, the American ones being worth considerably more. A few well-known 19th century American makers whose names appear imprinted on axes are Stohler, Stahler, Sener, Rohrbach, Addams, and L.& I.J. White.

SHIPWRIGHT'S OR MAST AXE:

This axe is used for shaping ships' masts and timbers, and is usually ground on both sides. It varies in length base on local usage. The double pointed ears or lugs are common with this axe.

COOPER'S AXE:

This axe has a lighter handle socket, well canted and carries a very short handle. Although the general differentiation between an axe and a hatchet is that an axe is used with two hands and a hatchet with one, the cooper's axe is one of the exceptions to the rule. It was used mostly for shaping barrel staves, and was almost always used with one hand while the other held the stave.

COACHMAKER'S AXE:

This is an asymmetrical axe used for shaping coach parts in almost a paring manner. The heads vary in size, some styles taking on a "bearded" effect, hence the nickname "bearded axe." These axes are almost exclusively of European origin.

ICE AXE:

Back in the day, ice was harvested in the winter from ponds and lakes and stored in ice-housed for summer use. This was an important winter cash crop for many farmers. There was a whole family of tools developed to serve this industry, among them was the ice axe. Again, local patterns create a variety of styles.

FIRE AXE:

These are sought-after collectibles, because many of the older ones have the fire company's monogram on the head. All have rear pikes used for clearing openings or creating ventilation.

MORTISING AXE:

The blade on these axes are long and narrow to accommodate the size of the mortise hole it was designed to cut, most often for post and beam construction or for post and rail. Some have double bits, one bit sized for the length and the other for the width of the hole.

TRADE AXE:

Trade axes were originally brought over by the French and Spanish and later by the English and were traded to the Indians who held them in very high regard. They were poll-less and small enough to be carried at the belt and used with one hand. The larger variety were known as squaw axes and were used by the women for chopping wood.

TURF or BOG AXE:

Used for cutting turf and peat, these axes are not heavy enough to cut wood.

HATCHET:

Hatchets are small axes used with one hand.

Collecting Antique Axes
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