Figural Lamp with Horse and Rider appraisal

Dear Nadja:

Just looked thru your latest book, Antique Lamp Buyers Guide (Third edition just released in March),and I couldn’t find a picture of the horse lamp that I have. It has a horse with a rider sitting sideways ON IT and THE HORSE IS DRINKING from a trough that has a light in it. The lampshade is also lit. Can you give me any idea what it might be worth or where I might find a picture of it or something about it? Thank you for any insight you might give me or helpful hints to find out info about it. Thanks so much. The Ruth in my email address is now in Heaven (2/20/2012) Now I live alone after almost 64yrs.
The base of the lamp must be made of iron or steel as it weighs 12Lbs, ht. is 20 ¾” , the shade is 8 ¼”, the base is 9 ½”long & 6 ¼” wide, horse & rider are 8 ¾” high. I don’t know what OTHER SIZES I CAN GIVE YOU. I would really appreciate it if you could give me some idea of it’s value. God bless you. Thank you for your help!
Sincerely, Gordon S.

Response:
Dear Gordon,
My condolences on your wife’s death. It sounds from your email as though you had many fine years together.
In reference to your lamp, you have what is referred to as a figural lamp that in some respects is a cross between a cast sculpture and a lamp. Back at the start of the 20th century, cast bronze sculptures were fashionable and if you could not afford a bronze casting, then maybe you could afford to buy a less expensive version made of what is called “pot metal” and alloy mixture of iron, steel, lead, and whatever was available. (That’s why your lamp is so heavy!)
When electricity was first available, early bulbs emulated very little light but they could create a mood and they could light something like colored glass or be used in place of a flame in a small figural statue that depicted a woman holding a torch.
In your particular lamp. the illumination is in the leaf canopy of the tree, which looks more like a roof and also near the base in the water trough. The glass pieces are called slag glass and they were made in many different colors. Based on the attire of the man, the lamp looks like it is from the 1920s. Without knowledge of a signature or any sort of marking, it is difficult for me to give an accurate appraisal as to the value of your lamp because I’ve never seen one exactly like yours. So all I can do is “guestimate” and say what price I would mark your lamp if I were asked to price it for a sale. If it is structurally sound, with not dings, cracks, or chips to the metal or glass and the wiring is safe and sound, I would value it from $300 to $450.
If anyone out there on the internet, who reads this blog, has encountered something similar at a different price, please let us know and I will relay the information to Gordon.
Enjoy your unusual lamp.
Sincerely,
Nadja Maril

Kerosene Lamp Appraisal

Dear Nadja,
After reading the above post regarding Kerosene Lamps and observing the picture I noticed that the Kerosene lamp to the left is quite similar to one that was left behind when my Great Grandmother passed, but hers has decorative silver, and an emblem that I do not recognize I do not know how to leave a picture but would like you to see it. Maybe you could give me some background and also curious if worth anything.

Thank You
C.S.

Sometimes context can be deceiving. A lamp belonging to a senior citizen does not necessarily make the lamp an antique. In style, your lamp is fairly pedestrian. It’s meant to be a practical kerosene lamp, made with clear utilitarian glass. These lamps are still being made today for use on boats and in rural areas where there is no electricity or frequent power outages. A visit to some online auctions shows showed a number of similar lamps selling for between $7 and $12. A company incorporated under the name Lamplight Farms was founded in 1996 in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin and parts, including wicks for Farms Lamplight lamps can be purchased from B & P Lamp Supply– founded in the 1950s. My advice would be to enjoy the lamp for its sentimental value. I hope it brings back fond memories of your great grandmother.

How to Pack Away Your Antiques

This weekend Hurricane Irene came to town. She forced me into my basement to assess the safety of my antique lighting collection, primarily stored in the basement. If anyone out there in internet land wants to buy an antique lighting collection, just give me a holler via email or blog reply , but until that happens, I am the proud caretaker of various shades and lamp parts for late 19th and early 20th lamps. My son has been packing up his apartment to move to a new job, and he was asking my advice on how to pack dishes, which reminded me how little people know about safe packing protocol. So here are a few tips.
1) Strong waterproof containers that can withstand a flooding situation are imperative. If you buy containers that are all the same size they are easy to stack in your garage, basement, or when moving them in a van or truck.
2) You want to wrap your items in something which will provide protection and padding, so if jostled they will not bang against one another. Newspaper is the material of last resort because it turns your fingers black when packing and becomes yellowed and brittle with age. If you have the time, the best packing stuff are the hospital pads that are cotton and blue plastic–designed to protect the bed from “accidents”. You can order them online. They cost approximately $45 for a box of 200. If you can’t find those pads, then I recommend rolls of bubble wrap combined with sheets of white newsprint that are often available places that rent trucks for moving or at a printing plant. To economize, you can also use old towels, sheets, or old T-shirts.
3) Never pack the box or bin to the very top, because if you put weight on top, the items pressing against the lid will snap and break. Always try for approximately one to two inches of insulation at the bottom and the sides. I usually leave six inches at the top.
4) Label everything on the top and on the side where you can easily read the contents of what is inside each tub!

Reverse Painting on Glass Antique Lamp

I was so excited to get this lamp back, after having it rewired and buffed that I just had to post it to share.
This is an example of a Regency Revival style lamp from the early 20th century with reverse painting on glass panels. It is pictured in the Antique Lamp Buyer’s Guide page 81 and is for sale. Please note that it has slight damage on two corners of the 8 inch base, as shown in the photo. The 18″ diameter shade is in excellent condition. The lamp stands 26 ” tall.
What’s it worth? Well 15 years ago the value was in the $500 to $875 range and I’m asking $650.

Architectural History Too Often Discarded

The front page story on Sunday’s (January 23) Washington Post by Christian Davenport caught my eye for several reasons. My interest was initially piqued by the handsome marble urn ornamented with rams’ heads and eagles. Then there was the mention of DHS Designs, an antiques shop in Queenstown I’ve visited several times, which is now shutting down its business. Stocked with large impressive and expansive items, just over the bridge from Annapolis, Maryland where I live and work, there were plenty of grand marble mantels, statuary, fountains, furniture, of all sizes, and yes, urns. I’d walk around the DHS display area looking at those major mantels, trying to imagine the grand estate from whence they came. Because yes, every piece of architectural salvage came from somewhere.
The simple fact that a bunch of misquided beaurocrats at Arlington National Cemetary and the Department of the Army decided to trade in a pair of original urns for replacement urns that were copies made of the same materials, does not surprise me at all. The thought process–it was easier and more practical to replace the urns,then to attempt to restore them.
As a former antiques dealer, one who specialized in historic lighting, I saw a variety of architectural items being misguidedly removed and replaced. All kinds of chandeliers and sconces removed from old buildings were brought to me by “pickers” (dealers who specialize in the quick sale of antiques to other dealers who are primarily retailers). They would regale me with stories of where some of the items came from. Back in the 1980′s we purchased a massive brass chandelier with a dozen arms in the colonial style and six pairs of matching sconces, all in need of polishing and rewiring, said to be from one of the dining halls at Dartmouth College. That same year, a picker sold us dozens of standing lamps complete with beautiful molded translucent white shades with a bisque finish, said to have been removed from The Breakers Hotel in Florida. Many times people would remove discolored brass fixtures, not realizing they were brass, and then turning around and buying new versions of a similar fixture. Yes the new chandelier was bright and shiny, but of inferior quality. Electricians couldn’t be bothered with rewiring an old fixture and worry about replacing the sockets or finding appropriate shades, when it was just so much easier to install something brand new with no dents or dings. The original urns that once sat adjacent to the Tomb of the Unknowns and are now slated for auction, have some cracks. But they appear to have aged gracefully. And let’s face it, nothing is perfect but they are original and they’ve seen so much history.

A Lady’s Handbag is a Style Statement

Every woman loves handbags. Antique and vintage handbags are some of the best historic examples of fashion. If you live in the Chesapeake Bay area, consider attending the third annual “Bag Lady Auction”. I’ve donated two antique handbags to the event which raises funds to support the Anne Arundel County Arts Council. I’ve posted the link to their website so you can visit the bags they have for sale this year. Just click on this text. The event takes place on Sunday November 7th at the Loews Hotel in Annapolis, noon to two. A light lunch is included in the $25 ticket.
I’ve also posted a link to one of my articles on vintage handbags.. Just click on the words “vintage handbags.”

Annapolis Secret Home of Antique Sources and Deals

Annapolis is home to a number of high end international businesses connected with antiques such as the Theriault Doll Auction House. Coming up at the end of the month, they’ll be auctioning off the private collection of Nikki Kvitka, November 20 and 21, 2010 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.
But taking place closer to home is another business, folks may or may not know about, Niermann Weeks, a luxury furnishings manufacturer which takes its inspiration from fine antiques. This weekend they are having their Annual Fall Sample Sale.
Included in the large selection of showroom samples will be
lighting, furniture, fabrics, and accessories. Also available will be antiques collected by Joe Niermann (such as the pictured bench), as well as selected samples from local acrylic company Spectrum Ltd. and from the William Switzer Company of Vancouver, Canada.
According to CEO Eleanor McKay, all together, the retail value of these samples is over $5,000,000 and there will be fantastic deals with prices marked at 50 to 90% off. “We really want to sell everything, so will consider all reasonable negotiations, ” she told me in a recent email. So mark your calendars. On Friday, November 5 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm the sale will be open to the trade ie. (wholesale) only. Saturday, November 6 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at 760 Generals Highway in Millersville, MD 21108 at the intersection of Generals & Veterans Highways, the sale will be open to the general public.
Take note that each day Niermann Weeks will hold a drawing for a $5,000 gift certificate. Visitors can fill in a registration form at the factory door. Also, for every purchase in excess of $2,500, registered visitors will earn another chance at the drawing so you can score pretty well if you are doing some redecorating or furnishing a new home. If you need more information, call Niermann Weeks at 410-923-0123.

Is Sterling Trash or Treasure?

Sterling silver pieces slated for melting

Just a few days ago I posted my latest comments in answer to someone considering the route of selling their silver for scrap. Over the weekend I was being entertained by friends, one of whom could not resist showing me the items in their silver collection they had decided to dispose of. “None of my children care for these pieces and neither do I,” was the explanation. All made by the Kirk silver, they are not distinctive in their design and yes they do need polishing. It seems a shame that our ancestors were so proud to own pieces of silver like these and now with folks rarely entertaining at home, silver is just not as desirable.
The solution– other than donating the items to charity or finding someone who does value the feel and heft of genuine silver to sell to, is to go to a reputable dealer in silver and gold who will pay the going rate (a little over $23 per ounce).
There are some investors investing that silver prices will continue to climb higher, so you can always set a target and patiently wait. Will the price of silver per ounce climb up to $30 per ounce? I don’t have a crystal ball.

What to Do With Old Silver You Don’t Want

Ms. Maril,
I have inherited my grandparents silver dinnerware for eight plus many serving pieces that include a tablecloth sweeper and a creamer and sugar set with tray from 1920′s. There is no one to hand it down to and if it just gets melted and recycled it would be fine. With the rise in silver prices, it sounds as if I should just sell it on the basis on weight unless you can convince me there is a market for antiques of this type.
P.B.A.
Response-
If there is no one in your extended family who has an interest in antique silver and your items are indeed sterling, you may do well to sell them on the basis of weight. But before you take such hasty action, please take a look at the markings on the bottom of your pieces and with the help of a research librarian look up the marks to check 1) they are sterling 2) the style of work of this particular manufacturer are not sought by collectors.
Please consider donating your items to a favorite charity if they conduct fundraisers with silent or live auctions, as there are many people who still use and enjoy silver items for entertaining and decorative display.

Where Do I Sell My Antiques?

Unfortunately for me, not everyone uses email and blogging to communicate and thus every once and a while I receive a phone call from someone asking a similar question to the ever present questions I receive from many of my readers which is:
“I have some really nice antiques but I just can’t find any place to sell them. Do you know where I can get a fair price for my treasures?” My most recent caller refused to believe me when I told her that since she had actively been consigning some items and making calls to auction houses, she knew more than I did. Since I spend most of my time sitting at a desk, I am not the foremost authority on the places to buy and sell antiques. Back in the days when I was an actual antiques dealer, it was different. But that was long ago.
Unfortunately for those who are making their living by trading in antiques, the market is slow which means dealers are going to be very reluctant to pay much for anything. After all, they are trying to live off what they profit on, and thus dealers have become very specialized and very selective. If you want to get a “good” price for an item, sell it directly to the collector who wants to keep it and not to someone buying the piece for resale. How do you do that? You need to sell it yourself on EBay or another online auction, or list it on Craigs list, or in the classified section of your local newspaper.
Can’t sell it? Try donating it to charity. Many non-profits have silent auctions and appreciate beautiful antiques to add to the mix.
My frustration on the phone call was that I simply could not get this particular lady off the phone. She kept talking on and on about everything she owned and where she had tried to sell it.
Last resort, have an estate sale IF you know what you are selling and have some family or friends who can help. There are services who will run the sale for you but they take 20 to 25% off the top and may also charge for advertising and hauling fees. Start very early in the morning and finish by noon.
Good luck and happy selling.