The Lure of Pixies

June 2023

According to the New World Encyclopedia, Pixies are “mythical creatures of English folklore. First described by Anna Eliza Bray in the early nineteenth century, pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the areas of the downs and moors of Devon and Cornwall. Like sprites and other different types of English faeries, pixies are often considered mischievous, but not overtly malevolent creatures of nature. Their most commonly depicted image is a wingless and pointy-eared fairy-esque creature dressed in green.”

So why the allure of collecting miniature Pixies? Likely it’s the same type of draw as those who collect Disney characters, or Marvel Universe action figures: we like the mysterious, the unknown, the enchanted, and the hero with superpowers.

Pixies do have that fun, mischievous allure for us. They began to appear as Dime Store novelties in the 1930s, literally costing a mere 10¢. My collection began with the 3 pieces that were in my grandmother’s curio cabinet which I inherited (the little red pixies sitting on logs). They then began to appear on planters, especially those made by Gilner (California) and Treasure Craft in the 1940s and 1950s. Many of the early pieces were done in green, and yellow and green, but the Dime Store pixies were generally red and white.

Costume Jewelry Need-to-Knows

May 2023

My fascination with jewelry began as a little girl when I would admire and ask my grandmother about all the beautiful jewelry she owned and wore. Lucky for me, I inherited most of my grandmother's jewelry along with all of my mother's collection. I was very taken by several CORO pieces that were among my inherited collection, and thus my costume jewelry collecting began. At this point, I think I have over 500 pieces of Coro in my personal collection.

The challenge in collecting costume jewelry is in finding what are labeled “book” pieces, if you want to build a semi-valuable collection. Book pieces are select costume jewelry pieces whose “pedigrees" have been established, appraised, and appear in any of the various costume jewelry books such as Coro, Trifari, Hobe, Weiss, and so forth. After many years of collecting, I finally came across the noted Coro Salamander Pin (if you look at my photo to the right, it is in the upper right-hand corner). The pin is Rhodium-plated and encrusted with white Austrian crystals. It was designed by Gene Verri, one of Coro’s first and most famous designers. The “book” value of the piece is now over $700.

Refinishing Vintage Furniture

April 2023

Many people love the look of natural wood. When it comes to refinishing older furniture, they would prefer to restore a piece to its former, natural wood glory - not a bad choice. I, on the other hand, love the look of painted furniture, whether it be an enameled gloss finish such as the Modern Mint Green (Rust-Oleum Painters Touch Ultra Cover Gloss) nightstand I refinished, or a chalk paint finish, as in the Winchester Green (Kilz Complete Coat Satin) dresser I picked up from CraigsList already refinished (photos below). The question, then, is: when to paint and when not to paint?

Experts in the antique and vintage furniture fields are divided on this subject. The first and a key point pros make about painting an old piece is this: Miriam Silver Verga of Mimi & Hill echoes this sentiment: "When you paint an antique, you are deciding that its value is to you alone, because painting something vintage changes its long term price.”  "If it's a high-quality antique you want to resell later, painting diminishes the value," notes Modern Antiquarian founder Margaret Schwartz.

In addition to quality, you may also want to consider the materials used—are they rare or difficult to refinish? "I cringe when I see exotic woods like mahogany painted or bleached," says historian Hampton DeVille. Rachel Cannon agrees: "If it’s a thrifted item that is constructed of a common wood like oak or pine, with rudimentary joinery, you’re probably safe to paint it," she says. "However, if it’s made of exotic woods like cherry, mahogany, or satinwood, probably not.”

So it boils down to this: If it's a piece without much value on the secondhand market or one where the existing finish is in poor condition, a paint job may actually increase value. If you want a piece to hold its value, a restoration or refinish is a better investment.

Researching Old Silver

March 2023

Collecting antique or vintage silver can be a rewarding and valuable pastime. Because silver is a precious metal, these items generally hold or increase in value, making them a great investment. Most antique dealers recommend keeping the following pointers in mind when dabbling in this market:

(1) Collect One Thing (such as silverware, silver flasks, vases, etc.) or Make All Antique Silver Fair Game. Different patterns can create a unique and interesting aesthetic within your collection.

(2) Identifying Silver is Not a Herculean Task. Most silver is stamped with identifying marks making it easy to research the manufacturer and even date the piece.

(3) Know the Difference Between Solid Silver, Silver-plate, and Pewter. In my photo to the right, the Coffee Pot is a piece of Reed & Barton pewter, but the 2 Goblets are Reed & Barton silver-plate.

(4) Finally, Silver Collections Are Easier to Sell than Other Antiques. Antique dealers and auction houses love silver collections as collections are easier to sell then individual pieces considering the value of the silver.

Buying Vintage Artwork

February 2023

There are “tons” of art pieces out in the markets (Poshmark, eBay, Etsy, your local yard sales, etc.), and many are being sold for ridiculously cheap prices. While you may not find that hidden $1 million dollar gem, often you can find valuable works if you know what to look for when browsing.

(1) First, identify it as a painting and not a print (reproduction of an original). The Berkeley Library has a clear discussion of how to do this.

(2) Examine it to see if it is signed by an artist (and possibly dated). You might also discover it is marked as a numbered piece, meaning the artist only produced a limited number of that work.

(3) If you can identify the artist, then you can research the artist to see when they were painting, what style they produced, what medium they used, and if their works are deemed valuable.

(4) The charcoal painting I have pictured to the right (part of my personal collection), was found at a local thrift shop. It caught my eye because my husband and I are both born under the Aries astrological sign (2 rams - what could be better!). As it turns out, the painting was done by a regional artist (it is signed). I purchased it for $3 and it has an appraised value of $95 to $135. Not a bad investment!