BB 11/24/15

Afternoon Phoenix family and friends! It’s time for Trivia Tuesday.

This week, I’ll highlight a subject that is very dear to another Breedmate of ours, Aine. She loves antiques, and opened her shop, Teardrops from the Moon, in Dia’s Den, the Dome.

Did you know that with the exception of automobiles, an object should be over 100 years old to qualify as an antique in the strict sense of the term? In today’s society, collectibles (as items younger than 100 are frequently called) and their value really depend on several factors: age, beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features. It is an object that represents a previous era or time period in human society.

In the United States, the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act defined antiques as, "...works of art (except rugs and carpets made after the year 1700), collections in illustration of the progress of the arts, works in bronze, marble, terra cotta, pottery, or porcelain, artistic antiquities and objects of ornamental character or educational value which shall have been produced prior to the year 1830." 1830 was the approximate beginning of mass production in the United States. These definitions were intended to allow people of that time to distinguish between genuine antique pieces, vintage items, and collectible objects. Again, this doesn’t apply to motor vehicles. In the United States, an antique car is generally defined as a car over 25 years of age, this being the definition used by the Antique Automobile Club of America.

The alternative term, antiquities. commonly refers to the remains of ancient art and everyday items from antiquity, which themselves are often archaeological artifacts. An antiquarian is a person who collects and studies antiquities or things of the past. (This is what the Atlantean artifacts that Aine has falls under)

According to Kovels.com, a widely used pricing guide for antiques, this is the list of the top 20 antiques and collectibles as referenced by the searches for values in their databases:

1. Fenton China

2. Occupied Japan (never sold in Japan. Toys, dishes and other goods marked "Occupied Japan" were made during the American occupation of Japan after World War II, from 1947 to 1952, for the export market only.)

3. Coca-Cola

4. Wedgwood pottery

5. Bavarian China

6. Dinnerware

7. McCoy Pottery

8. Stove

9. Delft (a type of tin-glazed pottery most think is made in Holland, but it isn't always. Early delft was made in Holland and in England during the 18th century. By 1990, blue and white pottery with Dutch scenes was made in Asia and Germany, but still marked Delft. Only one Dutch company remains that makes traditional old-style delft.)

10. Depression Glass (type of inexpensive glass made in the 1920s and '30s. It was often given away at movie matinees during the lean years of the Great Depression. It wasn't called Depression glass then—the name Depression glass is a modern one, coined by collectors.)

11. Capo-di-Monte porcelain

12. Lamps

13. Hull (vintage Brown drip Pottery)

14. Satsuma (antique Japanese porcelain)

15. Banks

16. Lighters

17. Belleek Irish China and Pottery (isn't always Irish. The first Belleek was made in Ireland in 1857. Pieces made by American companies, including Ceramic Art Co., Lenox, Knowles, Taylor & Knowles, Ott & Brewer and Willets had a similar creamy yellow wet-looking glaze also called belleek. But in 1929, a court ruled that only the Irish company could use the word Belleek with a capital "B." Others had to use belleek with a lowercase "b" in their marks and ads.)

18. Pepsi-Cola

19. Scales

20. Haeger Pottery

Do you own anything like this? Usually several times per year, antique shops will hold “mini” Antique Roadshows, where you can bring in your item for a free appraisal. Might be interesting to see what you’re holding onto!

Have a fangtastic day!

<3  Brock V"""V