Art & Antiques by Dr. Lori

One of the most common pieces of antique furniture is the armoire or as it is called in Europe, the linen cupboard. They are beautiful storage pieces that have enjoyed a major place in the world’s homes since before the advent of the closet. Armoires have a varied history and have served as wooden storage lockers for everything from coats to coverlets since the age of the Renaissance.

Today, many people are sad to learn that one of their most beloved pieces of furniture is not worth as much as it once was. For instance, many antiques lovers purchased large scale armoires for big bucks in the 1990s, intended to use the piece in a bedroom. Many owners purchased armoires to hide an oversized tv set behind wooden doors. Now, the technological advancement known as the flat screen television has changed the face of the bedroom and has ushered out most oversized armoires. If you are like many other people, you may be thinking about how to make the most out of your antique, though still beautiful, armoire now that you don’t need it to store you old television.

Here are a few tips for those of you who would rather keep your armoire rather than lose money selling it in today’s market. Although the market isn’t paying top dollar for armoires anymore, the style and function of this versatile piece of furniture remains desirable in many rooms of the house.

Armoires in the bedroom are great for storing clothes, purses, accessories, hats, hanging shoe bags and other articles of clothing. If you want to hide unsightly objects in the bedroom as you enjoy that flat screen tv, armoires can keep your DVDs and CDs in order and out of sight.

Many people want to place a wooden armoire in the bathroom, but the moisture and humidity from the shower stall can damage the finish of the antique’s wood over time. Armoires are great for storing lightweight items like sheets, pillowcases, shams, and towels but, make sure that you place a barrier (shelf lining paper) between your linens and the wooden shelves.

I have seen armoires serving as baking pantries in kitchens, paper and file storage in home offices, and used as sports equipment storage in the playroom. Don’t over stack it and don’t store books in an antique armoire as the weight of the books can damage the integrity of the structure.

When it comes to interior design, armoires are large enough to act as room dividers and slim enough to be placed in a hallway or on a second floor landing area. These versatile pieces of furniture are simple, typically with a door or two and a security lock. Dress your armoire up with a dried flower or silk leaves on the top of the piece and a decorative tassel on the lock and key.

When technology changes and our homes are redecorated to make room for our changing tastes, consider new ways to use an old faithful piece of furniture, like the armoire. Don’t just take a beating on the sale of an armoire or linen cupboard, take a moment to repurpose it.

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events nationwide. For a full schedule of Dr. Lori’s antiques appraisal events, visit www.DrLoriV.com, www.Facebook.com/DoctorLori, or call (888) 431-1010.

Armoire (Photo credit: www.DrLoriV.com)

Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935 and he died on August 16, 1977. He left a legacy that continues to inspire many fans to this day. In addition to his mansion, Graceland, his mountain of hit records and his popular movies, Elvis still connects with collectors decades after his untimely death. Beloved by millions, Elvis was a star among stars.

Recently, I made my way to Memphis, Tennessee to pay homage to the King of Rock n Roll. Visiting Graceland, the home of the late Elvis Presley, was a truly moving experience.

The Jungle Room at Graceland, Photo credit: (c) ELVIS PRESLEY ENTERPRISES,

Elvis’ famous home is both a museum and a memorial. While the living room and kitchen certainly were throw backs to the 1970s, the upstairs bedrooms were off limits in keeping with Elvis’ tradition of only meeting guests on the main floor of the home. Graceland visitors are only allowed to tour the main floor and lower areas of the main house. The most interesting room was the famed Jungle Room located just off of the kitchen. Decorated in typical late 1960s/early 1970s era exotica furniture and accessories, this room was Elvis’ informal music room where he played the guitar and sang with his friends.

My visit was met with a few surprises. For instance, I did not realize that Elvis was a twin. I did not know that he was born in Tupelo, not Memphis. At Graceland, there were significant yet respectful crowds. The staff members were true professionals; helpful in every way.

Collectors are devoted to Elvis and what some call “Elvis-abilia,” in a manner that differs from that of other celebrities or rock stars. Elvis was an icon, and while his hit records are valuable on today’s secondary market, it is his global appeal that has attracted so many collectors to Elvis objects. Elvis made a career out of connecting with his audiences. What’s more, his personal decisions to serve in the military and to support American causes contribute to his widespread popular appeal. The King of Rock n Roll raised funds to help construct Hawaii’s famed U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, assisted in the fight against drug abuse, and helped underprivileged children. He was immortalized on a U.S. postage stamp in 1992. The Elvis stamp remains the most publicized stamp in U.S. history, yet its collectible value is rather low since so many— over 500 million—were distributed.

Many Elvis collectibles are quite pricey. His bejeweled stage costumes are on view at Graceland and some have sold to collectors ranging from $30,000 to $300,000. An early career leather jacket brought $37,000 from one collector at a sale.

In the costume exhibition area at Graceland, fans can see Elvis’ gold records, movie costumes, Priscilla Presley’s wedding gown, and daughter Lisa Marie’s infant clothes.

Elvis was an avid collector of American automobiles, namely Cadillacs dating from the 1950s thru the 1970s. His classic cars are on display in a special exhibit at Graceland.

In addition, Elvis recordings continue to bring high prices. A Sun Record 45 rpm recording of That’s All Right in its original paper sleeve sold for $1,100.00.

Major fine artists also helped to further immortalize Elvis. Andy Warhol’s pop art masterpiece of Elvis Presley from 1963 entitled, Single Elvis, in silkscreen ink on a silvered background sold at auction for $3.3 million. It’s good to be King. It’s even better to collect the King.

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events nationwide. As seen on NBC’s The Tonight Show and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, Dr. Lori appears on The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television. Visit www.DrLoriV.com, www.Facebook.com/DoctorLori, or call (888) 431-1010.

The holiday season is a time for holiday parties, family get-togethers, and open houses.

With family and friends gathered to enjoy the season, it is a perfect time to highlight your own history by featuring vintage photos and antique objects from days gone by. Use these holiday gatherings as opportunities to reminisce about your family via your heirlooms.

Many of the younger members of your family probably don’t know the tidbits of family history. Those antiques and collectibles that have been passed down through the generations reveal much about your family’s background. To share this history with all of the members of your family, you may want to display some of the objects that reflect days gone by. A photo album is the typical vehicle for conversations about family history. I clearly remember my mother’s face when she showed us a picture of herself at age 12 sitting with her new puppy dog, Georgette. She told us all about the family pet and it revealed a great deal about my mom’s love of animals.

Like photos, there are also antique and vintage objects that, when displayed, reveal much about how your ancestors really lived.

This holiday season, highlight cherished collections like your mother’s salt and pepper sets, cookie jars, or cake plates. While grandma’s antique china set typically get a lot of attention at family gatherings, don’t forget to feature grandpa’s military uniforms or sports trophies. These items not only have significant monetary value, but they also reflect upon your family’s past. At holiday time, let these objects tell your family’s story.

A painting or early photograph is fun to look and see how people and styles have changed. Have a contest with the kids to see which grandchild looks the most like the painted image or photo of grandma or grandpa. Capturing likeness was vital to the success of any early portrait painter. If possible, bring out the old clothes and hat. Ask the kids to put on an old fashioned family fashion show.

Perhaps this year as you prepare to make your famous banana bread recipe, you can consider using or even just showing off a mixing bowl, antique mixer, or other kitchen collectible that once belonged to your mother or grandmother. You may want to bring out the old coffee grinder that once sat on the counter of your grandfather’s general store just to show the little ones. Whatever your family history, you have heirlooms that tell the story.

When it comes to gifts, vintage jewelry—costume or the real bling—are always cherished gifts. Handing down grandpa’s tie tack or grandma’s brooch at holiday time is a time honored tradition. While this re-gifting of antique jewelry is commonplace among families, many people are thrilled to receive other antiques—like grandma’s post-war Shiny Brite ornaments for a newlywed’s tree or a 1920s chenille baby quilt for the expectant mother or a Matchbox cars or old board games for the kids.

With antiques and vintage heirlooms on display or given as gifts, you can tell the story of your family history this holiday season. When it comes to family history and re-gifting antiques, all of your family members will want to hear all about it.

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events nationwide. As seen on NBC’s The Tonight Show and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, watch Dr. Lori on Lifetime Television’s The Balancing Act. For information, visit www.DrLoriV.com, follow Dr. Lori at www.Facebook.com/DoctorLori or call toll free (888) 431-1010.

Kitchen collectibles are some of the most popular objects for collectors. While these items typically hold great sentimental value, many of our most common and useful items are also highly collectible like cookie jars, mixing bowls, and baking dishes. These kitchen mainstays say a great deal about our culture.

Since I burn most of my baking attempts, I gravitate toward non-stick cookware and particularly, Pyrex products. From oven to fridge, these baking dishes demonstrate technological advancements and they say a lot about how Americans lived in the early decades of the 20th Century.

Developed in the early 1900s, Pyrex glassware derived from the work of Corning Glass Works scientists and marketers. The scientists were trying to come up with a heat-resistant glass that could be used for railroad lanterns. This glass needed to resist breakage when the hot glass came in contact with cold rain, ice, or snow. Called Fire Glass (that name says it all for a poor baker like me), the new glass product that the Corning scientists invented and perfected remained unchanged when experiencing fluctuations in temperature.

It wasn’t until years after using “Fire Glass” for the railroad industry that, years later, in the kitchen of the wife of one of those Corning Glass Works scientists that the consumer line of Pyrex kitchen products was born. This was the advent of the heavy duty glassware revolution that was sparked by Pyrex. Glassware for cooking was an unusual concept when it was introduced to the American public. Yet, by 1915, major department stores were selling Pyrex glass baking dishes. Pyrex’s attributes of durability, even cooking, and easy clean up attracted new customers. Pyrex glass absorbed an oven’s heat waves making cooking times shorter which saved precious energy, too. By the Great Depression, more than 25 million pieces of the state of the art glass cookware were found in America’s kitchens.

Today, many of us have been handed down our mother’s and grandmother’s Pyrex wares. From glass loaf dishes to clear Pyrex glass pieces that would bake a family’s favorite casserole or pie, Pyrex is a piece of Americana. Pyrex items that date from the early decades of the 1900s remain desirable on the vintage collectibles market.

For instance, a Pyrex flame ware percolator, the kind your grandmother used to use (and a far cry from today’s K-cup coffee makers), sells for $175. And, vintage Pyrex square-format casserole baking dishes in all of the colors of the rainbow command $50 to $100 depending on condition and size. These examples of American ingenuity and functionality make Pyrex a popular and highly recognizable kitchen collectible.

Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, award-winning TV personality, and TV talk show host, Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events nationwide. As seen on NBC’s The Tonight Show and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, watch Dr. Lori discuss antiques on Lifetime Television’s The Balancing Act. Visit www.DrLoriV.com, www.Facebook.com/DoctorLori or call (888) 431-1010.

(Photo credit: www.DrLoriV.com)

With the sky high prices for gold and precious metals making headlines, I thought some information and useful tips would prove helpful. Precious metals, gemstones, and fine design pieces have dazzled us through the ages.

Called precious metals, gold, platinum, and silver are some of the world’s rarest materials. These three metals are found in many parts of the world, but they are not easily extracted from their natural state. Precious metals maintain their luster and shine and resist corrosion with little care. Objects dating back to the world’s ancient civilizations like the Native Americans, Egyptians, and Greeks show us that these metals endure.

Gold
The ancient Egyptians reserved the use of gold (yellow gold) for the pharaohs and related gold to the powers of the sun. White gold is created by alloying gold with nickel or palladium, zinc, and copper. Alloys are mixtures of different metals that offer greater strength, hardness, or malleability to another metal. For instance, alloying gold with copper creates pink gold or rose gold. Workability, the ability for master craftsmen to shape these metals is important to longevity.

On your mark
Pure gold is 24 karat gold and it is very soft. This is often too soft for everyday jewelry. Gold is alloyed to increase its strength. In the United States, 14 karat gold is common and a piece must be at least 10 karat gold to be sold as gold jewelry.
Here are some common marks:
14 karat would be marked “14 K” or “585” in Europe indicating that it is 58.5% gold.
18 karat would be marked “18 K” or “750” in Europe indicating that it is 75 % gold.
24 karat or pure gold would be marked “24 K” or “999” in Europe indicating that it is 99.9% gold. If you like gold jewelry, these marks should be committed to memory!
Look for them at your next yard sale, you’ll be surprised how many yard sale sellers put out real gold on their front lawn for sale!

Platinum
Platinum is a popular choice for bridal jewelry as its strength surpasses that of gold and silver. A dense metal, platinum weighs more than gold and has a high level of purity making it naturally hypoallergenic. Platinum jewelry must show one of the following marks: “Platinum” or “Pt” or “Plat” which means that piece of jewelry contains at least 95 % pure platinum. Platinum may be worn every day without fear of damage and is perfect for wedding rings.

Sterling silver
Silver is affordable, soft, and malleable. It has been used to make objects of adornment dating back to the Byzantine world. One of the most common and recognizable metal marks is the mark for silver. In the United States, only jewelry that is at least 92.5% pure silver or 925/1000 pure may be marked “silver”, “sterling”, “sterling silver”, “925”, “92.5”, or “ster”. Silver is often alloyed with copper to increase its strength. Silver will not rust, but it will tarnish. Tarnish may be restored with polishing. Another mark is the vermeil mark which is evident when a piece of sterling silver has been electroplated with karat gold. If the thickness of the karat gold plating is at least 100 millionths of an inch thick, that is referred to as vermeil (pronounced “vermay”) and sometimes as “overlay”. This is an affordable alternative to karat gold jewelry.

While I know I have the ladies attention, I wouldn’t want to leave out the gentleman who enjoy a bit of bling. Today’s styles are introducing men to the industrial look in fine jewelry achieved by metals such as titanium, tungsten carbide, and stainless steel. Steel gray color, lightweight, and strength are some of the qualities of these non-precious metals. Tungsten is the world’s hardest metal substance with a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale (diamonds rank 10 on the scale). These metals are less likely to scratch, but resizing a ring made of any of these metals proves difficult.

Here’s what I like to call famous last words: take care when cleaning your precious metals, dry your jewelry before storing it, place pieces in separate compartments to avoid scratching. Keep gold and silver out of pools, showers, and hot tubs as chlorine may weaken their structure and cause breakage. Know your jeweler and your stuff when you are selecting valuable precious metals.

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events nationwide. As seen on NBC’s The Tonight Show and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, watch Dr. Lori on The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television. To learn more about the value of your antiques, visit www.DrLoriV.com or call (888) 431-1010 and follow her on www.Facebook.com/DoctorLori and www.Twitter.com/DrLoriV.

I meet many people who tell me that their collections are overtaking their living spaces. Most have collected objects for years and don’t know how to enjoy their collections and embrace their limited space. Here are some basic design tips, from my years designing museum exhibitions and appraising furniture to best highlight your art, antiques, and collectibles.

Breathing Room

In a selected room, feature a great piece of art or antique. If you want to decorate a room around a particular piece–like a great painting by a major artist, a Victorian sofa, a mid century modern coffee table–give it some breathing room. Don’t cram an antique piece in among other unrelated or large scale furniture. Make sure your room can accommodate a major piece of antique furniture or fine art.
If you want to make a small room look bigger, you can use one old decorating trick—the mirror. An antique mirror can serve to enlarge the look of a room. For instance, a circular Rococo Revival style mirror with carved rose garlands or a rectangular Federal-style mirror boasting an American eagle motif can visually expand the size of a room and reference its antique décor, too. Numerous small mirrors can also visually enlarge the size of a room.
If mirrors aren’t part of your decorating plan, consider other solutions. Place the featured art piece at the furthest point from the doorway or on the wall that is farthest from the room’s entryway. This position will draw your eye to it every time you enter the space.

Care Free Décor

In addition to highlighting an antique’s best features, care-free and clutter-free decorating will help protect the condition of your antiques. The fewer objects surrounding an antique and the more air circulating around a fragile piece or valuable collection will prevent damage from unexpected bumps or accidental scrapes.
We all love our pets, but they are not always our antiques’ best friends. Try to keep the occasions when your pet decides to take a cat nap on your 19th Century needlepoint dining chair to a minimum. Also, don’t allow the little ones, I mean children or grandchildren, to play roughly in the vicinity of your valuable antiques or cherished collections. If you politely yet seriously explain the history and importance of your antiques to youngsters, you will serve to train a future generation of collectors to respect and enjoy antiques. You will educate children about what fine art and antiques say about history, culture, and society, too. This should be viewed as a good hands-on history lesson.

As a long time educator, I know that most children think it’s cool to live with historical objects. With a little bit of thoughtful consideration, you can make a big impact when decorating with antiques.

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events nationwide. As seen on NBC’s The Tonight Show and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, watch Dr. Lori on The Balancing Act on Lifetime Television. Visit www.DrLoriV.com, www.Facebook.com/DoctorLori, or call (888) 431-1010.

A spectacular work of art like this landscape by American artist and illustrator, Frank Schoonover can make a big impact.

You don’t need to invest in expensive products in order to protect, clean, or display your fine art or antiques. Since we all have to watch our pennies in today’s economy, here are some money saving tips and little known tricks to keep your antiques in tip top shape.

At my antiques appraisal events nationwide, many of my audience members have complained that acid free tissue paper, a staple for storing antiques and collectibles, is too expensive. Plain white towel paper and plain coffee filters can, in some cases, be substituted more cheaply.

One of the most time saving, useful, and inexpensive items on the market is the coffee filter. A generic, plain white coffee filter can be used in many ways and help antiques lovers preserve their heirlooms.

When cleaning ceramic figures, coffee filters are small enough to get into tight spaces and strong. For mirrors or chrome, a coffee filter will accept a mild cleaning solution (like one part white vinegar to two parts distilled water) and its lint free construction will leave the mirror shining. Always remember to dust your mirror’s surface first and then clean with a liquid solution. As with any cleaning process, be sure to remove all of the liquid from the surface of the antique mirror.

I have often advised clients and audience members at my appraisal events that those circa 1960s foam china separators are damaging your fine dinnerware. The old fashioned foam separators can become discolored over time, gave off-gas acidity, and can stain your good china. To protect that set of fine china, you may want to try placing a piece of plain white towel paper or a plain white coffee filter (which is already circular-cut) between each china plate.

Coffee filters are strong enough to use when applying silver or brass polish. The other benefit of using them is that they won’t leave lint on your antique silver serving tray like a cotton rag will.

I really like the look of vintage textiles and I know many of you want to keep these aging treasures in good shape as long as possible. I fondly remember my Aunt Dorothy’s post-war style kitchen with the red and white tiles, Blue Ridge china, and Formica table. She decorated her home cheerfully with brightly colored printed café curtains. To pinch a penny, she used her sewing talent and her World War II-era ingenuity to reinforce the back of the curtains, table covers, and kitchen towels. She used sheets of paper towel or thin cotton cloth. By reinforcing the backside of these textiles, she extended their life—allowing me to enjoy them, today. I’m grateful she kept them in such good shape.

For crafters, coffee filters and sheets of plain towel paper are cheap sources for backing. These materials are easy-to-tear for embroidery or appliqué of fabrics, too. Of course, this reinforcement solution should not be used on valuable antique quilts or historic samplers. When in doubt, consult a professional textile conservator.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to clean, store, and protect your antiques, you just have to think outside the storage box.

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events nationwide. As seen on NBC’s The Tonight Show and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, watch Dr. Lori on Lifetime Television’s The Balancing Act. For information about your antiques, visit www.DrLoriV.com, follow Dr. Lori at www.facebook.com/DoctorLori or call (888) 431-1010.

I discuss the economics of antiques frequently and comment on a wide range of topics from efficiently settling an estate to obtaining a big return when building an art and antiques collection. Some important aspects of successful antiquing are to avoid financial missteps. Here are some tips to enhance your antiquing experience.

Never Pay the Asking Price

Always be prepared to negotiate on the asking price. Negotiation, as many seasoned antiquers know, is part of the fun of antiquing. To develop this important collecting skill, simply ask if there is a discount on a particular work of art, collectible, or antique. In most cases, a seller will reduce the asking price as much as 10% without even batting an eye. Once you try negotiating during an antiquing trip, you will see it is easy as pie.

Just formulate a question like:

“Would you consider reducing the asking price?” or “Is that your best offer?” If the seller doesn’t comply with your price reduction request, seriously consider walking away from the object altogether. Often sellers will try to keep you interested by dropping the price. Walking away can be your best negotiation move.

Don’t Feed the Early Birds

Have you ever hosted a yard sale? Your online ads and posters say “No early birds” yet there were shoppers knocking at your front door before the roosters woke up! The best way to stop this inconvenience and make some extra money in the process is to charge early birds a premium fee. If someone wants first review of your yard sale offerings, then make them pay for it. You can charge a fee to that person who woke you up or interrupted your last minute yard sale pricing. There is a real value in getting first pick at a yard sale. You should be compensated for offering that valuable opportunity to to early birds. The early birds are trying to get items for the lowest price and avoid competing with other yard sale shoppers who want the same item and who will show up throughout the sale.

Smart Marketing

My yard sale premium fee may sound new to you but it is not unlike slipping the maitre d’ some cash so you can get the best table at that chic restaurant before a long line develops at opening time. Remember if you market your yard sale properly, all of your items will sell for a higher price. If the early birds don’t like your yard sale fee structure, they can just fly away. There are always more yard sale shoppers coming along.

I’ll discuss more tips about the economics of antiques in future columns. Remember, keep your emotions in check when you are antiquing and you will get the best deals.

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events nationwide and antiques themed cruises. As seen on NBC’s The Tonight Show and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, watch Dr. Lori on Lifetime Television. Visit www.DrLoriV.com or call (888) 431-1010. To learn more about the value of your antiques, follow Dr. Lori on www.Facebook.com/DoctorLori.