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.

Nationwide, at my appraisal events, I hear one question over and over again. When my office staff picks up the phone to answer a client call, it is not uncommon for the person on the other end of the line to ask the same question. When someone sees me in the grocery store and stops me to inquire about an antique, I get the same question. That question is “How do I sell my antique?”

The answer is simple. The answer is also complex. Before I explain, first of all remember that you should not expect magic and you should expect to work at selling it.

TOP 10 SELLING MISTAKES

We all want to get the most for our unwanted stuff, but how do you sell your valuable antiques for the most money? Avoid getting victimized by

1. Don’t reveal your true situation to the buyer.
For instance, if you need the money for your piece or if you are desperate, don’t tell the buyer that. Don’t reveal that you are moving and you have to make a quick sale or that you don’t have room to store the object. This only gives them ammunition to try to get you to sell your piece for a low price.

2. Don’t set your asking price too low.
Price your object high enough so you have room to negotiate down to a price that sparks interest in your potential buyer and still makes you a nice profit.

3. Don’t ask the potential buyer for advice about identifying the piece.
I am always shocked that people do that, but they do. They ask the buyer if they know what the item is because some sellers think that mystery pieces will sell better. Know what you are selling, know what it’s really worth with an appraisal before you sell, and present your piece for sale with confidence.

4. Don’t fall for the “I’m a collector” trick
This is a trick some people use to make a novice seller feel like his/her piece will go to a good home by selling the piece to a self-proclaimed collector.

5. Don’t wait to sell the piece to somebody who will appreciate it
This is a red flag. If you are serious about selling an item, do you really care who gets it as long as you get top dollar. The sellers who make this statement aren’t always serious about selling.

6. Don’t let the buyer set the price when you don’t know how much it is worth

7. Be ready to say “no” to the first three buyers who make you a lower than asking price offer. I know this tip sounds strict, but don’t devalue your item too quickly.

8. Don’t restore, refinish, or repair the item that you want to sell.
Sell your antique or collectible in its current condition. Let the buyer, at his discretion, spend money on restoration. Don’t risk ruining the object further

9. Market to everyone.
Don’t let the nay sayers convince you that your piece: “Isn’t worth that much!”

10. Most importantly, Don’t give up!
You can sell your stuff for top dollar. I’ve had many, many clients of mine do just that after getting an accurate appraisal from me and employ my sound advice.

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events nationwide and antiques themed vacation 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, www.facebook.com/DoctorLori, or call (888) 431-1010.

Dumpster or No Dumpster has become a mainstay for my fans who play along at www.facebook.com/DoctorLori, during my TV appearances, and at my antiques appraisal events. I developed the game years ago to enjoy the process of figuring out what to trash and what to treasure. Here’s how you play, Dumpster or No Dumpster ™. If you are faced with the decision as to what to do with the following items relating to the lazy days of summer, which objects would you throw away?

1. A circa 1950s glass lemonade set with a pitcher and six glasses
2. A stack of plastic cups with matching lids, circa 1989
3. A croquet set from the late 1960s
4. A straw handbag
5. A pair of Vuarnet sunglasses from the 1980s

Remember, cleaning is not the same as trashing. While you will get rid of stuff by simply throwing it away, you may be liquidating some real money in the process. Typically, when you clean out a house, you have no idea what certain items are, their age, or their value. Now that you have been given some clues to what stuff is, which pieces are destined for the dumpster?

Lemonade sets, which may be found in both glass or ceramic versions, are very desirable. A glass set in good condition with bright and cheery decoration of flowers or fruit is worth $150 to $250. Don’t dump it!

So, what about the other summertime items? Remember that I made this game easy on you. You only have to deal with five items. Imagine how it is to do this with a house full of stuff. That’s why people ask for my help. Get an appraisal first.

As you make decisions about the objects, you are pretty sure that the plastic cups (my nieces used to call these ‘sippy’ cups) can be safely relegated to the dumpster. You are right because those are more sentimental than monetarily valuable.

Old lawn game sets are throwbacks to the post-war suburban neighborhood when kids gathered to compete in the backyard. Old sets should be in “fun” condition—complete with no missing pieces and ready for fun. This is a tall order since most of these games are stored in garages, outbuildings or sheds when they are not used.

As a forty-something woman, you are certainly keeping the straw summer handbag that your mom, for example, picked up on vacation in Puerto Rico in the 1950s. You ignore your brother who says you are silly to keep it. You tell him that vintage handbags are all the rage, but he doesn’t believe it is worth $400.

It isn’t until he is out having drinks with friends from work that he sees your side. He overhears a female colleague showing off her new bag and he is shocked to hear her say that she paid $425 for the vintage straw purse. He can’t believe he nearly tossed one away and that this fashionista would kill for. Now, even your brother knows that handbag is a No Dumpster summer collectible!

My last summertime Dumpster or No Dumpster item is something that is near and dear to my heart. They are my own circa 1985 Vuarnet sunglasses. I have had these “shades” since college (can’t believe I never lost them). Sure, I have purchased other sunglasses over the years, but I will never part with this valuable pair. The trendy “cat” frames go—as Project Runway’s Heidi Klum would put it–in or out. No matter the current trend, they are cool sunglasses. And, on today’s market, they are valuable too. Vintage sunglasses are selling online and at vintage shops all over the world for several hundreds of dollars. Look for brand names like Ray Ban, Nina Ricci (the sunglass brand that Jackie O made famous), Versace, Adrienne Vittadini, Gucci, etc. Choose longstanding frame  like the cat, wayfarers, or aviator styles.

Keep playing and find out if your stuff is a Dumpster or No Dumpster™ Happy summer.

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events nationwide and antiques themed vacation 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, www.facebook.com/DoctorLori, or call (888) 431-1010.

As seen on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”, NBC’s “The Tonight Show”, and entertaining guests onboard Celebrity Cruises’ cruise ships around the world, internationally known and funny art and antiques appraiser, syndicated columnist, author, and award-winning TV personality and talk show host, Dr. Lori pulls no punches when she evaluates your flea market finds and sentimental family objects. She tells Americans the truth so they can sell their antiques for top dollar or properly display their heirlooms within their overall home design.

A certified art and antiques appraiser and museum designer, Dr. Lori is the director of www.DrLoriV.com.  Presenting more than 100 events every year and conducting in-home appraisal and home design visits, Dr. Lori evaluates approximately 20,000 items a year. During her personal appearances and popular antiques themed vacation cruises, Dr. Lori makes people laugh with her straightforward and honest approach.

Dr. Lori says, “You’ll laugh out loud while learning about your antiques, your friends and even your spouse at my events and through my columns and tv shows! I’m not an antique dealer or affiliated with any auction house, so my evaluations are straightforward and honest. I’ll even tell you how some appraisers are not telling you the truth and that they fail to meet professional museum standards which can cost you money.”

When a major story breaks in the world of art and antiques, you will see Dr.

Lori lending her expertise on ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX. She holds the Ph.D. in art history from Penn State. Dr. Lori’s columns about antiques, travel, and home design are read across the country by more than 8.2 million readers monthly. She is also an editor of several lifestyle magazines and an author with 30 books to her credit.