1981 George Nakashima Coffee Table Sold in 2006 for $102,000

Modern 20th Century Design. Those objects of art, lighting, and furniture from about 1920 through the present time, continue to be a hot commodity in the collectibles world. This has been the trend and continues to grow as a red hot commodity today, with no let up in sight. Modern Design, is the one area of the collectible world that piques the interest of the younger crowd as well as those who grew up during the time period of these great designers.

My interest in this area of the market was piqued on a visit to a prospective client's home to buy some paintings. Cindy was with me that day, and upon entering, we both noticed the woman's house looked a bit sparse. She soon began to tell us about the modern items she had sold recently, including the metal lamp with little cone shaped light shades, each of a different color. She added that she and her husband paid little for this light fixture at the time they first set up house. Now that she was a widow with grown children and grandchildren, she no longer needed a large home, so she called an auction house to look at her period furniture. A man by the name of Richard Wright came to look at some of her items, and she consigned the lamp, along with several other items to the auction house. To her amazement, that lamp she described to us sold for $12,000. She also sold some of her furniture for thousands, as well.

Furniture, lighting, and art objects from the top designers of this time have been copied, often rather badly, but it is the designer pieces of this time that are considered works of art, commanding top prices in today's marketplace. My client, had consigned her pieces to Richard Wright at Wright Auction House in Chicago's West Loop. And what an excellent decision that was.

No one has changed the world of Modern Design Furniture and Objects of Art as much as Wright Auction House. In 2000, founders Richard Wright and his wife, Julie Thoma Wright opened the doors of their auction business, specializing in items from this period. Their business creativity drastically changed the face of business in this area of the market. Julie Thomas Wright, we are sorry to say, has recently passed away, but it was her visionary ideas for this business that propelled this company forward to become today's standard for Modern Design Collectibles. Today, Wright Auctions is known internationally as the spot to go for the best of these designer items.

Why am I writing about this? There are two reasons. First, for those who are following my book and have joined the 31 Club, dealing in these more rare and valuable items is the direction we are moving toward. You might still be working the lower end steps at the moment, but when you stick with it, continuing to complete each step, soon enough you will find yourself in the position to be buying rare and high end items. Knowledge about these designer items will expand the areas in which you can trade.

Secondly, most of my readers know, as a rule, I don't deal in antique furniture. I'm not much interested in dealing with bulky items that require more than myself to transport, nor do I want to keep the kind of storage space furniture requires. But, I must say, in this case, I'm seriously considering making an exception for some of these fine pieces and the prices they can bring in.

Prices for items by well known designers and artists like Vladimir Kagan, George Nakashima, Ponti, and Paul Evans, can bring in amounts of $40,000 to well over $150,000. You might not recognize these names right now, but I hope you will in the future. If you ran across any of these items in a house sale right now, I doubt you would recognize them, and you'd be passing on a find that could make a big difference in your life.

Find out more about our step-by-step for building wealth in the Antique, Art, & Collectible Markets and the 31 Club, here.

Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge 31 Club members are participating in, here.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

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Today's Links:

Wright Auction House

Article on Wright and Modern Design from Men's Vogue

Article on Wright from Chicago Magazine

John Lotton Vase. Photo from Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Chicago.

I have been writing that the day was soon coming, when buying a quality piece of Lotton Art Glass would rank up there with the names of Tiffany, Steuben and others. Yesterday, January 21, 2008, just might mark the day that Lotton Glass began to take its place among the notable glasses of the ages, when a rather common 1995 John Lotton twelve inch vase sold at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers of Chicago for $2,800 plus the buyers premium, bringing a total of approximately $3,360. I believe the bandwagon has started to roll now on the best contemporary art glass of our day: Lotton Art Glass.

When common pieces of anything begin to reach levels in their pricing that better pieces brought only a short time ago, then watch out when you see exceptional pieces come to market. I believe that Glass produced by both Charles Lotton and John Lotton will see record prices this year.

The John Lotton piece, sold at Leslie Hindman, with white flowers and a clear crystal background, in my opinion, was a far cry from his better work. Better pieces of John Lotton's glass, which I have personally observed, have reached eighteen inches in height and had well-formed realistic, multicolored flowers. When you compare the piece sold at Hindman's to the really fine pieces that weigh in at close to 50 pounds, with up to four colors in the flowers, one might ask if these pieces might bring in $25,000. Indeed! The best is yet to come.

This move in price in Lotton Glass is of no surprise to me. In my book, "31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles," released in May, 2007, I made the prediction that Lotton Glass would become the next Tiffany, predicted it in a June 12, 2007 news release, and have been writing about Lotton Glass on my Blog for the past six months. I've heard auctioneers speak about the value that will be found in Lotton Glass whenever a Lotton item becomes available for auction. Many of the Charles Lotton items we've had in our 31 Market Place & Gallery flew off the shelf before we formally announced their arrival or posted photographs. Yes, the bandwagon is starting to roll on the best contemporary glass of our day. I just had a visitor in my home that is one of the foremost authorities on glass in this county, and he agreed that nothing is going to keep Lotton out of the top tier of all glass that has ever been produced.

In a generation there may only be a few Painters, Glass Blowers or Potters that reach this elevated level of excellence, and I believe you will see that the Lottons will be propelled to these heights. If you already own some of their work, congratulations! If you don't, it's still not too late for you to participate in this amazing glass, at what I think, are still very reasonable prices, before their value escalates to heights that will make it only available to the very wealthy.

While we are at it, I would like to re-enforce my suggestion that it's time to sell all of your ungraded silver at these levels. Over the next few weeks, I think there is an excellent chance that the silver market will begin to slide, and this is a time to be on the side lines in the metal markets.

It is one thing to just give you fact that exists today, but it is quite another to find people who are willing to stick their necks on the line by making predictions for you when there is no monetary interest in it for them. That's what I do. The most important value you will receive from the 31 Club, is my willingness to stick my neck out there for you and call things as I see them. We are here to serve you. If there are topics you would like us to give an opinion on or questions you have, please e-mail us at info@31corp.com. And why not join the only Club that learns to build wealth trading in antiques, art, and collectibles. Join Today, here.

Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge 31 Club members are participating in, here.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

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Links:
Author Predicts Lotton Glass to be the Next Tiffany

Daryle Lambert Published News Releases

Daryle Lambert Published Articles

Martin Brothers Figural Tobacco Jar Sold for $34,500 Dec.2006 at James D. Julia Auctions. Provided courtesy of James D. Julia, Inc., Fairfield, Maine

I ran across an interesting piece of pottery when I was at a house sale one time. It had a texture somewhat like Doulton Lambeth, the same gray and blue coloring, so it immediately drew my attention. I could tell the piece was salt glazed and knew it could have a fair value. When I checked the bottom, it was signed Martin Brothers London in script. As this was a while ago, my memory tells me it was a tobacco jar in the shape of an owl.

I had never seen a piece like this before. When I asked the price, I was told $2,500. After a little thought, I offered $1,500 and was turned down. I decided to walk around for awhile, and then go back. It was at this point I made my biggest mistake. You see, I broke one of my own rules. I should have picked up the piece and carried it with me until I had made a definite decision on it. I didn't, and you guessed it. When I returned, the item had already been sold at $2,000.


It is not possible to carry the knowledge in your head about every piece you might encounter on your hunt. But, if you take possession of it when you find it, then you will have time to call someone or to look in you books or on the Internet, if you have wireless access. This way, you won't let a real treasure slip away, like I did.

You can be certain when I returned home, I did a little more research on this British company. I discovered that Martin Brothers became known for their eccentric and grotesque birds and sculpted face jugs, vases and many other items that were reminiscent of the Middle Ages. The company was formed in the 1870's, owned by four brothers, Wallace, Walter, Charles and Edwin. The company closed in 1915. They mainly made salt glazed pottery, and these are the pieces that are sought after today.The company closed in 1915.

This piece I let slip by might well have been worth $7,500 at the time. Today, much much more. So remember the name Martin Brothers. Add it to your list of possible treasures. The Kovels price guide lists some pieces that will tell you these are items that you hope to run into. A bird vessel, 1897, 10 inches tall is listed at $13,530, a humidor shaped as a bird, hand carved, 11 ½ inches $10,450.


In September, 2005, at Craftsman Auction, a pinched vessel 7 by 6 ½ inches with four expressive faces on its sides brought $15,600. Two years later in March of 2007 at this same auction house, a stoneware jar with a cover in the shape of a grotesque monster brought $17,625.

December of 2006, James D. Julia Auctioneers of Fairfield, Maine, released news of a Martin Brothers bird figural tobacco jar selling at $34,500.

Most people that are just looking to make a little money on the side will have no idea how valuable these items really are and they just might be your competitors at the next sale.


Go Martin Brothers! And I hope to hear where some of you find a treasure by this company this year.

Discover how the 31 Club, together with our book, can be the tool that helps you begin building personal wealth using antiques, collectibles and fine art, rather than the conventional methods of using stock, bonds, and real estate investing. You won't find results like these through your bank or your stock broker! Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge 31 Club members are participating in, here.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

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Plates, plates, and more plates. In fact, I get tired of looking at plates at every sale I attend. But should I? Is it simply that seeing so many worthless plates have jaded me? I asked myself these questions and then decided to do a little research to get some answers. After having done that, I see that by having such a negative opinion of the "lowly" plate and not even stopping to examine them at the many sales I have attended, I have probably passed up some real treasures in my hunt. Shame on me. I now have a different perspective.

Yes, I have found a few plates worth mentioning, but very few. One worth bringing up is the Saturday Evening Girls plate that I discussed in the book “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and Collectibles.” I found one of these plates as I was on my way to Lake Geneva one Father's Day, and I paid twenty-five cents for it at a yard sale. The one I found in a stack of plates on the way to Lake Geneva for Fathers Day. Twenty-five cents didn't seem like much of an investment, so I bought it. It darn well made me happy when it sold for over $300. And now that I think about it, there was the set of fourteen plates I purchased for $150 and soon sold them for over $$1,200. And, wait a second. It just hit me that I did buy a Meissen plate for around $50 and sold it for over $500. Oh, and now this calendar plate just flashed through my mind. The one I bought for $5 and sold for $500. Maybe I like plates a lot more than I thought I did.

You see, this business is like hunting for a needle in a hay stack, but when you find the needle, all the effort becomes worth the hunt. Now that I've started back down that road that I've traveled, I bet I can remember several other stories of finding different types of plates that have proved to me excellent finds. The oyster plates I bought for $25 that I sold for $375 comes to mind. That's not so bad. If I totaled up all the money I've made from plates, how dare I look down my nose on them. When I took out my latest Kovels Price Guide to look through some examples, I was totally surprised to see what some of these plates were now selling for.

$4,950 for a 1907 calendar plate, (Bristol Steel Fishing Rods, Outdoor Camping Scene advertising plate.) A 1922 Edison Mazda, Egypt, Maxwell Parrish plate for $4,510. I have to admit, this is not bad for one plate. And then there were the RS Prussia and flow blue plates that still bring in top dollar. Yes, this is still an area that can bring us the type of return on our money that we are looking for, because so many people today look on these items as I did , “ the lowly plate.”

Discover how the 31 Club, together with our book, can be the tool that helps you begin building personal wealth using antiques, collectibles and fine art, rather than the conventional methods of using stock, bonds, and real estate investing. You won't find results like these through your bank or your stock broker! Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge 31 Club members are participating in, here.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

If you wish to leave comments use the ANONYMOUS button and then you don't have to sign in to leave your message. Chime in and participate with us.

One of the points I've been trying to drive home to you in my book and in previous blog entries paid off for me today. Passing the word on about what you're doing no matter where you are is so very important to your success. If you tell people that you are interested in Antiques, Collectibles, and Paintings, you will find that almost all the time it will be a conversation starter and many times it will lead you to something.

This not only applies to friends and neighbors but to other professionals that are already collecting or in the business of buying and selling. A good percentage of the items I have had for sale have been sold to people that are already in the business, and the same can be said for items that I've bought.

I've previously written about a Frederick Morgan painting bought from a dealer I have been friendly with. I bought it for $16,000 and sold it at auction for $115,000. But I guarantee you that the dealer I bought it from made a good profit on it when he sold it to me. Remember, if we buy right, there will always be buyers, and often our buying price will make the seller just as happy as we are, depending upon what they paid for it.

But there is another side to this story, and it happened to me yesterday. I was home working at my computer when John from Direct Auction in Chicago called me. You see, I have been doing business with them for many years now,and over the years we've become friends. John and I often share conversations about the stock market and the metals market, and what we think it is going to do. He also knows some of the items I collect or deal in. So, I was really pleased yesterday when he called me, knowing I had an interest in Lotton Glass. One of Charles Lotton's vases had been up for auction at his place and didn't sell. John described the vase to me, and I bought it on his description. I'll be picking it up before the end of the week.

If you can form relationships with as many people as possible, most of your work might already be done for you. They'll spot items that you could very well be able to turn into a profit, if they can be purchased at the right price. They might even know someone looking for the very items that you have to sell. This has happened to me more than you would think possible. Showing gratitude to the people who help you is also very important. I believe that a 10% finders fee is fair whether they help you buy, or sell an item. Often they will say they don't want anything, but be sure you pay them anyway, and I think you will see them return time and time again.

This is a people business. I have seen some be successful who were very secretive, but I know many more that have become tremendously successful by being outgoing and friendly. When John called me about this vase, he showed me he cares and is willing to go out of his way to do the best for his customers on both ends. Thanks, John.

Yesterday something else special happened. I met with Marsha, one of our 31 Club members, over lunch so I could look at a painting she had just purchased. I think she might have bought a treasure, because she did manage to find the work of a listed artist. As I look further into it, we'll have a better idea, so keep your fingers crossed for Marsha.

Discover how the 31 Club, together with our book, can be the tool that helps you begin building personal wealth using antiques, collectibles and fine art, rather than the conventional methods of using stock, bonds, and real estate investing. You won't find results like these through your bank or your stock broker! Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge 31 Club members are participating in.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us. Contact us here.

If you wish to leave comments use the ANONYMOUS button and then you don't have to sign in to leave your message. Chime in and participate with us.

There are a few areas of the Antique, Collectible and Fine Art markets I find I don't have enough knowledge about. The ones that give me the hardest time are Asian antiques and antique bottles. Both of these areas require years of experience and much study before a person can claim to be an expert. This doesn't eliminate these types of items from consideration, but finding an expert in these fields you can trust and consult with is highly advisable. This would be the person you could contact to authenticate an item so you could decide if it's something you might buy. If it's an item you picked up at a garage sale or a house sale, you might find out you have a real treasure.

A man I know inherited collection of Asian collectibles from his parents, along with a collection of Tiffany Glass. Since his interest was in art glass, and he was not attached to any of the Asian pieces, he decided to sell a few of the lesser items. A major auction house was interested in a rather small jade piece they seemed to think would bring in a fair dollar, maybe $30,000-$50,000. He consigned it to them, and then he and his wife went to New York and sat in the audience during the auction.

When the price of this rather common looking piece sailed past $100,000, they began to sit up quite straight in their seats. At $250,000 this piece hadn't even started. At $500,000 they were having trouble breathing. The final bid was somewhere around $700,000. Wow! Do you think that would make your day?

I can't top that story with an old bottle story, but as a child, I remember collectors would often go to the old buildings and dig for bottles. They also dug for bottles in the country, because the farmers would take their trash and fill gullies to stop erosion. In fact, anywhere trash had been disposed of is a place people would look for bottles. Antique bottles is one area that's a weak spot in my knowledge bank. It is very hard for me to tell a reproduction flask from an old one, but the dollars tell me there is a difference. This is where you must be very careful and depend upon an expert you have cultivated a friendship with.

Here is why it's important to know something about old glass. Recently, a railroad flask sold for $29,000 at an auction. Many of the other bottles came in over $10,000 and most managed to top over $3,000.
There are some great bottle guides on the market, but I believe this is one area where you must handle the real things over and over again before you could trust your own judgment.

I see these old bottles and flasks at almost every sale, and if they are cheap enough they may be worth risking$1 to $5 dollars. Then, you do research. You might find you've walked away with the prize of the day.

Discover how the 31 Club, together with our book, can be the tool that helps you begin building personal wealth using antiques, collectibles and fine art, rather than the conventional methods of using stock, bonds, and real estate investing. You won't find results like these through your bank or your stock broker! Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge 31 Club members are participating in.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us. Contact us here.

Great Link for Bottles:
The Society of Historical Archaeology together with the U.S. Department of the Interior/Bureau of Land Management has the best site I've ever seen for information about utilitarian bottles and jars. Great information and photos. Today's Photo is from their site.

If you wish to leave comments use the ANONYMOUS button and then you don't have to sign in to leave your message. Chime in and participate with us.

This is a time when we treasure hunters should be taking advantage of the opportunities that come our way. While there aren't a lot of large auctions during the winter, some do come along that can prove to be fertile fields for us.

Our 31 Club Member, Cecil R., attended the sale where our group's Harvey Joiner painting was sold, and he reported to me about a few little things he picked up. If all the members would follow Cecil's example, I wouldn't have enough hours in the day to share them all.

What has Cecil done this time? At Sohn's auction in Evansville, Cecil found 62 Bronzes medals, made by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Three inches in diameter and weighing seven to nine ounces each, the medals were produced in 1967 in recognition of the Wright Brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright and others. Perhaps aviation collectors might have an interest???? Medal collectors???

The medals first came up for bid at $3 apiece. The auction didn't go very far, however, and Cecil said he would take them all for $5 each. Having no further interest, Cecil won them at that price. He spent $310 for the medals, then sat back and waited for the next bargain. Most people at that auction probably wondered what he was going to do with those things. Cecil knew exactly what he would do with them. Put them on Ebay!

The first one he sold brought $61.78. He has sixty-one more to go. The last time I checked one of his medals had a bid of $74.75 with seven bidders and eight hours left to go. He hasn't finished selling them all yet, but it looks like they could average $40 apiece or about $2,480 total. You figure the profit and tell me if there are still things being sold that can make you smile. Nothing out there to be found? Says who? Cecil saw an opportunity where others just saw sixty-two hunks of metal.

There were probably six to eight hundred items sold at that auction, and Cecil bid on only a few of them. He also bought a Mettlach Beer Stein that he tripled his money on when he sold it on Ebay for $377.00.

I hope he'll keep us posted on the rest of the items. I'm certain that if you figure them all out, he will have made at least $3,000 from that winter auction. I believe many of us would be satisfied with having made that.

How does he continue to find value in the items others pass up? I've written about some his finds on previous blogs, and in the near future, I hope he will join me at a 31 Club seminar so he can tell you himself. This I do know: Cecil spends his time wisely. If he's got time to spare, he loves to keep up on his studies.

Have you looked in your local paper to see what auctions are listed this weekend? How about garage and estate sales? Do you have a list of second hand shops or consignment stores you visit regularly? Have you been telling all your friends and neighbors what you're doing? If the answer to these questions is no, why not?

Lets learn and make money together. It's much more fun if you are able to share your successes with others, and at the same time, have a place to share some of your mistakes with, so others can learn from yours. At the 31 Club, you'll find encouragement from others who are truly wishing you the best. If you're not a member yet, what are you wanting for? Join today!

Discover how the 31 Club, together with our book, can be the tool that helps you build more personal wealth dealing in the rare and valuable upper end markets, rather than the conventional methods of stock, bonds, and real estate investing. You won't find these kind of results with your bank or your stock broker! Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge 31 Club members are participating in.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us. Contact us here.

If you wish to leave comments use the ANONYMOUS button and then you don't have to sign in to leave your message. Chime in and participate with us.

We can tell when shadows on the ground grow longer that time changes, but the easiest way is to look at our watches. And if you've got a watch or time piece passed down in your family, you might even discover you've got a valuable piece a collector might have interest in.

Collectors collect many different types of time pieces. There are pocket watches, waist watches, purse watches, and even watches that hang from your neck. These can be broken down into children's, ladies, and men's watches. Watches are made in America, Switzerland, Germany, France and many other countries. These pieces can be quite valuable. If you decide to deal in them, the added bonus is small enough that they don't take up much space in your home and are easy to ship. There are dealers who deal in nothing else but watches because it's highly profitable, and watches from the 1950's and 60's are quite collectible.

The most common collector watches are the cased watches, known as railroad watches. There is always interest in these when they come up for auction or are found at other sales. But you will find that there is a huge difference between the value of each time piece you see. Often, the ones that you come across are far overpriced, just because they are a pocket watch. On the other hand, because few are really knowledgeable about watches, they may price an expensive one at the same price as one that is very common. This is where your knowledge comes in to play. You will look at a huge number of common pieces for each rare and valuable piece you find.

What makes a watch valuable? First is rarity. Then, several other factors come into play such as the manufacturer, age, materials (platinum, gold, silver or other) condition, and whether or not it is all original or designer piece.

A friend of mine called once, looking for some help with a watch he wanted to buy. Since I don't generally deal in watches, but know a little, I was honest with him and told him so. I did ask what he had anyway and looked into it for him. He had a ladies watch, with a covered face and diamonds as decoration. He gave me some numbers off the piece, and I told him I'd call him back. I checked the best I could and discovered that the case was 22K Gold and the watch was made by a French company, and likely a designer piece. I promptly called him back and asked what they were asking for the watch. I got knocked off my chair when he told me $200. I told him to write the check. I think this watch could be worth well over $5000 today.

Although I don't deal in watches, I can still use my resources to gather information about something I'm not well versed in and still have some ability to make a wise decision. Based on the price of gold alone, this was a good buy.

With the price of gold and platinum where they are today, you must always figure in the value of the case, and then real money can be made just from the case alone, if it is 18K gold or higher. Any platinum watch will bring some money.

If you want to know more about collectible and valuable watches, start reading about the ones that appeal to you. These will be the ones you'll start with, and later, you'll be able to broaden your knowledge base. American Pocket Watches by Roy Ehrhardt & William Meggers, is a book I keep on hand for reference. This one is a great place to start. Time is on your side.

You might begin looking around at the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors. Then do your own Internet search.

Today's Photo is from Farfo's Vintage Watches and is a 1960's Jaeger LeCoultre 18k Pink priced around $3800. When you look around the site you'll see some great examples and be able to read up on vintage watches.

Discover how the 31 Club, together with our book, can be the tool that helps you build more personal wealth dealing in the rare and valuable upper end markets, rather than the conventional methods of stock, bonds, and real estate investing. You won't find these kind of results with your bank or your stock broker! Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge 31 Club members are participating in.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us. Contact us here.

If you wish to leave comments use the ANONYMOUS button and then you don't have to sign in to leave your message. Chime in and participate with us.

When I begin to think I have heard or seen everything, that is precisely the moment I get the biggest surprises. I've been sharing my views of the Antique and Art market with all that will listen for over six months now through this Blog and news articles. Not only have I stated where I stand, I have given examples to my readers of just how good this market is, where I see it going, and how it's better than ever before in history.

Yet, I am continually surprised to read "leaders" in the field of Antiques & Art say there are no great deals to still be made. Even though I share with them from time to time, my personal examples of transactions I make on a continual basis, negativity still rules. My heart aches for their readers who take this negativity into their mind and heart. I'm dizzy already, shaking my head from side to side.

I feel safe in saying that having an affinity for past eras is an integral part of each one of us who deals in this market. Even the furnishings in our homes and the items in our workplaces probably reflect the times of bygone eras. And, if we're really truthful with ourselves, we might even go so far as to say, in our quiet moments, we romanticize times long gone, especially when the present era can seem so difficult and uncertain. I admit, I do some of this myself from time to time. But when I do, I rarely let my mind stay there very long.

You see, I accept life is always in motion. That change happens. And whether we like it or not, there's not a lick of anything we can do to control that. If we can release the feelings of uncertainty and fear we might have when we notice a change coming on, we free ourselves to grasp the opportunity that lies underneath this change. Making this mind adjustment frees us to move forward, joyfully learning and striving for something better.

But, change is hard for most, and that's quite natural. We're creatures of habit. We like to cocoon ourselves with comfort and familiarity. Something or someone we can count on. This is a false security. It is also our human condition. But, the one who stays in the cocoon, fighting the inevitable forward movement of time, not growing or striving, eventually writes his own epitaph.

There is no question that the Antique market has changed. And if you're working the same way, selling the same middle to lower end items you've always sold, it's time to change. Every business market has changed. It's the nature of the beast. The last time I went to retrieve my car from a garage in Downtown Chicago, I put my claim ticket into a machine, slipped in my credit card, walked to my car, and got through the gate without ever once having to deal with an attendant. That business, too, has changed.

In our business, the opportunity is in the more rare and valuable items and in the upper end of the market. This is what sells like hotcakes. I've said that time and time again. I know it's hard to let go, but why would anyone want to continue to battle the trend trying to sell what people don't want to buy?

Know the trends. Know your customers. If they don't want what you sell, why are you still trying to sell it? If you can hardly sell items now for what you paid for them earlier, why are you still holding onto them? Sell them at a loss if you have to, and get your cash moving in what people want, that quickly sells. If you must deal in fewer items because they cost more to buy, so what? They sell faster, and at greater prices. When you re-circulate the money into buying even more valuable items the next time, you make even more money when you sell.

No one comes into your shop anymore? Higher end items are where it's at. Do you have any? Is your shop in an area that will attract high end customers? Do you even need a shop to sell high end items?

Many people have had to change their methods of doing business to take advantage of this upsurge in the upper end of this market. Those who have made the choice to change, prosper. Have you make that choice?

The book I've written is a step-by-step method of succeeding in the high end market. Have you read what it says inside? Does shifting into the higher end market take some work? Yes. Is it necessary to grow in knowledge. Yes. Are you willing?

I recently bought a painting for $240 and sold it at auction for $3,700. The average person trying to make a few extra dollars in this business would think that this return was exceptional. Even an old time dealer might agree. $500 just bought a friend of mine a painting, that by all the records, shows promise for selling for over $25,000. These examples aren't million dollar trades, but these are happening every day. How do you think all these records are being established? By people who’ve increased their knowledge to know a good piece when they see one, doing the research, and selling them to people who are ready, willing and able to buy. Do you think that the Warhol painting that sold this year for approximately $71,000,000 was purchased for $50,000,000? I doubt it. It could have very easily been purchased for under a million dollars.

I would like for all these negative writers to raise their collective heads to see and feel the sunlight. In fact, I would like to see our journalists interview some of the people who are experiencing these record sales, rather than quoting the doomsdayers. When I hear a baby cry, I pick him up and try to comfort him. If you, as a collector or dealer, hear someone complaining, why not share with them a positive message?

If you are a dealer who has fallen prey to this negativity, can you possibly see the glass as half full? Can you decide to adjust your thoughts. When you can, you’ll soon see yourself emerging out of that cocoon, the butterfly God intended for you to become.

We collectors and dealers are the luckiest people in the world. We meet wonderful people, our time is on our own schedule, and we have the opportunity to make unlimited amounts of money if we are wise enough to see it, take the action necessary to increase our knowledge, and go out there and do something about it.

I personally wake up each and every morning with a spirit of adventure in my heart, knowing this could be the day I have found a great painting bought well, or a painting I sell for over $100,000. Maybe even $500,000. Maybe higher.

Discover how the 31 Club together with our book can be the tool that helps you build more personal wealth dealing in the rare and valuable upper end markets, rather than the conventional methods of stock, bonds, and real estate investing. You won't find these kind of results with your bank or your stock broker! Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge 31 Club members are participating in.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us. Contact us here.

If you wish to leave comments use the ANONYMOUS button and then you don't have to sign in to leave your message. Chime in and participate with us.

Top: Crosley "Mate" from 1931. Photo from Western Historic Radio Museum. Bottom: 1940 RCA Q-122A

While many of you are too young to remember the good old days of radio, I'm not. And today, radio collectors are a breed of their own.

The first radios I remember were large box type units made of wood. They occupied a prominent place in the living room, where the entire family would gather around and together listen to the news and to dramatic shows on the only radio in the home. Try telling your kids that at one time, the family gathered together by the radio, perhaps doing some handiwork or polishing their shoes after dinner, and see how they react. No television. Can you imagine that? How did we ever survive?

I often yearn for those special days of listening to The Green Hornet, The Shadow Knows and Fibber McGee and Molly. And who can forget Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Rudy Vallee, George Burns and Gracie Allen. Back then, these people were household names. In fact, though it was the depression years, many of them became very wealthy from their radio work. Their shows provided a much needed escape from hard times. These new dramatic and interesting shows kept the family clinging to every word that came out of those speakers, returning for each new episode. Unless you can acquire some old recordings of these shows, they will be lost from you forever. Some days, how I long to just sit around the radio with family and friends and listen to those long gone days.

Later, the size of these radios became smaller, and different materials were used in their construction. Bakelite and Catalin were used by the new designers to show that beauty could be added these units. Some of the most expensive models, the ones collectors search for, are even encased in mirrors.

In the early days radio played a key role in politics. Franklin Delano Roosevelt probably wouldn't have been elected over the incumbent, Herbert Hoover, if it hadn't been for radio.

Bringing Americans the war news was perhaps one of the greatest services of the radio. In those days, the networks wanted this country to prevail in war. Can you think that possible with what we hear on our newscasts today? In those days, it was Family, God, and Country. Today, the divorce rate is over fifty percent, we can't mention God, and the country is polarized. We have definitely taken in a wrong turn.

Evolution of the Radio is a guide put out by L&W Book Sales, and is a good starting point in your study of the radio, showing pictures and listing prices. Radio Advertising is also collected by many, and this book shows some of that as well.

Some of the models collectors look for are Atwater Kent, Philco, General Electric, RCA, Zenith, Emerson, DeForest, just to name a few.

When I am out on the hunt for items I like to look for, I often run across some of these great old radios of the past. While I might not personally collect radios, I know there are many collectors out there looking for what I've just stumbled upon. This just might be the special piece they'd been looking for to add to or complete their collection. If I could get it at a good price, why not buy it? These pieces can become real treasures for you and often picked up for a song. The collector looking for it will be glad you found it.

To view and learn more about collectible radios try taking a look around Western Historic Radio Museum, AntiqueRadios.com and RadioAttic.com. These sites have a world of information and fabulous examples of these treasures.

You just might discover many of the radios you grew up with are now highly valuable and collectible.

Aside from finding radios in people's basements, attics, and garage sales, often you can find radios at hamfests. Radio clubs, such as the Mid-Atlantic Radio Club, is a good place to meet collectors and learn more about what they collect.

Discover how our book can be the tool that helps you build more personal wealth than you might have thought possible. And doing it in the Antiques, Collectibles, and Fine Art Markets rather than the traditional methods. You won't find these kind of results with your bank or your stock broker!

Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge members are participating in.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us. Contact us here.

If you wish to leave comments use the ANONYMOUS button and then you don't have to sign in to leave your message. Chime in and participate with us.

In the auction world, the year is divided into time periods, and most of the larger auction houses have their sales spaced throughout the year. There is a reason for that. Customers have come to expect the better items to be auctioned during these months, so the auction houses accumulate the better items especially for these sales. This draws a larger interest in the auction and creates bidding competitions for the offerings.

With that in mind, I hope you have been filling your inventory with the treasures that will start this year off in the right direction.

The real auction time starts in the spring, after most sections of the country have gotten over the winter blues. March and April will be the time that most auction houses start to bring out their big guns, putting out their best merchandise for sale. Customers have been waiting to get back in the game, whether it is buying to further their own collection or increasing their inventories for later sale.

The second round of sales come in the summer months, May through July. But it is later in the year that the auction calendar really gets filled. September and October see their fair share of sales, and the calendar really gets loaded for the end of the year sales.

These schedules can be turned to your advantage. By buying on the off months at minor sales, cherry picking them, (buying the best out of each auction), then you will have merchandise to turn when the "real auction" starts. Don't listen to those that say you can't buy something and then sell it again sooner than five years time, because it won't be fresh on the market. This definitely isn't the case.

Jimmy, a dealer I know and I have written about in my book, purchased a painting for $40 at an auction house in Chicago this year and then took it to the other side of town to place it in another auction. You might have thought that putting this back in auction so soon wouldn't have produced any interest. That's what conventional wisdom would have told you. But, that painting brought Jimmy over $22,000. It saved him from waiting a long period of time and put his money to work that much earlier.

Years ago, I purchased a Rozenburg plaque from an auction in Florida for somewhere around $1500 and sold it within a few days for over $5,000. So much for waiting so that items are fresh on the market. if my memory s If you buy quality, it doesn't matter how long you keep it, a day, a week or five years. There will always be people wanting to buy it from you. If the Harvey Joiner painting I sold at auction last week wasn't purchased for a personal collection, I highly suspect it will be hitting the market again very soon. The buyer got an excellent price and can still double his money, at the very least.

Consigning an item for sale at an auction house is another area I'd like to give you some information about. When you consign an item for sale, be sure you feel confident that the reserve you have set is one you can live with and be satisfied, especially if it is an important piece. The reason I say this is because if your item doesn't sell at that auction, this doesn't mean that the value you established for it wasn't valid, it just means that on that particular day, at that particular auction there wasn't anyone who wanted to pay your price, or had an interest in it. So you gladly keep the piece for another time, and perhaps another place. Believe it or not, I've had this happen to me, only to receive twice what I thought the item would bring, originally, at another auction.

Too many times, I have se