By Robert Reed From coal dump trucks to cap pistols the toys of Hubley Manufacturing Co. were an historic part of the 20th century. Their colorful catalogs assured, “Hubley toys are made to sell.” And sell they did. The Lancaster, Pennsylvania enterprise was at one point among the largest makers of cast iron toys in the world. […]
By Anne Gilbert A look at many of today’s auction catalogs and antique dealer offerings is a trip through the history of the “dressing table” or “vanity.” These days dressing tables are usually “built-ins” that come with a house or Condo. They are a far cry from the elegant examples made of fine woods and often gilded. Not only did […]
Q. This small ceramic object was in a drawer of my late mother’s dressing table. Nobody in the family knows anything about it. No maker marks on the bottom. It is charming with the figures of three dogs and flowers. What is the purpose of the hole? I plan to put it in my garage sale but don’t know what to charge? L. […]
By Henry J. Pratt “If each piece of mail were taxed but a pence, then considerable money could be raised for charity.” That’s what a 38-year-old Danish postal clerk, Einar Holbell, thought and dreamed while sorting mail in his country during the 1903 Christmas rush. Denmark’s then-King Christian quickly approved Holbell’s idea. So, in 1904, they printed a […]
By Henry J. Pratt Surely, trillions of words have been written and published about antiques and collectibles, as well as the men and women hobbyists across the country who buy, hold and sell interesting items from America’s yesteryear. One dictionary definition of the word “collector” reads: “A person or thing that collects items…such as stamps.” That really doesn’t […]
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