I can no longer respond to
inquiries for antique or collectible mark or backstamp information or free appraisals. That is why I provide all of these antique and collectible references and resources for visitor's to my online antique shop. Please use all of these resources and links, if you do and the information is out there, you WILL find it. I have found that the Internet DOES NOT have all of the answers, if you don't know exactly what you are looking for it is difficult to
find it online. This is when the library and good ole books come in handy. You can sit and browse at your leisure. Nothing beats getting out in person and going to antiques show, shops and sales, this is where you learn the feel, heft and smell of the real antiques and collectibles. This is where the real learning takes place. If you really want to learn about an item you must hit the streets and go to some antique shops. Ask questions, run your
hands all over them, smell them, caress them, crawl underneath the furniture, turn them over, open them up, look at their joints... I spend more time buying a piece of furniture than I did finding a husband. You might check in periodically on my Marks & History Page to see if your "mark" is eventually posted there. I work on this page when time permits and that is more so in the winter months.
- If you have an item "just exactly like "_____" that I have here in the shop, chances are really good that the prices are the same on yours as on mine.
- If your Mark or Backstamp is similar to one posted on the marks page, with a slight variation, I suggest that you conduct further research on that particular company (look at a Marks book) to see all of the mark variations. Some companies have numerous marks
for their wares.
- The same applies to dinnerware patterns, use the library to research all of the patterns made by specific manufacturer's or browse the dinnerware patterns at www.replacements.com I do not know all of the pattern names so please don't ask me....
Use your search engines, I recommend Google.com, type the name of your product in and see where you end up.
Many shop owners have gone to a great deal of trouble to put resources on their shop sites such as "Mark" pages, Silver Hallmark's, etc. Type this into Google and go right to those sites. Go to some of the online auction websites and look at the "finished" auctions, see what items have sold for. This gives you a true sense of what items are worth as well what is really selling and what is not.
Browse online antique shop sites and see what people are selling similar items for. If you have a plate and see the same plate in a shop with a different decal... the price is probably the same.
Online Research
1500 Potters of Stoke-On-Trent - A guide to British (especially Stoke
-on-Trent and Staffordshire) ceramic companies their history, trade and initial marks (the markings used on the bottom of some ceramics) American Dinnerware Made Along the Ohio River Valley - This includes, Knowles, KT&K, TS&T, Homer Laughlin and a few more. This is a very informative site Books Price Guide Online - Find the price of rare, antiquarian, antique
and out of print books online on this website. Bohemian, Czech, Austrian Porcelain Marks - This is a great website with a wealth of information and wonderful photos of marks. This site is focused on Bohemia, Czechoslovakian, Austrian and similar antique porcelain marks. European Registration Marks - Early European especially British pottery, porcelain and china pieces have a registration mark on the bottom. Use this guide to identify when your antique was made. First Edition Books - How to identify first edition books Gladding McBean and Franciscan Pottery Brochures Online Information on Fruit and Canning Jars - This website also has information on insulators. I refer to it often. Information on Souvenir Spoons - I did not know there was so much information available on spoons. This site has it all. Kovels Online Online price guide - sign-up is free. Fairly easy to use but no photographs. Online Encyclopedia of American Silver Marks - I am somewhat of a
silver nut and I spend quite a bit of time on this site. Online Price Guides - A wonderful website with numerous links to a variety of online price guides and lists of what items sold at auction. Primer on Fruit Jars - Great information on identifying vintage fruit
jars and tips on collecting vintage fruit jars The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors - This site is a wealth of information on bottles, glass, fruit jars, reproductions and more. U.S. Patent Numbers and Dates of Issue - Looking up the patent
number that is on your item (if there is one on it) this page can give you an idea on when it was produced.
This website has numerous Japanese and Chinese Marks. It is a great website if you love oriental pieces and antiques.
Use these web sites as well as some of the other resources I have listed and you should be able to find not only the value of your item but a little
bit of the history behind your prized antique or collectible. HAVE FUN! Page 2 - Finding the Value of Your Antiques and Collectibles Antique Word Glossary
Antique Marks, Backstamps and History How To Find the Value on Your Collectibles & Antiques - Antiques, Collectibles, Kitsch Antiques and Collectibles Sold In The Antique Shop - Use this as a
guide for your similar items
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