ANTIQUES COLLECTION

Antiques are hot and many people grow interest in this particular type of furniture Why Well have a look at eBay for instance Many hobbyists and professional dealers are making some good money in this business Of course not everybody is planning to make money out of there antiques still it is nice to know the value of the pieces you own Antique furniture is first and foremost popular because of its originality and history Most owners like to brag about there antiques where they found it what price they paid for it and of course the age and history of that particular piece But is it all true what they say antique,antique auctions,antique books,antique cars,antique china,antique clocks,antique dealer,antique dolls,antique furniture,antique jewelry,antique necklace,antique painting,antiques and collectibles,asian antiques,collectables,collectible,heirloom,oil painting,old books,vintage cars,vintage clothes,vintage dresses,vintage guitar,vintage t shirts How do they know the age and where it was build Most people repeat what the previous owner told them without doing any research on there own Some people are not that interested in the background of there antiques they just want to enjoy the beauty of there furniture and at the end that is probably the most important However for the people who do like to know more about there antiques this antique furniture information guide online is build to improve your knowledge and will tell you what details to look for when buying antique furniture We would like you to know WHAT you are buying recognize the replicas from the real deal for instance Also for the ones out there trying to make an extra buck this antique furniture guide will be an invaluable resource At both end of the game buying or selling it is important to know as much as possible about antiques A correct description of a piece gives you credibility as a seller And knowing the answer before asking a question to a sales person will give you extra power when negotiating the price after all YOU know what that piece is worth

Rare Sports Cars

AntiquesCertain rare sports cars are extraordinarily special The sports car model as well as the specific automobile can be influential and famous

Jaguar

The Jaguar XKSS is one of the rarest and most beautiful sports cars in the world Before the popular stylish Etypes of the 1960s and early 1970s the amazing finned Dtype Jaguars were driven to wins at Le Mans in the 1950s and now easily sell for over 1 million dollars Scarcer still is the XKSS Only 16 were made before a fire destroyed the factory

XK Evocation The story of the XKSS and other rare Jaguars can be found at this companys website They sell reproduction Ctype and Dtype Jaguars The Jaglovers Web Early Jaguars were photographed at a 2001 Jaguar of North America Challenge Championship in Franklin Tennessee

Aston Martin

The 1965 Aston Martin DB5 from the James Bond movies is famous Two customized DB5s with machine guns revolving license plates bulletproof rear shield and other gadgets suitable for a secret agent with a license to kill were manufactured for Goldfinger while another two went on publicity tours One is on display at the Louwman Museum in the Netherlands and a second was recently sold at an auction in Arizona for $2 090 000

McLaren F1

The McLaren F1 is a fast sports car with a top speed of 240 mph Production stopped in 1998 after only 100 were built According to the official McLaren site there are eight authorized service centers around the world for these rare sports cars

Lamborghini

The famous story goes that after World War Two Ferruccio Lamborghini built a successful tractor factory and drove a Ferrari sports car One day he complained to Enzo Ferrari the founder of the Ferrari sports car company about his clutch Mr Ferrari told Mr Lamborghini he should stick to tractors because thats all he knows how to drive so Mr Lamborghini developed the powerful and luxurious Lamborghini sports car
Similar to the Ferraris prancing horse the Lamborghini has a bull as its symbol The Miura sold from the 1960s to the early 1970s is the name of fierce Spanish bulls bred for bullfighting The Diablo from the 1990s is another exceptional Lamborghini
Ferrari

British race cars are green blue is for France and Italys racing color is red The Testarossa which means red head is a popular sports car from the 1980s designed by Pininfarina of Italy In 2002 the Enzo Ferrari was named after the companys founder Though a production car manufactured for the street it is similar to a Formula One race car The Ferrari Company donated an Enzo to the Catholic Church to benefit the tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia It was sold at auction for well over 1 million dollars

Maserati

Tipo 61 is the official name of the Maserati Birdcage This beautiful race car manufactured in the early 1960s has an influential lightweight tubular chassis In 2005 to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Pininfarina design firm the Maserati Birdcage 75th concept car was built Like the original Birdcage this futuristic automobile is white

Ford TBucket

The most important automobile ever made is the Ford Model T By the end of World War Two though many Model Ts had been scrapped These abandoned old cars were perfect to transform into powerful hot rods Today TBuckets are made with fiberglass bodies and new parts because original Model Ts are scarce

Collectible Clocks

You should pause to consider mankinds great effort to invent precise timepieces whenever an interesting collectible clock comes up for bidding at an auction house Peter Henlein a German locksmith created a small springpowered clock at the beginning of the 1500s but it was the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries when mechanical clocks made great advances This period in Europe was one of astounding scientific inventions Christiaan Huygens 16291695 an important scientist from The Hague was an astronomer mathematician physicist and also a key figure in the development of the clock There had been weightdriven clocks since much earlier times but Huygens created the first pendulum clock These two methods of propulsion clocks running on springs and those propelled by weights are still used today Clocks are collected because they are precise and sophisticated timekeeping devices such as chronometers which are able to withstand changes in temperature Collectible clocks are also desired for their surface beauty This characteristic is what makes antique clocks so interesting They can be exact scientific instruments as well as beautiful antique objects like jewelry and vases Expensive grandfather clocks are constructed like fine furniture by cabinetmakers while womens watches are often thought of as jewelry The outside of the clock its case can be decorated with figures and composed of material such as marble silver porcelain and tortoise shell

Carriage Clocks This portable rectangular clock with handles at the top was used for travel They run on springs and are often made of brass Those from France first come to mind but carriage clocks also originate from other countries as well

Cuckoo Clocks The cuckoo clock is from the Black Forest of Germany It is traditionally powered by weights while bellows create the bird sounds

Tallcase Clocks Tallcase clocks are commonly called grandfather clocks The tall narrow cabinet of this clock is needed for the pendulum and weights

Wristwatches During World War One watches were strapped to wrists by soldiers to tell the time in a convenient manner This fashion was brought home after the war and became popular

There are many kinds of collectible clocks Some names are selfdescriptive while others might make you wonder what the timepiece looks like and how it operates Some examples include

Banjo clocks
Ships clocks
Advertising clocks
Mystery clocks
Car clocks
Novelty clocks
Picture clocks
Clocks are also categorized by year and place such as 17th century or 18th century British or American More information about collectible clocks can be found by searching the internet for these names or by picking a time or place

Antique Piano Bench

Although there are many styles and designs of piano benches there are only three basic piano bench forms These forms are a concert bench a rectangular bench and a piano chair A standard wooden piano bench is rectangular in shape and can be made with a matching piano bench cover This type of piano bench is a standard height and cannot be adjusted to different heights A concert piano bench has circular knobs that are used to adjust the bench to different heights Plush upholstery was used on the seats The most uncommon type of antique bench for pianos is the piano chair Aside from the fact that most pianists found them to be very uncomfortable they were not offered as a standard choice with a piano purchase

An antique piano bench can be a treasured heirloom a prized piece of antique furniture or a cherished family item that brings back fond memories from earlier times Old western movies often have a piano player sitting on a round three legged stool playing his piano in the town saloon These piano stools of the old west were the early country cousins to the piano stools of the 1800s Prior to the 1840s piano stools were either simple plain pieces of furniture or made with heavily carved detailing and lion paw feet The next decade saw piano stools with carved floral motifs cabriole legs and elegant serpentine shaped seats Victorian piano stools from England and America were more elaborately made three legged stools with cushioned fabric seats With the 1860s came the introduction of the piano chair Early piano chairs had three legs similar to the piano stool and a sculpted and heavily detailed back The rectangular wood framed bench seat known as the piano bench was a product of the 1870s Many piano benches were made with a top that lifted giving the musician a storage compartment for his sheet music Often the bench seats had covers with elegant designs of needlepoint or embroidery The Victorian era had a very strong influence on piano bench styles all the way into the 1920s Benches of the time often had delicately turned legs and beautiful glass ball and claw feet Victorian duet stools were made with elegant carved detailing on the side panels and beautiful tapered square legs Throughout time ever since pianos have been manufactured piano benches have never been built by the piano companies As a piano was being completed the company would send a description and specifications to a manufacturer of piano benches to complete the matching bench for the piano

Antique Books

For many people collecting antique books is a labor of love that stems from a combined appreciation of literature and historic memorabilia Some books have great monetary value while others have personal significance Individuals who choose to build an antique book collection tend to gravitate toward those volumes that hold special meaning for them In terms of monetary value antique volumes considered to be the most valuable are ones that have the unique combination of distinguishing physical characteristics historically significant content are relatively rare and in excellent condition To an antique lover however value is not often measured in terms of the price a particular item might fetch Regardless of how you interpret value as it applies to vintage books building a collection can truly be a labor of love Some who are interested in collectible books value them not so much for their literary significance and aesthetic appeal but more so for their investment value There are individuals who seek out antique books for their resale value much the same as many art speculators Some of the most valuable antique tomes have been known to fetch stunning sums at collectors auctions One of the two volumes of the Gutenberg Bible for example sold at a 1987 Christies auction for more than $5 million An original four volume set of The Birds of America by John James Audubon sold at a Christies auction in 1992 for more than $4 million
If youre interested in learning more about books that are selling for high dollar at auction sign up for a free membership to Americana Exchange New members receive a link to an article that includes a list of the 500 most expensive books sold at auction during 2006 While it would be wonderful to discover a volume that could fetch millions of dollars in an auction finding beautiful and meaningful antique books to add to your own personal collection can also be a very rewarding experience There are a number of ways that collectors of vintage books can find antique books in need of a good home

The Collectible Books html Biblio book search and marketplace is an online resource for finding antique printed materials of all types Biblio represents a number of booksellers specializing in the antique book market and literally offers access to millions of volumes for collectors to choose among AntiqBook is another resource representing hundreds of booksellers around the world with a particular emphasis on European antiquarian booksellers Collectors can search more than five million titles via the AntiqBook database and then order their selections directly from the booksellers themselves Serious collectors often find auctions to be the best resources for finding coveted titles See the Americana Exchange Auction Database for a comprehensive directory of auction houses and a list of upcoming auctions expected to include collectible books The Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America sponsors several book fairs and events in major cities around the U S each year Check the organizations book fair schedule for a complete listing of upcoming events You might be pleasantly surprised to find a local resource that either has a good selection of books or who can advise you about the best place to look When you are interested in collecting a particular item it is a good idea to get to know the proprietor of your local antique mall or shop He or she can be a wealth of information regarding the best places to look for the types of books that you want to add to your collection There are a number of steps that collectors should follow to properly care for their finds Antique books should be stored in a cool dry place that doesnt experience great fluctuations in temperature or humidity For example basements attics and garages are not good location to store your volumes Dont try to protect store or repair them with common household items Such efforts can actually damage the delicate documents For more information about the proper storage of your treasured books see the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works guidelines for proper care and storage When you are ready to start or expand your antique book collection the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America is a mustsee resource The organizations Collectors Corner has a wealth of free information and assistance for those interested in book collecting

Rare Pennies

Many coin collectors start their hobby by collecting rare pennies Pennies by and large are easy to find and there are many variations to choose from . The first penny was made of pure copper and was issued in 1787 This penny is referred to as the Fugio cent The name penny was derived from the British word pence It is believed that Paul Revere provided some of the copper that was used to mint the first rare pennies The Indian head penny was introduced in 1859 On one side of the Indian head penny is a likeness of an Indian princess with full headdress The reverse side states one cent These pennies were made until 1909 These rare pennies had a composition change in 1864 from pure copper to 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc . 1909 was the launch date for the Lincoln portrait penny It was minted in celebration of the former Presidents birth date anniversary Victor David Brenner was the sculptor selected by Theodore The Lincoln cent was also the first time the words In God We Trust appeared on the penny The first minted Lincoln pennies had the initials VDB on them for the sculptor Subsequent rare pennies did not have these initials as some believed that it detracted from the design In 1918 the initials were restored slightly under Lincolns shoulder The steel cent made its appearance in 1943 as a result of World War II The pennies were made of lowgrade carbon steel and a zinc coating These rare pennies were similar to the Lincoln head with the exception they were approximately 8 grains lighter because of the lightweight metal In 1944 the weight of the penny was changed back to the original 48 grains in weight when they modified the alloy being used in its composition In 1959 the penny underwent another change on the reverse side Until 1959 the words one cent appeared on the reverse encircled by a two wheat heads In 1959 the reverse was changed to the image of the Lincoln Memorial located in Washington D C Frank Gasparro an engraver at the U S Mint created the design His initials appear in the shrubbery around the memorial The 1960 penny is considered collectible for some simple changes that affected its design Some pennies were minted with smaller dates than others the smaller dates were found to be less common The value of the 1960D penny rapidly increased in value though quickly plummeted when the supply quickly met the demand In 1970 a small date caused a ripple of interest in the penny but nothing was as sensational as the 1972 double die error On this particular penny the date and motto were doubled Many collectors have this particular penny in their collection mainly because of the national attention given to this error While it isnt probable that you could find a Fugio penny by accident today it is still possible to come across Indian head and on occasion steel pennies The trick is keeping your eyes peeled for these finds as well as looking for your favorites in the right places