Ruby Lane's Past Times Newsletter for March 2011

In This Issue

• Ruby Plaza Promotion: Sell for Only $9/mo. Through 2011!
  
• Being There When History is Made by Jack Becklund of The Pottery Nuts
  
• Want to Determine Values for Your Antiques and Collectibles? by Bob Minnocci of RJM Antiques
  
• A bevy of Irish beauties from the shops on Ruby Lane!
  

RUBY PLAZA PROMOTION: SELL FOR ONLY $9/MO. THROUGH 2011!

If you aren't already aware, this promotion has been extended! Are you looking for a venue to sell your home decor items ranging from furniture and accessories to lighting, bedding and window coverings? Or perhaps you, or someone you know sells fashion and accessory items, and/or jewelry. If so, spread the word - as now you can try out our sister site, Ruby Plaza, launched last April - for only $9 a month through 2011 with no set-up fee!

Through December 31st 2011, we are making it easy and affordable for sellers to join Ruby Plaza. Already over 700 shops have joined us with over 60,000 items added to the site.

There are no contracts, no cancellation fees, and the only expense out of your pocket is $9 a month.

Spread the word!

For more information visit www.rubyplaza.com, then under SELL, choose Open A Shop. We hope you'll join us!

* Please note that items currently offered on Ruby Lane may not be duplicated on Ruby Plaza.

BEING THERE WHEN HISTORY IS MADE BY JACK BECKLUND OF THE POTTERY NUTS

Last month, I went 35 miles down the road to the James Julia auction facility, where they were having a general antique auction of more than 800 items. We often go when they have pottery to sell, both to bid and to socialize with other dealers and collectors. During winter in Maine, you need these excuses to get out and see people.

The crowd was standing room only, with 250-300 people in attendance to bid and hobnob. Nine or ten phones were manned by the Julia auction team and items were shown on a pair of big TV screens as they came up. The action was fast and the prices were strong. You could feel the optimism in the room. Totally different from a year earlier when caution was in the wind.

I got lucky and came up with a large lot of Staffordshire, which will be subdivided into 23 lots and sold here on Ruby Lane. Knowing I had an hour until the ten art pottery pieces came up, I went to the check-out counter to pay so I could get them packed and put in the car.

The lady checking out ahead of me was talking with the clerk when I went to pay, but I was in no rush. Then another fellow, seeming to be sort of agitated, came to the counter. He appeared to be in a hurry, so when the conversation ended and the clerk was ready to check me out, she asked me if it was all right to check the man in so he could bid. She figured, as I did, that he was late and had items of interest coming up soon. I said, "Sure, I've got nothing but time."

He gave her an address in
Florida, so I casually said to him, "Gee, you're in the wrong place."

"No." he replied without looking at me, "I'm in the right place." He was very intense.

She handed him a bidding card and he turned and walked away. The card number was 911.

The clerk and I looked at each other and shrugged. "Thanks for letting him go ahead," she said.

I thought no more about it and proceeded to pack and load the fifty pieces into four boxes and put them in the car. My wife Patti and I had examined the pottery a couple of days earlier and made notes, so I was prepared. First up was a piece of Galle, then two pieces of George Ohr, a Marblehead vase, two lots of Rookwood and some Dedham. I would bid the first Ohr, the Marblehead and perhaps a lot of four standard glaze Rookwood items. With the way prices on good items were going, I was not optimistic.

The Ohr went well over what I was prepared to pay. The second Ohr, which we didn't like, went even higher. Then came the Marblehead vase. It had carried a pre-auction estimate of $1,000-1,500, which I thought was low. I was prepared to go after it because you don't see Marblehead with hand inscribed ship and MP on the base plus two artist initials on the base. It was 7" tall with multi-color design and those things count when it comes to Marblehead. So I was psyched. I was about to be shocked.

Jim Julia came out from the auctioneer's pulpit before the start of bidding and looked at his team. Seven people were
standing with telephones. The absentee bid specialist was ready. "Before we start this item, I want to make sure everyone is all set," Julia said. I wondered what was going on. I'm sure most everyone else did too.

"Okay," he said, "we're going to start this item at $35,000."

My mouth dropped open. I know it did. I think my face turned red from the shock. The bidding went up in $5,000 increments. Two people in the room and two on the phone. $40,000, $45,000, $50,000, $55,000, $60,000, $65,000, $70,000, and finally $75,000. The room was totally silent The auctioneer gave fair warning, then hammered it down at $75,000.

With the buyer's premium the price paid for the Marblehead vase was over $86,000. It is far and away the highest price ever paid for a piece of Marblehead pottery.

It was taken home by the man from Florida, bidder number 911.

And the next item, the four Rookwood pieces? They went for $750, well below what I was prepared to bid. I didn't even raise my hand. I was still in shock. I just got up from my chair and went home.

I felt like I had been swimming with great white sharks.

Visit The Pottery Nuts and you might find the fine treasures acquired at this auction such as the Victorian-Era Toby Jug ($195), the Mason's Ironstone No. 4011 Cups and Saucers ($75) and the lovely Delft ABC Plate ($225). We invite you to browse these selections and more at The Pottery Nuts.

WANT TO DETERMINE VALUES FOR YOUR ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES? BY BOB MINNOCCI OF RJM ANTIQUES

Market + Market + Market Divided by Three Minus Variations = Value

A couple of years ago, a man noticed my Ruby Lane Shop and called me offering to sell a negative of a Marilyn Monroe photograph. There was nothing outstanding about the negative from his description. "I'll start offers at a million dollars," he said. I graciously dismissed the offer telling him that I didn't have any clients who would be interested, which is true, but nothing would justify that price. A Marilyn Monroe autograph usually sells for $1,000 to $1,100, give or take. A nice autographed photograph of Ms. Monroe can sell for as high as $15,000 or more if it's in a competitive auction with a critical mass of bidders "fighting" over it or if it has made its way into a retail shop. I'm not sure of the value of the negative, but you can see where I'm going with trying to establish one.

In the 25 + years that I've been collecting and selling antiques, autographs and historical documents, I've never bought, sold or seen in person anything worth a million dollars or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. That's not to say those items don't exist, but they are rare.

Confusion over value stumps all of us and is caused by at least two factors: The mesmeric feeling we get sometimes when watching reality television shows dealing with collectible values and the exuberance that follows when we want our item to make us rich; the lack of science involved in pricing antiques and collectibles.
The first factor is emotionally driven, which needs to be resolved on a personal basis, but what about the lack of science?

Antiques and collectibles simply aren't valued the way other items, such as stocks, are. Investors arrive at a stock's value based on a company's assets and its ability to produce a return for investors. When a company gets in trouble, investors pay less. They're willing to pay more when good news about a company becomes public.

But there is hope for us lovers of antiques and collectibles. The value of individual collectibles and antiques resides in a market place we and our fellow collectors have created. The key is to ferret out those values by averaging sale prices from market to market. It sounds complicated, but it really isn't. Just bear in mind that the market can change from time to time based on the interest or the lack thereof expressed by collectors, or dwindling or increasing numbers of collectors for a particular item.

My philosophy is not "Something is worth what someone will pay for it." I subscribe to the notion that "Something is worth what the overall market will pay for it." There is a difference.

I sold a one of a kind item not long ago for about $2,800. The person, in turn, sold it for well over $12,000. Was the item worth that much? Certainly not by my definition of value. His sale, in my opinion, was an anomaly. And, if the buyer or his heirs attempts to recoup that "investment" he or they will
be sadly disappointed, I predict.

Remember, the important question is, what will the overall market, or group of collectors, pay for a particular item, and where do you find the information so that you can establish an accurate market value for your item?

Auctions can provide some of the most up to date market values because they bring together the critical mass of collectors vying to own certain items. They advertise widely and collectors are often anxious to bid. That isn't to say that auction fervor doesn't sometimes get in the way of actual values sending prices through the stratosphere when two or more bidders are determined to own an item.

The researcher must compare sales at a variety of auctions, even at the same auction house. I'd suggest including prices at a few retail shops, but always allowing for price variations. Retail shops need to add 30 percent or more to a price to make a profit. So, be prepared to witness price variations – even in very similar items – and don't be disturbed by them. Variations can sometimes illustrate that collectors are more excited about a particular item.

At a recent auction, an autographed (and handwritten) quote by Harriet Beecher Stowe from her famous "Uncle Tom's Cabin" fetched a healthy $5,000. The quote was profound and tied very deeply to the book's thesis. An envelope addressed to the person requesting the quote with Ms. Stowe's handwriting was included. Another autographed quote from her
from the same book – less profound but meaningful nonetheless -- in the same auction brought $1,800.

Human judgment will always play a role in values. We've all paid "too much" for something we wanted badly and we've all let some great item slip through our fingers because we were afraid of paying too high a price. We can all find a good deal of comfort when we balance our emotions with thorough research and honest human judgment.

We invite you to browse some examples of items from RJM Antiques including an Exceptionally Well Executed and Signed Ivory Portrait ($295), an Autographed Letter from a Gold Mine Agent Which Explains How Gold is Produced, Southern Women, and Culture ($95), and an Unusual and Ironic Carte-de-visite Image of a Distinguished African American Man with Three White Slave Children ($495). View these items and more in RJM Antiques.

A BEVY OF IRISH BEAUTIES FROM THE SHOPS ON RUBY LANE!

Barkus Farm Antiques, Collectibles and Fine Art: Unique Collectibles, Antiques and Fine Arts from Around the World

Boehm - Elizabeth Of Glamis Rose - Irish Beauty - Closed Limited Edition, Signed and Numbered, c1981, England

I love flowers; especially roses. This is so realistic that one feels special by having a thing of such beauty to enjoy every day. This magnificent ...

Heads Up Vintage Collectibles: Head Vases, Figural Pottery, Vanity Items, Jewelry Fun Vintage Collectibles Antiques!

Irish Girls Lady Salt Pepper Shakers

This darling set is hard to find and features two red head Irish girls with shamrock aprons and dresses, They wear ruffled bonnets to match with green...

Seaside Art Gallery: Original Works of Art and Treasures from Around the World

Beautiful Vintage Belleek Two Piece Set - Sugar Creamer

This beautiful little 2 piece set consists of a creamer and sugar. The cream colored Irish porcelain is decorated with shamrocks in a basketweave ...

Sterling Island: We offer a selection of fine sterling silverware at affordable prices

Absolutely superb rare Irish sterling teapot c 1821

Highly repousse rare teapot with an elegant flower finial. The teapot measures 11 3 4 inches long (over the handle and spout), 6 inches high, and 7 ...

Treasure Trove Antiques: Unique Antiques and Collectibles

Vintage Irish Dresden Lace Lady Figurine Playing a Harp

Offered for sale is this very nice vintage Irish Dresden Lace Lady Figurine Playing a Harp. She measures 6 1 2 high. She is marked on the bottom ...

Coach and Kennel Galleries: Sporting Art, Rare Books, and More!

Cassell's The Illustrated Book of the Dog Original Color Lithograph - Irish Setter, c 1880s

Original color lithograph plate from Cassell's The Illustrated Book of the Dog, by Vero Shaw , c.1880s. 8.5 x 11.5 . Vincent Brooks Day Son, ...

Holly Lane Antiques: Antique And Collectible China

Antique Irish Linen Tablecloth - Wide Crochet Border - Embroidered Shamrocks

Antique Linen And Crochet Lace Tablecloth This lovely table square has a 2 1 2 inch wide crochet border that is slightly ruffled. There is a double ...

Jewelry Liquidations by Amy: Wide variety of Estate and Fine Jewelry, Silver and Objects of Art

Ruby Claddah Wedding Ring

Irish Diamond, Ruby Claddah Wedding Ring, Hallmarks Of Ireland, .375 Fine, 9K Yellow Gold. Two Hands Holding a Heart Shaped 1 3 Carat Rich Red Ruby ...

Blue Dolphin Antiques: The ultimate in Fine Antique Furniture Lighting Nautical Paintings Porcelain Glass

Signed Waterford Cut Glass Decanter

A vintage signed Waterford cut glass decanter, lovely unique pattern as you can see, deeply cut in very good condition signed on the base with acid ...

Treasures von Engé (Treasures by Engelina): Unique treasures of vintage, antique collectibles!

Vintage Irish Tweed Scarf Blarney Woollen Mills, Ireland red with green and black, yellow and white

Marked Made in the Republic of Ireland, this plaid tweed scarf is a vintage Irish Tweed Scarf from Blarney Woollen Mills, Blarney, CO. CORK 100% pure...