Ruby Lane's Past Times Newsletter for August 2005

IN THIS ISSUE:
o August HOT SHOP: Welcome to Sunnyside Farms Antiques!
o Frequently Asked Questions About Your Jewelry by Donald
Ryan of Lee Ryan Antiques and Estate Jewelry
o An Introduction to Occupied Japan China by Sarajane Sato
o Collecting Dollhouse Miniatures by Barbara and David
Sundberg of Curley Creek Antiques & Collectibles
o Share Past Times with A Friend

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AUGUST HOT SHOP: WELCOME TO SUNNYSIDE FARMS
ANTIQUES!

Sunnyside Farms Antiques offers a wide variety of antique
jewelry, primitives, glass, pottery and more. They have over 50
years of combined experience in antiques and collectibles. They
have been selling their finds for over 20 years at their small
shop in Pennsylvania, and recently decided to jump into the
world of online selling. Some examples of the items you'll find
at Sunnyside Farms Antiques include a Early C 1920 Whiting &
Davis Dresden Mesh Purse ($395), a Mason's Red Transferware
Ironstone Triple Dish ($205), and an Art Deco Signed Eisenberg
Original Fur Clip ($110).

At Sunnyside Farms Antiques customer satisfaction is number one.
Their major concern with selling online, is to be able to give
you the same friendly service that they are known for at brick
and mortar location.

We invite you to visit Sunnyside Farms Antiques .

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR JEWELRY BY
DONALD RYAN OF LEE RYAN ANTIQUES AND ESTATE
JEWELRY

The following Q&A is as candid and truthful as possible. They
are based upon thousands of buying experiences and many years as
antique and jewelry dealers.

You want to sell your goods; then you want accurate and timely
answers from veteran dealers who study the market and are
considered experts in their fields. There are many, many honest,
ethical and knowledgeable dealers who buy jewelry. Who you sell
to is not the primary consideration as far as we're concerned.
The most important factor is that you receive a fair and
relevant value for your items, within a comfortable transaction.
Here are our answers to some of the most frequently-asked
questions that we get:

Why isn't my jewelry marked?

There are several possible reasons your jewelry shows no quality
mark (14K, 18K, etc.):

-It may have worn off over the years. This is especially true of
rings of high karat gold which is quite a bit softer than the
lower karats. Necklaces often have worn clasps which render the
mark unreadable, or which were replaced with unmarked ones.

-Brooches were often just marked on the pin shank or catch which
may have been replaced due to wear.

-The item may have been repaired and the original mark was
removed or destroyed. Rings that have been resized or reshanked
often lose their mark or stamp of quality.

-It may have been custom made by a jeweler who didn't have a
registered trademark and therefore couldn't legally add a
quality mark.

-Some pieces are of such construction, or so delicate, that
there just is no way to stamp them. Sometimes, a tiny plate with
the stamped mark is soldered on. -Maybe it isn't made of
precious metals.

Actually, the law doesn't require a mark at all. The legal
requirement is that if manufacturers quality mark items of
jewelry, they must also include their registered trademark.

A quality mark, or the absence of one, should not be the sole
determinant of an item's metal content. There are chemical and
electronic tests that can determine the karat value to within a
few percent. Most dealers have one or both of these test
capabilities on hand. However, nothing beats experience for that
initial inclination and impression.

What does 14K, 18K, etc. mean?

24K is pure gold. The number in front of the K is the number of
parts of gold out of 24 that are in the alloy. 14K is 14 parts
of gold and 10 parts of another metal; 18K is 18 parts gold and
6 parts another metal. The other metal could be copper, silver,
nickel, etc. The amount and type of metal determines, to a large
extent, the color of the final alloy: pink gold has much copper,
green gold has silver, white gold has nickel.

Whatever the karat, the magic number is 24. See next answer for
percentage amounts.

What does 585, 750, etc. mean?

These are percentages of gold content. They often are the only
marks on items of European or Asian origin. Sometimes they'll
have the karat equivalent stamped alongside: 585 (or 583) is
equal to 14K, 750 is 18K, 417 is 10K, 333 is 8K, etc.

There are countries that do not use the 24K system. Their
numbers have different values and require a bit more study than
the basic information we have presented here. However, 90
percent of the jewelry you would normally encounter will be
marked with the US type standard. This is because jewelry that
is imported here will have the 24K system markings.

What is my jewelry worth?

Some folks are disappointed when they go to sell their jewelry
and, after 3 or 4 dealers have discussed price with them, feel
that they're being cheated. Why?

They have an outside idea what their jewelry is worth. Often a
friend will look at it and pronounce that "you should get at
least $650.00 for this." When people tell us this we advise them
to offer it to their friend for half that amount and the friend
can make a little profit. Guess what? The friend has no money;
the friend was only guessing; the friend doesn't want to buy it
and make money off it. What it really condenses to is that the
friend really has no idea at all what it's worth on the
secondary market.

They saw one just like it at the mall and offer it to the dealer
for 10-20% less. Most people in this business have access to
trade shows and publications where they can buy the same item,
new, for 50% or less of the retail price. Why would any dealer
buy a used one for more than a new one?

They have an appraisal in hand and feel that this is the price
they should receive. We then ask them what we could sell it for
if we paid them the appraisal price. Once we show them that we
sell at about half of appraised value, most will enter into a
meaningful discussion. Some get angry at the messenger, vowing
to "find someone who knows what they're doing!" Some return to
deal; others don't, and probably sell at less than we would have
paid rather than admit that perhaps we were right.

How can I learn more about jewelry?

Study! Study! Study! Visit your library and search out those
books that contain material commensurate with the level of
learning you're comfortable with (I know, I know, don't end a
sentence with a preposition). After you find a few books that
meet your requirements, go to your favorite book store and buy
one or two. We realize that books are expensive, but so is
ignorance. Having your own book makes it quite convenient to
study at your leisure, not at the library's.

Visit antique shows. Larger ones will have several dealers that,
if not specializing in jewelry, will at least have a selection
of several dozen pieces. Ask a few questions; but remember, the
dealer isn't your teacher. He/she is there to sell and buy, not
to become your mentor. Most are friendly and will show you a few
pieces as examples; however, please don't take up an inordinate
amount of time. There are, after all, people behind you that
probably want to buy. Some jewelry stores will have either an
estate jewelry section, or will have a scheduled estate jewelry
sale. The sales are usually conducted by outside companies that
travel from store to store. Their stock is pretty comprehensive
and their knowledge is first rate. Many will even buy your
jewelry on the spot.

Some folks balk at spending $25.00 for a book, or paying
$5.00-10.00 for admission to a show. Well, the heck with you! If
you're too cheap to invest a few bucks and depend only on the
good will of some dealer to get your information, you'll usually
get what you pay for. Every dealer has paid his/her dues for
education. Every one, without exception, has many examples of
mistakes they've made while building up their business. They've
paid for their education; you pay for yours.

If you do have the good fortune to come across a dealer who is
knowledgeable and doesn't mind answering all your questions, buy
something from him or her every now and then.

We have spent many thousands for our gemologist education and
many more thousands to equip our lab. We have met quite a few
people who would never dream of asking a Proctologist for a free
exam; yet they don't hesitate to show that part of their anatomy
while insisting upon a free verbal appraisal: "It'll only take a
minute; it doesn't cost you anything." Aside from their
cheapness, what they don't seem to understand is that any
information imparted by any expert implies a certain level of
responsibility for their words. That's why experts charge for
their knowledge; be it in goods or service.

We're not talking about folks who have a genuine desire to sell
their items. This is always a give and take situation until both
of you arrive at a mutually satisfactory price. That's probably
the most exciting part of any dealer's day: making the deal.

So, spend a few hours, spend a few bucks. These are the most
practical and accurate methods to learn about anything - in this
case: jewelry.

We invite you to visit Don's shop, Lee Ryan Antiques and Estate
Jewelry .

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AN INTRODUCTION TO OCCUPIED JAPAN CHINA BY SARA JANE SATO

The term "Occupied Japan" refers to items which where produced from the time period of 1945 until the first part of 1952.

After WW11, General MacArthur and the allied force's objective
was to rebuild Japan after the destruction left by war and two
nuclear bombs. The occupying army's aim was to restore industry
to a healthy level, but not to allow the country to re-arm.
Industries which were attractive to this cause were factories
manufacturing ceramics, celluloid and lacquer ware.

This has been an interesting and important period for me. As a
youngster I remember my mother having a box she kept in our
china cabinet which contained four tiny bisque figurines. They
where neatly arranged and wrapped in tissue paper. It
fascinated me to take them out occasionally and look at the
mark. "Made In Occupied Japan".

Little did I know that many years later I would marry just such
a collectible. My husband's father was a sargeant in the United
States army/air force occupying post war Japan. My husband was
born in Japan in 1949 and has been an important catalyst for my
collection for over thirty years. We often joke he should have a
Made In Occupied Japan stamp somewhere on his person. (I can
assure you he doesn't).

Items made during this period were required to be marked Made In
Occupied Japan (MIOJ).Occupied Japan (OJ).Made In Japan (MIJ).
Or Japan. The goods marked simply Made In Japan or Japan made in
the time period are less collectible.

Some of the most sought after MIOJ collectibles are elves and
fairies. Extravagent centerpieces and shelf sitters which are
desirable as (so many came in pairs and) one of the set has been
broken or lost during the past 50 years.

Christmas and religious ornaments of all kinds were made.
Santas, glass tree balls, and many tiny strings of Christmas
lantern sets to name a few.

Dolls can be found made of bisque, cloth, celluloid and
porcelain. Many celluloid Kewpie Dolls found their way to the
carnivals and midways of Post-war America.

Lacquer ware was one of the most expensive types of pieces
produced in Occupied Japan. All were painstakingly made by hand
and were marked hand made/hand painted in Occupied Japan.

Paper products were another of such items exported during this
period. This included tiny paper parasols (you may have found
one in your tropical cocktail glass), streamers made of crepe
paper used for holiday decorating or to see a friend off on an
ocean voyage by ship as well as Japanese paper fans and those
popular paper iron on transfers. The Japanese also used bamboo
to make folding shopping baskets, clothes brushes and clothes
pegs.

Pottery was another favorite. Many pottery planters, tea sets,
liquor barrels and toby jugs are marked MIOJ. Endless variety of
salt and pepper shakes are avidly collected by Americans.

The skilled Japanese craftsman copied the Victorian colonial and
fiqural couples made in the European factories of England,
Germany and France. Many bisque fiqurines of children were
produced in the style of Hummel. Although crude in the
beginning, the Japanese workmanship soon rivaled that of their
European counterparts.

Tin toys are one of the most sought after of the Made In
Occupied Japan period, such as tin airplanes, animals, black
americana, automobiles, boats, toy tools, motorcycles and banks
etc. Many toys had wind-up mechanisms that brought them to life.
Stuffed animals of the period are a terrific find as they were
produced for children who played with them, then they were
disgarded. Rarer still are hand puppets made of composition
heads and cloth bodies.

Some of the manufacturers of this period are still in operation
today, such as Lefton, Mikado and Noritake.

There are tricks to identify the true mark MIOJ. The marks are
usually under the glaze. Made In Occupied Japan.. Occupied
Japan. Made in Japan..Japan.. Watch out for over inked stamps
and questionable glaze. Apply some nail polish remover as a
test, as this will not harm genuine pieces.

On items such as bisque which was unglazed the mark is made with
a stamp. A good piece will have a crisp, clear stamp. The mark
should feel even - sometimes raised but even. On a questionable
item the mark may appear smudged or blurry or askew. If the mark
is off center or when you run your finger over it it feels
uneven or rough, it is most likely a reproduction.

Collecting Made In Occupied Japan can be fun and challenging,
but beware, as there are alot of copies lurking out there. Many
were made during the 1990's and can be found at auction houses
throughout North America and beyond. Find a reputable dealer and
do your homework, but most importantly - ENJOY.

Lastly, a bit of trivia: The fabulous movie "Sayonara" starring
Marlon Brando and Red Buttons took part during the American
Occupation of Japan.

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COLLECTING DOLLHOUSE MINIATURES BY BARBARA AND
DAVID SUNDBERG OF CURLEY CREEK ANTIQUES &
COLLECTIBLES

We recently added antique dollhouse miniatures to our shop and
are finding them very popular with our customers. We asked
ourselves, what is it about these small toys that are so
appealing? Is it that we wish we could shrink in size and become
the tiny inhabitants of a grand Victorian Gottschalk mansion or
even a quaint Schoenhut bungalow? Is it that we admire the
craftsmanship of these little dwellings and marvel at how
someone could make intricate furniture and accessories for them?
Is it that we find it amazing that play things so small and
fragile can still be found intact? After all, they were played
with by children as far back as the late 1700's. Perhaps it is a
combination of all these things that make us want to collect and
admire and treasure these miniature time capsules of bygone
eras.

At one time dollhouses were not meant for child's play, but for
the viewing pleasure of well-to-do adults. In 1558, Duke
Albrecht V of Bavaria commissioned the first dollhouse or baby
house as they were called. Soon after, Bavarian merchants and
the Dutch upper class followed suit with their own baby houses.

It wasn't until the late 1700's that views about childhood
changed. No longer considered miniature adults, children were
finally allowed to play. Educational toys such as dolls' houses,
which became the new term for baby houses, were popular. They
were used as teaching tools to help young girls learn the art of
housekeeping as well as just for play.

A whole new industry was born during the 1800s with individual
craftsman as well as commercial manufacturers filling the
increasing demand. The main centers for production were Germany,
England and America. The height of production was during the
late 1800's and early 1900's with all manner of houses, room
boxes, play kitchens and merchant shops being produced along
with their accompanying furnishings and inhabitants. The scale
most frequently used was 1" to 1 foot, but larger scales of 1
1/4" and 1 1/2" to the foot and smaller scales of 3/4" to the
foot and 1/2" to the foot were also popular.

If the miniature bug has bit you like it has our customers,
where do you find information about collecting? There are many
excellent books from dollhouse experts such as Flora Gill
Jacobs, Vivian Greene, Leonie von Wilckens, Nora Earnshaw,
Evelyn Ackerman, Dian Zilner and Patty Cooper to name a few.
Miniature Collector, Dolls' House World, The Dolls' House and
Antique Doll Collector magazines all have articles about antique
miniatures. Visit museums in the United States and Europe,
search online for shops and talk with other collectors - there
is even a website called Dollhouse Antiques devoted exclusively
to antique miniatures. By familiarizing yourself with the hobby,
you will become an informed buyer with a trained eye.

Whether you are making your first purchase or you are a seasoned
collector, always remember to buy the best you can afford. Look
for original finishes with little or no paint loss. Make sure
wallpaper is original and not too worn or faded. Ask about
replaced, repaired, chipped, broken or missing parts. If metal,
ask if it is dented or rusty and if there are loose or bent
parts. Find out the age of the item and who made it if you are
not sure. By careful purchasing, you will acquire a valuable
antique miniature collection that you will enjoy and treasure
for years to come.

We invite you to visit Barb and Dave's shop: Curley Creek
Antiques & Collectibles .

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ABOUT RUBY LANE

We are one of the largest Internet sites for collectors, with an
active community of hundreds of shops from all over the world
offering antiques, fine art, arts & crafts, and collectibles.
Ruby Lane displays quality inventory in over 2,000 categories.
Visit us at www.rubylane.com

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