Happy St. Patrick's Day from
Bethlehem Antiques
Bethlehem Antiques
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Spring is coming fast! Time to clear out, so gather unwanted items. Check out my Garage Sale Price Guide, and donate items worth less than $3 to charity. By April it will be warm enough to rent a $10 table at a Saturday flea market. Donate what's unsold, except for things worth $30 or more. If you have a digital camera, contact me for selling on eBay instructions. |
The Living Room
Antique furniture of good design, quality and condition tends to appreciate in value. Reusing antiques is also good for our planet. For instance, old-growth mahogany from the tropics became endangered by the end of the 1700s.
Do you like modern and minimal? Try Mid-Century Modern, Art Deco, Arts & Crafts, Beidermeier, Empire, Hepplewhite, and Danish Modern
Do you like rich details? Try Renaissance Revival, William & Mary, Victorian, Queen Anne, Chippendale, the Aesthetic Movement, Art Nouveau, William Morris, and Sheraton. There truly is something for everyone.
Christie's American Furniture Collecting Guide
"American Furniture of the 18th Century," by
Jeffrey P. Greene
Use a linen press for attractive hidden storage. The top is a wonderful place to display a collection or seasonal items.
A blanket chest also makes a great coffee table with secret storage for CDs, DVDs, magazines, family history, toys, or scrapbooks.
A damaged cotton quilt can be made into a set of pillows. Small quilts can be hung as art, by basting a muslin sleeve for a dowel rod on the back.
The Dining Room
"Antique Cupboards," by Leigh Keno
Can't say enough about Corner Cupboards. Every dining room should have this space-saver, for a perfect combination of display and storage.
English Pottery & Porcelain
If you love all things Asian, you'll love their famous "Imari" pattern. Imari is striking in midnight blue and coral.
Spode blue transfer patterns include "Blue Willow," "Tower," and "Italian."
Thomas Minton: Famous Potters of Stoke-on-Trent
Use Transferware for everyday dining. Mix six patterned dinner plates with six plain. I like to use warm colors for fall & winter, and cool for spring & summer. A nice fall pattern is Mason's "Manchu" in brown.
National Shelley China Club
I collect Shelley trios for a dessert service my grandmother started. A trio consists
of a tea cup, saucer and dessert (salad) plate. It's easy to put together a dessert service when
you mix and match trios. Family collections are priceless. They bring back memories each time they are used, and
I use mine often.
Silverplate Flatware
Using family silver is another way to remember loved ones on special occasions. My grandmother's pattern was "Grosvenor," by Community Plate. Once you know the pattern name, it's easy to collect on eBay.
Piece Types from Replacements.com
Pattern Guide from AsYouLikeItSilverShop.com
Patterns in Silverplate from SilverPattern.com
Silverplate Flatware A-K from SilverCollect.com
Silverplate Flatware L-Z from SilverCollect.com
Rogers Bros Patterns from SilverCollecting.com
Rogers Brothers from Past & Present
Kitchen Antiques
Vintage Valentines Cheer Up Your Refrigerator ~ Attach magnets to the back of valentines using this wheat paste recipe, which can be removed with a damp Q-tip. Wheat paste is not acidic, which can cause darkening of paper. Avery also makes a removable glue stick which is acid-free.
"On Pottery in Colonial America," by Julia Smith
Weitsman Stoneware Collection, New York
State Museum
"American Redware," by Greg K. Kramer and
Lester P. Breininger, Jr.
The Family Room
Add your favorite toys to a corner of a family room or attic. You'll smile every time you go in there.
Vintage Barbie & Friends Dolls 1959-1976
If your Barbies are long gone, use the pictures on the Barbie Reference (above), and you'll
know what to search for on eBay.com Mattel also
reproduces their early dolls on
Barbie Collector.com
GI Joe Action Figures in the 1960s
The Bedroom
American Quilts and Coverlets
Store antique quilts in
acid-free lidded boxes, cushioned with acid-free tissue. These boxes keep the
sunlight out, can breathe, and eliminate contact with wood, which can darken cloth. Fold
lines can become weak, so refold periodically. When on display, beware of direct sunlight. Also, use unbleached muslin or
acid-free mat board under old fabrics to protect from acidic or oily surfaces.
"Dower Chest Commands Attention at Skinner," by Rosemary McKittrick
An antique dower or blanket chest can be used to store
This linen press or armoire is used for folded clothing and linen storage. Houses of the 18th
Century had no closets. Use in the traditional way in a bedroom or bath.
out-of-season modern quilts and coverlets, while doing double duty as a television stand.