Imagine this scenario—your parents are downsizing from their house of forty years to a small condo. In their attic are boxes upon boxes of things from your childhood, their childhood, and possibly their parents’ childhoods. They give these boxes to you because they don’t have the space to store them, but you don’t either. And so you think to yourself, “It’s time for a yard sale.”
But what if there are some highly valued antiques or collectibles that shouldn’t be sold? What if in one of those boxes there’s something worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars?
Certain types of antiques and collectibles speak for themselves. A Tiffany lamp or Waterford crystal goblet, for example, are highly lucrative items. The same goes for memorabilia—Olympic, political, music, sports, Elvis, or movie, to name a few—or “boys toys”: action figures, comic books, and baseball cards. And, based on their condition, these items will sell for more than yard sale prices.
But sometimes looks can be deceiving. When is a ceramic ashtray more than a utilitarian piece of pottery? The not-so-obvious answer is if it’s stamped on the bottom with “Abingdon” or “Made in Occupied Japan.” Cha-ching!
Instead of hoping and praying that the Antiques Road Show blows through your town, why not try to evaluate them yourself? While there are books and Web sites dedicated to the classification of precious antiques and collectibles, the list below can help any neophyte determine the brummagem (collector’s term for the cheap, showy, and worthless) from the real deal.
Plastic Jewelry
Plastic jewelry that you suspect is pre-1950s may be worth a pretty penny. Thanks to artists like Andy Warhol, who prolifically collected vintage Bakelite jewelry in the 1980s, the value of plastic has never been so profitable.
Bakelite
Bakelite, a castable and fire-resistant plastic, was invented in 1909 by Leo Baekeland. It was the first wholly synthetic plastic and jewelry makers used it to produce carved bangles, polka dot bangles, figural pins, clip earrings, dress clips, and rings. Bakelite jewelry was produced in the 1920s until 1942 in the United States. It is heavy and can be transparent, translucent, or opaque. Because of oxidation, the original colors of these pieces have often changed (transparent or colorless to an “Apple Juice” color; white into butterscotch, pink into orange, light blue into forest green). A rich patina enhances the value of the piece.
Lucite
Lucite is an acrylic resin that began to appear in costume jewelry around 1940. Cheaper than Bakelite, it had many of the same qualities and could be easily molded, cast, laminated, inlaid, carved, and tinted. Lucite continues to be used in jewelry manufacture, but it reached its height of popularity between 1940 and 1950. Common post-war pieces of interest to collectors include clear Lucite imbedded with glitter, seashells, rhinestones, or flowers.
Celluloid
Celluloid is one of the earliest man-made plastics used in making costume jewelry and dates roughly from 1900 to 1930. Celluloid jewelry pieces tend to be thin, light, somewhat brittle yet flexible, and sensitive to heat. Extremes of temperature, moisture, exposure to cosmetics or perfume, or lack of adequate ventilation can cause a celluloid piece to discolor, crack, or even disintegrate, so they should be stored carefully.
Pottery
The landscape of pottery is vast and somewhat unreachable unless you study it full time. The value and interest in many seemingly mundane objects, like piggy banks or bookends, might surprise a non-collector. Looks can be the most deceiving, so inspect all pieces big and small.
Made in Occupied Japan
Any pottery that is stamped with “Made in Occupied Japan” and can be authenticated to have been manufactured between the summer of 1945 and spring of 1952. Items include ashtrays, planters, and other knickknacks.
Bisque
Bisque pottery, also known as biscuit ware. Items have only had one firing in the kiln and are unglazed porcelain or china. American bisque cookie jars are extremely popular with collectors, as are bisque dolls.
