Ruby Lane's Past Times Newsletter for June 2005

IN THIS ISSUE:
o June HOT SHOP: Welcome to Gardenartus Antiques &
Collectibles!
o Mirror Image: Collecting Compacts By Judith Zielinsky
Marshall of the Rhinestone Baba

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JUNE HOT SHOP: WELCOME TO GARDENARTUS ANTIQUES &
COLLECTIBLES!

The folks at Gardenartus Antiques & Collectibles pride
themselves on doing a lot of research before putting any item in
their shop, which contains antiques, art, vintage and many
collectibles. Some examples of items you'll find in their shop
include a gorgeous 9" Sitzendorff Figurine Of A Woman With Her
Sheep ($575), a Vintage Fenton Burmese Compote With A Stunning
Design ($165), and a Hand-Painted Z.S.& Co. Bavaria Breakfast
Set ($225) to name just a few of the many fine items available.

Sometimes hours of research will go into one item they sell.
They do not want customers to have to play a guessing game on
whether what they will be receiving is what is being advertised.
They also don't like to put anything in their shop that has
damage to it. There are some unique items or rare ones that do
have flaws or small amounts of damage. They of course let you
know up front what those flaws might be. These are types of
pieces that although they might have a flaw, do not detract from
the beauty of the product. They would never sell anything that
they wouldn't want in their own home.

We invite you to visit Gardenartus Antiques & Collectibles .


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MIRROR IMAGE: COLLECTING COMPACTS BY JUDITH
ZIELINSKY MARSHALL OF THE RHINESTONE BABA

Ever since Narcissus leaned over to see his face in a pool of
clear water and fell love with himself, leaving poor Echo to
pine away, we have been enchanted with viewing ourselves. After
World War I (1914-1918) women began to have more freedom and
though shocking at first, were applying makeup in public and
using a compact mirror. The evil queen in "Snow White" knew the
value of a mirror. And so do we all. Today's woman uses a
mirror, often part of her make-up container or a mirror alone,
lightweight and inexpensive. The collector, on the other hand,
searches for the fast disappearing, elegant works of art dating
from 1920, not to carry daily, but to display and grow a
collection. In the past one could often find tray lots of
compacts at auction, or treasures at estate sales and yard
sales, but today that is rarely the case.

A good place to begin is to purchase or borrow books from the
library, most notably Laura M. Mueller, "Collector's
Encyclopedia of Compacts," from Collector Books and Roselyn
Gerson, "The Estee Lauder Solid Perfume Compact, 1967-2001."
The Estee Lauder imaginative and often exotic and whimsical
compacts are highly sought after. The designs are not
inexpensive and are perfect for special occasions including
weddings, graduations and birthdays.

Cruising the internet adds to a realistic appreciation of what
is available but caveat emptor: buyer beware. Purchasing from
any reputable dealer is ultimately more gratifying if we follow
a few simple guidelines. Do educate yourself with books to help
define styles, periods, manufacturers and materials. Then
peruse the internet and learn what knocks your socks off,
tickles your fancy and causes you to hyperventilate and shout
"Wow." All those clichés are true.

Buy only what you love. Ask questions and do not be shy about
doing so. The best dealers will only be too happy to discuss
the topic. Be relentless, be brave, be ruthless. Never accept
damage. Dismiss that siren song about how valuable or rare that
compact might be. Pass that damage right by and never accept a
broken mirror. If the compact has powder or rouge in it, decide
early on whether you wish to clean it out yourself or have the
dealer do it for you. If the compact is mint and in its
original box (MIB) be prepared to pay more, as well as if it has
original price tags. However if the sticker is on the compact,
there is a good chance if removed, there will be residue of some
sort. Will the compact be displayed or taken to the prom or the
gala opera festival? Never take a compact out on the town if
there is a chance it will be handled carelessly, dropped or
scratched.

Other than the Estee Lauder solid perfume compacts, there is a
demand for sterling silver especially if they have no monogram
and the new buyer can have it done. The flapjack compact
(round, thin and pancake-shaped) is sought after.
Rhinestone-covered compacts and guilloche compacts are snapped
up. Wiesner of Miami made some stunning rhinestone compacts.
The guilloche, enamel over engine-turned metal, becomes more
rare with passing decades especially those with finger rings,
the so-called tango compacts of the Twenties. Anything Art Deco,
circa 1920-1940) has a following with shapes, textures and
designs to delight the collector. Figurals of courting lovers
and commemoratives of such events as the Chicago World Fair of
1933 are highly collectible. Bakelite compacts and the Lucite
(actually trademark is Plexiglas) compacts have a huge
following.

While we recognize and revere manufacturers such as Volupte,
Schildkraut, DeVilbiss, Hudnut and Wadsworth, the English
Stratton, 1923-1997) are often highly prized because of their
availability and their lovely floral enamel designs. There is
nothing like a vintage compact to reflect both a woman's beauty
and her business acumen in selecting an investment.

We invite you to visit Judith's shop: The Rhinestone Baba .

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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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