Ruby Lane's Past Times Newsletter for April 2005

IN THIS ISSUE:
o April Hot Shop: Welcome To Childhood Antiques!
o Jewelry, Dolls and Toys Many Years After by Sharon Lemell
of Years After
o The Vintage Jewelry Craze by Debbie Corrigan of D and L
Vintage
o Share Past Times with A Friend

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APRIL HOT SHOP: WELCOME TO CHILDHOOD ANTIQUES!

Bentley Chappell of Childhood Antiques specializes in 19th
Century ABC Plates, Alphabet Mugs, and Childrens Staffordshire
Transferware. In his shop you'll find whimsical 19th Century
English ceramics for children and the young at heart. He also
has a large inventory of childs toy ceramics with an added
emphasis on Allerton tea sets.

Examples of such items he currently offers include a 1885
Child's Aesthetic Transferware Teaset - Chintz ($200), a Child's
Green Transferware Trio Cup Saucer & Plate Set Little Mae With
Pets ($100), and an Early 1880 Child's Alphabet ABC Plate - Jack
and Jill ($300).

And, if you are in need of a replacement piece or an entire set
of something in particular, he can also help, so do not hesitate
to inquire.

We invite you to visit Bentley's shop: Childhood Antiques.

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JEWELRY, DOLLS AND TOYS MANY YEARS AFTER BY
SHARON LEMELL OF YEARS AFTER

The popularity of antiques and vintage collectibles is growing
significantly by the day. And what more pleasurable way to get
an education on our own history and culture than to acquire a
beautiful old piece of jewelry, a vintage or antique doll or toy
and learn about it and its beginnings. This is equally true for
antiques and collectibles from around the world.

There are many great reasons to collect, whether it be for
sentimental purposes and you were just re-united with an object
that you loved when you were a child - the admiration for the
artistic quality, the workmanship and design, and the love of
the treasure hunt in finding them. Collecting is rewarding and
antiques are always in style!

What appeals to us in antique and vintage jewelry, dolls and
collectibles at Years After is the uniqueness, creativity,
quality and beauty of a particular piece, plus rarity. They
really don't make 'em like they used to!

History has always played an important role in jewelry, and
jewelry always reflected history. The Victorians expressed a
deep sentiment and a love of nature which showed in their
jewelry containing the hair of loved ones, and bracelets made
from their children's baby teeth. This may seem somewhat odd to
us now, but it was perfectly acceptable then. They even
incorporated birds' heads and insects into their jewelry. And
aluminum at its height had more value than platinum - How
fascinating!

It's always amazing for us to hold a 150 year old Victorian
pendant, mourning jewelry or hand-painted brooch from the
1800's! Or, an Art Deco necklace when rules had became looser,
women became more liberated and shorter hairstyles and dropped
waistlines expressed the times. Long beaded Bakelite plus glass
necklaces and dazzling long pearl earrings were all the Roaring
20's fashion rage! And when King Tut's treasures were discovered
in 1922, so much jewelry was designed around an Egyptian theme.

Vintage Mexican silver jewelry is also a wonderful collectible.
There are still many unknown Mexican designers that produced
superb pieces and deserve long awaited credit. With time and
more research, their names will become known and their jewelry
more valuable. When cleaning silver jewelry, never dip it in
chemical baths or it will take off the desired patina. Always
use a polishing cloth or nothing at all. Many collectors
actually prefer the patina, mostly because it may have
intentionally been part of the original design.

We also value vintage and antique dolls where we search for
quality and special character. All of our dolls wear old
clothing that is freshly laundered and pressed unless they
already are in really good, clean condition. There is no such
thing as a patina on clothing, so if you leave the clothing as
is, the acid from age will deteriorate it. And, remember too,
that a doll that has lip rubs is a doll that was kissed a lot -
and that doesn't take away from the value!

Always buy what you like that is of quality. Read lots of books
- over and over again. Go to antique shows to familiarize
yourself with antique and vintage items, until you have a
trained eye. This takes time. And when buying, buy from a
reputable dealer you can trust.

Use your creativity when wearing jewelry too. A rhinestone dress
clip in the pocket of your jeans or a Victorian fob chain worn
as a necklace or choker looks fabulous! Lavish yourself in
jewelry and dolls. Life is short - so have fun!

We invite you to visit Sharon's shop: Years After.

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THE VINTAGE JEWELRY CRAZE BY DEBBIE CORRIGAN OF D
AND L VINTAGE

This spring vintage necklaces are the must have fashion
accessory. Open any fashion magazine and you'll see these
vintage beauties adorn the necks of celebrities and models
alike. It doesn't matter if it's a vintage long length Coco
Chanel type strand of pearls or the twenties flapper type beaded
necklaces, or an elaborate rhinestone necklace. Just about every
style is popular today.

It's not just Hollywood that has caught the vintage craze; it's
everyone who appreciates something uniquely beautiful. The look,
design and quality of vintage necklaces stand alone, since their
quality and workmanship cannot be duplicated today without
extreme cost. I always say when you wear a vintage necklace out
in public it should come with a warning: Be careful. You will
be constantly stopped and asked, "Where did you get that?"

What's fabulous about vintage jewelry is that the pieces can be
worn and one can start a collection with a minimum of
investment. Unsigned vintage necklaces are usually lower in
cost than the signed designer pieces, and since most of the
vintage pieces were not signed, it's easy to find a treasure at
a lower cost. The Internet is a terrific source of information
- you should read all you can about vintage jewelry to start, as
knowledge is power.

My great Aunt worked for Coro/Vendome in Providence when I was
growing up, and she gave me a beaded necklace every time I saw
her. She started my collection at an early age and when we
started our business I spent many hours studying her pieces
since I knew they were vintage. I'd recommend anyone starting a
collection to carefully study and hold the pieces in their
hands. The heft of a vintage necklace is a key "give away".
And always be sure to study the hardware. A truly wonderful
book is Jean Bella's "The Jewelry Detective". It's a small
paperback book but gives many important clues on hardware and
materials that I have found to be invaluable.

Signed vintage designers to name some, are Miriam Haskell,
Vendome, Hattie Carnegie, Hollycraft, Trifari, Weiss and
Florenza. But there are many, many other designers of vintage
pieces, and it's best to know the style of the manufacturer.
Once you recognize the designer style one can easily start to
identify the unsigned pieces.

Be careful of necklaces made from vintage parts since they are
not always vintage. They may have been assembled from various
parts of vintage pieces and combined with new hardware to form a
necklace. Always study the back of the necklace, which tells
more than the front of the piece. And always look to see if the
finish is intact. Defects in the finish are the first clue
telling you if the piece has been soldered or repaired. Check
the hardware finish to see if it matches the rest of the
necklace. If the piece is made of rhinestones, make sure that
all rhinestones are present and clear – but be aware that seeing
a couple of rhinestones that have lost their luster can be proof
of its age, as well. For faux pearls, check to see if any are
peeling or flaking. I recommend to avoid these.

Besides being beautiful – vintage necklaces appreciate in value.
So it's important that they are stored properly. Don't stack
them on top of each other as they can get scratched or damaged.
A jewelry box is best but if you're like me, you find you run
out of room very quickly to store your works of jeweled art.
Never store rhinestone necklaces in sealed plastic as it can
trap moisture and damage the rhinestones permanently.

Now here's the fun part: Armed with this bit of new knowledge,
go on out and find some fabulous necklaces that look good on you
and that you like. Buying what you like never goes out of
style!

We invite you to visit Debbie's shop, D and L Vintage .

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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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