You have heard of Tiffany but how about Durand Or Quezal? At the start of the 20th century, there was a rush to get into the Art Glass business, and the beauty of it swept the country. The iridescent and luster finishes developed during this time seemed to brighten the rather gloomy times of that era. But those who were fortunate enough to be prospering at the time, wanted to put on the airs of prosperity, and these items appealed to them.

The Durand company was started by Victor Durand in 1897. It was called the Vineland Flint Glass Works. Their company was formed in Vineland New Jersey.

The collapse of the Quezal Art Glass company, gave Mr. Durand the opportunity to hire Martin Bach Jr. who had been the greatest influence on the art glass produced by Quezal, and whose father, Martin Bach Sr. had been a chemist and formulator for Louis Comfort Tiffany. In 1924 Bach, Jr. set up the art glass shop in Vineland for the Durand’s. Bach immediately began to hire members of his team from the disbanded Quezal company.

They began making the golden amber glass similar to that of Tiffany. Also they make thread glass items and pieces that contained hearts and vines, king tut and peacock feather like Tiffany.

The early Art Glass produced by the Durand’s was not marked, but later pieces were marked Durand and often included a V. You will always find a ground pontil on the Durand pieces.

Victor Durand was killed in a car crash in 1931. When Colonel Evan Kimble took over, he didn’t wish to continue the Art Glass business. so any glass that hadn’t been sold he sold to the workers for ten cents an item. Any of the pieces left, were destroyed.

The best Durand vase that I ever bought was about 14 inches tall blue iridescent vase. I paid about about $250. After enjoying it for a while, I let it go for $1,250.00.

Today, pieces of Durand that are less common will bring from $2000 to $5000.

In my searches I find that it is more difficult to discover a great piece of Durand than it is for Tiffany or Quezal.

Discover how my book, “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles” can be the tool that helps you become financially free following the same simple financial principles that the wealthy follow.

If you haven’t yet had a chance to see what we’ve got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We’ve got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you’d like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. Or, if you’d like to sell your item to us, contact us today.

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I hate to admit this is my opinion but, it is. Ebay has served us the fluff. Yes, they have taken their plan, confused it, and are expecting us not to know that it is just fluff, all puffed up. In fact, if you take an egg, fluff it up into an omelette, it’s still an egg. I call this a “Lambertism”: Confusion can’t trump the truth.”

Now it’s evident why Meg Whitman announced her retirement. She knew that the market would explode with criticism over the changes that were coming down the line. Why should she stay and ruin the ten year legacy of being one of the top executives in the whole world when she knew the bubble was about to pop?

No matter how you slice it, Ebay’s new changes is an attempt to increase revenues so that the stock will reverse its downward spiral. But I think I have news for them. It ain’t going to work, and in my opinion, if these changes stand, this stock might be the best short in the market.

I can now hear the stampede of feet searching for other places to sell their merchandise. In fact, if these changes stand, I predict that there will be several new auction sites that will be opening in the near future. This pie is going to be sliced into thinner and thinner slices, and Ebay will be the loser.

Their competition must be in shock today. They were thinking that they might have to rearrange their own marketing plans, because Ebay would be taking away their advantages. Instead, they find themselves in an excellent position to take more market share from Ebay.

Now, it will be wise to evaluate each week where the best service is for the members of the 31 Club and recommend these companies. Does this mean never telling people to use Ebay? No. But we might tell them to wait until Ebay has a day of no listing fees, or other special offers, because under the present plan, these increases don’t provide the best value in the marketplace.

One of the “interesting” changes, is that the seller can no longer respond to a buyer’s feedback. Now what is this all about? The seller, under the new plan, can no longer respond to negative feedback given by a buyer. The sellers are just asking for a fair shake and the opportunity to defend themselves against unscrupulous buyers.

Stay tuned. I don’t think you have heard the last of this yet. It will be interesting to see if the new CEO can stand up under the pressure that is sure to be coming over the next few weeks.

In the South we have an old saying: “Keep your powder dry.” This might be a great time to practice patience.

Join me and the rest of the 31 Club as we build wealth in antiques, collectibles, and art, right here. You’ll get my book, “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles” for FREE. Or, if you’re not quite sure about joining and have some questions you’d like to ask me, or just want to talk with me, E-mail me at info@31corp.com. I’ll personally see to it that we set up a time to talk with one another.

Discover how the 31 Club, together with my book, “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles” can be the tool that helps you begin building personal wealth using antiques, collectibles and fine art. Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Need to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article here.

If you haven’t yet had a chance to see what we’ve got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We’ve got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you’d like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

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Photo From T&J Powersellers on Ebay

Yes, there are many people writing about the up coming changes at eBay, but you heard them first in our blogs and press release on October the 4, 2007. In my opinion, the changes are going to be good for the customers and should strengthen eBay’s position in the market.

It was no surprise to me that Meg Whitman decided to step aside. Why shouldn’t she? What a ten year run! She took the company from one, that at times, didn’t know if it could keep its doors open to a company that is known around the world as one of the most profitable enterprises on earth.

The timing is right for her departure, and I suppose becoming a billionaire might have given her an incentive to depart. Why risk her legacy on the changes that are about to take place?

She is a very smart lady and knew that the growth the company has experienced over the last ten years can’t be sustained without dramatic changes. And these changes come with no guarantee that they will produce the desired results. So, yes, it’s time to turn it over to someone else.

What does this mean for the company and it’s competitors? First, as I wrote in October, if eBay does away with the listing fees, it will be a disaster to its competitors. They have been testing this plan for several months now, while at the same time raising other fees to see if that would offset the loss in listing fees. To the customer, this scenario could be a great bonus. They could list more items and not worry about having to pay fees if their item doesn’t sell. I personally think that by eliminating competition and keeping more of their sellers listing more items would be a wise move.

There are a couple of things that can wreck the ship for Ebay. First, are the lawsuits that continue to come. Second, the possibility of foreign governments wanting to get involved, wanting part of the action. The road might become rocky for eBay, but I think the long term outlook for this company is very favorable.

Ebay will always play a very important part in the future of the 31 Club, in the Antique & Collectible business, as well as the Fine Arts business. In the last few months I have had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of some of the most knowledgeable people in the use of Ebay and other online auctions around the world. I’ll be introducing them to you so your auction experience can be tremendously enhanced by their expert guidance. We’ve already featured the OnlineAuction.com and will continue to tell our members that presently, this company offers some great advantages if you are a seller.

The secret in this business is balance, and that means knowing our markets and where your items fit best. The Internet is just one component in the future success that you will achieve, but it is also a very important one.

The 31 Club aims to keep you ahead of the curve, both in information and in trends. Knowing when to buy items, such as Lotton Glass, and also when to sell items, such as prints, will prove to be invaluable to you. and this is the service that we will be providing our members.

Your destiny is in no one else’s hands but your own. Go for the golden ring.

Join me and the rest of the 31 Club right here. You’ll get my book, “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles” for FREE. Or, if you’re not quite sure about joining and have some questions you’d like to ask me, or just want to talk with me, E-mail me at info@31corp.com. I’ll personally see to it that we set up a time to talk with one another.

Discover how the 31 Club, together with my book, “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles” can be the tool that helps you begin building personal wealth using antiques, collectibles and fine art. Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Need to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article here.

If you haven’t yet had a chance to see what we’ve got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We’ve got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you’d like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

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I will never forget the words of wisdom my father shared with me as a boy. “Why see so little from the ground when you can soar with the eagles and see for miles?” And, “Why settle for mediocrity when magnificence is right around the corner?”

My father was a man of humble beginning, but through his faith in God and in his given abilities, he found an inner strength that I have seen in no one else. When I share my hopes for you, they are coming directly from the spirit that my dad imparted to me.

Yes, I do have confidence that you can reach any level of success regardless of how high it is. I ask you to consider the words my father gave me and take them to heart. He had faith in me, and I have faith in you.

Others will discourage you, and yes, you might even be discouraging yourself. But be un-frayed in your dogged determination to succeed. Be open to taking direction. Your success will be achieved by your acquiring knowledge and taking the appropriate actions. Then you will sit at the top of the mountain where the eagles rest.

Make a study of how wealthy people think. Do you realize they think differently than most people? There are plenty of books out there about wealth and wealthy people, and we’ve included some of the best, on our recommended reading list. Understand the “millionaire mindset,” as Cindy calls it, and begin to make it your mindset. If you can’t see yourself as being successful or wealthy, you won’t be. Being wealthy is a way of thinking. These books can help you examine the thoughts that run through your head. If you discovered that what you think about might be holding you back, wouldn’t you want to know how to change those thoughts? If you haven’t yet selected a book or two from this recommended book list, why not do that now? Get out of the gate with the right thinking and give yourself a healthy start. You’ll find things will become much easier for you after that.

In my book, “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and Collectibles,” and here on this Blog, I stress the rare and higher end of the market. Why? Because this is where the challenge is.

Aim high. Now, I don’t expect people to be running out and looking at high priced items right out of the gate. You have to have knowledge about these things. When you start out, you’re buying lower range items and acquiring knowledge at the same time. Learn as you earn. Each time you buy something, you’ll be studying about that item by researching its possible value, and where you might sell it. That process is an education in itself.

When you set yourself up to study about something during the week, whether it be pottery, antique bottles, glass, paintings, collectible radios, or anything you have an interest in, you are expanding your knowledge base and arming yourself for the next time you go out or look on the Internet at items. Pick out your interest and pursue it. Pursue it as if nothing else matters until you have the confidence that comes only by this extraordinary effort.

Have you visited the library to browse through books? Have you visited any Antique Shows and asked the dealers questions until you thought your time with them had expired? Are you keeping ongoing lists, noting the rare in your particular area of study? Price Guides can tell you this. Reviewing past sales and photos at auction houses from the comfort of your computer chair works wonders. Completed sales listings on Ebay, sorted from the highest price to the lowest price is a great tool. Make note of the more rare and higher end of whatever subject you are studying. Review, review, review. Put things on notecards if you want. Study in a way that works for you.

How many people have you spoken to about what you’re doing? Do you have others whom you’ve asked for support in your new direction? Is your company set up, and have you made your $100 deposit in your company checking account? Do you have business cards? How many have you given out each day? Can you commit to giving out a certain number of business cards to people you’ve spoken to about what you’re doing?

Have you called and checked in with me? I offer my continual help to all who call.

In the service, soldiers are pushed to their limits to find out who they really are as men. Do I mean that your quest must be twenty-four hours a day? No. In fact, just the opposite is true. In my book, I state that you don’t have to change your current life to complete the 31 Steps. How can that be? It sounds contradictory. Not at all. What I’m stating is that whatever time you do give for you new quest, give it 100% of your effort for that time. This may only be five to ten hours a week, but used wisely, it will be enough.

I had a heart felt concern yesterday when I received a comment from one of our readers about the Blog I wrote about Marsha’s success. I could feel their suffering as they expressed negative opinions about the successful day that Marsha had. It seemed they wanted to down play it and diminish the joy that was felt that day. The questions and comments had a negative feel and asked — Are they sold? Will you have to list it on Ebay 6 times? Will you have people knocking down your door to buy from you because you’re offering the best at fair prices? Finally, the person got to the real center of the concern. “To me this business is kind of like kissing frogs - in addition to the big wins out there, there are a lot of bloopers that I think we all need to experience to pay for our education.”

I don’t believe that we need to experience failure to be successful. That is why the 31 Club and my staff are here for you. We’re here to help prevent those bloopers that, evidently, this person has experienced.

I sincerely hope that the writer of these comments will join us by following our plan, and will give me a call. For those who stick with the plan and commit to putting in 100% effort for the time they spend with this, I know that within a year’s time, their outlook will be bright.

When you have a mindset like a millionaire, and put in 100% effort during the time you devote to this business, you won’t have to find success. Success will come to you.

Join me and the rest of the 31 Club right here. You’ll get my book, “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles” for FREE. Or, if you’re not quite sure about joining and have some questions you’d like to ask me, or just want to talk with me, E-mail me at info@31corp.com. I’ll personally see to it that we set up a time to talk with one another.

Discover how the 31 Club, together with my book, “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles” can be the tool that helps you begin building personal wealth using antiques, collectibles and fine art. Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Need to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article here.

If you haven’t yet had a chance to see what we’ve got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We’ve got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you’d like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

Go to Our Homepage.

If you wish to leave comments use the ANONYMOUS button and then you don’t have to sign in to leave your message. Chime in and participate with us.

Too often, I get calls from individuals who tell me they’ve found a Renoir or a Picasso. Of course, this doesn’t turn out to be the case. These turn out to be copies, and poor ones at that. This is the get quick rich quick mentality, and I suppose deep down we really can’t help it sometimes. Yes, there have been cases where paintings are found, and if it happens to you, I will be the first to say that it’s nice knowing you. But, in all truth, financial success comes from our attitude, our knowledge and actions, and some education into the trade secrets few care to share.

You can arrive at the same place financially as the person who actually did find a Picasso by simply doing what Marsha did over and over again. I wrote about Marsha in yesterday’s Blog, and if you haven’t read it, you’ll need to do that in order to fully grasp what I’m saying today. Truthfully, we all know deep down that the chances of being the one to find the next million dollar painting are quite slim, and we need to be working in reality. But, the process of 100% compounding will turn hundreds into thousands and thousands into hundreds of thousands. That is a sure thing, if we educate ourselves on this topic and are persistent in our quest for knowledge. This is what we do, here, at the 31 Club. Although I’ve been collecting and dealing for about 45 years now, I never stop learning.

Over the years, I have personally met people that began with nothing, and when we crossed paths ten years later, have seen their lives dramatically changed. They no longer drove that ten year old beat up truck, but a new Mercedes instead. They’re no longer living on the wrong side of the tracks, but in a home having more bedrooms than most people have in their entire house, not to mention two vacation homes. I often ask them how this change came about. The answer: ” I learned to be the best at something.” Wow! That is just what we, at the 31 Club, are teaching.

Is that painting quality and is it painted by a listed artist? Sure it is. I recognize the signature. And look at that Zsolnay vase. The mark is an old one. I remember seeing it in the book. And, could the signature on that painting be below the matting? Well, it sure is, and it’s the work of a great artist. If these are the things that are running through your mind while you’re on the hunt, your fortune is just ahead of you. Do you see the effects from education you are receiving through this Blog alone? Each one of these revelations will mean thousands of dollars to you.

You see, when you know more than most of the people looking for treasure, your chance of finding it is greatly improved. Knowing Rookwood is fine, but knowing which artist brings the most money and what their signature looks like will be your advantage over most. Is that painting by the father or son? This can make a great difference in value. Do you know the difference in their signatures? This is the type of information and education that I’ll be sharing with our members on a regular basis in the membership section of our website. If you’ve been one of our regular Blog readers who hasn’t yet joined, quite frankly, I’m wondering why. Where else you can get access to this kind of information and personal attention, just like Marsha does, for such a ridiculously low cost? Is there anywhere else you can call and talk to someone with my years of experience, who will guide and mentor you for practically free? This is what I’m offering right now. People will spend more money on their weekly lattes or on a pizza than what it cost to be mentored and guided by an expert in a field that can help them change their financial picture. what’s up with that?

Let’s look at some more ways to use the knowledge you’ll gain by being a member of the 31 Club. Did you know that some artists incorporate their signatures within the painting itself? I have looked at a piece for 15 to 20 minutes, knowing by sight that the painter of the piece was a trained artist, yet unable to find the signature. Looking again and again, low and behold, there it was as part of the table in the painting.

Would you know what to do if you’re confronted with a painting that looks like a high quality piece but lacks a signature? This might be a treasure, because many fine artists signed their work on the reverse, as it is known in the trade. What would you do if that painting had a paper dust cover affixed to the back side so you couldn’t see if there was a signature? Would you know how much finding a signature might add to your bank account? Members of the 31 Club will know.

Did you know that there were artists that painted under different names? You can find these alternate names in most of the better art guides. Artists often used marks, rather than their name, to mark their paintings. Can you possibly grab hold of how this kind of information can prosper you? This is the kind of information I am sharing with 31 Club members.

I’ve been asked many times, why I am doing this. Why the 31 Club? And, why at a ridiculously low cost? And I’ll tell you this: The way I see it, on the day the Lord calls me home, if I haven’t shared what I know with others about the things I know that could help them improve the quality of their lives, then I haven’t done what He has asked me to do. If sharing my knowledge could help make life easier for you and your family, why would I keep that all to myself?

Join me and the rest of the 31 Club right here. You’ll get my book, “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles” for FREE. Or, if you’re not quite sure about joining and have some questions you’d like to ask me, or just want to talk with me, E-mail me at info@31corp.com. I’ll personally see to it that we set up a time to talk with one another.

Discover how the 31 Club, together with my book, “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles” can be the tool that helps you begin building personal wealth using antiques, collectibles and fine art. Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Need to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article here.

If you haven’t yet had a chance to see what we’ve got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We’ve got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you’d like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

Click Here to get back to our mainpage.

If you wish to leave comments use the ANONYMOUS button and then you don’t have to sign in to leave your message. Chime in and participate with us.

I would like to set the record straight about buying in the art and antiques world as a novice. The question often comes up to me as this: Will the blogs I write about art and higher end items serve you well in this business while you are just beginning your search for valuable items, considered a “novice” by the world’s standards? My answer to you is most definitely, yes!

People who are satisfied with their life the way it is, frequently say to me, “Sure, Daryle, you can do it, because you’re a pro with 45 years of experience.” They are right in saying that, but the real question is this — Do you have to wait until the time you have 45 years experience to be successful? The answer to that is a definite — NO.

And here’s a great example. I’ve been working with a young lady by the name of Marsha M., part of the group of 3 friends who have joined the 31 Club together and who are forming a partnership to work our program. I usually talk to Marsha at least once a day and answer her questions on a multitude of subjects. This has been one of the high points for me in forming the club. Finding a person who wants to be successful and follow the 31 Steps to their success has served to keep me motivated. I love the connection I have to readers looking to improve the quality of their lives. I believe Marsha would call herself anything but a pro in the antique and art field, but she has the right attitude.

When I take someone with me to search for exceptional items to buy, they often ask, “How did you know that?” or “How did you spot that among all this stuff?” Sometimes I have to admit to them that it is just my instincts. Do only pros have these instincts? Let’s examine whether or not this might be true as well as my statement above that you don’t have to wait until you have 45 years experience to be successful.

Marsha has been a member of the 31 Club since November 6, 2007, and has not had experience in the antique, art and collectible field, so certainly would not be classified by most as a “Pro.” Yesterday, when we had our daily conversation, I asked her what she had done, as Thursday is her day off from work. Yes, she does have a regular job and works very hard at it. She told me she visited a few resale stores and second hand shops, and had bought a few items but didn’t really know their worth yet. Did she use her instincts? Most certainly.

So I asked her how much money she spent. She spent $25 for an etching by Mary Nimmo Moran and about $195 for two paintings by Graham Hedges.

I agreed to help her research her new finds and hoped she had a great eye so these items would serve her well. I did find that the etching will bring between $1500 and $2500. Not bad for someone that isn’t a pro — or is she? If being a pro means you make wise investments, then she might qualify. Later, she called me and told me she spent most of the night researching, and found that works by “Graham,” just like hers, are bringing $750 - $1,500 at auctions in England. This confirmed with what my research had come up with. So let’s put a pencil to it.

If she receives $2,000 for the etching and $2,000 for the two paintings, now she’s got $4,000 from an investment of $220. She’d make about twenty times her investment. I think that just elevated her to “pro,” don’t you? Marsha, I hope you wear the title proudly. My only question to all my other readers is this: Have you gotten started yet? If you have, then you have the right attitude. But, if you haven’t, why not?

Marsha will most likely make twenty times her investment. The 31 Club plan is based upon making a minimum of double your investment. When Marsha completes this sale, she’ll blow past many of the other steps, and be well on her way, leaving those of you sitting on the sidelines in the dust. And if you are one of those sitting on the sidelines, ask yourself this: How many times a year would you have to buy and sell before the money starts making a difference in your life?

If you’ve been following these blogs but haven’t joined with us, what’s stopping you? Join us today! Get out of the gate and into the race in an industry that offers more opportunity to provide for you and your family then you might possibly imagine.

I’ll be writing more about art in the coming days, as there is much more of the technical side of the business I want to share with you. So, keep posted. And, if you haven’t joined our group yet, what’s stopping you?

Discover how the 31 Club, together with our book, can be the tool that helps you begin building personal wealth using antiques, collectibles and fine art, rather than the conventional methods of using stock, bonds, and real estate investing. You won’t find results like these through your bank or your stock broker! Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Need to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article here.

If you haven’t yet had a chance to see what we’ve got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We’ve got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you’d like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

Click Here to get back to our mainpage.

If you wish to leave comments use the ANONYMOUS button and then you don’t have to sign in to leave your message. Chime in and participate with us.

I often see art work that might be several hundred years old but sells for under $2,500. Wouldn’t something that old be worth so much more? So many of the older paintings are not signed, so unless you have provenance, meaning a record of ownership from the time it was painted, most likely the price for it will be rather meager.

For example, I bought a painting in Kansas City years ago and thought I was going to strike it really big on this one. It was a Madonna from the 16th century, and I was almost certain it had been painted by one of the great masters. Paying considerable money to have it authenticated, I found out it was probably from one of the masters studios, but not by the master himself. I had paid $2,500 for this painting and sold it for only $3,500 two years later. Needless to say, I was greatly disappointed, and I learned a valuable lesson I won’t soon forget.

But, age is only one element in your search for value in paintings.

Subject matter is also an important element. Some subject matter is in more demand than others and is an important consideration The Kentucky artist, Harvey Joiner is an artist known for his landscapes, even though he painted portraits the first twenty years of his life and painted portraits of the first five Indiana Governors. So, it will most likely be this artist’s landscapes that bring the best value. When I was able to pick up a portrait Joiner had painted at an unbelievable price, I was hoping it might bring as much as his landscapes, today. It was a rather large painting, and Joiner was quite masterful in his portraiture. Now if you looked at size and compared it to the selling prices of his landscapes, which are much smaller, you’d think it could possibly bring in $15,000 to $20,000. But it brought in $3,700. This piece was signed by a great artist, but not what the buyers were looking for that day, and maybe not any other day. But as a buy on my part, it still brought in over twelve times what I paid, so it certainly fit the criteria for having bought it in the first place.

Locating paintings by a listed artist who has sold at auction, is another component. Having sold at auction gives the public a comparison as far as pricing. If you find a painting that a person can’t find any record of, your chances for getting top dollar for the painting are slim. Also, often living artists don’t have enough of a body of work for many people to collect. This means that the number of paintings the artist has produced can have a bearing on his value. I often say that if you found the greatest painter in the world, but he only painted one painting, the odds are that the piece would never have any great monetary value. Services such as AskArt and ArtNet have auction prices available but are subscriber based. Members of our 31 Club looking at paintings and do not have subscriptions to these services, can call us for help. We’ll explore the available information on these sites to help discover if you’ve found a listed artist, and what the particulars are about that artist, including current auction prices.

So where are we? First, being old can count if the painting is by a listed artist or you have provenance. Second, it should be a painting that is in the style people are looking for. If a painter is known for seascapes, then his landscapes are likely to bring less, as a general rule. Third, be sure that the artist has a formidable body of work so he or she can be collected.

Condition is the next issue to consider. Always check for repairs, whether they are in painting, tear repairs, perhaps a new stretcher, fake signatures (which can be detected under a black light), relining (putting a new canvas on the back of the original to give the old canvas integrity or hide repairs) and cleaning to the point that the actual painting is weak because so much of it has been removed from the surface.

Now you know why I took up buying and selling paintings much later in my career. There is so much to learn. So, I would say that while you are learning, become friends with people that are knowledgeable about paintings until you have the confidence in your own judgement. One of my largest purchases at the time, was taken to my friends at the Cincinnati Art Gallery to verify my opinion. Never hesitate to admit if there is something you don’t know.

Cindy has asked that I write several blogs on paintings, so this will be the first in a series. Be sure to keep posted. She made this request because this is an area of high interest to her, as well as many others, and today, we are going on an adventure where she hopes to find a painting that could be her first real treasure. Please wish her the best. You see, I didn’t say to wish her luck, because she has spent many hours now preparing herself to recognize a good quality piece if she sees it. You don’t need luck when you have knowledge.
Discover how the 31 Club, together with our book, can be the tool that helps you begin building personal wealth using antiques, collectibles and fine art, rather than the conventional methods of using stock, bonds, and real estate investing. You won’t find results like these through your bank or your stock broker! Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge 31 Club members are participating in, here.

If you haven’t yet had a chance to see what we’ve got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We’ve got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you’d like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

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I have shared with you that for me, I am not usually interested in dealing with anything that is larger than a bread basket or a painting. But there are exceptions. No, I’m not interested in making furniture one of my primary items to deal with, but I might make an exception, if the money is right.

I’m talking about cars today. Yesterday, a friend asked if I would buy or sell her daughter’s car, because she was away at college and didn’t need it. My first inclination was to say no. I appreciated that she had thought of me, so I had second thoughts. I wondered what kind of car it was, so I asked. Turns out it’s an early Cadillac convertible from 1968 in great shape.

Wow! I had just read where these convertibles from the 50’s and 60’s, with their huge tail fins and big headlights, were in big demand. All of a sudden my thoughts changed. I could just envision that Cadillac being a mile long with those huge fins as I took it for a drive down the highway. A real treasure was being dropped into my lap. What would I do with that?

At this point, whether I bought the car or sold it on consignment, it was going to be a great find for me. You see, if people know what you’re doing, don’t be surprised what happens. I just happened to be at church, and she approached me with this proposition. Keep in mind that we are in the money growing business. I wouldn’t want to become a used car salesman, but if I can purchase a real classic car or even sell it for someone, I would be a fool to turn it down.

Remember, it is always about what the item is. If I get a call on an old pump organ, I usually ask the person what they would pay me to move it, but if the call is about a Steinway piano, then that is a different story. The rare and expensive items will make all the extra work you might have to do worth it. Don’t prejudge until you know what is being offered.

All the big name celebrities collect cars, and I am sure you’ve heard that Jay Leno has one of the biggest collections in the country. When I was a child, it was the Model A’s and Model T’s that people collected, but today, the muscle cars and the large touring cars are popular and in demand.

When I was interested in cars as a teen, I dreamed about Alburns, Packards, Cords and other cars of that vintage. Not collectors today. They want the Corvette, GTO, Mustang and other vintage muscle cars. Even if you find a car with a with a special engine, it can add thousands of dollars to its value today. Believe it or not, I have even seen cars that needed total restorations sell for thousands of dollars.

Get a car magazine and just list the cars that are in demand. Then keep your eyes open. There might be one sitting right in your neighborhood that could be a great treasure for you. There might be one sitting in the driveway of the next estate sale you attend. Browse the Internet for prices of these treasures.

Isn’t this business great? Who says money doesn’t grow on trees? I am so thankful I read that great book, “Treasure Island” as a kid, and I’m still experiencing the thrill of the adventure today.

Discover how the 31 Club, together with our book, can be the tool that helps you begin building personal wealth using antiques, collectibles and fine art, rather than the conventional methods using stock, bonds, and real estate investing. You won’t find results like these through your bank or your stock broker! Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge 31 Club members are participating in, here.

If you haven’t yet had a chance to see what we’ve got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We’ve got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you’d like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

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1981 George Nakashima Coffee Table Sold in 2006 for $102,000

Modern 20th Century Design. Those objects of art, lighting, and furniture from about 1920 through the present time, continue to be a hot commodity in the collectibles world. This has been the trend and continues to grow as a red hot commodity today, with no let up in sight. Modern Design, is the one area of the collectible world that piques the interest of the younger crowd as well as those who grew up during the time period of these great designers.

My interest in this area of the market was piqued on a visit to a prospective client’s home to buy some paintings. Cindy was with me that day, and upon entering, we both noticed the woman’s house looked a bit sparse. She soon began to tell us about the modern items she had sold recently, including the metal lamp with little cone shaped light shades, each of a different color. She added that she and her husband paid little for this light fixture at the time they first set up house. Now that she was a widow with grown children and grandchildren, she no longer needed a large home, so she called an auction house to look at her period furniture. A man by the name of Richard Wright came to look at some of her items, and she consigned the lamp, along with several other items to the auction house. To her amazement, that lamp she described to us sold for $12,000. She also sold some of her furniture for thousands, as well.

Furniture, lighting, and art objects from the top designers of this time have been copied, often rather badly, but it is the designer pieces of this time that are considered works of art, commanding top prices in today’s marketplace. My client, had consigned her pieces to Richard Wright at Wright Auction House in Chicago’s West Loop. And what an excellent decision that was.

No one has changed the world of Modern Design Furniture and Objects of Art as much as Wright Auction House. In 2000, founders Richard Wright and his wife, Julie Thoma Wright opened the doors of their auction business, specializing in items from this period. Their business creativity drastically changed the face of business in this area of the market. Julie Thomas Wright, we are sorry to say, has recently passed away, but it was her visionary ideas for this business that propelled this company forward to become today’s standard for Modern Design Collectibles. Today, Wright Auctions is known internationally as the spot to go for the best of these designer items.

Why am I writing about this? There are two reasons. First, for those who are following my book and have joined the 31 Club, dealing in these more rare and valuable items is the direction we are moving toward. You might still be working the lower end steps at the moment, but when you stick with it, continuing to complete each step, soon enough you will find yourself in the position to be buying rare and high end items. Knowledge about these designer items will expand the areas in which you can trade.

Secondly, most of my readers know, as a rule, I don’t deal in antique furniture. I’m not much interested in dealing with bulky items that require more than myself to transport, nor do I want to keep the kind of storage space furniture requires. But, I must say, in this case, I’m seriously considering making an exception for some of these fine pieces and the prices they can bring in.

Prices for items by well known designers and artists like Vladimir Kagan, George Nakashima, Ponti, and Paul Evans, can bring in amounts of $40,000 to well over $150,000. You might not recognize these names right now, but I hope you will in the future. If you ran across any of these items in a house sale right now, I doubt you would recognize them, and you’d be passing on a find that could make a big difference in your life.

Find out more about our step-by-step for building wealth in the Antique, Art, & Collectible Markets and the 31 Club, here.

Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge 31 Club members are participating in, here.

If you haven’t yet had a chance to see what we’ve got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We’ve got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you’d like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

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Today’s Links:

Wright Auction House

Article on Wright and Modern Design from Men’s Vogue

Article on Wright from Chicago Magazine

John Lotton Vase. Photo from Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Chicago.

I have been writing that the day was soon coming, when buying a quality piece of Lotton Art Glass would rank up there with the names of Tiffany, Steuben and others. Yesterday, January 21, 2008, just might mark the day that Lotton Glass began to take its place among the notable glasses of the ages, when a rather common 1995 John Lotton twelve inch vase sold at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers of Chicago for $2,800 plus the buyers premium, bringing a total of approximately $3,360. I believe the bandwagon has started to roll now on the best contemporary art glass of our day: Lotton Art Glass.

When common pieces of anything begin to reach levels in their pricing that better pieces brought only a short time ago, then watch out when you see exceptional pieces come to market. I believe that Glass produced by both Charles Lotton and John Lotton will see record prices this year.

The John Lotton piece, sold at Leslie Hindman, with white flowers and a clear crystal background, in my opinion, was a far cry from his better work. Better pieces of John Lotton’s glass, which I have personally observed, have reached eighteen inches in height and had well-formed realistic, multicolored flowers. When you compare the piece sold at Hindman’s to the really fine pieces that weigh in at close to 50 pounds, with up to four colors in the flowers, one might ask if these pieces might bring in $25,000. Indeed! The best is yet to come.

This move in price in Lotton Glass is of no surprise to me. In my book, “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles,” released in May, 2007, I made the prediction that Lotton Glass would become the next Tiffany, predicted it in a June 12, 2007 news release, and have been writing about Lotton Glass on my Blog for the past six months. I’ve heard auctioneers speak about the value that will be found in Lotton Glass whenever a Lotton item becomes available for auction. Many of the Charles Lotton items we’ve had in our 31 Market Place & Gallery flew off the shelf before we formally announced their arrival or posted photographs. Yes, the bandwagon is starting to roll on the best contemporary glass of our day. I just had a visitor in my home that is one of the foremost authorities on glass in this county, and he agreed that nothing is going to keep Lotton out of the top tier of all glass that has ever been produced.

In a generation there may only be a few Painters, Glass Blowers or Potters that reach this elevated level of excellence, and I believe you will see that the Lottons will be propelled to these heights. If you already own some of their work, congratulations! If you don’t, it’s still not too late for you to participate in this amazing glass, at what I think, are still very reasonable prices, before their value escalates to heights that will make it only available to the very wealthy.

While we are at it, I would like to re-enforce my suggestion that it’s time to sell all of your ungraded silver at these levels. Over the next few weeks, I think there is an excellent chance that the silver market will begin to slide, and this is a time to be on the side lines in the metal markets.

It is one thing to just give you fact that exists today, but it is quite another to find people who are willing to stick their necks on the line by making predictions for you when there is no monetary interest in it for them. That’s what I do. The most important value you will receive from the 31 Club, is my willingness to stick my neck out there for you and call things as I see them. We are here to serve you. If there are topics you would like us to give an opinion on or questions you have, please e-mail us at info@31corp.com. And why not join the only Club that learns to build wealth trading in antiques, art, and collectibles. Join Today, here.

Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge 31 Club members are participating in, here.

If you haven’t yet had a chance to see what we’ve got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We’ve got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you’d like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

If you wish to leave comments use the ANONYMOUS button and then you don’t have to sign in to leave your message. Chime in and participate with us.

Links:
Author Predicts Lotton Glass to be the Next Tiffany

Daryle Lambert Published News Releases

Daryle Lambert Published Articles